Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

bodydouble

But you can net an extra 10hp out of the '03 V6 by using premium.

qwer01184

anon168

I bought a 2003 Honda Accord EX-V6 1 month ago. I noticed, a few days later when driving, that there was a clicking or ticking sound. The sound seems to come from the steering column or behind the odometer dashboard instruments. This sound occurs during driving, the sound is intermittent, and is not more frequent when I am going over rough roads. I have taken it to the dealership and they spent one whole day looking at it but was not able to find the problem. Anyone else with a similar problem?

qwer01184

I don't know much about car, but I think this might help:
A few day after I bought my 2002 Accord, I noticed a clicking/ticking sound from the steering column when I drive (just like what you describe above), and it turned out to be the sound from my key chain colllide into the steering column/dashboard.
Try to drive with the car key only to see if the key chain is the one making that sound.
Hope this help,

anon168

No, I have always been driving with only car key. The sound comes from something else.

bodydouble

This is a longshot, but do you have your sunglasses in the overhead sunglasses holder? If the sunglasses are rattling around inside the holder, the sound somehow reverberates in a way that make it appear to be coming from somewhere else.

krillin

Has anyone else with an '03 Accord been experiencing a rubbing/brushing feel and sound after it has been parked for awhile.

This has happened to me a few times when I either back out the car in the morning from my driveway and then straighten out to go down the street or when I back out of a parking space and begin to move forward. It sounds like two things are rubbing/scraping against each other after the front wheels straighten. It never happens other than when I first pull out from being parked for awhile. (i.e. does not occur if I have been driving it and then park it for a little bit to run into the store) Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

BTW - Have ~2700 miles already on the car and loving every inch of the ride!

anon168

My car is empty, no sunglasses in sunglass holder.

I am also having this clunk or scraping thing when I push the accelerator. It only happens after the car has been parked for a while and it happens soon after I start up and drive the car. The dealership says that it is the brakes, brake pads or something like that, and they are not sure if they can fix it.

bodydouble

ABS self-test?

fastdog1

Botteored.....

I have a 95 Accord EX and had the ABS light on at 85,000. It took replacing the brake accumulator and modulator twice to get it fixed. It was a $1200 job. It is really the only out of the ordinary repair on the car. Bad luck ....yea, but a car with this many miles is going to have some failures. Honda can't warranty the thing all the way to the junk yard. There wouldn't be a warning light on the dash board if Honda expected to never fail. The repair still is cheaper than a new car payment and I won't start to worry until it rolls over 200,000 miles. Best regards.

ronbjb

I have a 2001 EX V6 Accord with 34,000 miles. When the car is parked in the garage and the ignition is off I hear a low fog horn sound coming from the rear of the car. Can any one please point me in the right direction to address this issue? I have taken it to the dealer and they can not duplicate the sound.

altair4

I've got a 97 with 42K miles and it does the same thing, and always has. I think it's part of the OBDII system in which the gas tank is pressurized to determine if it's leaking vapor.

I've described it exactly as you have...foghorn in the distance. In fact, where I live is a couple of miles from a large plant and I first thought it was actually the plant (sounds carry on a real quiet night). The reason your dealer can't duplicate is it is probably too noisy to hear it in their environment. Don't worry about it.

pblevine

I to have a very slight vibration feel when first starting off in the morning (at low speed). I can feel it in my gas petal and also via the left foot holder. I'm not sure what it is. 'Could be the alignment, brakes, or even the exhaust system. 'Never thought of the ABS because my '98 EX V6 coupe's ABS doesn't seem to work. Any other ideas on how to attack this problem?

bodydouble

What makes you think that, and shouldn't you go get it looked at?

krillin

Unfortunately, I already have one. I was just wondering if anyone knew a good method in which I can use touch-up paint to hide this blemish as much as possible. Like how to apply and if anything else is needed like sanding?

Thanks in advance.

pblevine

I've asked the dealership to check my ABS system a number of times. Each time, they report everything is fine. But (as suggested here) when I test the ABS by doing a panic stop from about 40mph, I don't get the vibrating brake feeling and the idiot light does not go on. I'm not about to panic over it because I've always practiced "Threshold" braking, and now know the threshold point for my car. Basically, I can brake quickly without going beyond the threshold control point of my brakes. That's the point just before the brakes lock up.

This is not to suggest that the ABS should not be looked at by the dealership. After all, I paid for it, and in a true "panic" situation, it really could safe a life. Its just that I don't know what to say to the dealership that I haven't said before. Comments here are more than welcome.

bodydouble

First of all, this is NOT intended to question your driving ability, but are you sure you were not subconsciously using threshold braking when you were testing the ABS? Did you stand on the brakes hard enough to causes impending lock-up?

adamr2

When I hit the lever to move the upper part of the seat back (to recline as if you wanted to lay down), the seat moves fine, but it gives off a fairly loud grinding noise as it moves back. If I continue to move it back, then forward, it gets quieter. But then if I let it sit for a minute, then move it again, the grinding noise is loud again. Anyone experience this? Are your power seats loud when the move?

silvernubira

My 1988 Accord LX (199K miles) was getting a little weak in acceleration over last few years and driving it up the hills on the highway has not been much fun. Recently, the engine started shutting off when driving (usually when trying to accelerate but not always). What puzzles me is when the engine shuts off, even though the ignition is on, turn signals do not work. When I start the car power comes back on.

Do I have a major electrical problem?

Thanks in advance to those who respond.

timadams

It's hard to test ABS on dry pavement. It's easiest on a snow-covered road, but you can do it on a road covered with sand or a gravel road or on a wet road. Make sure you have the road to yourself, get up a little speed and slam on the brakes. If you hear and/or feel the pulsing and don't skid any tires, then your ABS is working.

I've done this with every car I've had that has ABS. I know the ABS works and I get a little experience with the feel and sound, so it won't take me by surprise in a real panic stop.

brunna

Here's my sob story; any advice please! 10 days ago, the check engine light came on and was diagnosed as an o-ring on the torgue converter. $560 est for repair. Service man said it was safe to drive but "don't wait too long". Made the appointment for the following Tuesday (5 days later). On Friday (before service appt) the light came on again and the car started slipping out of gear! Very scary - didn't think I'd make it home. Had it towed to the dealer on Saturday morning. They called Monday to say it needs a whole new tranny, now I'm up to $5300! I bought the car for $8900 so it's not worth that repair cost IMO. I got a quote to rebuild it for $3000 at an independent. I read the article in USA Today regarding the recall on the tranny for the 2000-01, but they said it doesn't cover the 1998. I'm pursuing it with American Honda Corp b/c my family has owned/still own 14 Acura/Honda products, so I hope that helps my case. Anybody have similar situations that I can draw on for your experiences/negotiations? Thanks! (the dealer offered me a great deal on a 2000 "certified" Civic and $4000 for my Accord which I'm seriously considering)

bodydouble

I would get a second quote from another dealer. $5300 for a tranny seems high. That's equivalent to about $8,000 CDN!

pblevine

You have a point. No, I didn't "stand" on the brakes. But I have tried it on other cars and have felt the "pulse" of the ABS at the same level of brakes I applied to my car. Hey, I'll try it again as recommended.

aming

Just clean the "wound" properly and use the Touchup pens available at the dealerships for about $5-10. If you want a professional job (if you can afford it for every rock chip you get) it will probably cost you $50-100.

subirb

Hi

I have a 2002 Accord V6 EX. Since 1 week when i leave for work in the morning there is a slight squeaking noice from the steering when i turn it and this happens only once in the morning.

Has anybody experienced this problem.

SB
NJ

tintinn

My 92 Accord had check engine light on lately a couple of times. The service people told me it was a coolant temperature sensor problem after engine scan. Est $200+tax to fix it. Anybody experienced similar problem and the cost? How would that affect performance? Thanks...

stump21

Is there an online store that I can buy an exhaust pipe? I need the one from the converter back to the muffler. Hate to pay the dealer markup! Thanks.

auburn63

Sounds to me like your electrical portion of your ignition switch is going bad. Although I cant relate the accel with the stall I can relate some components such as turn signals not working and the stalling. Try and run the car then wiggle the key just a little and see if that makes it cut out sometimes that will prove the switch is bad. Good luck

bburton1

Cheapest way to go is find a garage that has one of those bending machines-friend got everything replaced from the cat back for $100. You can buy honda parts on line for about a 30% savings. The easiest way to take this thing off is to take the entire exhaust off from the connection just after the manifold and drop the cat and all. Unplug the cat sensor-snaps right out. I doubt you will be able to get the nuts off the studs that are pushed into the cat. You can easily grind them off after you have removed the entire pipe from the vehicle. Then drill them out and punch out the remaining and put in new bolts. The alternative is to buy a new cat.

Just did mine a couple of weeks ago. 2.5 hours if you do it the above way-all day if you try to take it loose from the cat back.

sukal

Auburn and others,
After getting some really weird quotes from the local mechanics, I took my car back to the dealer and asked the service manager whether he was sure that it was the sway bar bushing and he told me yes. So I decided to get it repaired from the dealership only, but they did not have the parts and he said he would call me when they had them in. It has now been more than 15 days, he says that he has ordered the parts but they are still not in. Is it normal? How long does it take a dealer to order parts?

BTW, he gave me a revised estimate of around $170 parts and labor for the bushings.

The problem that I am facing is that my alignment is gone, the car is pulling strongly to the right after I had the tires rotated and balanced. I tried switching the tires, but it still pulls to the right. And I see no point in getting the alignment done since I will have to get the sway bar bushing changed, as I think it has some effect on alignment. Any comments?
-Sukal

silvernubira

jedi1977

I have read numerous posts on the auto tranny problem that has occurred in the '00-01 Accords (and even earlier models) so don't think I haven't done my homework. I have an '02 and there seems to be some hesitation or a "jerk" when the car is shifting between 1st & 2nd...even after the engine has warmed up.

Last time I was at my dealer he drained some of the tranny fluid as it was high, which seemed to have helped but now...no luck...the problem still exists. I've checked the fluid level and it is fine. I have around 7000mi so I think I've broken the car in.

Has anyone else with an '02 EX V-6 noticed anything? Should I start the ball rolling for Honda to extend the tranny replacement to include '02's? Any other suggestions for me to have the dealer check? Is this just a "characteristic" of the Honda trans...coming from a Pontiac Grand Am there are already a lot of differences...all for the better! Thanks in advance for your assistance!!

storm11

I have an '02 EX V6 Sedan and have the same slight dead spot between 1st and 2nd. In normal acceleration, it's more obvious.....actually moves your body forward a bit for a split second. I typically don't drive the car hard, so this is more often the case. When I get on it, though, it shifts more agressively and seems to be ok.
I had the car in for the water pump recall on the '02 V6's (mine was part of the bad lot) and questioned the shop on the '02 transmissions and if they've seen problems on that year, since the extended warranty is not on the '02's. Expected answer returned, "No, they haven't seen '02's with the problem, just some earlier years." Uh-huh, I believe that. We'll see. I had a similar deadspot between gears on a Maxima I had, and that car never had tranny problems. Might just be inherent to the way the car is geared and how the shift points are programmed.
If you look into it, please post what you find. I just got mine, so I'm not making noise yet. Hopefully, I won't have to, but I'll go to the matt if problems start showing up.

Good luck.

jedi1977

Thanks for the response...it seems as though we are experiencing the same thing. I've talked to a couple mechanics I know and they seem to agree with your diagnosis....probably where the shift points are programmed. I try and get on the gas a little harder...problem is the guy in front of me usually doesn't and I end up going a little slower than I would like. I'll keep you posted on if anything else happens...like if I get thrown through the windshield from the forward motion.

As for the pump recall...I'm hoping mine isn't involved...I didn't get a postcard or anything so I'm hoping that it's ok. Other than the tranny, no other problems to report and I've had the car since beginning of july!

cokane5227

hi everybody, if anybody remembers, at 14k miles my front rotors were warped, since there was no warranty on brakes i paid $250 to the dealer to have them machine the rotors and put in new pads, now at 26k miles, they are warped again. well, i don't really think i drive hard enough to be considered abusive, but i do like to brake to a certain point where i get a really good solid feeling from the pedal, and that's about how i brake most of the time so i don't think my driving style would ruin the rotors on every car that i own. now the problem is that i don't wanna go bak to the dealer again, cuz after they did the job last time, there has been some kind of grinding and shuddering happening at random when i'm braking at any speed below 20mph, it's annoying cuz it gives the impression that the pads are about to break loose. my friend adviced me to get a set of cross drilled front rotors so they won't warp as easily, is that a good idea? or is there something i don't know about? i don't have a strong will to go for aftermarket parts, i just like my car stock, but i can't have the rotors warped every 12k miles or so. so what should i do? which shop should i go to? i'm in the bay area.
any input would be appreciated. thx thx.

bodydouble

We have a '02 V6 with about 5,000 miles on the clock. It's my wife's car so I really only drive it on weekends. Lately, I've noticed that it seems to want to hold 1st gear a little longer before shifting to 2nd compared to when it was new. No hesitation or jerk per se. But since it's shifting at a higher RPM, the shift is more noticeable. Maybe its just the tranny settling at a certain shift point after breakin mileage. I'm not sure if this is the same thing jedi and storm are experiencing?

isellhondas

That after reading all of these postings, you just may be hyper critical.

Heck, I never noticed my moonroof squeaking until I read of the "problem" in these forums.

Sure enough....it did squeak a bit!

Now, I wipe the seal down with silicone every few months which cures the squeak.

accord7

I just found a crack in the radiator of my 1995 Accord, losing fluid of course, so it needs to be replaced. My Accord has 140,000 miles on it. Has anyone else had a radiator go bad this soon? I hear so many stories of Honda owners who get over 200,000 miles with so few problems.

pblevine

No,no, don't go down that path. I read all about the moon roof noise for years (er, well, since '98 when I bought mine), and my moon roof doesn't make a squeak. Well, I'll amend that. When I'm on uneven dirt roads, it squeaks. But I know that the body has to flex some under those conditions, and I'll except the noise due to those special situations. Still, I really want to know what problems everyone else is having so that I may look out for them too.

ghomaz

This Saturday, my 2001 LXV6 (4000 miles only) started making a thumping noise whenever the engine was "cold-started." Since I had read about this problem on this forum, I checked out the nhtsa site and sure enough there was a TSB from Honda dated Feb.2002 (there are earlier ones on this topic also) regarding this issue which is caused by insufficient manifold vacuum at startup. Affected models are all 1998-2002 (basically, the 6th generation) Accords. What annoys me is that even though Honda knew about this problem and has issued TSBs on this way before my car was manufactured, it did not take any corrective action. Why could it not have done the TSB corrective procedure for all new Accords after the problem was discovered? I find this highly irresponsible.

mwcarlso

I have a 93 Accord with about 152,000 miles and the original radiator. I would say your radiator has had a pretty good life. Nothing lasts forever. I guess some people are luckier than others. If this is your only complaint about your car in 140,000 miles consider yourself lucky. A radiator will set you back a few hundred bucks, but won't kill you. After this repair your Honda will be ready for another 100,000 miles. Happy motoring.

storm11

These forums are great.....very informative. I thought I was imagining that noise coming out of my '02 EX V6 (with $2K miles on it), as it is an intermittent problem and doesn't happen with every cold start up. But, when it happens, it's a definite thump as you described it. I will be bringing the car in soon for its first oil change (I'll do it myself thereafter), try to fix the annoying moonroof rattle I get with the glass tilted up, and I will now have them deal with this TSB. Much obliged for the information and you're right about Honda's approach to dealing with this stuff......they know there's a problem, but wait for the consumer to make noise before doing anything about it. I love the car otherwise, but I didn't expect this type of approach from Honda.

maxhonda99

pblevine, the rear deck also forms squeaks. I noticed it on my Accord starting at about 10K miles and it occurs more in colder weather. Other people have this problem also, I've found numerous people on superhonda.org which have the same problem.

isellhondas: the squeaking moonroof is a problem. It's a known problem, that's why HOnda has a cheap-o fix for it-the tape. If you go to superhonda.org you'll see plenty of people complaining about the moonroof. Mine does it all the time.

sanioa

I just bought 91 Accord dx with 92000 miles. The car runs great but burns a lot oil. Every 2000 miles I need to add quart of oil. Anyone has same problem? Thank you.

isellhondas

Maybe I'm not that sensitive about noises or something or maybe I play my stereo too loud.

Long ago I read in these forums about squeaking moonroofs and I was puzzled until one day I was driving into an underground parking structure, radio off. I heard a creaking sound. I pushed on the glass and sure enough, there it was.

The guys in the shop give me some silicone grease that I wiped on the seal. Took a total of five minutes. Six months later, I noticed more noise, not as bad as te first time. More silicone, problem gone.

Now, I never drive with the rear of the glass tilted up, see no benefit in this so I don't know what would happen.

Also, a radiator that developed a crack after a whopping 140,000 miles is to be expected with any car. Cars and their parts don't last forever!

And, sanoia, a quart of oil every 2000 miles on a car with 92,000 miles is nothing!

Maybe we expect too much?

sukal

I have a 92 EX with 107k miles and it also burns a quart of oil every 3000 miles, but then I also do a lot of short distance driving. I think this is OK under the circumstances.

isellhondas

They have to, it's normal.

aming

sanioa:,isellhondas:,sukal:

I think it is OK for cars to burn a little bit of Oil but I was so spoilt by my 1987 Accord Exi. I NEVER had to put any Oil after an Oil change. It was an amazing little car. Drove it for 366k Km and had to part with my little baby 2yrs back. My expectations were raised a little to high by that car. That car used to give me 46 miles/gallon on the highway..no misprint here. I know the car wasn't supposed to do that. The Honda Techs couldn't explain it either. No mods were done to the car. Just alot of babying.

ghomaz

Aming, I completely agree with you. I very much regret selling my 1988 Accord LX. It was a beautifully made car. It had 125K odd miles when I replaced it with my current 2001 LXV6. It never gave me any problems, never needed any top-offs between oil changes and gave me 31-32mpg with the AC on. Since I live in NYC and have just one parking spot, I had to sell it. My current Accord has the "ignition thump" problem, who knows when the engine will start leaking oil (there is a TSB on this) and, of course, there is the transmission failure issue! Long drives/road trips make me uneasy and sometimes I wonder why I bought a new car.

maxhonda99

isell: Why should a person who purchases a car have to apply silicone every few months to the seals of the Accord's moonroof when Honda could have just designed it properly so it wouldn't squeak? I don't hear of Toyota's moonroof's squeaking. Designing a proper seal is such basic engineering. And because of that me having to apply silicone every few months is ridiculous.