Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

camryv6

When i first bought this car about 5 months ago every time i roll up the windows or when the headlights are on or when i hold the brake for more than 20 sec the Car shakes bad and the idle drops low. And even without the lights on or when rolling up the windows the car does shake sometimes at stop lights. I changed the spark plugs and air filter 2 months ago. Any one no what it could be? THANX

auburn63

I think it is just a matter of ageing parts. Everything from ,motor mounts to the rubber pads under the radiator are there to help keep vibrations down. The dog bone like top rear mount and the center wine stop mount on the bottom support frame are the first places you can look to help minimize the vibs. Tight valves can also contribute to a rough idle condition. Adjusting the idle up to 950 rpms can help also..good luck

mikefm58

I had the exact same problem with my son's F150 truck. Turning the key, we'd hear one click, sometimes it would take several turns of the key to start, eventually it started taking 15 or more turns.

I fixed this by replacing the starter relay, cost me $7.00. It was easy on the F150, it was mounted right by the battery on the inside fender wall at the top.

I've never had to find these on a Honda, but if you follow the positive battery cable from the battery, it should lead you to it.

Good luck.

cole5o5

My 2001 coupe with 21K miles started to having this problem yesterday. To get the key out, I have to shift out of park and back to park in order to remove the key. Anyone out there with similar problem?

Thanks in advance for your response.

dudleyr

Thanks for all of the input.

re main relay. I checked into this theory at a couple of dealers . It seems this fix is for cars that die while they are running. My car has never stalled or died in 12 years (unless my foot slips off the clutch - happens when it is snowy).

Turning key too fast. I am turning the key same as I always have, and I did try to vary the speed when in didn't start. I also tried pausing between tries and turning slowly, as well as turning very fast.

Dead spot on the starter. This may be the problem. I called back the electric shop where I took my car (nearest Honda dealer is about 180 miles away) He just rebuilt the solenoid plunger system and did not even check the rest of the starter. He says it is quite a job to get to the brushes, and he has never seen them go bad on a nippondenso. He will look at it again today

Starter relay. I hope it is something that inexpensive. I mentioned this to the electric guy, and he said that if I hear the single click with every unsuccessfull key turn, then the starter is getting its signal to start.

Thanks again for the input everyone. I will post when I find out more.

dudleyr

I just had a thought. My radio sometimes does not come on for several minutes after the car starts. Could this be because one of the relays is acting up? It does not seem to correspond with the starting problem - I can start the car just fine and the radio will still not come on. I had just figured there was a loose wire to the radio.

The forum seems to be acting up. I thought I lost a post, and retyped it (sort of) now that post is gone, but the one I thought I lost is here. Don't know if this one will show up or not.

mikefm58

<<Starter relay. I hope it is something that inexpensive. I mentioned this to the electric guy, and he said that if I hear the single click with every unsuccessfull key turn, then the starter is getting its signal to start.>>

Absolutely untrue!!! That's exactly what I felt with my vehicle. Another "expert" told me the same thing, "if you hear the click, then the relay is working". In my case this was false. Thank god because I was already to replace the starter motor, which is about 400-500 bucks on my Ford.

Unless you can pin it down exactly, replace the cheap and easy things first. Start with the relay, then the cable that leads from the relay to the starter, then the starter motor itself.

When I took the relay out, I noticed some corrosion at the bottom of the terminal. If yours is getting like this, then it's possible to have "flaky" electrical problems. Don't know if this would cause the problem you mentioned with your radio, depends on how it's connected.

auburn63

sounds as if you may need to have the shift cable or the inhibitor/gear position switch adjusted. If the car is not in park or the dar doesn't see it in park then the key will not come out.

dudleyr
That could be an early sign of your ignition switch (electrical portion) going bad. Which could also effect the starting of the car at times but that part of your complaint still sounds like the starter or its solenoid that is mounted on it.

pidzy

I have a 1994 Accord LX Coupe. Three days ago my engine just died in the middle of driving. I had it at the dealership today and they said they could not recreate the problem nor find any problems. After I picked it up and stop somewhere a about 3 hours, I was driving onto the highway down an on ramp when it happened again. I was accelerating to about 45 to 50 km/h (sorry its Canada and I guess in US it would be 30 to 40 mph) when all of a sudden I noticed the RPM dropped to zero. All the electrical still worked as the warning lights, radio, and air blower came on/stayed on. I coasted to a stop, waited about 2 minutes and started the engine again - needless to say it went right back to the dealer.

The first time this happened it was also coming downhill. Except it took about 5 minutes before I could restart. The starter works - the engine just would not turn over.

Any ideas on what it could be?

rjc8

Thanks for the help on the AC filter. I'll have to look closer for those two screws on the panel under the radio. I didn't see them when I looked.

elgriton

I still think it's your main relay. I had the same exact problem then replaced it per Auburn's suggestion, and it was solved instantly. Haynes manual has a section that describes how to check for bad main relays which is quite a simple process.

semez

Car has 25000mi been having a starting prob every few months. Car will turn over but not start. Symptoms is like not getting any gas. Seems to occur everytime I fill up. Engine light comes on but goes off after srveral miles.. Could this be realted to the emissions equipment EGR valve??.. Any suggestions. I know if I take it to dealer and cant duplicate prob they wont do anything. Any suggestions.....

bburton1

Sounds like the fuel pump is going south. Would suggest having it replaced along with the filter at the same time. Let us know what you find.

tommyg12

I recently had my 105K mile service performed and all checked out well except my Service Advisor suggested that I might want to consider having my EGR ports cleaned. He says that this is a typical procedure and that even though I might not notice any symptoms I should still have it done. Well, I have a problem with paying $300.00(quoted) for something when I have no symptoms. Anyone else experienced this and is this a true known problem. Thanks in advance.

mwcarlso

I have a 93 Accord EX with about 144,000 miles on it and have never had this done. I think there was a tsb from Honda about cleaning out the EGR ports on cars with hesitation at around 1800 rpm. So if there is nothing wrong I wouldn't worry about it. The dealer is just trying to get more of your money. I have cleaned out the throttle body and intake manifold a few times which seemed to give me a little better performance. The only annoying thing about the car is that at idle while in drive there is a vibration through the whole car and the steering wheel shakes a lot. I had a motor mount replaced but that didn't help. Oh well the car performs well in every other respect so I guess I can't complain. Good luck.

pidzy

After the mechanic drove my car up and down hills for an hour, nothing happened. Then the service manager and the service rep did the same thing. Then they sat in the car and when through all the problems they could remember when they stumble across one that usually happens when an Accord hits 150000KM or 75000 miles (I only have 98000 km). They remembere problems with the electronic ignition where the key does not fit snuggly into the switch and moves or shifts on bumpy roads or is touched. When this happens the sensor thinks the key has been removed and shuts the engine off.

So there they were sitting in the car, with the engine runnnig, and they tapped the key in the ignition --- the engine went dead. They tried again after restarting but could not recreate. But are pretty sure that is the problem.

So they have put in a new ignition switch and are letting me try it for week. If the car does not stall again case closed and I get charged $85 CAN. If it does happen again no charge, but back to the drawing board. According to Honda the entire fuel system is OK. So lets hope it is just the switch. Will let you know after a week.

teddwood

My 01 Accord's driver seat is making noise. Anyone has similar problems?

hbund216

What kind of noise? Does yours have power seats? Mine used to make a clunking noise and rock a bit when I would sit down. The dealer replaced the seat tracks and motor for the power seat.

bburton1

Took my 97 I4 accord in at 118K for new timing and all drive belt replacement. The only thing the tech tried to sell me was a $300 throttle body and intake cleaning operation. Apparently 3M has a dealer only system to do this procedure and have sold it to honda nationally. So anybody that walks through the door with over XK miles on his/her odomoter is gonna get the pitch. I was told this would stop the engine rpm from going up and down. Asked the tech why I was still getting the same gas milage as before if there were a problem with the engine-he tried to reply and I broke out laughing and he did also. This is apparently a high spiff/profit item as it is being done across the country

When walking into any car dealer I hold very tighly onto my wallet-just like I would in any high crime area. I do like the chuckle I get when they make their pitch though.

accordic

Auburn or others who knows: I tried to adjust the valve clearance on my 96 accord last weekend. I failed to get that done because it is too hard to turn the crank pulley. I was afraid of loosing that bolt. My friend Rick said it would be easier if the spark plugs are removed since there is no need to compress the air. Is that a good idea? Question #2: I found that at least two valves have bigger gaps than spec at a position. If I adjust the gap to the spec at any position, it would be never too tight. Is that right? This is the first time I do the item. Thank you for your help.

elgriton

You should take out the spark plugs. But what you really to do is get yourself a Haynes or Chilton's manual and follow their instructions closely and go from there.

pjt2001

Hello all. I have a 1998 Accord EX w/2.3l 4 and automatic transmission. It's got close to 90K miles on it now and it just recently (within the last 2000 miles) started making a howling noise that increases in volume and pitch as I increase speed. The noise first becomes noticeable around 25 to 30 mph. At first I thought it was the tires, but I had them balanced and rotated and the noise continues. It's really annoying at highway speeds now since I've been used to this being a fairly quiet car. Does anyone else have this problem or know what might be causing it?
Thanks.

spokane

I agree with Elgriton. Removal of the spark plugs will help. Turn the crank pulley slowly and you need not worry about loosening the bolt; it's torque is well over 100 ft-lbs. You are correct that adjusting the lash at the wrong crank position would not provide too little valve lash but I wouldn't try that since a mistake could result is too much lash. Since positioning the crank is not difficult, suggest that you adjust lash only with the piston at TDC at the end of the compression stroke - per the shop manual.

mack20

Hi all...

Just wondering. I usually use those "Lube, Oil and Filter places" for my oil changes.
What does Lube mean? Usually I just take in it and they change the oil and check the
fluid levels. They dont lube anything! I have an 87 Accord, and there are some squeaks coming from the suspension. From an earlier post by Auburn it seems I just need to lube the
suspension. Do I have to take it to a mechanic or can those guys at the Lube Oil and Filter place do it?

scorpio007

Just wanted to take a minute and thank all those who have provided VALUABLE answers to all my ranting and raving Re: My 2001 Accord EX-L 2.3 5 Speed.

T H A N K Y O U ! ! ! !

Happy Holidays...

R.

bburton1

I waited too long to rotate my tires and now after rotating them get a howling noise at around 25 to 40 mph, particularly on asphalt. It is caused by the slight cupping on the tires which were on the rear and now on the front. Need to rotate them sooner than 15K. 10K or a bit less. Once had howling so bad I changed a rear wheel bearing.

The howling will eventually go away as you wear away the cups on the outside edge of your front tires. Ever once in a while I hear a car going by that just howls-must have cups .5" deep on those puppies. Check your COLD tire pressure, I keep 34# in mine-better mileage and tires last longer.

timadams

Some cars and trucks need lubed, but most don't. I don't think hardly any cars built after 1980 have grease fittings, but older cars have grease fittings on the suspension components. Newer cars have sealed suspensions with "lifetime" grease already installed. So, your car doesn't get lubed because it doesn't need it.

amers3

Hi,
The brakes on my '00 starting squeaking pretty badly at about 30k, especially in bumper to bumper traffic. I took it in and the mechanic said the pads were dirty, so he dusted them. That didn't help the noise, so I took it back in and they changed the pads and resurfaced the rotors. Although the car brakes a lot smoother now, that fingernails-on-the-chalkboard, ear-irritating sqeaking is still 100% there! I'm taking the car back in this weekend, so I'm just wondering if anyone knows what I should expect and if anyone else has this problem!

hbund216

Some break/rotor combinations are very sensitive. Did you have a Honda dealer install your breaks or at least use Honda specific pads? I have a car that will spit out any break pads that are not the manufacturers. I hate to use the dealer also but sometimes you have to :-(

accordic

Thank you Elgriton and Spokane for your input on valve clearance. I have a copy of Honda Service manul. I will try that again next weekend.

dkrab

There is a special black paste of some sort that Honda OEM pads come with. When you replace the pads, you should spread this paste on the backs of the pads and make sure to use the thin metal shims that go between the pads and the calipers. I replaced my pads myself this way on my '98 Accord, and have had no squeaks at all.

tommyg12

Lately my '93 Accord seems to have valve noise(sounds like)when cold. The oil is fresh and full. Will an out of spec valve lash make more noise when cold? Thanks, Tommy

alcan

Yes. As parts heat up they expand, reducing clearances.

carcraze3

I own a 95 Honda accord, last week i had the 'check engine' light on.... since i had a extended warranty, i took it to the dealer. but to my utter dismay it wouldnt light up there. we even drove it for a while, it wouldnt light up.

Then the nextday, it lit up again... any suggestions why this might happen?

should i worry bat this? since there is no performance difference in the car.

carguy62

A check engine light is telling you something is wrong....I wouldn't ignore it. Didn't the dealer pull a code (or whatever they do) when you were there? Driving it around to see if it lights up doesn't make sense to me. Another dealer perhaps?

mikefm58

Exactly carguy. The dealer can pull the codes, they're stored in the computer. If he says he can't duplicate it by driving around, he's full of cr*p. He doesn't need to duplicate it, simply pull the codes.

mikefm58

One more thing, dealers usually charge hefty for pulling the codes, usually about 75-100 dollars since the machine to pull the codes on newer models is expensive.

carcraze3

no he couldnt pull the codes out.. the dealer said "these hondas (1995 models) dont store them in the computer"

is it true?

carguy62

I know my '89 has a series of lights that correspond to check engine codes. I would think a '95 has something similar or most likely more advanced. Look in the manual, it should say something. The expert here will have the real story.

alcan

Follow the instructions here for 1995 Honda DTC retrieval and interpretation. If your car is equipped with a 16 pin connector under the dash to the left of the steering column, it's OBD-II compliant and a scan tool will be required to retrieve stored DTC's (some late '95's were, and all after 1996)

http://www.batauto.com/honda.html

jbahlman

I have a 2001 V6 EX Coupe with 9k miles that has started having problems with the alarm. Sometimes when i get in the car it will go off. This is after i have disarmed it and open the door. It will also do it when i am getting out of the car ( take the key out of the ignition, open door and it goes off). Usually if it goes off i can stop it with disarm, sometimes i have to put the key in the ignition, but sometimes it only goes off for a second then stops by itself. I took it to the dealer and they couldn't reproduce it and sent me home. Then the next morning it did it again so i took it and left it there again. This time they said they replaced the hood latch b/c that had been the problem on someone else's car. But it did it again 3 days later. They also told me it could be the panic button going off by itself, but if i put the key in the ignition would that stop the panic button? Does anyone have any ideas b/c i hate that loud noise and i never know when its gonna go off.

Thanks
john

pjt2001

Well, I took my 98 Accord into the dealer to have them check out the howling noise. It turned out to be the right front bearing. They're replacing it for a small fee of $280 (YIKES)...
Thanks to bburton1 on the tire cupping tip. I had the tires checked before taking it to the dealer and they are wearing evenly - - no cupping to be found.

pmaz77

I am experiencing a lot of noises inside my less than a year old accord coupe
1. sunroof (i know many of you have the same problem
2. driver's side door (no idea where its coming from
3. center of dash board

If anyone out there has had these fixed, please tell me how ya did it, cause the dealership keeps jerking me around "we can't reproduce the problem"

huangk

Hi:

I noticed some brushing sound from my 00 Accord EX rear brakes yesterday. I brought the car
in for a tire rotation. When I got home, I jacked
ip the car and turned the rear tires and noticed the on-off brushing sound. It seems like at some
location the rotor disc brushes the brake pad
and at other places they don't contact. Of course
I released the parking brake when checking this.

The two rear tires will rotate and stop pretty
quick because the disc is contacting the pad from time to time. I checked my wife's Civic and its
two rear tires turn easily and there is no brushing sound.

I'm not sure if this is normal or not. The dealer mechanic said eventually it will go away when the patter on the disc is formed. I don't
believe this. Does anyone have any solution or is it normal? Thanks.

Kevin

jrct9454

If this started right after a tire rotation, be very suspicious that the wheel bollts were torqued incorrectly. You need to get a reliable torque wrench, and loosen and then retighten all of the wheel bolts to 80 ft-lbs. If the bolts are tightened incorrectly, especially if one or more are significantly different from the others, the brake rotors can get distorted.

Otherwise, it is perfectly true that the pads will always make light contact with the rotors, which can cause a slight swishing sound. But it should be consistent, and this sounds like someone may have used an air gun on your wheels that was just plain off...

And the Civic uses rear drums - there should be no contact between shoes and drums when the brakes are off. With disc brakes, there is always light contact between pads and rotors - different designs for good engineering reasons.

acmeroadrunnr

my 2000 i4 auto slips, especially into 3rd gear, when the engine is cold. once the engine is warmed up it is fine. anyone else experiencing this?

pidzy

After one week my the first solution of changing the ignition switch failed. The car died in the middle of driving, again, a day and half later. I got it to the dealership and left it with them for 5 days while I was out of town.

They found nothing, whether they looked at is questionable, so in disgust I just took the car back. Well this past Saturday I took the car for annual rust check. On the way home the engine cut out again - on a slight down hill going no faster then 50 km/h (30 mph?. I thought maybe I should stop at a car store and buy some stuff to to put in the gas to clean the injector or whatever (I was desperate!) Well it failed another four times - down hills, at stop lights, going around slight curves. It final would not go any further - the starter was going, but the engine would not catch. So I get towed to the dealership. They say its the ignition coil. Car works fine.

Until Christmas Eve, and bingo right around one of the places where it failed before (I have lost count after 10) I could feel it start - the car was at 2000 rpm, seemed to be sluggish at 50 km/h, then the weird part is the car became very calm and quiet (still showing 2000 rpm). Whack, the rpm dropped to zero, warning lights came on, and I was lucky enough to coast across three lanes of traffic and turned onto a side street( I am getting really good at this!) Tried to restart - but the engine would not catch.

So I was towed to the dealership - where the car now sits until they open after Christmas.

I am losing the game this far, its not the ignition switch or ignition coil (unless they use defective parts). I am at the point all I want them to do is fixed the car so I can get rid of it. (I get the feeling that since the car is in such good condition with low mileage the dealership or the mechanic are eyeing it, hoping I will just trade it in for a new one! Then they will fix it with a $2.00 part. I always say you dance with devil when you buy the car and you keep on dancing with him when you get is serviced)

Happy Holidays to all and thanks for listening (this is good therapy). Will keep you posted. Any ideas are welcomed.

mikemw

sounds like the ignition switch HARNESS

ojc

Not in the manual, fuse panel cover is missing.
Thanks

alcan

Try here:

http://www.batauto.com/cgi-bin/Forum/db_TalkToMeV2.cgi?forum_name=imports