Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

oileboid

There is no "cabin air filter" on a 1997 model Accord. The 1998 Accord was the first to have that filter.

oileboid

Sounds like a typical problem with the "main fuel relay" breaking down with heat inside the car. If It suddenly starts after sitting with the windows down or doors open for awhile, then the relay is cooling down and will turn on the fuel pump. It is located under the left side of the dashboard, usually behind the fuse panel. If you get a new one from the dealer then just look for the matching relay and replace it with your new one.

coastalgirl

Hi, I have a 2000 Honda Accord and every so often if feels like it is hesitating to change gears. Has anyone had the same problems? My father is a mechanic and he thinks it might be the fuel filter. Also does anyone know where the fuel filter is located and how to change it.
Thanks.

arawamis

Hi Snakerbill,

I have couple of questions for you because I believe I have the same problem with my brand new 2005 Accord V6. First, can you please explain how the car was pulling to the right? Hands off the sterring? braking? accelerating? did you feel any pull when your hands were on the steering?

Well, here is what I experience. When I take my hands off the steering of my Brand New car on a fairly flat road, it starts to head to the right. I call this situation 'pulling to the right'. I am not sure if it is normal to experience this drift to the right with a new car. Anyway, I felt uncomfortable and brought my car back to the dealer. They checked the alignment. After the service, they showed me that the wheels wer not aligned when the car came over there. They also showed the measurements indicating that te wheels were aligned after service. Anyway, I drove the car. When I pulled my hands off from the steering, the car was still slightly pulling to the right. It just doesn't go straight like an arrow when my hands are off the steering. On the other hand, with my hands on the steering, I do not feel a pull to the right. Of course I went back to dealer. The mechanic test-drove the car with me and told me that the pull is due to the 'torque steering'. He said he would cross rotate the tires and then everything will be ok. He finished his job. I am back home now and on the way the car still leads to the right when my hands are off the steering.

So, please tell me if what I am experincing is the same as yours? I am not pretty much staisfied with the 'torque steering' story. I feel like anew car should go straight on a fairly flat road when my hands are off the steering. Maybe I am wrong. Indeed, please correct me if I am wrong.

So, if our cases are the same, then I belive my car is a lemon car with some kind of defect preventing the car to go ona a straight line. AGain, when my hands are on the steering, I do not feel any pull (at least not yet), but when they are off it, the car leads to the right.

Ok guys and snakerbill, please share your opinion with me. Any comment is wellcome. It is really not pleasent to experience such problems with a brand new car.

mrbill1957

Have you checked for any drifting while in the left lane? The crown of the road will effect it drifting.

Mrbill

hrao

I have the same problem on my 99 Accord, the dealer told me that there is a problem with Fuel injection or Fuel pump, I had to tow it to the dealer twice. If they cannot fix it third time, I will call NHTSA or Honda directly.
Does any one know how to contact Honda.

coastalgirl

I'm having the same problem as you with the hesitation of the car when accelerating.. I took my car to get a tune-up and they checked the air-filter which i thought was the problem. After he checked the air filter he said it was fine. The mechanic told me i probably needed a new fuel filter. I'm getting that tomorrow. Will let you know if it helps or not.

accord6mt

Hello all - I have an 05 6MT coupe - anyone had problems with squeaking/chirping from the rear suspension while driving below 45? My rear suspension squeaks going over small bumps/cracks in the road and can be heard especially with the windows down (noise comes from underneath the car) and while going over speed bumps.

I brought the car into Honda service today, and they claimed to have fixed the problem by tightening a loose bolt on the right rear control arm. I didn't hear the chirp for about 20 miles... and now it's back. I plan on taking the car back to service tomorrow, but would love to know if any of you have had problems like this before.

Thanks for your help!

thoon

Is the sound a clanking or metal on metal sound? My 05 accord EX-L Navi sedan made a clanking sound at about 6,000 miles and I took it to my dealer. They said they tightend up the suspension screw and lubed the top of the suspension. My car is now quiet.

accord6mt

It's more of a metal-on-metal sound - no impact noises like clanking... which "suspension screw" are you referring to?

greggo1

That sounds like the problem. It starts after the car cools down, unfortunately sometimes I kill the battery by then. I will check it out in the morning. Thank you for your help. Greg

arawamis

As long as my hands are on the steering I don't feel much. But whenever my hands are off the steering, the car starts to drift to the right even at left lane. I recently recognized that when my hands are off the steering, steering turns to the right slightly as well. I am not sure if this is a normal phenomenon. I think it is kind of weird. Any ideas?

djwar

i m gonna check that, but for you to know this honda accord 89 lx, has the fuse box close to the engine.
thanks

user777

srobak - did you check the tire pressure against the suggested inflation values on the driver's door pillar?

gee35coupe

"Radial pull" in the tires. Have them rotate the tires side to side and see if it makes a difference.

blane

accord6mt,

Have you checked the following for your noise?

* Is the rear seatback firmly locked in place? Both sides?
* Is your rear license plate moving more than it should, since it's only attached at the top? A soft shim of some sort at the bottom may help.
* Is your spare tire firmly screwed down? How about your tire jack?
* Are there any other potentially loose objects in your trunk?
* Did you hit anything that may have damaged part of your exhaust system?

chucko3

One fuse box on the right side front fender. One under the dash.
I do own an 89LXi, btw.

wesman01

I've got an Accord V6 EX and I'm confused on the maintenance service levels. This car is not supposed to need a tuneup until 105K and I believe the manual says to check certain things out at particular mileage but it looks like those items are included in the minor service package offered by the dealer at $79; however, the service guy's telling me I need the intermediate service at $176. Who's right?

What mileage and what service do you have done?

mrbill1957

Although the dealer should have verified, have you checked to make sure you don't have a tire underinflated? The obvoius one to be low would be the front right.

Mrbill

blane

wesman01,

My advice is to follow the manufacturer's recommendations as specified in the Maintenance Schedule of your Owner's Manual. After all, Honda designed, tested, built your car and provides the warranty.

It is in the service department's best interest to sell you unnecessary services and fluids that Honda recommends that you do not add.

The term "tuneup" is outdated. That was fine when there were carburetors and ignition points to adjust or replace. Just follow the Honda schedule, not the dealer's.

mrbill1957

I personally don't have an answer to your question, but I do have a comment.

I have run into the same problem as you have with dealers offering services they claim are necessary, but are not mentioned in the manual.

The owners manual should state ALL service interval requirements, and if they currently do, something needs to be done about dealers that then offer repairs above and beyond what Honda recommends.

I wish I knew someone with a legal backround to see what they think. I can see $$$$ being spent on possible unnecessary repairs. Who knows, maybe someday we will see a class action lawsuit over this?

mrbill

austinman7

hermann,

Yes, that's exactly my experience. When you let off the gas just a little, it goes away. But any slight acceleration brings it back. That's why it seems to be a drivetrain noise, though whether or not it's the transmision I do not know. But, as I said, so long as it's not a safety issue, I'm pretty much resigned to it.

accord6mt

Thanks for posing questions, Blane:

*Yes, I double-checked the rear seats being locked in place.
*It's hard to convey the sound over this forum but the sound isn't from the license plate. It's more of a squeak (not rattle) that actually gets louder and lasts longer over larger bumps like going over a speed bump - the sound lasts as long as the suspension takes to recover the body back to full height.
*I'll have to check the spare items - will get back to you.
*Nothing else is in my trunk.
*Haven't hit anything at all, the car barely has 7,500 miles on it. At first I thought perhaps I backed one of the car's mufflers into maybe a snow drift/pile but again, I've only had the car for a few months. And there's no snow to be found in DC (too bad though, it's insane hot these days).

I'm taking a Honda service tech with me this afternoon for a test drive - I'll let folks know what happens...

joyviv

We contacted Honda and they are clueless to this problem. I have to bring the car in for them to check it. I was wondering if anyone brought their car in to be checked and what did they do or what did they say?

jcooley

There is a Technical Service Bulletin TSB on 2003 and 2004 Accords pulling to the right. Basically if it pulls only a little they say it in spec, or they will swap the front two tire, or if its real bad there is a procedure in it to basically move the chassic a little on the frame.

blane

jcooley,

arawamis wrote that he (or she) has a 2005 Accord V6. I can't imagine that a 2003/2004 TSB wasn't incorporated into the 2005's.

poor15

any ideas??????? i had alternator, battery,coil, distrubuator, tested and all came back positive there is fuel at the rail after fuel filter.The car is sitting in my garrage now with a heat index of 90+ degers. been hearing alot about relays main and starter not to sure if both are functioning.Car is a comutter with 175,000 miles driven 150 miles a day ???????????
diving home one night after work car just died on me.Got the car towed home and started up the very next morning while driving it up and down my street it didnt have much power so i pulled it in the garage and began testing the battery,coil, distrubuator,tested for spark and no such luck.The accord now sits in my garage at around 90-100 deger hot weather.I also replaced the mian relay.I also forgot to mention it is 4 cycl non V-TECH.oh yeah it will crank but no fire. thanx for any info! :confuse: :confuse:

snw1977

Hello all.... I am fairly new to the forum, though I have owned 3 Hondas. I recently bought a 1998 Accord Coupe V6 and I love it so much. However, it is making a strange noise when the car is parked and turned off. It's like a moaning sound, kind of like an antenna going down. But, it only does this when parked and even when the keys are not in the ignition.
It sounds, goes off, then repeats every few minutes. It's the same time length and same time apart each time this happens. But, when I first get into the car in the morning to leave for work, I don't hear it. It seems it only does this after its been driven. The sound is coming from the driver's side, either underneath or the side/trunk area. It's not a noise that makes one think, "oh gosh something is definitely wrong" This is simply because it only happens at certain times, only lasts for so long, and sounds for the same amount of time, each time. Plus, the time in between the "moans" are the same length, as well. I am really confused as to what it could be. I've had fuel pump problems with my other Accords and this doesn't seem to be the same thing or noise. The car is in immaculate shape and runs extremely well. Have any of you experienced this? Any thoughts or ideas would be helpful. Thanks so much.

ykang

Hi, I have same car with less than 1000 miles on it.
I noticed same problem and was told that it was ABS self checking.
Did you hear anything else from your dealer?
I want to know since I heard many people complaining about the same problem.

accord6mt

Update:

I drove with a Honda service tech and pointed out the squeak - tech clearly heard the squeak and said that it wasn't normal. After that, two techs worked for almost 5 hours trying to figure out the cause of the squeak to no avail. I really appreciate all of their work - they were determined to find & fix the problem and even worked for a bit after hours to try and locate the problem. Both techs concluded that they will replace both rear struts to try and fix the problem. If that doesn't fix it, they will go back to square one of determining the cause of the squeak.

More to come on Monday!

mrbill1957

My 04 Accord does the same noise when first starting out in the morning.

If you have someone else that can start the car for you, you might try holding on to the ABS unit to see if you feel it thumping, which will explain what is making the noise when the car is started.

Mrbill

pepnjez

Hello, I also have noticed the same noise on my 1998 Accord V6. The sound and when it occurs are just the same. Upon further investigation I also found that the noise will appear to be more noticeable during warmer weather. I removed the gas cap and released the pressure and the noise stopped. I guess after driving and with the warm weather the pressure in the fuel tank builds up and then releases when it goes higher than the cap rating. The heat will make the pressure go up again and the cycle repeats.

snw1977

Okay, I will try to release the gas cap and see if that works. Did you ever have it checked out because of the noise? If so, is it something that needs or can be fixed or was this car designed to do this? Thanks so much for your help. I appreciate it.

djm2

I finally had my A/C Compressor replaced in my Honda Accord by the dealer. It took TWO weeks to get the needed parts. They were back ordered throughout the United States. Thank God, I had the Honda Care Warrranty. The final bill was $1,005.00. I paid nothing! I would not own any vehicle without a factory extended warranty. It is just too expensive to be self insured in terms of major repairs. ------Best regards. ---Dwayne

arawamis

Yesterday I went to dealer again to test-drive other brand new 05 Accord V6's to see if they lead to the right as well, when the hands are left off the steering. Interestingly, I experienced the same thing in others as well. They slightly pulled to the right as well. However, mine pulls little stronger with a little larger angle. Again, the car leads to the right when the hands are off the steering (I also see that steering slightly turns to the right as well).

BTW, where do we reach the TSB you mentioned? I like to read it if I can find it somewhere online.

jrock80

I had the same problem with my 2004 Accord, it ended up being the transmission. After about 10,000 miles it started to slip real bad and finally just wouldnt go into reverse. Definately keep an eye on it.

wesman01

I have the same issue with braking. I notice it when I'm over 45 mph and braking particularly downhill. Did you get this repaired under warranty?

chucko3

If the squeaking noise comes from the suspension, you would hear it when you do the bouncing test at the two corners of the rear.
Can you shake the exhaust pipes running from the cat to the mufflers and see if you can hear that squeaking noise?

hermann

Austinman7

Thanks for confirming that I am not hearing things. LOL

What I am concerned about is how many of the "little things" we are supposed to accept and/or be resigned to. I find my Honda dealer to be quite arrogant. Their attitude is that there can't be anything wrong with the great Honda Accord..I have not complained to them about anything except the very poor steering charateristics of my Accord. When they aligned the car and found that the toe-in had not been set on any of the 4 wheels at the factory they said they were shocked. I have heard that this is not a uncommon occurance. This helped quite a lot, but still the car still does not steer with precision. It wanders constantly and requires a great deal of concentration to just stay in your lane. So, I asked them to recheck the alignment and check for any damage to the front end. All came up negative as to anything being amiss. They also rotated the two front tires side to side and sent me on my way. The service manager drove the car with me along for the ride and he struggled to keep a straight ahead setting. But said since it was not horrible and that he didn't have to "fight" the wheel that he wanted to see if it would self-correct. Sounds like a stalling tactic to me. Soon it will be time for the first oil change at 5000 miles and I intend to continue to register my disatisfaction with the service manager. Hope I do not piss them off !!! So far my first experience with a Honda has been lukewarm at best. Hope they aren't as indifferent when I mention the whining noise. But probaly won't mention it until the steering issue is resolved.

Hermann

txdeb

My 99 Accord EX is occasionally making a new noise. It is a chirp when the turn signals are on. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

austinman7

jrock80,

Thanks for the heads up. So far, the actual operation of the transmission hasn't been a problem, just the whining noise. I only put 4,000 on the original tranny, and I'm just at the 10,000 mark with the replacement.

Was your transmission replaced by Honda?

richyl

Hi all, I am an owner of 05 Accord 4-cy AT, so far I have 2200 miles on the car and I have noticed the following problems:

1. High pitch sound at 40-45mph and above, I see that some of you also experience this problem. I took it to the dealer and a technician told me that's the sound of air rushing through something (don't remember the exact name), and he said it's normal. Well, this concludes that there is nothing my dealership can help with. More often than not I drive 75-80 on the highway and I did took her to 95 once but I think the road noise, wind noise are loud enough that I couldn't hear the whine sound, so not sure if it would go away or not at high speed. But that's something I can live with, what I can't is the following problem.

2. Brake problem. I rented a couple of 2005 cars like Chevrolet and Cadillac, and their breaks are very linear, very smooth. As soon you put your foot on the pedal, the car starts to slow down a tiny bit then it slows down very smoothly as you press it down. However with my accord, I noticed that sometimes traveling at 25-40 mph, when I step on the break gently and slowly, the car would surge a bit, like if I just give her some gas for a second, then starts to slow down, well, it's not that dramatic otherwise the car won't be safe but I definitely didn't feel it when I was driving other cars. And when I keep press the pedal on accord down gradually, it does slown down gradually until I hit a spot (probably around half way down) the car would just slows down in a faster rate. The whole slowing down process from steppin on the break to bringing it down to the floor in say 10 seconds is not linear, not smooth. Is it because my car is fairly new and still under break-in?

3. To those who claim accords have tough ride, I found out that my tires were at 40 psi when I bought it from dealership, I brought them down to 35 front, 33 back. I had to drive through a railroad track every morning and I could tell the difference. I could decrease the pressure even more but my dealer told me that the lower you set them the quicker they wear out. Personally I have no problem with 35/33, but the new Cadillac I drove did have better ride, but not by much, and the cabin noise at idling and 65-80mph is only less than accord by a very small amount, but its handling is no where near accord, and I didn't feel that 300 torque and 275 HP on the cadillac (probably because of its curb weight), I think my accord's got great transmission and it feels like it can accelerate just as well or maybe faster even though it has half as many cylinders.
overall I still like my accord the best, if someone can solve my break problem and whine problem I would like my car even more. Thanks for reading!

austinman7

Hermann,

Your alignment problems are definitely worth continuing to persue. That can make a car pretty much undrivable if it's severe. Wish you luck with it. Fortunately, my 04 LX 4 cylinder has been a good road car -- tracks fine and hums along at 75 with relatively ease for a small-engined car. Considering what I paid for it -- $19,500 -- I think I'm getting my money's worth overall...so far, that is. I'm not impressed with having a remanufactured transmission installed in a practically brand new car, but if it continues to perform, I'm mostly okay with it. Kind of lukewarm about it, as you put it.

blane

richyl:

In post #11554 you wrote about your tires "I brought them down to 35 front, 33 back.... I could decrease the pressure even more but my dealer told me that the lower you set them the quicker they wear out." Whomever you spoke to at your dealership is incorrect.

Actually, the lower the pressure in a tire, the greater the wear on the sides of the tread. The higher the pressure in a tire, the greater the wear on the center of the tread. (Think about an over or under inflated beachball) Either type of incorrect inflation pressure will have a negative effect on your vehicle's handling and safety. That's why the manufacturer posts their inflation specifications on the door frame tag. Somehow I think, with all of their design, development and testing engineering expertise, they know better than the guy at the dealership.

I'd recommend that you purchase an accurate tire pressure gauge (preferably digital) to check your cold tire pressure (to Honda's specifications) every few weeks before driving more than a mile or two.

Regarding your braking concerns, every vehicle manufacturer designs their brake "feel" differently. You should already be used to your great new Honda's.

slick999

When car is fully warmed up and is shut off for 15 to 45 minutes, it hesitates or looses power when restarted. This last for a mile or so and then everything is normal again. Dealer is stumped (but has charged me $800 to check out the problem and fix things that he thinks might be causing the problem)

amazon

I had it diagnosed, and was told that the Compressor and Receiver/Dryer need to be replaced. I had the system evacuated, and went to work. I had bought OEM parts online and tore in to the car. I removed the Cruise control unit, the PS pump, the condenser fan, the alternator, and then the compressor. No problem at all. I also found out that Honda compressors come filled with oil and all. I just added .5 oz for the dryer. After having re-assembled the car and re charged with between 1.5 and 2 lbs of R134, the car is now ICE COLD :shades:

mrbill1957

However with my accord, I noticed that sometimes traveling at 25-40 mph, when I step on the break gently and slowly, the car would surge a bit, like if I just give her some gas for a second, then starts to slow down, well, it's not that dramatic otherwise the car won't be safe but I definitely didn't feel it when I was driving other cars.

Could you be feeling the car downshifting when this occurs? It may sound like it's accelerating, because when the tranny downshifts, the engine RPMs jump up.

Mrbill

levi1

I guess I'll just continue this conversation by myself since nobody responded.

I took my Accord back to the dealer on Friday to check the timing belt since my gas mileage has gone down since I got the timing belt and spark plugs changed 2 weeks ago. They checked the timing belt and said it's "dead on." Then they said they've been having a lot of complaints about lower gas mileage right now with the Atlanta humidity. I told them I didn't buy that because this is the 5th summer I've had this Honda in Atlanta (since it was new) and the gas mileage dropped at the exact same time the work was done on it.

I'm supposed to take it back in tomorrow for a "gas consumption" test (which I think is BS) to see if it falls within the fuel economy guidelines Honda rated the car at (20/28). Of course it will still be within the guidelines because it hasn't dropped far enough to fall out of guideline, but it's dropped far enough to be noticeable.

A mechanic at my husband's work told him that the timing belt can look like it's exactly where it should be but can actually be half a notch off, affecting gas mileage. Somebody else told me that if the spark plug wires weren't changed when they changed the spark plugs that can affect gas mileage. My husband is supposed to check before I take it back in to see if they did change the wires. Also, could they have damaged an oxygen sensor when doing this work?

Any comments or thoughts appreciated.

atlantabenny

1) Humidity can reduce fuel economy as it affects the fuel/air ratio (humidity adds moisture to the air part to alter that ratio) critical to combustion and, consequently, fuel economy.

I live in Atlanta too, and all that rain in recent weeks has really increased humidity in the air.

2) Just a notch off ("half a notch" isn't possible, I believe) will make the engine run rough and possibly even backfire. Unless your car is in one or both of those states, the timing belt installation was properly done.

3) Re spark plug wires, since they degrade gradually over time, they wouldn't explain the sudden economy drop. If they're 3 to 4 years old, however, you'll probably see a noticeable improvement if you replace them.

The logical conclusion for your fuel drop is the high humidity levels at this time, and replacing the wires may be the last remaining improvement area. Also replace the engine air cleaner element if it's 20k or more miles old.

Hope this helps.

richyl

It could be the cause. I am not sure.