Honda Accord (2003-2007) Maintenance and Repair

dolfan1

Well, you really don't know for certain if in fact they didn't change it the first time.
It is quite possible they were telling you the truth; remember, since your Maint Minder light wasn't on, it's quite possible the technician wouldn't have thought to reset the meter.

That being said, worse case scenario I don't think you'd have anything to worry about.
Remember, you're driving a Honda. Unless there is something about the car you just don't like, and it's running fine, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

ssb2

Good day,

I have a 2003 Honda Accord and my driver seat floor is wet. It does not seem to be coming from above (steering wheel area). It looks like I have a water leak under the floor. Is that possible? It did rain for the last few days but I do not know where the water would be coming from. I did notice that the seal around my driver door was starting to drip water drops however I have no indication that this was the entry point. At the moment, I have two spots where I place my feet to drive. Any ideas?

elroy5

At the moment, I have two spots where I place my feet to drive. Any ideas?

If the water is coming in only while the car is moving, I'd say it's the lower firewall or floor. There are a lot of seals around wires etc. going through the firewall where water could get in. Have any splash shields been removed from the front of the car?

chucko3

Does the car have the original windshield?

thegraduate

I don't drive much, so when I read that the oil in my 2006 Honda Accord only needed to be changed every 6000 miles,

There isn't a particular mileage where the oil should be changed. Not sure where you read that. Like you said, the maintenance minder is the way to go.

tallman1

There isn't a particular mileage where the oil should be changed.

However, Honda does recommend that you change your oil every year no matter how many miles you have or what the maintenance minder says. At least that's what I remember reading in the owner's manual.

blufz1

You need to run a synthetic and change it once per year. Mobil 1 EP comes to mind.

carzzz

Well, i still believe my case is not solved. The loud "pop" sound and jump forward still exists, even with applying handbrake before the car shift into "P"/Park. I have spoken to mechanic on radio show, and she told me there could be a slight mislignment between the tranny and engine or bad engine mounts. She also told me to try crank in "N"/neutral without footbrake and handbrake on flat ground, and see the car roll or jump forward. If it rolls forwards, it means there is a problem. I did the experiement on parking lot about 20x, and it rolled forward 4x. The jumps were about 1 inch to 3 inches. If I don't apply the brake, the "after crank" roll distance can be up to 1 feet. So, i will bring it to another Honda dealer get it check. Just wondering do you guys feel any shock when shifting from "N" to "D"? I feel a noticable/rough shock when shifting from "N" to "D".

pvellozo

hi. I have a 2007 accord ex-v6 which i bought new. since i first got it I have noticed that the first time i put it it into reverse gear to back it out of the garage it shifts hard, like a clunk noise. the rest of the day it shifts smoothly. i didn't think to ask the dealer about it, thinking this must be normal. it now has 26000 miles on it and is otherwise trouble free. does anyone think it is a problem that i should have checked out? thanks p

trikev19

The pulling and vibration is most likely a tire problem. Honda had a transmission problem similar to what you've described. A dealer will diagnose and Honda will replace the transmission at no cost in or out of warranty.

tman14

I have a 2004 Honda Accord, LX-V6, 42,000 miles.

I have the navigation system with climate control. There is no control knob for the temperature setting. It uses up and down buttons to adjust the temperature.

My problem is when I turn on the front windshield defrost, nothing comes out of the windshield vents. All the air blows out of the front vents (air conditioning vents). There is no blockage in the windshield vents.

Any idea what the failure could be?

Thanks.

elroy5

You may want to get the battery tested. Autozone tested mine free (still in the car). My battery was weak, and it was causing various electrical problems with my car (including instrument cluster and A/C operation).

wallym38

My dealer recommends I have the throttle body on my 2006 Accord cleaned every 15000 miles. How difficult is it to do? Does anyone have instructions on how to do it? Thanks

Wally

thegraduate

Since the throttle is now drive-by-wire, I'd have no idea how. I have a 2006 Accord and have heard NOTHING about doing this service. I go by the maintenance minder.

davehonda

Dear friends,
I have over 16,000 in my Accord. Should I go for 15,000 mile service. They are asking $217 for it. Is this reasonable?. My maintenance minder has not lit up yet and oil life is around 30%.

Another ques: My wiper worn out last winter. So I changed it on my own. I think they covered that during the $15000 mile service. Am I correct? (I spent $45 to get a new wiper blade (from Bosch)) :mad:

thegraduate

I do exactly what the maintenance minder says to do, and no more. I have 33,000 miles on my 2006 Accord I4 now. At 29,000, it wanted an air filter on top of the normal service, so it got one.

And, I wouldn't have replaced the whole wiper thing, just the rubber inserts will do, and should cost less than $10 from the dealer I believe.

mamamia2

They do get very CREATIVE, sometimes, those dealers. Stay tuned, next they'll offer you " a blinker-fluid change, now on sale! Only $169.99 ".....

blufz1

I get the dealer to perform each service while the car is in warranty.

mrbill1957

AT around 27k, I started to notice periodic sticking of the gas pedal on my 04 Accord. The sticking was when first pushing slightly, it seemed to hang up mechanically. I've seen articles that cleaning throttle bodies is not uncommon. I took off the intake tube just before the throttle body, opened up the throttle plate, and I noticed a circle of black carbon approx 1/4" wide just behind the throttle plate. I took a little carb cleaner and a rag, and was able to wipe it off with a bit of rubbing. Now the sticking is gone (for now).

Since the "drive by wire" replaces the throttle cable with an electric motor, the hesitation I noticed won't be felt with your foot, but the down side, it may put more stress on the motor.

I don't know how often the throttle body should be cleaned, but I wouldn't ignore the suggestion by the dealer completely.

Just my 2 cents,

Mrbill

elroy5

I think, when a "shop manual" for a particular car is written, the engineers don't actually know every little maintenance item. Things that could be done to prevent problems later. After the car has been on the road for a while, things become clearer. A couple of things I've heard of dealerships reccomending frequently are Power Steering fluid changes, and throttle body cleaning. Are they necessary? Who knows for sure? I've already checked the condition of my PS fluid (looks pretty darn clean to me), and I'm thinking about giving the throttle body a look.

In other words, just because it's not in the maintenance schedule, doesn't mean it's not necessary, or at least a good idea.

lrs52

">while driving home tonite I turned on my radio and the lighting display was very dim. I shut it off and tried it again, but now it;s completely out. I am curious to know if anyone else has had a similar problem. The radio / cd player still works , I just can't see it now. Any help would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

bav_fan07

This exact same problem happened to my 2003 EX-L Accord. Its an electrical problem with the radio and center console. My Radio had to be replaced.

I had an extende warranty and HONDA CANADA refused to fix it saying warranty doesnt cover electrical. However I complained to the head office and they fixed it under warranty. Unless you have an extended warranty, your repair will be costly. Sorry - I hope you can prove me wrong.

elroy5

The warranty on the radio/A/C display has been extended to 7 years/100k miles (in the US at least). They are no longer changing the entire radio, only a Printed Circuit Board.

lastwraith

"Unless you have an extended warranty, your repair will be costly."

Note: Only if you actually care about the stock radio. You can always simply get an aftermarket deck, the adapter housing, and (worst case scenario) run new electrical connections to it. The stock deck is fine but there are certainly more options available via the aftermarket, no reason to pay out a ton just to have it replaced

elroy5

Do they have aftermarket radios that can display A/C information? I don't think so.

bunkie1

You can repair the radio yourself if you're fairly handy. I fixed the radio on my '03 EX about a year ago and haven't had any problems. It was before the extended warranty notice was sent and I was already over 100K miles anyway. It certainly requires a steady hand and a willingness to go deep into the heart of your dashboard. I only maintain that this repair was done by me and has worked fine for the last year. If you try it yourself and your car burns up, don't blame me. There are places you can send the radio to to have it repaired at a much lower cost than replacement, but you'll have a huge hole in your dash for several weeks.

Anyway, here's the link, look down about 4 posts: http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-trucks/2003-honda-accord-wiring-problem-8584-1- 8.html

Another link with directions for removing the radio:
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/561772/3

This is a link to a company that repairs stereos and has directions for removal: http://www.cdplayerrepair.com/Remtips/accord_rem.htm

I repaired mine myself, so I have no idea about how good that company is or what kind of service you could expect.

chucko3

Elroy,
Mine is any day now.
Did they do a good job of taking out and putting back the
radio unit?

elroy5

Yes, the dealership did a good job fixing the radio display. No scratches or rattles, so it's just like new.

chucko3

EW should cover it under Accessories.
http://www.curryhondacare.com/coverage.cfm?CFID=1200192&CFTOKEN=74461070

nosirrahg

My wife's 2003 Accord EX 4-cylinder has had a problem the last couple days with hard starting; takes maybe 2-3 tries whereas before it started on the first try. The battery is 2 years old; I put a charger on it and it seems to be fine...it was only slightly below fully charged when she returned from a trip to the grocery store this evening (maybe a 2 mile trip, so not surprised it wasn't 100% charged)...but the charger didn't indicate any problems with the battery, and a test of the alternator with the chargers tester didn't indicate any alternator problems (though who knows if the tester is accurate?).

The car has just over 57,000 miles on it; other than a bad battery once before no real problems with the car. Scanning the posts here the only other thing I saw mention of was maybe a fuel pump issue, but don't know how common that might be (or how easy to check).

Ideas?

buyahome

I had a similar hard time starting my 2004 Accord. I had trouble with the remote start not fully starting the car. It would try twice and then return to normal (with nothing running). I also had trouble starting the car at various times. I tried the new battery (on my own thinking I was smart), still had the problem and tried another new battery thinking I had purchased a faulty battery (I didn't want to get stuck). Long story short...let the dealer tell you what the problem is. I finally broke down in front of my house and had the car towed in. One new starter later I am able to start instantly with no sound of strain to the battery or starter. Thanks Honda! My local dealer is awesome! Hats off to Weymouth Honda, Weymouth, MA.

nosirrahg

My wife just called from the dealer...they're saying it's the battery, which fortunately she had installed there two years ago and it had a 3-year 100% replacement guarantee, so we'll see how that goes. My charger didn't show any errors last night though when I topped the battery off, so I'm not fully convinced the battery is the problem...but better they experiment with new batteries on their dime than new starters and fuel pumps on mine!

carpenter22

I have a 2005 Accord V6 with 30k after 3.5 years. I just brought it in for the 30k maintenance and got a call, just before the car was ready, that my "transmission fluid looks a little dirty and so does the brake fluid." They offered, of course, to drain and change both for $189. I can't do the maintenance myself, but wondered if this sounds reasonable.

thegraduate

You should change transmission fluid every 30k miles (just a drain and fill), as well as change brake fluid every three years (so that you get no water absorbed into it, which will eventually cause your master cylinder to fail), so I'd go ahead with the service. The cost doesn't sound TOO unreasonable, although it could probably be done somewhat cheaper at an independent shop.

tankbeans

I'd say the amount they're asking is reasonable. I know at my local dealer the brake fluid change is about $60 while the transmission fluid change runs about $80. I'll have to do both of those services next year. I have an 03 with just under 50k.

lordgauv

Hello Everyone,
I replaced 02 sensor Bank 2 Sensor 1 with an after market sensor. I drove the vehile for a couple hundred miles and then when I had a chance I cleared all the errors that were associated with this sensor (with a friends reader) and when I drove away the check engine light came back on . After going back to his house the error code that came up was P2247, we cleared it and once again when I drove away it came back on. Does anyone know what could be causing this problem?

Thanks,
Shawn

elroy5

I did the fluid changes for less than $30, but if you can't play, you have to pay. Both brake and transmission fluids should be done though, IMO.

xxerivxx

I put the key in turn it I hear a humming sound no clicks then when i switch i back to off I hear like a winding/spinning sound...the battery is good..lights work radio works and wipers work...fuel gauge engages too so that works as well..can anyone help..

elroy5

Sounds like the starter is not fully engaging the flywheel, and not turning the engine over. Then when you release the starter, the little gear just spins inside the starter. I would have it tested.

htt

It came from driver side front door. There's a pin/screw that needs to be sealed inside the door but it wasn't. In normal condition, water gets into the door and drains out through the three holes at the bottom. But if it rains hard and the car is parked at an inclined driveway, it now basically has only one hole to drain the water out until water reaches some level for the second and third hole to do their job. By this time water also reaches or passes the pin/screw. And if it's not sealed properly, water will leak into the door's other compartment and slowly leaks into the car. Hope this helps.

finzz

At nearly 70,000 the warning tab on my driver's side front pads are starting to squeal... not too bad at all.

Has anyone had any good or bad experiences with any particular brake pad?

I'm leaning toward EBC brand replacements and figure I'll tackle the front and rear pads at the same time

Any input would be appreciated...

thegraduate

If the fronts were good, why not use the same kind?

Also, why go through the trouble of replacing good rear brake pads?

I sound snippy - I'm not trying to, I'm just curious.

elroy5

If the original brake pads lasted 70k miles, and have not been a problem, why change? If you do this job yourself, I recommend using the paste and shims that should come with the pads, even if you have to re-use the shims from the old pads.

finzz

If I can avoid it, I'd prefer not to buy stuff from the dealer - I figure it's always over priced.

As for changing the rear pads, I agree with you to a point but just feel that after 70,000 miles, it's time. They simply can't last THAT much longer

elroy5

You can get the stock pads cheaper on-line at HandA or Majestic. Quality aftermarket pads will cost just as much or more. I get all my maintenance items from HandA. Great service, good prices, and I don't even have to leave home.
http://www.handa-accessories.com/accord.html
I usually order six packs of oil filters and anything I will need for the near future, so the shipping costs don't ruin the great prices.

tankbeans

Just my two cents, I bought front pads for my 03 Accord from the dealer and they only ran about $30.00 give or take. I didn't think they were that much more that Checker or any of those other auto part stores.

Then again all dealers are different I guess.

finzz

Thanks Elroy - that's a great web site. There's some stuff in there I didn't even know was on the car!! LOL

I'm very fussy about the oil filters, though... Probably, too much so but I just don't know, or cant' be sure that the Honda Oil Filter does the same job as the Purolator One that I've been using...?

I could get the oil tested, but that's a pain - would be interesting though

Thanks again -I've bookmarked that web site

finzz

I suppose they are - I'm in northern NJ, and the dealer closest to my home wanted nearly $70 for front pads.

I looked around on-line and, for the same $$, was able to get front and rear and, from what I can tell, the quality is better - how much better? I hope I never find out...!

You should check out that web site Elroy mentioned above - some pretty neat stuff in there with what appears to be competitive pricing

byron2

Hi Everyone:

Anyone encounter this before? 75k miles. I have lubed all the applicable pivot points (they're only on either end of the clutch mechanism since it's a hydraulic clutch) and it went away for a while, but now it is back with a vengence. More lube does not help. Very irritaing. Hope I do not need to replace the clutch master cylinder. Any insight would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,
Byron

Mr_Shiftright

You might get a mechanic's stethoscope (cheap, at Kragen's) and hold it again the clutch SLAVE cylinder, as well as the Master.