Honda Accord Modifications

mr007khan · January 2006

Yes the parts are compatible with my car. Half of it is plug and play and half i have to do some wiring thing. Like there are LEDs which i have to do wiring and halo angles. I bought it from ebay. Those guys were from california. Is there anything you can do? I live in Canada actually. So, i paid 198 + 45 Shipping in US Dollars.
Please let me know if you have any idea how to install this light.

blane · January 2006

Sorry, I can't help you with installation information. But you should go down to your local friendly Honda dealer and ask the service advisor to allow you to look at the headlight wiring diagrams and the parts of the shop manual relating to the front end and headlights. They might allow you to photocopy the relevent pages. Of course you will be voiding at least part of your warranty if you modify any wiring or cause electrical problems related to your do-it-yourself project.

A local body shop may also have the diagrams available. They need them for body repairs.

My 2004 Accord Coupe's OEM headlights work beautifully.

Best of luck.

travis77 · January 2006

I put Silver Stars in my 06 civic.. I am very happy with them. They do ,, in my opinion,, offer the best whitest light and improved night vision.

gatrhumpy · January 2006

OK, this is going to be a somewhat long post, so here goes.

My battery is draining somehow. I started to notice this problem when I was down in Florida (I live in Maryland) for a government class I had to take last March - May. I tried to start up the car one morning, and nothing happened. I thought it was the battery going bad, so I went to Autozone and replaced it.

It happened again with the same battery, but it started happening again when I got back to Maryland in May. I was mad because I thought it was the battery again. So I went to Autozone to have the battery tested, and it was fine.

Going back to February, I paid a kid at Best Buy $20 under the table to hook up two wires from my DVD player so my wife could watch movies. The two wires that I needed hooking up were a red wire(+12V lead) and a black wire (negative lead). The DVD/mp3 player is in the center console, under the radio.

Well this was making me mad because my battery was draining and I didn't know why.

Fast forward to May and June of 2005. I finally had had it, so I took it to my mechanic to see if he could figure out what the heck was going on. So he disconnected positive battery terminal from the battery. He then had a test light that he hooked up to the negative terminal of the battery. He said "if this light lights up, you have something installed that is draining your battery."

It lit up.

So we pulled the fuse cover from the fuse box under the hood. Then we started methodically pulling fuses under the hood. The light did not go off until we pulled the 32 Amp or the 40 Amp (I forgot which one) from the ACC portion of the electrical system. So I knew it had to be something with the ACC portion.

So I hooked up a simple ON/OFF rocker switch in line with the red (+12V lead) wire from the DVD player. That worked, until a week ago Sunday when my car would not start. I knew for a fact that there was no power going to the DVD player because the switch was not ON.

I couldn't understand this. I don't have anything else connected to the ACC portion of the electrical system except neon lights and the remote turn-on lead from my amp. The lights are connected to the two wires from the cigarette lighter adapter, and I added a switch there too. They only come on when I turn them on.

The amplifier that I have is hooked up to the 7.5 Amp fuse in the interior fuse block. I'm almost positive that it's the DVD player draining my battery.

I took apart the dash to find out what wires the red and black wires were connected to from my DVD player. The red wire was connected to a yellow/red wire in the back of the navigation system, and the black wire from the DVD player was connected to another black wire.

Can someone tell me what the yellow/red wire is for?

I have a number of questions.

1.) Is the new Accord (03-06) running on a ground-switched system instead of a postive 12V system like the Suburus?

2.) If the navigation system is off, and the DVD player was hooked up to the back of the navigation system, then why is the DVD player draining my battery?

3.) I know some systems are constently "hot", like the driving lights, interior lights, door lights (when the doors are open), etc. Could the DVD player be hooked up to the same electrical circuit, or even concept, as these other lights? In other words, in order to keep the DVD player from draining my battery, do I have to turn it off with the ON/OFF button on the DVD player?

4.) If the key was not in the ignition, and it was still "Hot", why was my battery draining?

5.)Does anyone know of a website with detailed pictures that would help me hook up those two wires (red and black) so that I don't fry the unit?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

jasdub32 · February 2006

I'm planning on buying 6 1/2's component speakers to replace the front speakers and tweeters. Could someone please give me step by step instructions as to getting to the front speakers, and especially the tweeters.
EX: Do I pop off the door panels and the tweeter grill or remove the dash? I'm thorougly dummied.

Anyone experience high pitched wind noise when driving at 70MPH plus? I'm getting them from inbetween the driver side and left passenger side. Its annoying.

blane · February 2006

That was probably the worst $20 expenditure of your lifetime.

stickguy · February 2006

try college hills web site. They seem to have instructions for everything.

I assume the Accord is like the Odyssey, and the cover to the tweeter pops off and you just pull it out of the dash and pop it off the wires. About the only thing stereo related on the darn van that is easy to replace!

midnightcowboy · February 2006

Mkae sure your power is swirched, you said:

"4.) If the key was not in the ignition, and it was still "Hot", why was my battery draining? "

As you stated , you have a problem. You are saying the postive lead is "hot" whether or not the key is in the ignition. That is praobably yopu problem.

The lead should be "hot" when the key is in the igition and eiother in accesory or normal run postion. When the key is out of the ignition or in the "off" postion the lead should be "cold" , i.e. no 12 volt potential, i.e. "not hot".

S2000 MidCow

bridgesklv · March 2006

I have a 2001 accord and have had a really hard time finding great aftermarket performance parts for the f-series 4 cyl. engines. I have already done the exhaust, headers, and intake. What should I work on next and where do I find great performance parts? As I have not found any intake manifolds, throttle bodies, or fuel system parts.

96accord1 · March 2006

i have a 96 vtec auto accord w/ mods and im thinking of seeling it to buy a 98 5sp prelude what you guys think of that or i could swap to 5sp for a little over a grand
i need some opinons

davidholzman · March 2006

I have a '99 LX, which I like a lot. But I'm wondering what I can do to make it handle more like, say, an Acura TSX.

For starters, it has 15 inch steel wheels. Can I put 17 inch wheels on it without compromising anything? 16"? Would I gain much in terms of handling by going with larger wheels? Aluminum?

Could I use low profile tires? What would I need to do to use low profile tires? Any downsides besides the greater probability of flats?

Any recommendations for tires that do decently in the rain? (I already use snows in the winter in Boston so I don't need snow-competent tires.)

What about stabilizer bars?

Any other ideas?

Thanks!

David1776

yingyang006 · March 2006

I have an 06 Accord SE and I would like to tint the windows. Does anyone have any suggestions as to where to start? I know I have two options: 1.) Use do it yourself tinting, or 2.) bring it to a professional shop to tint. If I were to do it myself, is there any particular brand/type of window tint I should go with? Is do it yourself window tinting hard? If i mess up the first application can I simply remove it and try again or is it a one chance hit or miss thing? If I go get it professionally done, anyone have any estimates as to how much it would cost? Lastly, is there anything I should know about the rear window, like will I cause any damage to the radio antenna or defroster if I try to tint it?

timshan · March 2006

i just realized i post questions in the wrong section...

Hi, I'm new to this website and also to cars themselves.. I'm here to be annoying and ask a question that I'm sure has been asked tons of times before, but I have no idea where to look.

I'm getting a 2001 Honda Accord LX V6 in about 6 months...and well I want to start saving up for some rims...and that kind of stuff...

Im wondering what should I get to:
1. boost the horsepower and speed
2. what can I do to the car to make it nicer looking, but not extremly rice rocket looking (excuse the slang, I love rice rockets but I cant drive them.)I also dont like it when the car is so low to the ground..
3. Also what can I do to make the car drive really smoothly?
Anyone know anything that can help?
You can email me at TIMSHAN0876YAHOO.COM
or
AIM- SWTCHBLADELV

Sorry if this quesiton has been asked before..Im just too curious..Thanks alot

steven5 · March 2006

Take it to a professional shop. I would not attempt it on your own unless you know what you're doing. I've watched the pros do it on my car (04 Accord LX-V6 sedan)and others and it definitely takes some skill.

I had the whole car (all four side windows and the back) done for $160.00 w/life time warranty. Should anything ever go wrong with the tint, I can take it back. This was from an independent shop I got a recomendation on from a friend. Turns out they contract out to do tinting for various dealerships around town.

However, most shops will likely run you around $200.00 and will not give you the lifetime warranty.

msiseng · March 2006

Best thing to do with a larger exhaust is to have a shop make one custom for your car. Make sure they know what to do to install it. The commercial Cat Back, etc. are good, but not the best. I have done this with 5 cars and it never voided the warranty. Also, a cold air intake is the best way to get more hp.

I have an '03 Infiniti G35 running at 310 hp on the dyno(from 260) by just installing an air intake, a crank pully, a new Y pipe and a new exhaust. I truly believe you could make a 244 hp Accord run at 280 with a minimal investment and still preserve the warranty.

You can also get an exhaust from an old Acura and modify it to fit a Honda in many cases.

msiseng · April 2006

The Turanza's stink! I had them as stock on an Infiniti G35. Replaced them with Michelin Pilot Sport A/S. Best tire I ever had. Will purchase these for the Accord. The Michelin was ranked #2 last year. I forgot what was ranked first, but they were always out of stock.

clutchhappy95 · April 2006

"mid cow" is right, start out small. Here are some more upgrades: optima battery, tires and rims, short shifter(for manual), ECU performance chip, brake upgrade, electrical(distributor, spark plugs, wires, etc.)

Websites;

www.importperformanceparts.net
www.sportcompactonly.com
www.andysautosport.com
www.stillen.com
www.wheelguyz.com :

Good luck,

clutchhappy95.

clutchhappy95 · April 2006

I have a 1995 honda accord with a stock 2.2 liter non-VTEC engine. (85mm bore) Would it be possible to replace it with a 2.7 liter VTEC engine made for an accord of the same year? (this engine has a 90mm bore) I would imagine it would, I'm just lookin' for a second piece of advice.

bzeke · April 2006

If I exchange the 16 wheels and tires on my 2005 Accord LX-V6 to the 17 wheels and tires that are on the 2006 Accord V6 models, would I have to adjust the steering wheel stops to reduce the lock-to-lock wheel turns to 2.75? Or was this done on the 2006 models for another reason, such as to accommodate the Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) system? The lock-to-lock wheel turns for my car is speced at 2.94. Also note that 17 wheels with P215/50 R17 tires are a listed option for the 2005 Accords with 16 wheels. Has Honda instructed dealers to make this adjustment after the larger size wheels have been installed? I believe that both the 16 and 17 Honda wheels are 6 1/2 wide with a +55mm offset. Thanks. Any help would be appreciated.

atlantabenny · April 2006

An interesting question in that VSA monitors steering wheel angle along with other live driving data (such as wheel speed, yaw rate, throttle position, etc.) to decide whether electronic intervention is needed.

http://4wheeldrive.about.com/cs/rollovers/a/aa090103a.htm

Question is, how does the lock-to-lock spec relate to VSA, and can/should it be modified ?

Based on the discussion below, there appears to be no relationship to speak of, and modifying it would have two effects: 1) reducing it - the issue at hand - will also reduce your turning radius, and 2) increasing it may cause the tire/rim to come in contact with underbody parts.

http://www.pro-touring.com/tech/steeroids/steeroids_page_1.htm

It would appear, on the other hand, that steering ratio, the speed by which one turns the car relative to actual steering wheel turns, is more relevant.

Bottom line on VSA and lock-to-lock: steering ratio is the relevant issue, and something that's more involved (gearing, etc.) to modify. Honda reduced its 2006 lock-to-lock but probably also changed steering ratio.

On tire sizes, 205/60/16 versus 215/50/17 have these rotation/mile numbers: 813 versus 816 per tirerack.com. A virtual wash especially with inflation variations. The 17s can be swapped with the 16s, as I have with my 03 V6 coupe, with no effect on TSC operation. Probably none on VSA as well.

maiavision · April 2006

Hi all,

After going from a VW to a Honda, I find the lighting of the Reverse lights in the tail to be lacking. I'm used to my taillights actually lighting up obstacles behind me so I can see them at night.
Do you think it is possible/wise to get brighter bulbs for reverse? Any recommendations?

Many thanks in advance.

msiseng · April 2006

Well,

It can work, but why would you want to do this to a car that is 11 years old? The cost would be tremendous unless you have a lift, the time and the tools. You may also incur costs changing crank pullys, belts and hoses as I am sure they are not the same sizes. Time will be spent ordering parts you never thought you would need such as clips and clamps. I think that for a little more money you can have a new Civic that is more powerful.

We used to swap 1996 Impala engines with Corvette LT1 engines and it always cost more (at least 20%) than we anticipated due to different size peripherals like the ones mentioned above. I know they are not rice rockets, but the issues experienced are going to be the same with any engine.

On the other hand if you have the time and the money then why not? It is possible. Let us know what you decide to do as your project can become most interesting.

msiseng · April 2006

15" to 17" is a far reach and could be probmenatic for many reasons. 16" would work better and you can use low profile tires on alloy wheels. You would gain superior handling (basic physics), but not that much to need stabilizer bars. If your engine is pushing 260hp, torque is around 240 and you take a lot of fast turns, then maybe. Save your money.

I recommend Michelin Pilot Sport A/S on alloy wheels. They are medium profile and still look great. They do well on wet (rain only) and dry pavement. Not too many negatives except cost and a high theft rate. They will also do well with all the potholes in Boston. Low profile will pop more easily on bad city streets.

A set of tires and wheels should be in the $1,100 - $1,300 range if you buy "discontinued" wheels. Let's face it, do they look that much different from "current" wheels?

winterwood · April 2006

I'm about ready to get a new vehicle and while I abhore trucks the increased cargo room to haul stuff around would be nice. If I were to get a Honda Accord does anyone know if I could get a hitch installed so I could tow stuff around (maybe a quad?). Would I have to get a V6?

midnightcowboy · April 2006

You can install a class I hitch. If you are going to haul the V6 would probably be better with only a 10% mpg penalty. But the 4 would work also!

oldmansi · May 2006

I have a 06 Accord ex v6 coupe and want to lower it slightly to improve looks as wheel well gap is excessive but dont want to end up with a rough ride and want to maintain OE shocks. I am thinking of Eibach pro kits or Tein H tech which both indicate a mild drop. Does anyone have experience with either of these two? Looking for anyone with 06 models or even 05 models as 06 models are only slightly heavier than 05 models so most likely use the same spring from both companies...thanks in advance.

another_person · May 2006

you could look in to the HFP kit. It's suppose to lower the car by about an inch and is oem performance. You can find it on the college Hills honda site for 625+S/H. It looks like it replaces the stock shocks and springs, and is bolt on.

oldmansi · May 2006

Thanks for info. I will check out the HFP kit at College Hills Honda....

appolo777 · May 2006

Try full Tein kits such as Basic or Super Street. I think V6 too heavy and too powerful for cheap solution.
Not too bad selection here.

oldmansi · May 2006

Thanks for info on Teins full kits. May have to go that route as Eibach does not make pro kits for the 2006 V6 Coupe or sedan as yet. On their website they have a list of cars that they are looking for to use as engineering samples to make the pro kits and the 2006 Accord is one of them. Only other good name brand would be Comptech sport springs , guess they are using the same ones as used on the 2005 model. HFP would also be another option. The car has a firm ride stock, so I just want a slight drop to take away some of the wheel well gap. :shades:

kaiotes · June 2006

my friend tried to use an inverter on my cig lighter and i think it blew a fuse or two as my radio/cd player and whatever plugs into the cigarette lighter will no longer work. no power whatsoever

where would the fuse be located?
By the driver's side panel or under the hood?
is there a map somewhere online?
i have a 98 accord lx v6

thanks

dboe · June 2006

Wish I could help. I am contemplating an '06 Accord EX V6 MT purchase.
It would seem power is not a problem on this car, but more crisp handling would be nice.
Someone suggested I spend another 10K and get a TL. I'd rather stay with an Accord (have lots of other things I can do with 10K) and go with maybe $1500 max on suspension.
I understand the rear sway bar is on the wimpy side and something at least 17mm is recommended. That is the stock bar on the TL BTW.
Noticeably less understeer under pressure and less sway as well. The Comptech bar is 19mm.
I don't see a whole lot of fun stuff available. From the CSi forums folks found replacing the stock strut bar from Honda with a Comptech bar made a noticeable improvement.
Who would a thought just a different strut bar would be that much better. (could be part of the weight saving campaign most auto mfrs. contend with).
The spring/shock kits mentioned earlier in this thread sound interesting and cost effective for when they are available for the later Accords.
Be interested in hearing from fellow owners of 05 and 06 V6 coupes and their thoughts.
I plan to keep the stock air filter until either Amsoil or AEM build a panel filter that uses synthetic media instead of the oil wetted types (K&N and TrueFlow).
Interesting thread.. enjoy!

yingyang006 · June 2006

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone here has ever tried or knows anyone who has tried doing an HID conversion on a seventh gen accord? I've looked at a lot of different kits and I've seen the price range from 185 dollars to like 400 dollars...I'm not quite sure why the price difference is so large as they all seem to have the same features, same warranties, and all necessary parts included. What is the main difference between these kits? Why are some so expensive but others relatively affordable? I also read on another forum that doing an HID conversion using the existing halogen housing is illegal as of 2004 because the halogen housings dont have the proper projectors so they can blind other drivers on the road. After reading that, I was wondering if there would be a legal way of doing it, like have a specially designed housing that works properly with HID bulbs but still fits the same way the OEM housing does. I certainly don't want to do anything illegal or cause safety hazards for other drivers. Anyone have any suggestions or advice?

another_person · June 2006

For HID's you're suppose to have atleast some form of cut offs so that the light doesn't go everywhere (I'm not sure of specific laws in each state). HID specific projectors do this, by limiting the light and pointing them in a specific direction. From what a friend told me, HID kit's aren't sold in stores, because the state can't regulated whether or no a consummer has these projectors/cut off's installed however, I have seen kits sold at the acura dealers in my area. Online retailers such as xenon depot claim that there kits will fit in standard housings and reproduce the same light pattern without shooting light everywhere, but I havn't tried there kits myself(I plan too though). Basically, if you really want to do HID's right, it should cost around 500 for the kit, and about 400-500 for the projectors housings. There's no cheap way to get around it. If you want HID's done legally and work the way they should, you got to spend the money. You can always try and build your own housing, but that could be very involing.

dboe · June 2006

I have a set of after-markets on my MDX. Let me say first of all, they lay out a good quality light on the road. You can see better with them. They appear to have less holes in the light pattern that you find with filament lamps. (you don't see the shadow of the filament as you do in conventional lamps).
And they seem to project further. I think they are simply brighter in the same light field.

I don't have projection lamps, so cutoff is more critical.
I found the top cutoff basically equal to the stock, but to be on the safe side lowered the lamps a skosh more. With the amount of light they put out, the compromise was negligible.
I rarely get flashed by anyone driving towards me. I've been flashed at even with filament bulbs that were correctly aligned.
But they do bother people more. The blue spectrum has been found to be more irriatating. There are HIDs close to 4300K that are more pure white. And probably a wiser choice. But too many install HIDs as a 'toy' and enjoy the blue and almost purple tints, which in reality reduce the amount of light.
All systems are basically the same. They throw around names like Philips ballasts, and all ballasts work the same anyway. And Philips does not endorse aftermarket HID systems.
Only the Sylvania Xenarc are legal systems. Right now, they only make retro kits for full size GM and Ford trucks. They do sell legal HID driving lights, meant to be mounted below the bumper. An option, quite honestly I might pursue with my next vehicle purchase.
If I were to do it again, I don't think I would bother with the after-market jobs. If you don't have factory HID, keep in mind that projector lamps even with conventional bulbs work better than anything to date that is not HID.
And as far as aftermarket bulbs, avoid blue tints, etc. Again, all they do is reduce light output. Sylvania Silverstars and the new GE Nighthawks are excellent choices for bulbs that give out just a little more light and look better than the slightly yellow stock bulbs.
Now you know all I know, and in a short time will undoubtedly know a lot more.

vhreb123 · June 2006

Does anyone know if there are any well established companies that can repaint cars (such as the Accord) at a low, but fair price and does a really good job?

sardonic_ninny · June 2006

about the car lowering thing.
This is kinda Rice but it can work, and you dont have as much of the camber issue.
Go to home depot and ask them for.. I forget what its called
but tell them its like, bendable metal tape with holes in it.
Okay, so buy a roll of that and then get a bunch of your friends to come over and stand on your car corner.
your springs will compress progressibely so two coils will compress all the way before the rest start to compress.
Once you have them touching take an [non-permissible content removed] load of the metal stuff and wrap it around the spring in like three locations and then get a bolt and a nut and stick it into the hole and bolt it.
tell them to get off one at a time and see if it holds.
Its pretty strong stuff so it should.
Worked for my old Civic.
Repeat for all four sides.
If its still not low enough compress another wrung on the coil.

whitecloud1 · June 2006

Since finding good body/paint work is a local thing, you would probably get a better response by telling us your location.

stever · June 2006

I think you are talking about plumber's tape; used for hanging pipes down in the crawl space so they won't bang around when you turn the hose on.

Handy to have around for projects, but I would have guessed that it was too light duty to keep the springs compressed. (I don't think water pipes get stressed like a suspension).

Steve, Host

vhreb123 · June 2006

Whitecloud, I live in Birmingham, Alabama. I don't think anybody that posted messages live even close to this state. What I am asking is if there is some nationwide repainting shop. A company such as Best Buy, Circuit City, etc.

whitecloud1 · June 2006

You might be suprised. Birmingham is a pretty big place, right? Anyway, I wouldn't avoid the local places with good reps. I have heard that MAACO does a good job and I know they have different price levels and they are national.

vhreb123 · June 2006

Never heard of MAACO, but thanks!

sardonic_ninny · June 2006

yah I thought it was called plumbers tape but last time i went to buy it i told them i wanted that and they gave me like, waterproof tape.
Well, It is fairly light weight.
But its tensile just as a spring is, which is exactly what you want.
You can bend it side to side, but actually stretching cold metal is an incredibly difficult task.
If it breaks theres not really anything you have to worry about anyway. It'll just fall down and probably get run over by someone someday.
you'd just notice your car suddenly got higher in one corner, so i guess in the snow that might suck.

sardonic_ninny · June 2006

yah the thing is
the brightest light will always be pure white
Not neccesarily in nature for example
The sun is probably the brightest thing we know and its only Pure white 4100-4300k for five or six hours a day.
The rest of the time it fluctuates.
Also, after something like 5000k they have to seriously Tint the bulb to achieve the desired color.
This makes the bulbs less bright.
Your taillights have a red lense, if you have a red bulb and a white bulb and you put one in each side you'll notice the red bulb to be brighter than the white bulb.
The red lense filters and light but red light so the white light is reduced and the red spectrum shines through.
So unless you ACTUALLY have an HID kit thats creating 7000k color temperature without tinting the bulb then your losing serious brightness. which isnt the point of HID

elozano · June 2006

If I install a AEM V2 intake on my 01 Accord V6 will I save any gas?? If so, how much?? What about Power, How much hp should I expect??

sardonic_ninny · July 2006

in theory yes you'll save gas.
You get more horsepower so you essentially dont have to drive as hard to make the same speed and acceleration as you were before.
That only works to a certain extent, after a while the only way to make more horsepower is with more gas.

oldmansi · July 2006

I have had intakes on 3 cars in the past. Two were short ram (warm air) and 1 cold air intake and I experinced no better gas mileage with them. Also, HP and torque will vary some among brands but in most cases its minimal. Maybe 4 to 6 hp increase at max rpm. Its over rated if you ask me but its not alot of $$$ either. :shades:

elozano · July 2006

Wich one is better?? Wich makes more power? Why the difference in Prices, Comptech´s is $1,249 while Dc´s is $387?? Is there a website where I can compare Dyno results???

gmerariu · July 2006

I installed a aem v2 on my 2000 4 cyl and I'm saving about 15-20% (when driving normally). When pushing the rev close to the 6000RPM all the time, savings are 5%.

Note that I also installed a DC sports header 4-2-1 and a greedy evo2 catback...

kaiotes · July 2006

aem v2 on 98 v6 accord lx.
i don't notice much diff in any condition, 5% at the very most.

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