Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

pblevine

cards_200: I have a '98 Accord Coupe EXV6, and I find the Michelins pricy, noisy, and squeaky (subject to radial runout or foldong under). I'm not sure what to buy either. I've been looking at the Dunlop Sport A1's which are new from Dunlop. Has anyone heard anything about them?

pblevine

That was the Dunlop SP Sport A2's which have a price of about $79 per tire. My main concern is that these are "H" rated tires while the Michelin's are "V" rated tires. But these are considered to be better for traction, turning, noise, and maybe cheaper too. Any thoughts?

carguy62

On my older Accord I went with Goodyear Eagle GT II, a performance tire that was decently priced. I believe now it has been replaced by the Eagle GA or something similar.

I found the stock Michelins (at least those at that time) had horrible wet traction.

silvercoupe

I can't find the 2 screws holding the little center cover. You do mean the center cover at the front of the console, don't you? Does it just clip on?

carguy62

Hi there, long time no speak. Well an accident did in my '89 Accord (my fault), that was about the only thing that was going to stop it.

I now have an '02 CR-V. There is a CRV (spelled wrong) problems section. Can you stop in there from time to time? Your help in the past was invaluable and I'm afraid I need it again. My CR-V gave me a CEL at 1585 miles. I have been hearing different stories, some say they are replacing sensors, other say it is a software issue. Heard about it? Maybe you can answer over in the CRV post. Thanks much.

auburn63

silvercoupe,
Ok then maybe I am getting senile in my old age. If there is not two screws straight up/under then it is probably four clips. Sorry.

carguy62,
Ok I will slip over and get cought up and let you know what O think..

silvercoupe

There are 2 screws that hold the radio surround on. They go straight up, but I could not see that removing these would free up the center cover. Appreciate any help that you can give me.

cruzzonn

I have a 1995 accord. There are shift indicaters that iluminate so you can tell what position your shiter is in, D, P etc. when it is dark. they do not iluminate anymore. Could anyone help me with tis problem ?

robr2

...can be found here:

http://www.handaaccessories.com/accmaint00.html

Good Luck

silvercoupe

Thanks for the link. For some reason I cannot get the PDF file to transfer. Would some kind soul see if they can get it to transfer and send it to me as a Word document? A97accord@aol.com.

robr2

Go to:

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readermain.html

and download Adobe Acrobat Reader. It is free software that allows you to read .pdf files which are a very common way to share read only files. AFAIK, PDF files cannot be converted to Word.

silvercoupe

I got the file to download, but it does not address the removal of the center panel. Maybe Auburn63 can help.

robr2

Keep peeking around that site. Go to the audio page and there will be instructions under one of the audio choices that will show you how to remove the center trim.

That's where I got the info when I needed to attach a cell phone mount to the radio in my 98 EX.

2kaccordv6

I don't know about other's in here that say the Michelin's are too pricey, but I'm planning on buying them soon for my car. 130 bucks +or-. The wet traction might not be the greatest, but they're less likely to fail on you (blow out), wet traction doesn't concern me too much here in NM where we NEVER get rain or snow. Please stay away from goodyears! I have them on my truck, and they are the worst brand of tires between vehicles and the road. BFG are affordable, and very good quality.

firstaccord

for my 2000 lx, i have 17" rims. any suggestions on a good all season tire? i'm looking more for quieter road noies than anything else.

violyn

When I first got my 2001 EX-V6, I couldn't wait to go out and drive. I would drive around the block just to be in my new car. At 7500 miles I thought I would do the right thing and get the 7500 mile maintenance at the dealership. Since then, the front left strut had to be replaced, the side airbag light comes on once in a while, and there is a rattle somewhere in the front of the car that they keep telling me is my imagination. I'm getting tired of going to the dealership. It took me two tries to get the strut fixed (and since then the car doesn't have that silky feeling to it), and they act like I'm inconveniencing them. My brakes don't feel right, either. Just as the car is coming to a complete stop, there is a "bump". My Mother has the same car, so I know what should and shouldn't be. Is anyone else having these problems with their car and/or dealership?

cadillac1

At my 15000 service, I was given the option of having my fuel system flushed becuase they said Honda recommends it every 15k. First of all, is it something that is necessary, and if so, is $79.95 a good price. I would appreciate any info.

2000 Accord-coupe EX V6

bolivar

Read your manual. Under Maintenace Schedule.

Without reading mine, I'll bet $50 there is no 'Honda Recommendation' for fuel injection cleaning at 15,000. Probably none at any milage.

Read your manual. There is a lot of informative stuff in there.

Your dealer's life is trying to get into your wallet, and un-needed maintenance is one of his biggest items for profit.

The price? What he does is screws a pressurized can of cleaner into the fuel system under the hood and runs the car, sucking the stuff through it. The can cost him about $15 tops.

This might be needed for a car with 50,000 miles or more, if it is missing from a dirty injector.

Most gasolines now have adequate additive (cleaners) to keep the injectors clean.

cadillac1

Wow, you just saved me $79 bucks. Thanks!

jdoneil

This may be a basic question but this is my first Honda. Mine is a '91 EX and the power lock button to control all other locks on the drivers side doesn't work. In addition, the window on the front passenger's side doesn't go up without some manual help when I push the power switch. What do you think could be wrong and about how much would it cost me to fix these problems?

bburton1

Check www.tirerack.com for recommendations-IMHO the info here is very good. Had Michelin MSV4 energy tires on my accord-horrid tires-no wet traction at all, noisey and very poor snow performance. Had several close calls with these miseable rags. Replaced with Michelin X-one and that is a sweet tire. Superb rain handling and very good snow performance and no more squalling like a banshee when hard cornering. They are not that expensive either-have 54K on current set and they are still in very good condition-probably replace in another 15-10K.

There are lots of good tires out there and lots of not so good ones.

isellhondas

Wow...I have to wonder...how fast do you drive?

I have those Michelins on my 99 V-6 EX coupe and have no problems at all. Granted, they are noisy!

And, in Seattle, it rains most of the time too.

"Miserable rags"? I don't understand but do agree there are no doubt better tires out there.

BTW, they have 43,000 miles on them and look almost new.

teo

This may be a basic question but this is my first "Honda. Mine is a '91 EX and the power lock button to control all other locks on the drivers side doesn't work. In addition, the window on the front passenger's side doesn't go up without some manual help when I push the power switch. What do you think could be wrong and about how much would it cost me to fix these problems? "

You need a new power door lock actuator module and possibly a power window module as well. These modules are located inside the driver's door where the master window/door lock controls reside.

Since your car is 11 years old, this more than expected. You need to get genuine Honda replacement door lock actuator module. It could be expensive as it can only be bought from the Honda dealer's parts dept.

I would say fix it, and sell the car. A car this old will just nickel and dime you to death on things breaking and repairs here and there from this point forward.

Honda parts ain't cheap either, but check pricing with your local dealer.

robr2

I got about 36K out of the set on my 98 EX which I rotated every 7,500 miles. I was completed disappointed in their wet/snow capabilities as well as the poor wear. I wasn't down to the wear bars yet but I couldn't trust them any further. I had MXV3's on my 91 EX and those went 60K before replacement.

I replaced with Sumitomo HTR4's and although not a perfect tire (noisy IMHO) they do better in the wet/snow. Plus, they were half the price of the Michelins.

I guess YMWV is absolutly true.

pblevine

Thanks, bburton, I went to tiretrack.com and guess what?... They seems to recommend those Dunlop SP Sport A2's for my '98 Accord Coupe EXV6.
My original question, then, becomes a bit more narrow in scope: How do the X-Ones' compare to the Dunlop tires?

isellhondas

???

robr2

Your Mileage Vary Wildly??

I don't know - this new fangled thing on my desk has a mind of it's own!!

YMMV is what I meant.

zoomzoom79

38,000+ miles on our 99 EX sedan with the MXV4's and they still had plenty of tread left on them. We liked them so much we put them on our LS400 @ $180 a pop and my fiance is a cheapskate.

I don't know what you people are doing to or with these tires but it sounds like you are autocrossers or something.

jdoneil

Wanted to say I appreciated the tip.

jrct9454

...have had nothing but positive experiences with Michelin in general, and the MXV4s in particular. But to each his own....

mikemw1

your window problem is a need for lubrication on the window track on both sides of the window (silicon). common problem.

you will need a door lock actuator for the locks. not cheap.

mike1qaz

I also have had very good service from my MXV4+'s. I'm still on the original set at 63k and they appear to have another 20k left in them. I find the ride a little noisy on rough roads, but on smooth asphalt they ride like "butta". I'm not sure if the road noise should be attributed to the tires or the suspension. Has anyone changed to a different tire on a sedan and noticed a significant difference? I'm always on the lookout for better ride quality since I practically live in the vehicle.

jrct9454:

Did you trade your ex on the le ???
I'm looking at the corolla as a second car and also rented one for a week of business miles(1600)for evaluation. I also was very impressed with its road manners, ride quality and interior comfort and convenience.

habaka

If you are at all handy with a Multimeter and soldering iron, you can get a shop manual from helminc.com and check out these modules yourself. I diagnosed a bad window module in my 88 Accord about 3 yrs ago. Honda wanted $180.00 for this part so I decide to crack the case open and see just what was in this expensive part. All I found was about 10 cents worth of circuitry and a couple of relays. The solder joints had opened up where the relay connects to the PC board. I re-soldered the connections, glued the box back together, put in back in, and it worked fine for the last 2.5 years I had the car. I have seen this problem before in other similar modules from other cars. The reason it happens is these boards are "wave soldered" where everything is soldered at once. The time and temperature of the soldering is optimized so as to not damage electronic parts but is often not high enough for the heavier connections on the output relays. Time, vibration and temperature will eventually open a hairline crack in the joint that will carbonize due to arcing over the crack and eventually the electrical contact will be completely lost. So, sometimes a little effort can save you a lot of money for fixing a basically simple problem.

jrct9454

Yes, we made the switch to the Corolla, and drove it home Thursday with a check for the difference. I've been discussing my initial observations on the Corolla board. Beyond the 200 hp, I feel we have given up very little to gain the nimbleness and better fuel consumption that this car provides, but no one will ever get an argument from me when choosing an Accord. We think we can manage nicely in the next class down, and so far the new Corolla seems to be the class of the class. I'm especially impressed by the amount of interior and trunk space they have managed in this relatively small package.

zoomzoom79

but it's too bad that they downgraded the suspension to the point of it having a beam in the back. Otherwise it's a nice looking car and has a nice interior.

bburton1

Have not a clue as to which is better-but READ the comments in tire rack about the Michelin MXV4's-several people have had wet traction problems.

A tire is a rag when it does not perform and makes my hind end pucker up when I get into a 4 wheel slide. Yeah I drive at the limit in rain and snow-the X-One's really make a difference. Went into several scarey slides with the MXV4's when they should have held. No problems with the X-One's.

Now Michelin may have changed their tread design and rubber formulation. I originally intended to replace the MXV4's with the same tire when I had to replace them due to road damage. The guys working in a franchise tire store said-hey try the X-One's-most of them had them on their vehicles. Did and bought them 2 dozen donuts for making the suggestion. So not all franchise people are only motivated by how much they can get out of your wallet.

Again check out tire rack-real people recounting their experiences.

kliu

The noise started appearing last week and it happened while I was on a slight incline in my driveway. I've been able to isolate the noise near the belt region whenever I rev the engine between 1000 rmps to 1500 rpms, the noise becomes apparent. When I'm on reverse uphill its the same noise, like something is loose and banging up against something. I've also recently noticed I'm not getting good mileage from my car 254 miles on a full tank...not good. I remember reading a post regarding pistons not firing properly, could that be the source of my problem? I'm still reluctant to goto the dealer fearing a rip off, since my warranty has ended. Has anyone had this problem and how much does it cost to get it fixed?

drwhovee

I have a 98 Accord that has a check engine light on. I have read the codes & get a 420 code. The service manual says the catalytic converter is bad,but I have since had an emissions check done & all passes(well within allowable limits)
Has anyone had this problem before?I know Accords have had issues with the converters,but I'm not sure it is bad because it passed emissions.Also I've reset the light & it keeps comming back.
Any advice is welcome. THANKS.

auburn63

The code is kicked up because of an inconsistancy in the readings bettween the 2 o2 sensors. The computer then thinks that the cat is not being effecent enough. I believe the cat warranty is 8yrs/80,000 miles so if you are in that range then I would go in and have it checked. If it isn't under the miles then you can try a good hard run on a freeway or open highway with a few
passing gear kick downs to try and clear it out...Good luck

jdoneil

I have a '91 Accord EX with about 242K mi. I'm planning to have it for no more than 2 years before I trade it in to get a relatively new car. I'd put no more than about 12K mi on it each year. Should I be worried that it wouldn't make it till that time?

isellhondas

Well, I live in Seattle where it rains like nowhere else. I'm not a timid driver but I do slow down and use sense when the roads are wet.

And I've never once gone into a "scary slide" while driving in the constant rain.

I probably will upgrade the tires when the time comes but would also suggest that just maybe...you ought to slow down a bit?

cota99

Whenever I drive long distances, my car gets really hot. When I turn off the car (1996 Accord LX, 88k miles,) the fan turns on a little bit later. The fan stays on for about 2-3 minutes. Is it normal for a fan to turn on after the car is off? Also, it seems the fan is pretty loud. PLEASE let me know. Thanks in advance!

silvercoupe

It is common for the fan to kick on after the car is turned off. As long as the engine is not actually overheating (gauge into the red zone), everthing is well.

silvercoupe

I managed to replace the AC filters in my 2000 Accord Coupe yesterday. Not too difficult after I learned what had to be removed. Saved $60 labor by doing it myself. Many thanks for your help.

tntitan

Glad to hear that it was not too difficult. I plan to change mine in my 2000 Accord SE within the next month. I printed all of those detailed instructions and believe that I can do it.

Silvercoupe - how much did you pay for your filters and where did you buy them?

auburn63

Glad to see that it went well......

silvercoupe

Purchased mine from local Honda dealer for $9.12 each. You can find them cheaper online, but shipping will eat up the savings.

One note: be sure all the screws are removed before trying to pull out the glove box. That was the only problem that I ran into.

rouxeny

I own a 96 Accord LX and I've had a few problems with it. Number 1 is the buzzing at 1800 rpm which I think is very common and I've seen mentioned here before. I had it fixed (gaskets replaced) twice but was told that it would come back. Both times, it did. Now, the dealers aren't even interested in fixing it, and frankly, neither am I. So, I have a very loud (scares passengers) sound and temporary power drop off while accelerating in 1st. After that, I've learned to shift later so that the rpms drop to somewhere above 2000.
Recently my fan also started to stay on after I turned the car off. This had never happened before in 5 years of ownership. Finally, one day, I experienced near-overheating and had to get towed to the dealer. My radiator had rotted out, 1 day after my warranty ended. Once that was repaired, the car has been fine.
Despite all this, I'm still fairly impressed with Hondas. My dad owned an Oldsmobile Cutlass Wagon in the 80's and the engine exploded before the car hit 30,000. We replaced it, and the replacement blew too. Nice.
Oh, one last thing, my Cruise Control has gone kaput.

habaka

I have posted this message in November but got no feedback. Maybe now there are other 2002 LXV6 owners out there who have seen this stupid design defect:
I recently bought a 2002 LXV6 and after about 2 weeks I discovered that the back of the bottom seat cushion cloth cover on the power driver's seat doesn't fit right. It isn't cut correctly to tuck in behind the plastic sections on the sides and sticks out -looks like hell from the back. The dealer replaced it once but it looks the same. I met the regional service manager who, after several weeks of "research" said that "that's the way the parts are made" and there is nothing they can do. He has offered to pay for an auto upholsterer to fix it, but both that I have gone to say they can't fix it since this is a special material that is molded to shape. ANYONE ELSE SEEN THIS? What recourse do I have to get Honda to fix what is obviously a poorly designed part? Thanks for your help.

thekurgan

Have a 93 Accord EX, 130k, at a recent check up, the dealer told me the oil pan gasket needed replacement, soon after I started seeing oil spots on the garage floor, which hadn't been there before the check up (suspicious!!??). He wanted $200 to replace the gasket, this sounded a lot, any feedback on how much this should cost would be appreciated. Thanks.