Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

jsnowe

89 Honda Accord 187 plus miles. Heater not working. upper heater hose is hot. lower heater hose cold. Recently used a radiator sealer which may have plugged up heater core or cylinder head but would like opinion as to possible causem diagnoses and repairs. Thanks, J. snowe

riswami

is most liklely the tires. Happens with lots of cars.

bodydouble

Thanks for answering my question.

mwcarlso

Does your Honda have Michelins on it like many other Accords do? Michelin, in order to reduce the rolling resistance and make fuel economy better, did something to the tread compound and the tire is less able to dissipate electric shock. Your best bet is to open your door and tap the key to the metal to dissipate the electric shock on your key and not your hand.

auburn63

have you checked the hot water valve? sounds as if that may be the problem.

altair4

Thermostat stuck open?

Did the problem come on suddenly after you used the stop leak, or was it a slow developing problem? Give us a few more clues.

lancerfixer

Huh...now that you mention it, I switched to Continentals last year; I can't remember getting shocked since. I never noticed the correlation, but that must be what it was...

michwys

I have a 96' Accord DX- 83,600 miles and very well maintained and taken care of. The drive belts where making some noise so I went to get those replaced at the dealer and seeing how it was almost time to get the water pump and timing belt replaced, I did that as well. So the drive belts, timing belt, water pump and the annual emmision inspection cost me $700. I just want to know if that sounds about right?? Also, I often do you have to replace the transmission fluid in an automatic? Thank You!

fastdog1

I have a '95 Accord EX with 2.2 4 cyl Vtech. It has 108K miles and I inquired at the dealer about the price to replace the fuel filter. The service advisor said it had a lifetime filter and he couldn't remember the last time they replaced one.
The owner's manual does not address the fuel filter but my Haynes repair manual recommends replacing the fuel filter every 30K.
Well???? Ok.
1. Dealer's service departments make money on repairs, have I actually found an honest one?
2. The service advisor doesn't know what he is talking about.
3. The filter is in such a difficult place that Honda is embarrassed at what they charge to replace it.
All filters collect dirt and dirt stays in a filter until it is replaced or cleaned. So does anyone have experience with the Honda fuel filter? I replace them on every other manufacturer's car.
Best Regards
Bill

spokane

I believe the shop Honda shop manual does specify 30K miles for the fuel filter change. With clean fuel from a high-volume service station, many filters are OK at 75K miles or more but I wouldn't try stretching my luck. The filter is mounted on the firewall and is easy to replace.

I would be careful with that shop; the service advisor is clearly mistaken on a simple maintenance item that he should be familiar with.

tntitan

I called three Honda dealers in my area about changing the fuel filter on my 2000 Accord SE and they all told me that it was a lifetime filter that did not need to be changed. They indicated that all Accords after around 1997 had lifetime filters. What shop manual are you referencing?

fastdog1

tntian.
The question was for the model year 1995. The year runs were 94-97. Therefore it is likely that Honda changed the filter for the 98 and later model years. That explains why your 2000 is different. I have a Haynes repair manual for the 94-97 that is available at auto parts stores and references the change at 30K. Maybe the repair manual for your model does not recommend it.It sounds like Spokane was referencing a Honda shop manual? for 94-97. I looking for some actual owners with these year models who have delt with the replacement. I am interested if Honda and Haynes are on the same recommendation.

ddelom

I have a 1998 accord. The check engine light comes on at night when I go for long drives. I went to the dealer and they said that I had a problem with a dirty air filter. they changed the air filter and the light went off until the next night. I went back to the dealer and they said problem what problem?

Does anybody have any ideas?

altair4

from your onboard diagnostic computer? You are saying that CEL lit up again the next night, right? If the check engine light came on, there should be a code stored for the fault.

auburn63

I do believe that 94 was the first year that Honda went to the lifetime filter. However I do agree that there comes a point and time that any filter needs replacing. Anywhere from 60,000 - 100,000 miles would be a great time to change it if you plan on keeping the car. I dont think any dealer is shy on what they charge for anything so I dont think that is the reason for the lifetime recomendations. The charge should be in the area of $100.00 plus or minus $25.00.

fastdog1

Just to let everyone know I had the fuel filter replaced today on the 95 Accord, 4 cyl, $100. The service department tried their best to talk me out of it. Lifetime filter started on the 94 as reported by Auburn63 and in total agreement with everything that posting. It is a small metal filter. I guess Honda figures you will get rid of the car before it clogs. Filtered dirt over time just doesn't disappear, it will eventually clog it. At 108K miles I'm not willing to find that point. The Haynes repair manual recommendation of every 30K is to frequent and seems to be a carry over from the 93 and earlier. If I can find a safe way to cut it open, I'll report my findings.Thanks to those of you who put their two cents in.

sschnath

Just purchased a 97 Accord SE, 56K, excellent condition. I've noticed that the air conditioning fan is making an intermittent squeaking sound when at its lowest speed. It sounds like it's coming through the right vent.

When I shut off the fan the noise goes away. The squeaking seems to be triggered by road vibrations, though I haven't had the car long enough to test it and see if it happens when the car is idle or if it happens at faster fan speeds--I didn't hear it when I first looked at the car.

I'm wondering if the bearings are starting to fail since the noise goes away when I turn the fan off. Anybody else dealt with this?

tntitan

Thanks for the report. I for one would be very interested in what you find on your replaced fuel filter. I have always changed mine every 30K in American cars and this is my first Honda. I have had mechanics try to talk me out of replacing brake fluid as well, but I always figure it is my dollar and go for it anyway.

auburn63

Brake fluid should be replaced at a min of every 45k. Cleaning the res.and screen as well as flushing clean brake fluid through the system is the best way to do this. I do not get why people try and talk you out of things you need to do as stated by the people that make the cars but try there hardest sometimes to talk you into other things that arent recomended such as alot of the "fluff" packages and additives..

longevity

Hey guys, the brake lamp light came on today on my car. I just check all of my brake light (at night) and there is no bulb that is burn out. What could be causing this light to suddenly come on when no bulb is burn out? Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

alcan

Did you check the upper brake light?

dfwk2500

Does anyone know if you can rewire the homelink transmitter so it only works when the ignition is on? Will have to park on the driveway for a few months during remodeling and don't want someone breaking out a window in the car being able to open the garage door. I thought about rewiring the power to an ignition on only circuit, but was not sure if the system could sustain long term power loss and keep its memory. The car is a 2000 V6 Accord. I'd hate to blank the codes in the homelink and go back to a door opener (that I could take in the house), but that is the only other option I can think of at this time. With summer break, auto breakins by kids increases around here and one of the major trends is to use the door opener in a car to grab tools and gear out of a garage.

hondaguy7

Over the last few months, the power door lock buttons on my 1991 Accord EX sedan have not worked consistently. They may work fine for a few days, but then they stop working for several days or weeks.

The only symptom I have noticed at times when it doesn't work, is that I hear a slight clicking sound coming from my driver side door when I press the button. It almost sounds like a bad relay switch or something like that.

I know that this is an old car and I normally wouldn't worry about it, but I am about to trade this in towards a new Odyssey. Just curious to see if this a known problem, or better yet, an easy one to fix!

Thanks in advance for any helpful information!

longevity

It turns out that one of wire on the rear right is kinda loose and causing a short shorting. The problem is solve by soldering back the wire together. Thanks for the help.

bburton1

Replaced a fuel filter on an 80 accord at 200K just for the hell of it-cut it open and it was clean as a whistle inside-no gunk at all. If you get a load of bad gas-had a friend who got a load-bought gas from a small station which was going out of business-fuel filter, tank and injectors loaded with black crap-had to remove tank, clean it out, fuel filter and replace injectors. Still had problems. So if you never get a load of bad gas, you will probably never ever have to replace a fuel filter. how profound is that-just avoid small stations in the country going out of business.

bodydouble

Could you not unplug the garage door opener when you're at home inside the house?

bevandmichael

I have a 1998 EX V6 with 75,000 miles. Today, while driving the car, I heard groaning and squeaking noises from the front end. I am hoping that it just needs lubrication, but I fear that I need new shocks or struts. When do these parts normally wear out on an Accord? What do they cost to replace? Thanks for any advice on this.

isellhondas

At the risk of being called biased or having my head in the sand....struts rarely fail on Hondas.

Get it checked out. Who knows?

bash_ir

I just found out about this mesg site and I must say there are some very skilled people working on this site. I was hoping if anyone could resolve my doubts. I have a 97 Accord LX 60k miles. When the engine is idling, there are slight (very slight) jerks every now and then. Some time back these jerks were very strong and I found it was a torn wire and I replaced the wires and distributor cap and rotor. 2 Weeks later the car died, and I had to change the Ignition Module (if thats what you call it), but the jerks haven't gone yet. Could it be something with the compression or is it the Idle setting?
Also is it common for the transmission to hesitate when you accelerate moderately after slowing down. The engine revs up for a second and shifts into the lower gear. Please tell me this is OKAY or Is my Tranny giving way???

bodydouble

The hesitation sounds normal. Honda auto trannies do seem to have a bit of a problem with gear-hunting at low speeds/light throttle situations.

bash_ir

Another problem in the making I guess. PS makes a grinding noise when I turn the steering at stops. This only happens sometimes. Any ideas?

michwys

How often does the transmission fluid have to be changed in an Accord and is it a do it yourself job??

cokane5227

2002 EX-L Coupe, currectly 14,300 miles, 300 miles earlier a severe vibration occured in the steering wheel while braking at highway speeds, it occured in an instance and it's bad enough for me to have to keep 30-40ft from the car in front of me. braking power suffers because of it and the car won't stay in straight line now at highway speeds, although it's been occuring for a while(when i previously posted about sliding on highway 4). but now it's just way too bad. it doesn't go off to one side like normal, it goes wherever if feels like and i just have to keep correcting it. i checked everything, wheels, suspension. and visually there's nothing wrong. i'm bringing the car to the dealer tomorrow. hope they won't give me bullcrap this time. seems like dealers never want to do warranty work, they always try my best to tell me there's nothing wrong, but this time they gonna have to do something about it.
i'll post again once i get some answers from the dealer. in the mean time, maybe some experienced drivers want to tell me what's probably wrong? appreciate it.

maxhonda99

dfwk, Don't you have a "lock" feature for your garage door opener?

maxhonda99

2003 Accord Sedan:

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=4942

cokane5227

car was in for service today, they checked for the vibration and found nothing wrong, but they did reset the brakes(at least that's what they told me) and everything is fine now .......... weird, really weird ..............
15,000 miles service took $130 out of my pocket, not very bad i think.

nwng

I have a 97 and last year when I had the balance shaft seal recall done at the dealer, i asked them about the fuel filter and they also said no. On another note, anyone has recommendations on shock replacement? OEM (expensive) or go to sears?

thanks

isellhondas

It's unlikely that you need shocks. These almost never go bad or wear out.

We have a "mass merchant" and a large chain muffler shop that loves to reccommend these, however. We probably replace one set a year and that's usually at the customer's insistance.

pblevine

It might have been your ABS system at work. Those vibrations are normal when braking at speed.

cokane5227

hehe, yeah, now i look back on it, that probably was the problem. although i'm out of what i say to myself "the new car fever", but i still get suspicious sometimes. =P
i still like honda products better than all the other brands but G35 and BMWs.
hope i'll be able to afford the redesigned TL when they come out in 2004, the currect one is my favorite car under 40k, but i want to see what the redesign looks like.

beachnut

I was going to give you the obligatory "warped rotors" response yesterday, but as I re-read your post, it didn't sound like that. I had a car once that had an intermittent problem with the ABS valve-body (pretty expensive part). When braking, it would randomly lock the caliper up on the front drivers wheel. Once, when returning home from West Palm during rush hour, the traffic ahead of me came to an abrupt halt. I slammed on the brakes and the ABS locked up again. My car crossed the median and I ended up staring at oncoming traffic - a very vivid experience to say the least!

pblevine

Yeah, well I think I've got the opposite problem. I've never been able to engage the ABS in my car ('98 Accord Coupe EX V6) when slamming on the brakes. 'Had the dealer check the ABS system and according to them, it checks out fine.
Yet, I've never felt the "vibes". As a result, I now use "threshold" braking even in panic stops. Its a very simple (almost silly) concept. The idea is to brake hard BUT stay just a hair off the point where your brakes will lock up. It takes some practice, but once you know where that point is (by feel), its very easy to do. And at that point, you can actually stop in a slightly shorter distance than the rated ABS stopping distance. For example, I think the rated 60 to 0 mph distance for my car is 143 feet (if memory serves). I'll bet I can stop in about 5 feet less than that amount. The major problem with this practice will occur some day when I really do "panic" stop in a surprise situation. Having said all that, I'd truly hate to experience what happened to beachnut. That would be an "Absolutely Bad Scene".

dkrab

I just bought a used 92 Accord LX with 50K miles on it (I still own the 98, but it's now for sale). The 92 has an auto trans (that's why I bought it). In drive with foot on brake, the car vibrates. Most of the Accords of this body style that I test drove exhibited the same trait. I have been told the problem is almost always the rear hydraulic motor mount, and that it's one expensive piece of over-engineering. The recommendation was to just let it vibrate. My question is, is it true that the rear motor mount is typically to blame, and what is involved in changing it (remove intake manifold?)

Also, the owner's manual for this car recommends Genuine Honda DexronII trans fluid. Honda doesn't sell DexII anymore, just Z1. Can I put that in it? It shifts just a bit hard, which is another trait they all have. Will using the current Honda ATF soften that any, or will it hurt it?

Thanks for any input!

mwcarlso

I have a 93 Accord EX auto with 148,000 miles on it. I had the front and rear motor mounts replaced about 2 years ago to correct the same problem and it helped but only a little. The cost was about $500. I think the rear mount sits right under the intake so you probably do have to remove it. The car will shake at idle if the idle speed goes below 800 rpm, but I usually just tap the gas and it runs like new. Also, I would stick with genuine Honda ATF. I have been using it since new and am still on the original transmission and have had no problems. The trans does shift rough sometimes but it doesn't really bother me. Good luck.

rnguyen00

Could you guys tell me how much it cost you for 30k service? I bought my car to the dealer today and they quote me $193 plus tax to do the service without replacing the spark plugs. what do you think? is it a fair price?

maxhonda99

isellhondas, "It's unlikely that you need shocks. These almost never go bad or wear out."

You are way off-target with this one. shocks & struts do wear out, always. Although it is sooner or later depending on use. Generally about a 100K miles is the lifespan. If they never go bad then Sears, Midas, etc. etc. as well as car dealers wouldn't be selling them and advertising them on the television.

How do you know if your shocks/struts need replacing? Simple. Push all four corners of the car down, one by one, on the fender above the wheels. If that end bounces up and down 3 to 4 times, your shocks/struts probably need to be replaced.

fix_it

I have the same noise on my power steering (96 LX). A Grinding noise. The fluid level is correct and there are no leaks at all. Is there anyone who can tell me what this could be related to?

Also at what mileage is it suggested to change the Timing belt?

Experienced people on the site please advise.

dkrab

I have owned a 94 and 96 Accord, and the power steering on both of them made noise when turning the wheel briskly at low speed, such as pulling into a parking spot. It's a resonance from the fluid flow, and although annoying, it won't hurt a thing. I complained to Honda on the 94, and through driving several others determined it's a very common trait. They upped the engine idle speed a bit to try to minimize it, but it didn't help much. I'd advise you to not worry about it.

beachnut

if your shocks/struts are bad is when you're going over bumps or railroad grades and you can feel the fillings in your teeth start to come loose - hehe! Seriously tho, if you get under the car, examine the shocks/struts and notice fluid leakage, that's another tell-tale sign.

isellhondas

I am well aware of that. I used to manage a large shop and have spent most of my life in and around shops.

What I said, or meant to say was this...For whatever reason, it is rare for shocks/struts to wear out on a Honda even after many miles.

If you ask auburn I know he will support me on this or ask any Honda tech.

Or you can try your "bounce test" on any Honda you run across...you'll see what I mean.

Of course, the chain stores LOVE to sell shocks and struts! It's an easy "upsell" for them.

High profit and a job their low paid entry level mechanics can (usually) manage.

Sometimes they are really needed, other times it's just overselling.