2008 Honda Accord Coupe and Sedan

parviz

"... Maybe I'm not that sensitive?..."

Maybe not, but I am! Have been a picky driver for over 3 decades and can reiterate that my V6 EXL's VCM is functioning great. The reviews don't make facts, they are opinions, so are the posts. The facts come from the actual reports to the dealer and I hope no one is claiming there is a big conspiracy among all Honda dealers to try and conceal the VCM issue reported by some.

thegraduate

Thanks for the info, but it would've been nice if it had come without a dose of belittling.

Moving on.

itochu

The fact is the Midllands Honda not only recognized one owner's problem but even exchanged out his car! While they are opinions, as is yours, the FACT is reviewers have had issues with the VCM also. So the fact is - there are different opinions - yours, and everyone else's. And you know what they say about opinions!
Just don't belittle those whose opinions are that there are problems with VCM. They do not belittle you for your not experiencing them.

st1300

If you took it as a belitting post, i apolgize,.that was not the intent..
I have had many people on here tell me that I am way too sensitive about the headlight problem,but the problem really pi**es me off..and maybe I am venting on others on here...hopefully we will all benefit from the info posted here.

Anyone who takes the time and effort yo post on here is either extremely happy with a product or extremely upset with a product..in my case its the latter. I have a fairly good knowledge about cars and I can't stand people telling me in a nice way, I don't know what I'm talking about..Please read some of my previous posts and get a small insight into my problem..Have a wonderful day and I mean that.

st1300

Hi just read your bio on here..good luck in your future endeavors..my father was a famous radio and television announcer during the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

Not that it matters but I was a meteorologist in the US Coast Guard..I know all about isobars and isotherms etc.

viet

I agreed with Parviz. The Bluetooth hand free link of the '08 V6 EX-L works great too. Enjoy it, Parviz.

itochu

You know - I had a car that had that same problem and I cannot remember what kind it was! Had to have been a Honda since that is mostly what I have owned.
I don't temember it cycling as often as yours does, but I do remember it. They seemed to dim a split second and then were alright. Still, annoying and I sympathize.

jeremyaaron

Hey what are people getting for gas mileage out there? I have the 2008 Honda Accord V-6 EXL Sedan. I got 425 miles out of the tank. Was just wondering if this was good,average, or outstanding.

parviz

That's about right. I have been getting about 420 out of a tank, however, the computer showed my range to be about 520 miles, had I kept most of the entire tank usage on the freeway. I have little over 3000 miles on the V6 and have gone through several gas tanks! Check out the gas mileage thread for more mpg info.

pat

Some personally directed posts have been removed. Let's play nice.

st1300

Thanks Pat for a good job...unfortunately some people dont understand how irritating a small problem with a car can be..its like the barking dog,he aint making much noise but he's keeping me awake..

thegraduate

Cool!

I'm becoming good friends with the GFS, NGM, and the NAM.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming. :shades:

thegraduate

You set the lights in "Auto" mode. When driving at dusk, your lights will turn on, or if you drive into a tunnel, etc. When you get into light, your lights will turn off.

thegraduate

I'm VERY nitpicky when it comes to rattles and little noises in my car, so I certainly understand how quickly a small problem with a car becomes incredibly annoying to an owner. I was one of the Gen VII owners with a rattling door-panel/window. Amazingly, it went away after about 10,000 miles and has yet to resurface (knock on wood).

My luck, it'll come back right after the warranty expires this year.

parviz

Can anyone shed some light on this? I have not seen the report but was told by someone today that the CR's latest report has picked the 08 Accord as the number 1 sedan.

jaxs1

Family sedan.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/news/2007/04/top-picks-for-2007- -4-07/overview/0704_top-picks-2007.htm

parviz

Thanks. I checked it out. My favorite is there too! (LS 460).

itochu

Sorry Pat - I agree with ST1300 "unfortunately some people dont understand how irritating a small problem with a car can be..its like the barking dog,he aint making much noise but he's keeping me awake." I don't know why it has to be made personal.

jeremyaaron

I am sure I could go through this whole thing and find all the complaints, but can someone just some up the problem with VCM? I love my new Accord. Just so people don't ask it is a 2008 Accord V-6 EXL Sedan.

bvdj84

Wow, so I will never have to turn my headlights on! It will automatically turn on when it gets dark... Awesome!!

itochu

Go to the VCM forum for more detail.

I think I can state this succinctly about VCM, and the VCM forum.

There are many owners of, and people interested in purchasing, an '08 V6 Accord with AT, including myself, who sense the changing of cycles from V6 to V4 to 3 cylinders and find it, at the very least, annoying, in some cases nauseating for their passengers, and in the worst cases the vibration of operating in 3 cylinder mode bad enough to have caused their glasses to fall off. It seems to present itself most often while cruising at 60-70 MPH, and especially while on cruise control. For the most part, dealers and service managers deny there is any issue with VCM to those who have taken their cars back to the dealers. Honda of America denies any problem exists and sticks to its "seamless and unnoticeable" advertising. Some people have taken financial losses just to rid themselves ot the VCM, and others have been fortunate enough (Midlands Honda, Columbia, SC) to change out a coupe for an MT car at no cost to the customer. There are reviewers for Autoweek, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal who also at least noticed the VCM activity and commented that sensitive drivers would notice it, and in the case of the WSJ, also described it as "maddening behavior".

Then too there are others on the VCM forum, and here, who are very happy with the operation of the VCM, brag about its economy, have no complaints, and do not notice its operation at all. I think that just about covers it!

emale

hint: nam-wrf stinks...ngm is going bye-bye. gfs and ecmwf are where it's at! :shades:

thegraduate

At the TV station where I intern, the NAM doesn't get any love either; it's all GFS and ECMWF. I'm thinking we should rename the network GFS instead of ABC.

isellhondas

This is nothing new.

Some GM cars had this as an option back in the 50's!

It was called an Autronic Eye and it would even dim the headlights when an oncoming car approached.

Pretty primitive but it worked, kinda.

bvdj84

So basically it is like a night light, turn off the light and it comes on...

Now is this on all trims. I am wanting the EX-L 4cyl nav, I am sure it has it right.

parviz

I think all trims have it, but the EXL does it for sure. It comes in handy but sometimes a little too much (passing under the bridges, in the garage, etc.). Like was mentioned earlier it is not really something new, my 95 Nissan Quest had it.

thegraduate

LX, LX-P and 4-cyl EX do not have it, they have Auto OFF only.

rv65

College Hills honda has a homelink retrofit. Very easy to install. Comes premodded with a battery. Honda won't provide the wiring for it so this works out quite nicely. You will have to choose which model of accord and color. This mod is only for EX, EX-L, and EX-L navi 4 cylinder accords only. Could work on the LX and LX-P since it uses a battery.

pt109s

i wrote a message about a flashing compass on my 2008 accord ex-l abotu 2 and half weeks ago. I leased this car on february 18th and brought it in one week later to have them look at it. they ordered a part and i brought it in one week later ( march 5th). it is march 11th and i still havent gotten my car back. they have ordered 4 different parts, none of which are working. the next step is to bring in a factory techinician, who will then work on the car, and if he or she cant fix it, then supposedly the car will be replaced. what an absolute nightmare, i had brought the car in thinking it would be a simple fix. as a first time honda over, coming over from leasing chevy's, i am unhappy to say the least. and honda of america customer service is bogus in helping as well.

beav6

Always bought "American" cars until last Oldsmobile Intrigue fiasco. Figured I couldn't go wrong with a Honda but not reassured with the VCM posts. Our 2008 4DR EXL-V6 looks and drives great. The VCM "bumps" don't bother me but I am disappointed with my gas mileage. I always got 30 mpg with my '99 Intrigue. The Accord hasn't done better than 26 mpg for the 1st 2000 miles. This is straight highway driving with the ECO on 80% of the time. I notice the rpm's at about 2500 driving 70 -75 mph. It doesn't look like the VCM system has made up for the 5 speed transmission. Is 2500-2600 rpm at highway speeds normal for this car?

I'm a new member so hope I've posted ok with this 1st post.

itochu

You are in the right range according to everything I have seen, read, including posts here. Don't expect to do much better - Honda seems to like to keep its engines in a higher RPM range than a taller drive gear or overdrive might create. How about 4000 RPM in 6th gear in an S2000 at 76 MPH! I would have preferred a 6 speed tranny with OD to the VCM to accomplish fuel savings by moving the RPMs down another 500-1000 at those speeds.

parviz

If you are getting the 26 mpg on straight highway driving, it should get better as that is what I am getting currently with mixed driving (65% fwy, 35% street).

fungarooooooo

I just bought a new '08 Honda Accord EX-L and will be parking it outside my condo on a downtown city street in San Francisco. There have been several instances of smashed windows (theft, I suppose) on my block. I understand that my car comes with a basic alarm that doesn't go off when the windows are smashed. What should I do to protect my car? Should I get an after-market alarm that is more sensitive to windows being smashed? Is it likely that the immobilizer will prevent my car from being stolen? If not, then should I get a steering wheel bar? Lojack seems expensive at $600. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

isellhondas

I'm curious...

Since gas mileage seems to be a big concern to you, why did you feel the need to buy a V-6?

I guess I don't understand why people feel the need for a V-6 considering how much power the 4 cylinders have.

pt109s

i find it amazing how this blog is so concerned abot the VCM, it just takes getting used to, there is no problem. but my problem, the electronic compass, which they have not been able to fix for the past 9 days now ( i havent seen my car since early last week) goes without one reply. does anyone know how I can make a complaint to American Honda, that will let people know about the problem. When I call American Honda, they jsut take down what I say and say they will investigate. But it has to be known that "the most reliable sedan, from the most reliable car company" can not be fixed by their own technicians for over a week now.

beav6

I drove the larger 4 and didn't feel a lot of power in it. Most of my driving is interstate and when I need power to avoid a tight spot I have it. I'm hoping the V6 will do a little better with a few more miles on it. Truth be known, I also fell for the dual exhaust as I've wanted a car with duals since my high school days in the 50's.

dpmeersman

My reasoning for buying the V6 is that there is little difference in fuel economy, as stated by its EPA ratings, between the 4 & the 6. My 12,000 annual miles usually consist of 8-9,000 city miles and the rest hwy. Most trips are under 10 miles, cold starts, typically worst case scenarios for fuel economy. With the size and weight of the new model I felt that I'd rather have an engine that could easily get the additional mass up to speed from a dead stop without breaking a sweat. I felt the 4 would be working that much harder to get this large car up to speed. Plus it is a hoot to put the boot down and accelerate at a rate of speed, that until the last few years, was previously achieved by sports cars only. Thru 5,200 miles I'm averaging 21 MPG's. Sure I would like to get better, but it is within the advertised range and with the warmer weather coming and summer blend fuel it should improve, if I could just stop getting aggressive with the ol' right foot.

oldarmy

Yea, guess you could also add some glass pack mufflers but you will never get that V8 sound of a 57 chevy winding out...but then again you can spend more time riding in you Honda then under the hood working on you car as we did in the old days...remember the mechanical brake adusting tool and the feeler gauge for points. Back on subject, I am probably going to get the EX with the 190 as it seems to "wail" pretty well when you step down on it.

jimplogger

The price is 10 cents per gallon difference where I live. If you have ever looked at the valves after 100,000 in a vehicle running regular vs a higher octane you would see the difference. Mileage is definitly better with the higher octane. At 10 cent per gal difference the break-even point is at less than 300 miles. After that regular becomes more expensive. :surprise:

jaxs1

If you drive 9,000 out of 12,000 miles in the city, you will definitely see a noticeable difference in mileage. That's 3/4 city driving for 9,000 miles and 2/3 city for 8,000 miles and, regardless of what EPA ratings say, people who post their mileage have been indicating that V6 mileage in the city if further away from EPA estimates on V6 models than on 4 cylinder models. So, even they don't work as hard as the 4 and rev lower than a 4, the V6 still manages to burn more gas "effortlessly."
On long distance highway trips, you may see less of a spread between the two engines.
The more city driving you do, the bigger the mpg spread will get.
I have seen this posted about multiple cars from multiple car manufacturers.

dpmeersman

We may be asked to move this to the Real Fuel Economy forum, but I'll continue here. I've monitored every tank since rolling out of the dealers lot and I've averaged 21 mpg. EPA rates pure city @ 19 mpg, so I have no qualms with what I'm averaging. I have seen 29 on the hwy and I would consistently see that if I my normal usage was hwy driving. Living in New England, and a very hilly area, I've driven my wife's Mazda Protege, a 5-600 pound lighter car, with a 4 cyl and it just feels that the engine is at times over taxed. I'm sure many out there will be quite happy with their 08 Accord 4 cyl, but considering my terrain (a daily trip of 1 mile up Dead Horse Hill) I felt the 6 might prove to be more durable over the long run.

mm7

Really? From what I have seen, both the 4cyl and v6 are getting about the same in city driving. (about 18-19 mpg)

mm7

"I guess I don't understand why people feel the need for a V-6 considering how much power the 4 cylinders have."

Do you really feel the i4 is powerful for this car? I mean it is not bad, but it is a bit sluggish off the line. The last gen i4 had a lot more pop off the line. The problem with the 4cyl is lack of torque. 190hp is solid, but 162tq is a slightly lacking for this car IMHO.

jaxs1

Comparing power to some other car (older Mazda Protege) rather than a 2008 Accord EX is not a good comparison. Of course the V6 is still going to be much faster or there would be no point to it, but the 190HP or even 177HP Accords are not straining to climb hills.
The 4 cylinder Honda Accord has not proven to be less durable or more trouble prone either.

You would think that an engine that "worked less hard" and turned fewer RPMs would use less gas and last longer, but statistics do not show the V6 as better for fuel economy or longevity than the I4, so there must be more to it than simply how hard the engine appears to be working.

dpmeersman

Consumer Reports seems to backup your preference for the 4 cyl as they have it as slightly more reliable the the Accord 6 cyl. While not subject to road rage, I do on frequent occasions take exception to the poor driving habits of many I occupy the road with. At times like that, and when the road conditions allow it, it's nice to say Adios, and give it a good poke leaving the offenders behind. As they become more distant in my rear view mirror I find myself sharing the road with a new group of what seems like impaired drivers, straddling divider lines, changing lanes without signaling,
more intent on their phone conversation and seemingly annoyed that their driving is preventing them from sending a proper text message. Remember when driving was fun?
Sorry I guess I got a little off topic.

mm7

"but the 190HP or even 177HP Accords are not straining to climb hills."

I agree. I certainly believe the 4cyl is drivable. On the other hand, for someone used to a v6, I could understand them feeling the i4 lacks power.

Regarding durability, I would guess the 4cyl will be better than the v6. It has none of the VCM garbage, and has a chain instead of timing belt. If I were buying a car to keep for 10 years, I would choose the 4cyl. Since I plan to only drive it 3-5 years, I may opt for the v6 instead, as I am used to having decent torque in my cars.

itochu

1st generation Acura Legend V6 had 161 HP @5900 RPM and 162 ft lbs of torque@4500 RPM. Less HP and same torque as the new I4 - but 190 @7000 and 162 @4400? Drive each and tell me that the I4 is not more sluggish.

The difference? The Acura weighed 3170 versus 3433 for the '08 Accord, AND the Legend had a sport mode for the transmission that had better gear ratios for acceleration and sharper shifts.

Anyone accustomed to the smoothness and power of a V6 will be disapointed by the I4, as sophisticated and powerful as it is. It simply is not = to a well engineered V6.

thegraduate

The fuel I buy (Chevron/Texaco) has the same detergents in the regular as it does in the mid/high grade, so that would make no difference in how the valves looked.

High Octane Can Lower Economy

High Octane Can Lower Economy II

isellhondas

Nobody has replied because nobody has a solution for you.

And you can be sure you are the only one with this problem or, trust me, others would have quickly chimed in.

HAveing managed a large shop, I can tell you tht some problems can be vexacious to track down and fix especially when there are no bulletins on this since your case may be the only one.

I'm sure it's annoying and I hope they will be able to get this tracked down.

networkguy

Anyone accustomed to the smoothness and power of a V6 will be disappointed by the I4, as sophisticated and powerful as it is. It simply is not = to a well engineered V6.

I certainly don't disagree with this. Honestly though, it just takes a little while to recalibrate your driving style. A few years back I decided the maint. costs on my 95 Mustang GT were becoming unsustainable. I parked it with a for sale sign and started driving my wife's old 97 Accord EX wagon. The first week was annoying, but after that I got into the groove. What I lost in driving excitement was offset by about 25 percent fewer trips to the pump.