Honda Accord (2003-2007) Maintenance and Repair

1…3940424445…117

Comments

  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=119264
  • mrbill1957mrbill1957 Member Posts: 823
    I got a recall letter for my 04 Accord last year. Actually, they sent me a "2nd notice" I never got the first one.

    The recall takes less then 20 min, but call ahead to make sure they have the part in stock.

    Mrbill
  • mamamia2mamamia2 Member Posts: 707
    This seems to be a NEW recall. I guess now we all have to wait for a letter from Honda.
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    If I had an 04-05 I would call the dealer now, and try to avoid the rush. I wonder though, why not the 03 model?
  • accord6mtaccord6mt Member Posts: 53
    I have an '05 6-speed coupe - mine also used to vibrate slightly at idle with or without A/C engaged when the car was new. It wasn't a big enough deal for me to go to the dealership about. Now I've got over 30K miles on the car and the vibration issue has gone away/resolved itself. I'd say no biggie, but then again I don't know if your vibration is small or large. I know that my car's vibration would go away when I took the engine above idle to 1,000 RPM but that isn't a very practical solution to actually fix the problem. Over time, I think your issue will resolve itself. Good luck!
  • pcgrant2002pcgrant2002 Member Posts: 2
    My vibration can be very significant at times but since it is intermittent it has been hard for me to have the dealer diagnose. It seems that if I drive the car for a long period of time and then enter stop-and-go city driving it is much worse. It also seems to be worse when I am stopped and idling on a slight incline. I also notice that the idle does go away when I take the idle to 1K RPM or over...as yours did.

    Thanks for response. I'll continue working with Honda and the dealer to resolve but hopefully this problem will remedy it self like yours did. We'll see.
  • accord6mtaccord6mt Member Posts: 53
    Best of luck! I would also check earlier posts here regarding the replacement of motor mounts still under warranty - just as a possibility.
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    This could be a fuel pressure regulator issue. If you do bring the car in to the dealer, get them to check the fuel pressure (not hard to do) when the vibration occurs. Just an idea, and something you may want to check out.
  • yooper53yooper53 Member Posts: 286
    was daydreaming in waldo world and got 5 qts 5w30 instead of 5w20, went to the local quicky lube for an oil change. they told me it would void the warranty. as i was already running late i told them to go ahead anyway. are they right about the warranty? i don't believe it can hurt anything mechanically but stand to be corrected. any feedback greatly appreciated.
    dennis
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    Since you live in Michigan, it would be a good idea to do another change to the thinner 5W20 oil ASAP. That might not be as much a factor in southern Florida as it is in the colder north at this time of year.
  • chucko3chucko3 Member Posts: 793
    http://www.performanceoiltechnology.com/ford5w20.htm
  • yankeryanker Member Posts: 156
    what does an oxygen sensor do that is so important and worth two hundred and fifty dollars??. I replaced one and so appreciable difference after a four hundred mile tip with the thing in malfunction mode
  • panzerleaderpanzerleader Member Posts: 15
    Just notice a very slight rough idle on the car. Anyone else experiencing same? Car has 1600 miles on it. Felt in seat bottom and slightly in steering wheel.
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    Could be an engine mount issue. They are complicated (controlled by computer, and use vacume).
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question257.htm

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxygen_sensor
  • chucko3chucko3 Member Posts: 793
    There are two O2 sensors in the Accord. One is located between the exhaust manifold and the cat. The other is
    right after the cat.
    The first one helps the ECU to control the air fuel mixture.
    Without this one, the car won't pass the emission testing.
    The second one lets you know the cat is failing or not.

    You still can run the car with both of them failed. But with the first one, continue driving would cause damage to the cat (running rich) or the engine (running lean).
  • nguy1nguy1 Member Posts: 5
    Has anyone notice that on Honda's frost develops inside your windows (2006 Accord LX)? I thought my car was defective but I saw another Accord with the rear windows frosted over. Next to it was a Korean Sonata with clear windows on a -6 degree day in Minneapolis.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Turn on your defroster... I'm not quite sure what you are saying... if a car interiors will have different levels of humidity, meaning that the car will fog/frost up at different temperatures. If you had more humidity in your car (say, from having 3 people talking in it for awhile) than the Sonata did, yours would naturally fog up sooner, because the humidity level reached 100% at a higher temperature (because the dewpoint was higher in your vehicle than the Sonata's).

    People talking expels moist hot air from their mouths in an enclosed space. That, and sudden changes in temperature will cause fog/frost on windows.
  • hondalovahondalova Member Posts: 189
    Check your O2 sensors - also make sure your EGR Valve is working properly. My '04 V-6 got its EGR a little gooped up and as soon as we changed it, the idle smoothed right out.

    Related to your problem, I've also experienced periodic misfire in conjunction with the rough idle. Always seems to happen at cold start-up when it occurs. Stored codes indicated misfire faults on all 6 cylinders (P301-P306) and/or (P300) general misfire code. Seems to only happen in warmer (50 degree plus) weather and has abated since winter set-in.

    Haven't found a solution yet - don't think its the O2 sensor b/c the misfires are on both banks. Someone suggested possibly having my tech re-do the "idle learning" programming for the computer but I haven't done so yet. Cleaning the EGR helped, but did not eliminate the problem until it got cold out.

    -FS
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    yeah and try picking up your daughter after her basketball practice. Her whole side of the car fogs up. :)
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    It sounds like you have your system set to RECIRCULATE. Not a good idea, unless you are behind a bus trying to keep out its diesel exhaust fumes.
  • rlabonterlabonte Member Posts: 1
    I do not know if this is common for honda or it is just me. I live in northern new hampshire where it gets quite cold. My cars stay in a garage. It seems that when it is cold I cannot open my windows. They seem to freeze at the top where the seal is made. Is there anything that I could spray in the top where the window seals. I tried silicone and that did not work.
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    That seems odd. I'd be surprised that they would freeze hard enough at the seal to prevent the motor from rolling them down though. I doubt if that much moisture could be up there anyway.

    Is there slight movement or noise when you hit the switch? That would be the case of they froze to the seal. I'm guessing the problem would be inside the door.
  • mrbill1957mrbill1957 Member Posts: 823
    Another source of moisture that many don't think of is wet floor mats.

    Mrbill
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    yes, slush and snow on the shoes that is transferred to the mats. heat in the car converts it to water. voila humidity.

    if your windows are foggy - may seem counter-intuitive but you should try running the AC and HEAT simultaneously.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    yes, slush and snow on the shoes that is transferred to the mats. heat in the car converts it to water. voila humidity.

    if your windows are foggy - may seem counter-intuitive but you should try running the AC and HEAT simultaneously.

    Or do what I do, just press the defrost button. This turns on the A/C automatically (even though the A/C LED doesn't light up when you do this). You can still turn it to whatever temperature you like.
  • mamamia2mamamia2 Member Posts: 707
    "It sounds like you have your system set to RECIRCULATE. Not a good idea..."

    Not exactly, blane. With this crazy cold spell affecting large portions of the USA, it is good to know something about how to warm up your car QUICKLY:

    Once I can get any warm air from the air ducts -- I start with RECIRCULATING the air. This is causing the system to take the relatively small amount of cold air INSIDE THE CABIN --- and warm it up. Then, when the car warmed up a bit, I change it to normal, fresh air.... And if I forget to do it -- I'll start getting fog on my windows...

    ...Just as in the Summer I can cool the car much faster by using the A/C -- while first recirculating the air, before switching back to fresh air.

    ...And BTW, if you have automatic climate system, you can actually check to see what it does once you turn it on on a very cold, or very hot day --- it would turn on RECIRCULATING air first!...
  • bmwshinbmwshin Member Posts: 19
    I'm a first-time Accord owner, and my car has relatively low mileage for its year (19K for 2004 LX AT). I want to keep this car for a long time, so in my "logical" thinking, I've used high-octane gas (91/92). I was reading an article that says unless pinging/knocking is noticed from your engine, high-octane gas is not necessary. I know the manual doesn't require high-grade gas, but what are your thoughts about using 87-grade gas vs. 91/92 grade? Does it really help to use 91/92 grade?
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    Here's a quote from Consumer Reports concerning High Octane Gas. "Using a higher octane than is required for your particular car is like buying a size 14 shoe, when a size 11 will fit just right. You are getting more shoe, but what good is it doing?"

    In other words, buying higher octane than necessary, is wasting money.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    87 Octane is all that your Accord needs. My 1996 has 170k miles on it, no engine work, and only 87 Octane has been run through it (maybe a couple of tanks of 89 or 93 by accident sometimes).

    I also run only 87 Octane in my 2006. It is what the engineers at Honda recommend in the owner's manual, as well.
  • bmwshinbmwshin Member Posts: 19
    Thanks for your response. How about the brand of gas? I was told that Chevron has the best quality, but what are your thoughts?
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    I finally got around to taking my car back to have them look at the headliner/windshield "cracking" noise again. I didn't hear a peep out of it on the way home so the problem may be solved.

    They pulled the windshield trim back (on the headliner) and added some insulation. We'll see how it does when it gets a bit colder... it always got worse then.

    They tweaked a few other things so I'm rattle-free once again!
  • cchen326cchen326 Member Posts: 1
    I have a Honda accord 2004 , 4 door LX. I was wondering if anyone had a list of the things that Honda would do at 38,000 miles to maintain the car. I have never went to Honda for the regular checks up. I go to a regular mechanic for the oil change and brake checks but nothing else. I called my local honda repair center and they said I would have to go in and speak to them about it which was strange to me.
  • mamamia2mamamia2 Member Posts: 707
    Don't you have your car's manual to check service and maintenance intervals? If not I'm sure you can find the info on Honda's web site.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    I've always used Chevron (following dad's footsteps I guess) because they use a good detergent (Techron) in their fuel (similar to others like Shell "V-Power") and they typically only cost $.02 or so cents more per gallon than the no-name gas mart with no detergents in them. Some feel that the "Top-Tier" gasoline such as Chevron and BP are worth the extra few dollars a year, and some don't. To me, it's such a small investment, I go with Chevron or Texaco every fillup )Texaco now has Techron too).

    Im not an expert, just a moderately educated Honda owner, so don't take my advice at final word :) .
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    Save your money. I have used every off-brand fuel that I could find since the mid 1960's. (See my profile for all of the vehicles I've owned.) I've had absolutely no reason in all of those years to purchase higher priced brands unless my tank was near empty in an out-of-the-way location. They all work equally as well if your vehicle manufacturer specifies use of regular grade fuel.
  • w_byrnesw_byrnes Member Posts: 20
    This is a brand new 07 EX-L Sedan auto 4 cyl with only 600 miles on it. I feel some slight vibration in gas pedal and also from the steering wheel. First I think it is the over inflated tires as people were talking about three months ago (#1766). But I also feel the same vibration when the car is in full stop and the engine is idle. This is most obvious in the morning when I drive the car out of the garage. I plan to take it to service soon. But the bad experience people shared here is a little bit scary (eg. could not find the problem or make it worse). Any advice would be appreciated.

    I had a 04 Camry LE and it was smooth like silk. I am not sure it was wise to trade it for the Accord.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    How long have you typically kept these vehicles (time and mileagewise)?

    Around here, I have bought from a no-name dealer when I left my Chevron card at home, and actually got a bad tank of gas (maybe due to the particular store) but it was the only bad gas I have ever bought; never had that problem at the chain store that, as of right now is $2.04 a gallon (the Kwikie Mart place is $2.03). To me, ten cents for every 300 miles is worth the extra peace of mind. I will NOT buy premium however, for $2.24!
  • w_byrnesw_byrnes Member Posts: 20
    Hi iamqzl,

    Have you got it solved yet? My car seems experiencing the same.

    >I will have the car checked, and will post the findings.

    >When it's idle (~550RPM), for example, waiting for green light (in D position), I feel the car's engine noise/viberation level follows a certain pattern. The noise/viberation level goes up a little about 5-10 secs, then goes down for 25-30 secs. This doesn't happen when it is in park (P) position. By the way AC is off.
  • jasonjyujasonjyu Member Posts: 6
    Any one here know how to change the cabin air filter of 2003 accord. Thanks!
  • ezshift5ezshift5 Member Posts: 858
    ...Any one here know how to change the cabin air filter of 2003 accord. Thanks!

    No problemo. DriveAccord.com has the compleat procedure all diagrammed (photos) out for you........

    Good luck (I just bought the filter (at Honda $27.07 OTD) and will be doing the procedure shortly.......

    ..ez..
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    When it's idle (~550RPM), for example, waiting for green light (in D position), I feel the car's engine noise/viberation level follows a certain pattern.

    I think Idle should be set around 700-800 RPM. That may be your problem, right there.
  • dtownfbdtownfb Member Posts: 2,918
    I have to agree with Blane. Obviously using Chevron is working for you and like you mentioned, it's only a couple cents more. I live in an area (York, PA) where the gas stations are dominated by local convenience stores: Sheetz, Rutters, Tom's, Royal Farms, etc. The only major gas companies in my area are Sunoco (1 store), ExxonMobil (2-3 couple), BP (1 store), etc. Even the Exxon store about a mile from my house just changed to a Tom's last week. The greater York area is not a small. These major companies are not in normal travel.

    Also Shell gas has caused problems with gas gauges. There sulfur content has been know to damage the sending unit in the fuel tanks.

    Because of the limited availability of "top tier" gas, I frequent stations that have quick turnover. And like you I don't buy premium for my very normal cars.
  • yankeryanker Member Posts: 156
    I have an 03 Accord which very good in my estimation.The issue that under warranty i had the catalytic converter replaced ( it smelled0 and changing gas did not help. Also the rear brakes were replaced and the radio was replaced. Should I consider this unusual Also recently at 44000 I had an oxygen sensor replaced. Is this car out of the ordinary??? Perhaps the motto don't buy a car in the first year it is on the market applies. I am very satisfied with the dealer and their honesty.
  • yankeryanker Member Posts: 156
    I have an 03 Accord which very good in my estimation.The issue that under warranty i had the catalytic converter replaced ( it smelled0 and changing gas did not help. Also the rear brakes were replaced and the radio was replaced. Should I consider this unusual Also recently at 44000 I had an oxygen sensor replaced. Is this car out of the ordinary??? Perhaps the motto don't buy a car in the first year it is on the market applies. I am very satisfied with the dealer and their honesty.
  • kcrossleykcrossley Member Posts: 182
    Has anyone had any problems with their Accord Navigation Screen? When I first start the car the screen seems unusually dim. After several minutes it tends to brighten up. I don't recall this happening until a few weeks ago. Of course, recent temperatures have been in the 20s.

    My Accord is a 2006 model. The brightness level is set in the middle and the system is set to AUTO adjust to day and night, and no, I don't have my lights on.

    Thanks,
    Kelly
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    The radio lights going out seems like a common problem (see posts about it all the time), but the rest of it doesn't sound like common problems. I have an 03 EX V6 and have had no problems to speak of (42,000 miles). I think you have one of the few with that many issues. :(
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    I didn't notice any change when the weather was in the 20's and 30's around here. I did notice that the odometer display was slow to respond when I changed it, however. The only problem I have is when the lights are on in the daytime but that isn't the case for you.
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    DriveAccord.com has the compleat procedure...

    Anyone else get this site to work? I just see some sponsored links on the left and every link on the right just brings me to another page of links. :confuse:
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    DriveAccord.com has the compleat procedure...

    Anyone else get this site to work? I just see some sponsored links on the left and every link on the right just brings me to another page of links. :confuse:
Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Your Privacy

By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our Visitor Agreement.