Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

chucko3

Did the CEL ever come on ?
It could be cloggged fuel filter, fuel relay, faulty ECU or crank angle sensor.

chucko3

I am curious why you didn't have the transmission recall (for all 03EXV6 and part of 04EXV6) performed earlier. Didn't you receive the recall notice? If not, you may get the tranny replaced at goodwill.

No, it's not a misprint in the manual. I wanted to flush my tranny fluid for my 03EXV6 at 15K. But the dealer said wait until 30K. I am not going to wait until 100K to change the plugs either.

gee35coupe

DRL's are the high beams at burning at a partial power. That's why many cars with DRL'S look cross-eyed.

mamamia2

....That's not what I had on my 3 Camrys. I had a photo cell "eye" on the dashboard, which measured the light. During daylight the low beam was working at low intensity, which changed to full volume at night.

xbi

My sis just got a new 05 accord ex five months ago (currently at 4k miles). This morning, when she started up her car, while idling, the RPM jumps up and down and the engine light came on. Although she was able to drive it to the dealership (like 45 minutes away), by that time, the engine light was off probably cuz the engine is now warmed up. Guess it got something to due with the cold weather here (VA), but it hasn't even gotten down to below zero yet. The dealership did a computer diagnostic and said it was a glitch. A glitch? I don't buy it. Has anyone else had this kind of problem?

djm2

Leave the vehicle with the dealer over night so that they can start the engine cold, and see how the engine reacts cold. This is the only way you can get this problem resolved! The technician must see the problem first hand.

clueless8

Hello!

I just found out that I need my tranny replaced on my 2002 Accord. Does anyone know about any recall informaiton for this model? If so, do you know where I can find it??

joe122

"The biggest issue I personally had with the DRL was that I could not run the ventilation system with the car parked (engine off) - without the DRL lights on as well - which seems an unnecessary drain on the battery."

Why would someone want to run the ventilation system with the engine off? This makes no sense; just open the windows. Honda batteries are quite small for the size of the vehicle and that too would be an unnecessary drain.

imidazol97

Don't the DRLs turn off with some kind of switch as long as the car is not in gear?

joe122

"Don't the DRLs turn off with some kind of switch as long as the car is not in gear?"

No, and that is what fuels part of the opposition. In my '99 Toyota, the DRL's would come on after you started the car and then put down the parking brake. They would not go off until you turned the ignition off. I'm not familiar with all makes and models, but the writer of the original post seemed to indicate that they would stay on...even with the engine turned off. Again, like the entire post, this makes no sense and perhaps I should have ignored it.

jjdeadhead

Hi I realize this might have been covered before so I did a search, but it seems like the prior posts involved older Accords.

Anyway, in discussions with someone at work (not auto related business) this person told me that they were told by a mechanic that it was very important to have the timing belt changed after 90k miles. That Hondas not only had a problem here but it was also more critical on a Honda because failure on the timing belt can cause much more damage on a Honda than the normal shut down of other cars.

Anyone have experience with this?

whitecloud1

No experience, but there are sites that explain why. Query Timing Belts or Interference Engines. Replacing the belt on a Honda is very important.

isellhondas

This isn't a "problem" just preventative maintenance. Depending on the year of your car, Honda reccommends 90,000 or 105,000 mile replacement of the timing belt or seven years.

If it snaps, it **can** cause engine damage so you should have it done.

In any event, you will be stranded.

If you leave it alone, it'll probably last 150,000 miles or more but that's a chance I know I wouldn't take!

mamamia2

Joe,

I think that there are several "versions" of DRL. I know that even within the SAME MODEL there are several versions... Toyota changed the "behavior" of the DRL in the Camry in the late 1990s.

One way or the other, this is a BASIC SAFETY FEATURE. Just this past weekend I was driving on the expressway, on a rainy early evening. When changing lanes I almost hit another car which was driving with no lights on.

This safety feature is especially for those idiots who don't realise that they need to use their lights when it gets dark, and especially dark AND rainy. Those who don't realize they don't need only to SEE, but be SEEN.

Or for those LAZY drivers who don't want to be bothered with remembering to shut the lights off at the end of the day, so that they don't find their battery dead the next morning.

I don't consider myself an idiot, nor lazy. Still, it's a feature which I don't think I'd drive without. Even if it cost me a few extra bucks.

keung

try looking at whether you need to change the fuel regulator

thinkmiracles

Fairly new to this sight but hoping someone could help. My son recently bought a '95 Accord. The timing belt is brand new but recently there's a loud high pitch sound coming from the engine. My husband was going to change the part where the timing belt sits (sorry, I'm not familiar with car parts) but decided to spray it first with belt dressing which did stop the noise. Now, it's making the same noise again and my husband is travelling. I told my son to not drive the car because I'm afraid it might cause more damage. Is there a quick remedy to this? Can he still drive it with this noise? It's definitely coming from the belt but I'm not sure if he should drive it before his dad comes home? Help...please anyone... thank you!

mamamia2

Don't worry, let your son drive the car. The noise is not coming from the Timing Belt itself, but from the outside belts that are replaced at the same time. This is more of a "cosmetic" thing, probably, if the sound went away with a dose of Belt Dressing.

Check with your mechanic. It might be that one of the belts is too tight, or too loose.

mrbill1957

The timing belt is covered with a plastic cover, so your husband would have had to remove it to spray it. Did he do that?

Like the other post, it sounds like your noise may be coming from one of the other exposed drive belts. If so, spraying it with anything (even water) will make the noise go away for a short time. The noise may go away all on its own, or if the belt is too loose, it may need re-adjusting.

Mrbill

thinkmiracles

Thank you Mamamia and Mrbill for your responses!!! I'm a little embarrassed... is there such a thing as a power steering belt? The part that my husband was going to change was the power steering pump. He did put in new power steering fluid, so I may be wrong in saying that he sprayed the timing belt... it may have been the power steering belt? Does that make sense? So, is it safe for my son to drive it around until his dad returns tomorrow? I really appreciate the advise! Thank you all so much!

bobst

No, I don't think the car is safe for your son to drive.

If the power steering fails when your son is turning a corner, it could cause him to have an accident.

In fact, that happened when our son was driving our 1987 Taurus when it was 7 years old. Fortunately, he was making a slow turn in our neighborhood, so he was able to stop before he hit something.

Before it failed, there were no symptoms to make us think the steering pump was going to fail.

mrbill1957

Yes, there is a belt that drives the power steering pump.

Do you know why your husband was going to change the pump? Was it just leaking, or was something else wrong with it? There is always the possibility that the pump itself is failing internally, if so, it could be causing alot of drag and your hearing the belt squealing cause the pump is starting to lock up.

You may need to have the car looked at by someone knowledgeable with cars to see what really is going on.

Good luck,

Mrbill

thinkmiracles

Thank you again so much for words of wisdom. Indeed, I didn't feel a peace about letting my son drive the car. I think my husband intended on changing the pump because it is still the original pump and never been changed.
Being that the previous owner replaced the belts, he felt it may be time to change the pump also. I'm not knowledgeable about cars as I totally depend on my husband. So I thank you both for the reassurance that I'm not over reacting in stopping my son from driving the car. I'm always thinking safety first! I thank God for people like you who care enough to share the wisdom you have! Thanks again!

chucko3

My 89 Accord still has its original P/S pump. It just could be a loose belt.
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thinkmiracles

Hi all! Is there a way to tell if the power steering pump really needs to be changed? Not sure if I should go ahead and order it already...

tallycoolies

Helo. I own a 05 Ex accord with MT 4 cyl. I just wanted to know when I should replace my clutch? and also do I have to replace with the factory clutch? or can I use some other professional clutches. Thanks
Oh also, I don't think I'll be the only one to notice this but the MAF sensor for the intake have changed completely on 05 and I found out this because I failed to install 04 intake to my accord... -.- Is this for every 05 accord?

joe122

That's right. Some use the low beams. Others use the high beams at 50%. Still others use the turn signal or some type of amber add-on light. There especially are objections to the ones that use the turn signal as this could cause confusion. However (please correct me if I'm wrong), I don't believe any of them have on/off switches. Once activated, it stays on until the engine is turned off and that (combined with auto headlights) makes some people angry. I have an '05 LX and I turn my lights on when I feel they will improve safety.

I don't have any strong feelings one way or the other. If a car comes with them that's fine. Personally, I would not add them.

whitecloud1

Your clutch will let you know. Hopefully many days from now.

isellhondas

Power steering pumps rarely fail. Unless it is really bad (doubtful) I would leave it alone.

I would have a pro look at it. Guessing can be expensive.

imidazol97

>However (please correct me if I'm wrong), I don't believe any of them have on/off switches.

I don't know about HOnda's version of DRL and off-on switches. The GM car that I have has a switch as part of the headlights auto turn off delay timer that turns them off when the car is in park if you move the switch to no delay.

Any time the car is started the DRLs are on and if you turn them off manually, they turn on when the car is taken out of park. That is the case if it's dark already when you start the car. If it's daylight the DRLs are off unless the car is out of park.

xbi

Thanks djm2, will do that next time when this problem reoccurs.

haefr

No personal experieince, but the danger is real. Honda, like many manufacturers, overhead camshaft engines are an "interference" design in which the piston can pound into an open valve if the belt snaps during operation. If contact occurs, the minimum immediate effect would be a bent valve, but broken valves and pistons are just as, if not more, likely. In any event, you're talking some serious money. I have a friend whose '94 Accord (I4) broke a timing belt on his way to work. The dealership's service manager told him he was VERY lucky since none of the valves happened to be sufficiently open to allow contact with their respective pistons. He got off with an overdue timing belt replacement - which was on "special" that month. (I gotta find out what religion he practices...)

haefr

Honda power stering pumps are generally pretty long-lived. BUT, they require a special fluid. The approved Honda fluid is only available through Honda dealership parts departments. There is a Bardahl product that claims to be functionally equivalent, but I have no information on its actual suitability. If hubby, the previous owner, or both topped off the power steering fluid level with conventional fluid, it may have hastened the pump's demise. Complicating the issue is the fact that some automakers' power steering pumps make an absolutely horrendous noise under initial cold weather operation (-4 degrees F. or colder), and it's perfectly normal (some sort of "shearing" effect related to fluid viscosity when really cold). If power steering boost is lost while driving, full steering is available, but at considerably more effort (even more so than conventional manual steering). It really might be better for all concerned to let the car sit until hubby has a chance to address the issue.

plethysmo

I had body work done on 2003 Accord coupe V6LX and now the AM radio reception seems worse. It is possible that the rear window was removed and reinstalled to repair the driver side door and rear quarter.

Is the antenna in the glass?

Is there a place to check to see that wires to the antenna are reconnected?

FM reception seems fine.

bluewater104

I have a 98 accord ex with 115K. Weird problem, while drive home 3 days ago I experienced a power loss. When I let off of the accelerator the radio and my gages would go off, when I would put my foot back on the gas pedal they came back on, the engine continued running. I then noticed that my ABS light came on (that was the only trouble light). This went on for about 4 miles until I got home and turned off the car. When I started it again everthing went back to normal. I have driven about 150 miles since this happened and everything is working fine. Any ideas or has anyone else ever experienced anything like this?

limiteddriver

US late model Toyota Camry's and Avalon's have an off and on switch for DRL's.r

sockpuppet1969

There was a terrible grinding noise which sounded like it was coming from the front of my '03 Accord EX-L MT today while driving up a dirt/gravel driveway. It sounded like I hit a brick or something and was dragging it. I backed up and got out to take a look but there was nothing there. When I got back in the car the check engine light was on (the one shaped like an engine).

I took the car to my mechanic (independent) and he pulled the error code - p0141 - which he told me was a bad oxygen sensor. He also told me that I could keep driving the car over the weekend and he would take the car into the Honda dealer on Monday and get the oxygen sensor replaced under warrantee. Evidently Honda oxygen sensors are warranteed for 8yrs/80k miles so I'm good to go.

I guess my only question is - why in the world would a oxygen sensor going bad make that g-d awful noise?

chucko3

You will need a pressure gauge to test the pump.
How's about testing if the belt is loose? One way is to test the tension on the belt.
You need specs for this.
The way I tested my 89Accord was turn the steering wheel all the way to one end, but don't hold it too long or you could damage the pump. You will see the belt starts slipping if it's loose.

chucko3

Only Mass, Vermont & California the 02 sensors are warranteed 3/50K.
All other states, 3/36K.

http://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/Documentum/Warranty/Partslist/APL24501.pdf

It sounds like your car is running lean (more air than fuel). I wouldn't drive too much until the sensor is replaced.

keithwqq

Just chiming in to echo the sentiments expressed on the window rattle - I too have the problem on my 04 Accord EX V6. Don't let anyone tell you that you are the only one! What works best for me is a combination of solutions: 1) putting the foam in the "run channels" of the windows as suggested in an earlier post and 2) putting some thicker standard-issue Lowes / Home Depot weatherstripping on the black seal that goes around the door and also putting it on the bare metal of the door frame (the part that meets the seal). That seems to fill the "excess" space that was creating the noise.

At least it does for now. If the problem keeps recurring, I'm going with the earlier generation Accord. Maybe the Acura TL version - a 2003 Type S would be nice.

joe122

Ah, I see this is correct:

http://cars.kbb.com/carsapp/carskbb/?srv=parser&act=display&mknm=Toyota&mdnm=Camry%20Solar- a&tf=/features/2002overview/toyota/camrysolara.tmpl

Thanks

mgweeds

Advice Needed Badly!!!!Used 1988 Accord. 125K. $1500. Automatic Seems like Good Shape.

But - when I test drive it, it goes from gear to gear very noticeably (reasonably hard) - Is this a sign that a new tranny is in the not too distant future????????

HELP

anonymousposts

Especially the earlier generations are notorious for firm shifting automatics. Have the car looked at. If the mechanic says the tranny is OK more than likely what you are experiencing is just a characteristic of that vehicle.

mgweeds

Thanks. Much Appreciated.

mamamia2

Check the looks and smell of the transmission fluid. If it looks dark, and especially smells burnt ----- FLUSH the transmission. I did it on my '95 Accord (just because it was time to do it, not because of any darkness or bad smell) -- and there was an improvement in the shifting.

Have your mechanic FLUSH it, using a special equipment, not a fluid change like you do an oil change. It should cost around $100.

sockpuppet1969

You are right. My mechanic called me back today to tell me the oxygen sensor is not under warrantee. I will be bringing the car in to get it replaced on Monday. Unfortunately my wife had to take the car to work today but other than that we will not be driving it until we get it fixed.

blackexv6

Please keep me posted on your transmission replacement. Hopefully Honda will goodwill a new one for you. If you don't have luck with your local dealer call Honda directly at 1-800-999-1009 and open a case#. They are helpful.

I am fighting for blown rear struts & front tie rod bushings right now. My car has 48k miles and needless to say I am not happy with my first (last?) Honda.

My trans in my '03 EXV6 is slipping on hills ocassionally. Honda techs are unable to duplicate the problem, so I guess I will wait until failure.

Did your check engine light ever come on during the slippage? The light came on with my '00 Ody (2 tranny replacements at 95k and 105k). The computer immediately diagnosed.

chops57

Hello, I have an 02 Accord EX v6. Occasionally (it has happened 3 times so far in about 1.5 years), the brakes won't grip. I will brake and the car will keep moving forward like it's in a neutral position being pushed, and eventually the brakes will grip. I took it to the Honda dealer and they could not find anything wrong with the brakes. Has anyone else experienced this?

haefr

Brake fade from overheating is the most immediate possibility I can think of without knowing more. Do you often drive in hilly or mountainous terrain? Also, have you ever had the brake system flushed with new brake fluid? Brake fluid readily absorbs water over time. Water has a lower boiling point than brake fluid and if it's heated to vapor will give rise to a mushy brake pedal. Have you ever checked the brake fluid level in the fluid reservoir? See your owner's manual for instructions - there's nothing difficult nor are tools involved. Presumably the dealer's techs checked this when you took your car in, but you really need to know how to do this yourself, too.

snw1977

hey everyone... okay guys, i need some feedback and opinions here. i have a 1998 honda accord coupe that has a very strange smell inside almost like a pumpkin or squash going bad. lovely description, i know. it's a mildew musty smell, but worse. i was told that i needed to change the cabin filters, which i did. i was also told to spray lysol in the vents, which i have done. i bought the car back in july from a private owner, but never even noticed the smell until i had it a couple of months. i was thinking that maybe it had water damage that i wasnt told about, but i would have smelled this from the beginning if that was the case. so any ideas as to what this could be? has anyone else experienced this? also, some days the smell is stronger than others and still smells this way even if i didnt use the ac the day before. any ideas or feedback would be much appreciated because this is driving me crazy! i have leather interior and its supposed to smell like that, not mildew or mold. thanks everyone.....

mrbill1957

There have been many complaints of the A/C drain plugging, and in some cases. overflowing and soaking the carpeting on the passenger side.

Did you check the carpeting on the passenger side? Does your A/C drain the water OK when it's running?

Mrbill