Honda Accord (1994-1997) Maintenance and Repair

dvdlgh · January 2006

For everybody with slow/sluggish window motors. I had the same problem on a different car. I removed the motor, and thru a small hole in the housing I poured in Kroil(penetrating oil) swished it around and then emptied it. I then put some 3in1 Electric motor oil (3in1 makes a seperate oil for elec motors) in the housing, connected the wiring and operated he motor numerous times before reinstalling it and never had a problem with the motor afterwards. Any real hardware store should have the 3in1 oil. Hope this helps!

tlove002 · January 2006

I think I need to replace my thermostat on a '97 accord but can anyone tell me where that is located and how easy it is to replace?

thegraduate · January 2006

Are you sure it is the thermostat? I thought my thermostat was broken, too, because it kept overheating when sitting still at lights, or driving up steep hills. I took it to the dealer, and they, too thought it was probably the thermostat. It turned out to be the main cooling fan motor (you know, the one that runs when the car is hot, sometimes even afer the car is shut off)had died after 140,000 miles. Cost me $240 including installation. Not bad, since the only other thing replaced on the car (other than maintence, that is) was a bad O2 sensor back in 2002. I'd check that out before I replaced the thermo. Good luck, tlove002!

BTW, I drive a '96 Accord LX 4-cyl Auto

thegrad

jovatious · January 2006

you had problems w/ your starter and I was wondering if it was also hard to turn the key once you inserted it into the ignition because know I do so whats the problem? please e-mail me back at jovan.james@akanch.ang.af.mil thanks alot.

odysseyaccord · January 2006

I've had the exhaust pipe rubbing against the undercarriage before with similar symptoms. This was after an accident repair (got rear-ended). They re-fitted the pipes and the problem was gone (97 Accord SE)

odysseyaccord · January 2006

I have the exact same set of problems w/ my 97 Accord SE 4Dr. The lock makes this loud buzzing noise, but it works otherwise, so I'm not bothering to fix it.

The rubber lining on the driver's door is in fact catching on my door. My remedy to this is to not open the window all the way (a bit tricky at drive-through restaurants). I saw a suggestion to use silicon spray, so I'll try that.

neeper_97 · January 2006

I had the same problem with my windows moving up and down slowly on my 97 Accord EX sedan. I took it to the Honda dealer and they sprayed silicon along the window tracks, ran the windows up and down a few times then wiped the area clean. This was 7 years ago and I haven't had a problem since. I also have a 97 LX sedan that I bought last year and it has just started the same problem. I will do the same thing with this one. As for tint, I would wait a few months and ensure that the window track is as clean as possible so you don't have your tint come off prematurely because of the lubricant. My EX also had the same loud buzzing/grinding noise on the front passenger door when I locked the car but worked fine. After I finally got tired and embarrassed by the noise I ordered the door lock actuator and replaced it in about 90 minutes. Problem fixed.

lastwraith · January 2006

Yup, I believe Shin-etsu grease (silicon) is the preferred product to use on the window track. They come in a few different applicators, people can google it for some examples. On the VTEC forum and also from a Honda tech in the old accord forum this was what was recommended to ease window/sunroof sliding difficulties. It seems to stay in the applied area longer than some other "remedies".

zultek · January 2006

I have a 94 Honda Accord.. back brake shoes currently micrometer to .063", a mechanic here says they are sufficient to pass a safety for re-sale..but I am a little concerned .. also the LR brake cable is jammed, the 2 rear control arm bushings are weather worn and cracked with some play, there is a leak in the exhaust ring near the fuel tank, the upper right ball joint has play in it that can be wiggled by hand, and there is a small chip in the windshield on the driver's side, 2 marker lights are also burned out...
1. would you consider this vehicle safe for resale in this condition
2. what is this thickness of new factory brake shoe linings .. to me .063 doesn't seem to be very much.. what would be the expected life of these brakes (.063) at feeway speeds daily?
3. How much does it matter if there is play in 1 ball joint?

What would you consider this vehicle be worth on resale as is?? fixed?

More importantly ..Would you drive this vehicle as described?

thegraduate · January 2006

I personally wouldn't want to pay more than $3k for it. How many miles are on it? I just had mine appraised for trade-in at a dealership (96 LX Auto, 156k miles). The dealer has gotten MANY trade-ins from us and knows we take good care of our cars. He said $2,500 sounds right for mine. If you want pricing info, go to kbb.com and look up the private party value of your car in "fair" condition.

zultek · January 2006

Would you consider this vehicle safe?? If I sell it in this condition, will I have an unhappy buyer in a short period of time? I am in Ontario and we must have a safety certificate when we sell a vehicle. I have 2 conflicting opinions.. one claiming this vehicle as I described is safe to operate... another saying that it is in no way safe to sell like this... would like another opinion ..

user777 · January 2006

why don't you go to an independant and ask how much it would cost to fix the items you know are in need of repair? why not then estimate the value of the vehicle as if the items were fixed, advertise it, and fully disclose what is wrong to potential buyers and agree to come down as much as the cost of the repairs from your initial asking when sold as-is?

or did you want to sell the vehicle to someone without disclosing the condition of the vehicle.

confused.

zultek · January 2006

I did get another " safety" inspection and it passed.. I can actually sell the vehicle in the condition it is in and claim it it is indeed safe... I don't know much about cars and wonder if on a car that is 11 years old the condition it is in is acceptable for daily driving use.. and for how long...are these repairs necessary, in your opinion,? In other words, I guess would you buy this car and drive it knowing what you now know about it?

user777 · January 2006

well, what you proved is taking it to another shop and relying on another opinion can get you another result.

i don't know if it's "safe". the play in the joints don't concern me (personally) as much as the brake pad (? - was that a measurement of rotor thickness? i doubt it) remaining and the fact that one cable to the Left Rear brake is stuck.

http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=80

zultek · January 2006

Thanks for replies guys..
brake pad is .063 on rear shoes...
I have my doubts as to how long a set of brakes like this would last... I find it unbelievable that mechanics that do safety checks on vehicles claim these not to be a problem and pass them off as ok.
I had a second shop do a safety check on this vehicle.. the original shop only said the car required wiper blade replacement.(No mention of the condition of any other parts.. just passed inspection) I kind of think they could have at least said.. "Well , it passes but there are some problems you might want to consider)
The second shop was adamant that they would not sign a safety certificate because as far as they were concerned the car failed in 7 areas.
1. 2 burned out marker lights
2. rear brakes worn out ( said he relies more heavily on visual inspection than just a micrometer measurement)
3. upper right ball joint movement
4. LR jammed brake cable
5. Rear control arm bushings
6. Windshield chip
7 exhaust leak

My primary concern was in handing this vehicle off to my daughter attending school some 600 miles away. I wanted to ensure that whatever she was driving could be at least considered safe. Secondly I was wondering about selling it off "certified" as safe when these questions arose.

haefr · January 2006

You sound like a concerned, ethical person. Whether the car goes to your daughter or a complete stranger, get it fixed. I presume the rear brakes are drum type. 0.063 shoe lining thickness is paper thin. You'll sleep better knowing that you did the right thing. Price the car accordingly (no pun inteneded), and hand over the receipts for the work done for prospective buyers to inspect. You can make this expense a selling point.

thegraduate · January 2006

My father has a 2005 Accord EX 4-cyl, which was before the drive-by-wire had debuted. My 2006 has the DBW throttle, and I have noticed my pedal is much smoother in its operation (no play at all since there is no actual throttle cable). Dad's car has 37,000 miles on it, and I have noticed some dead space where the pedal feels "loose" before engaging/toeing the actual throttle cable. Any ideas on how to tighten this pedal/throttle cable relationship? Anybody else notice this looseness (about 1 cm of play before engagement)? My 1996 suffers from this too, not badly, but about 1cm of play also. An ideas are appreciated!!!

getrduun · January 2006

Stretching my bank acct. until income tax gets here is exactly what I have been doing, but thats not all that is getting stretched. I'm pretty sure "stretched" is the correct term for the timing belt on my 96 Accord. At last check it had 172,000 miles and still has ALL of the original belts including the timing belt. One might say that my luck is getting stretched real thin like my belts, especially considering its 154 miles round trip for work each day, five days a week.
I've tore down a few engines, changed a couple of head gaskets, but never turned a wrench on a Honda, or any other import, other than routine maintenance.
Does anyone know how many hours I'm looking at to change the timing belt and water pump on my 96 Accord?
Whats more difficult to change the timing belt on
a) traditional made in the USA forward facing engine
b) foreign sideways engine

macneil · January 2006

Don't know.

For the past month the car has been idling up and down in PARK when it's heated up. 1200 - 2500 (very fast)

Now when I accelerate in DRIVE it goes to 3000RPM or higher but won't go faster than 60KM/HR

I've been driving around at 50KM/hr with my flashers on.

thegraduate · January 2006

Find a good mechanic. Any warning lights? Overheating? Gas mileage irregularities?

macneil · January 2006

Past 2 years.

New water pump
New timing Chain
New Altinator
New Battery
New Starter Switch (and that was my call, it was stalling)
Oil (synthetic) 3 times a year.
Gas Mileage GREAT !

I'm thinking new EGR Valve.

But now I'm worried about trany...

It's not fuel line, or fuel pump.. nope not that. No miss firing, purrs wonderfully. shifts smoothly (auto)

Maybe a vaccume leak..

Anywho.. taking it in tomorrow and asking for the EGR valve to be replaced. See if that works, than a vaccume leak check. Than we'll have to look at tranny.

Will inform you tommorow

Any other ideas, huge appreciated..

Thanks

user777 · January 2006

There's this:
http://www.cybertrails.com/~bestinthewest/autotips/9091accordcomprblems.html

I think this is OK to post a link to a Usnet newsgroup hosted by Google:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.autos.makers.honda/browse_thread/thread/b1592- - 70f4c9ac253/808ae1360d68686d%23808ae1360d68686d?sa=X&oi=groupsr&start=0&num=2

A couple of hits indicated a possible problem with the Throttle Body gasket.

google your problem. good luck.

cheapb · February 2006

Hi,

I have an Accord LX 1995 manual transmission with ~140k miles on it. Recently the Check Engine Light came on. I
used postings in this forum and via google to find out
how to read the code. Its 41 which my Chilton book tells
me is a "Heated Oxygen Sensor heater". So either the O2 sensor has gone bad or there is something else wrong.
Any ideas?

Should I try replacing the O2 sensor? Is this a serious problem? The CEL came on 4 days ago and there is no difference in the car driving.

thanks

jim1994 · February 2006

As a followup to anyone interested in a possible solution to a high speed NOX emissions failure from the old forum. 1994 4 cyl Accord (150K) running fine except for NOX emissions failure. Ran cleaning solvent thru EGR system, including valve. The replaced all rubber hoses. All is well again.

haefr · February 2006

Can't give ya' any advice on the specifics, but just how far will you have to stretch your bank account if the timing belt lets go at speed and your engine lunches 70 miles from home with a connecting rod through the sump pan and several bent valves and a broken piston or two? It's not like this service just sprung up on ya'. You are truly a person of inestimable faith. Next time you're gonna be in Vegas, let us know - I wanna be standing next to ya' at the same table or nearby machine.

cub_2 · February 2006

I have a 1997 Honda Accord with 110,000 miles. My transmission has just started to jerk into gear between 3040 mph, and 40-50 mph. I would like to prevent from having to do major repair work on the transmission in the future. Would replacing the VSS (Variable Speed Sensor) on the transmission to the trick? If not, then what would you suggest?

Thanks,
Chris

user777 · February 2006

when was the last time the transmission fluid was changed?

cub_2 · February 2006

I had the Transmission flushed at 74,000 miles.

user777 · February 2006

personally, i'm thinking maybe it needs to be changed every 30K. have you checked the level and color of the transmission fluid?

cub_2 · February 2006

Actually, I just checked my owners manual and it calls for the transmission fluid to be changed every 90,000 miles. I did check the fluid level, while the car was running and it is ok.

stump21 · February 2006

I change mine every 30K because it is so easy to do. Just drain and fill.

mamamia2 · February 2006

TRNS. FLUID SHOULD BE FLUSHED, NOT JUST DRAINED.

josus1987 · February 2006

could someone help me with some advice...I have a 97 accord and when i turn my car, the wheels make a clicking sound.im thinking it could be the bearings or the cv joint.
could someone tell me what it could be,how to fix it and how much it will cost. thanx

user777 · February 2006

i tend to agree. being a MT owner until a few years ago, i never encountered a problem with a transmission, only clutch adjustments every so often...

there are two camps i guess to servicing ATs, one that says it should be flushed, and another just drained.

i understand the concern of some who say flushing may result in debris being kicked up and placed somewhere where it may do more harm than if it just sat where it is.

from my perspective, if debris is clogging a minute passage where fluid flow is used in the process of shifting gears, i'd want it moved / dislodged. i could reason that a drain only service might leave that passage clogged, and the drivability of the vehicle would still remain sub-par.

i'm also an advocate of having the fluid changed much more frequently than every 90K. First off, my '02 schedule says so, and so have a few mechanics and fellow engineers who drive ATs I've consulted. i believe, but am not sure of this, that with the increased complexity of ATs and more gearing, regular maintenance is trending to more often servicing to keep the system functioning normally. if the vehicle is used in alot of stop and go, i can imagine the fluid's lubricity properties getting degraded.

it's a tad expensive, but worth regular servicing in my opinion.

the '02 i purchased used at just below 30K, since i didnt know specifically how it was driven, decided to have the AT serviced with a flush at a dealership at the recommendation of an independant mechanic who inspected the car before my purchase. this person had once worked at a honda dealership. i *DID* notice a much smoother shifting action after the flush; it wasn't my imagination.

mrbill1957 · February 2006

Sounds to me like your CV joint/s are bad.

As far as cost, that will probably vary quite a bit depending on where you go. I'm sure Honda using genuine Honda axle assemblies will be quite $$. I have replaced my own axles so I don't know what they would charge. Rebuilt axles run as little as $75-$100 each. Aftermarket (new) axles are a little bit more. Judging from how long it took me to change the axles, labor should be a couple of hours or less.

Mrbill

mamamia2 · February 2006

I fully agree. I don't think you should wait till 90k (don't my good old 1995 Accord V6 anymore, nor the manual, of course, but I can't believe the manual would recommend doing it at 90k).

Flushing is a thorough procedure that really CLEANS the system. And it's not that expensive (I think I paid just over $100). And I also noticed a significant improvement in shifting.

user777 · February 2006

i'm with you. also, i think it important to use the honda formulation of AT fluid, and not some other brand / composition.

thegraduate · February 2006

I don't think it calls for it at every 90k, I believe it is 30k, maybe 60k. I'll check when I get to my 96 LX I-4 this afternoon. Shoot, even the timing belt is supposed to be changed at 60k, isn't it?

And yes, I reccomend a full flush, not just a drain and fill.

cub_2 · February 2006

Ok, I'll flush my Transmission from now on, but the orginal question still has not been completely answered...

Would replacing the VSS (Variable Speed Sensor) on the Transmission help the transmission from jerking into gear, or is there another sensor in the engine compartment that should be chnanged?

thegraduate · February 2006

I'm not that mechanically inclined, so I don't know the answer. I'd flush it and try it out if that hasn't been done in the last 60k, it just might be the answer.

user777 · February 2006

right, that was the point. a flush may very well improve the operability.

if the system could detect an obvious problem, it would be blinking the D or S indicator lamp.

thegraduate · February 2006

What is the "S" indicator lamp? I have a 1996 Accord LX Auto, and I know the "D4" light should blink if a transmission problem exists, and have heard about this "S" lamp, but I can't find it on my car. It's likely a stupid question, but is the "S" lamp on Canadian models or something? I'd appreciate someone explaining this to my tired brain!

user777 · February 2006

I think some model years have this "S" indicator, but I'm not positive when they no longer have it. a post at one site indicated the "sport" or "S" light went away in 1993.

lastwraith · February 2006

Not sure about the 96, but on my '90 the "S" lamp is the green sportshift indicator light. It will flash if there is a problem with the transmission also.

-Keith

thegraduate · February 2006

Sportshift?

I don't remember EVER seeing this on mom's old 93 EX. I'd be curious to see it. Surely it isn't a manu-matic tranny? Is it a more sporty shift mode (higher rpms before shifting?)?

Sorry for my obvious stupidity on the relatively unimportant issue, but I would be interested in knowing that!

Thanks a bunch, guys!

thegrad

shadingding · February 2006

Dear lists,

I have 97 Honda Accord. I disassembled the front left door panel to get my window off. Because the window is off the both tabs, it doesn't go up and down anymore. I checked on dealer and local auto shop, they all said that it had to be replaced by a new set, which it cost over $200.

Don't know anyone here has similar experience. Can I glue tab and window together? If so, what type of glue should I use for it?

Any suggestion will be appreciated!!!

Shadingding

Mr_Shiftright · February 2006

You might check with a good atuo glass shop and see if they have any luck with doing something like that when they do glass replacements.

shadingding2 · February 2006

This is a great idea. Thanks.

Shadingding

car_crazy1 · February 2006

"Free Service for 95-97 Honda Vehicles
Exp: 00/00/00 Comments(78) | Tell a Friend | AIM | Top

Honda is giving free service for the vehicles listed below. Give your dealer or the # on the letter a call with your VIN number to see if it is qualified. Thanks LordRamZ.

1995 models: Honda Accord V6, Acura NSX, Acura 2.5TL
1996 models: All models
1997 models: All models (except for the Honda Passport, Acura Integra Type-R, Acura SLX)
You receive:

At 50k-75k miles, you get a free emissions inspection and any repairs or replacements.
At 75k - 150k miles you get another free emissions inspection and you also get new spark plugs, ignition wires, distributor cap, rotor and oil change for free.
Emissions warranty has been extended to 14 years
You can get reimbursed if you paid for any of the above emmissions parts or repairs.

Posted: 02/21/06 4:26PM PT "

I am not sure if this is accurate or not but saw this on internet website on a www.slickdeals.net posting "http://www.slickdeals.net/#p7108". This page normally goes to archive the next day I believe.... The first word "Honda" is a hyperlink on the slickdeals.net posting...

mamamia2 · February 2006

Yes, there is much truth in it.

Till few weeks ago I owned a '95 Accord V6. Thanks to this free extended warranty, Honda took care of my car -- but only when the Check Engine light came on, or something was clearly wrong with the car, as long as it was connected to emission (there is a LONG list of parts that are connected, actually):

At around 60k my car had the speedometer needle jump like nuts back and forth at high speed and the car was bucking, and Honda paid for a new Distributor and Speed Sensor.

At about 70k the Check Engine light came on, and the car was driving owefully. Honda replaced one fuel injector, and a month later it did it again, and they replaced ALL 6 of them.

I went back at 75k and got a free tune up.

Call your Honda service, ask them to print out for you the full list connected to that recall. I used to keep that list with the recall number, but left it all in my old car for the next owner to take advantage of it...

Honda Accord (1994-1997) Maintenance and Repair

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