Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Honda Accord (1998-2002) Maintenance and Repair

145791045

Comments

  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    Most people strongly consider changing the water pump at the same time they change the timing belt. The teardown to the timeing belt takes you down to the water pump.

    Check the prices for doing both verse each one separately...
  • daylldayll Member Posts: 26
    Bolivar: I apologise for being so touchy - your advice is right on - "Read the manual!" sorry, dayll. :blush:
  • cgtep6891cgtep6891 Member Posts: 1
    Hello, I am a recently new Honda owner and not familiar with them at all. I had the car parked for several months and had to replace the battery. Upon reinstalling the new battery, once I reconnected the cables the horn and lights starting honking and flashing. I had to remove the horn relay/fuse in order for this to stop. I am not sure how to get this to stop as the owners manual I have does not give me any clear information that I could find. Thanks for any help or clarification.
  • knuclebusterknuclebuster Member Posts: 3
    Hello, I recently replaced the clutch master/slave cylinders on my 2000 Accord LX 5spd. Now I find that my cruise control is not functioning. Coincidence??? Thanks, Chris
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    I replaced a clutch master cylinder on my 95 and it had no effect on my cruise.
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    No problem.

    Cars are complicated.

    The manufactors give us 300 page manuals. There is a lot of nonsense in there, but there is a lot of needed information also.

    On some questions, even if I have the exact car, I feel as some people don't seem to have the time to walk out to their garage, get the manual out of the glove box, look in the front contents or rear index sections - but I might have the time to do this for them.
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    A wild guess - a prior owner installed an after market car alarm. The dead battery messed up it's 'mind' and it went into alarm condition when you put the new battery in.

    If so, no idea how to reset it.

    Did you put the key into the ignition and turn it to 'On'? I think this resets the factory alarm if it is triggered. Or, unlocking the door with the key. Or unlocking with the remote. One or the other of these resets the factory alarm I think.
  • dawaddawad Member Posts: 5
    I was told that I needed a new catalytic converter approximately 40K miles ago. My cat burnt up as a result of a faulty FUEL RELAY SWITCH. IMPORTANT NOTE TO YOU ACCORD DRIVERS WHOSE CAR WILL NOT START SOMETIMES AND STALLS AT HIGH SPEEDS! Experiencing these problems I wasted a lot of time and money with the Honda dealer. They told me that I needed a new cat converter. It would not have helped. Check that: it would have helped their bottom line but not mine. The faulty switch allowed too much fuel into the intake, which destroyed my o2 sensor and cat.

    My solution: I had the fuel pump relay switch replaced and since have had no problems with high speed stalls or random "no-starts."

    You can go without a cat converter and o2 sensor. Your mileage may suffer slightly. However, the difference will be so small it may go unnoticed by you.

    My car has 182K miles. I have driven the last 40K without an o2 sensor or cat. If you can suffer the always on maintenance light, then I say save your money for gas--you're going to need it.
  • nlsnls Member Posts: 65
    How do you plan on passing the state emissions test with the maintenance light on, and non-working O2 sensor and cat?
  • sidpaulsidpaul Member Posts: 17
    I have a 2000 Honda Accord EX v6 purchased 2nd hand from a dealer 4 mo ago. Last to last week it failed to start a couple of times. It would start and then die out. After gunning the accelarator a couple of times and then the engine kicked into life. This happened when the car was parked in the sun for about an hour. the same evening it happened once more but hasn't happened since. I took it to a Honda dealer and they could not find anything wrong with it.
    However yesterday it i just stoppet at a barnes and nobles for about 10mins and then the car again failed to start. I'm concerned, what could the problem be?
  • knuclebusterknuclebuster Member Posts: 3
    Thanks tallman. Because engaging the clutch cancels the cruise control, I thought it possible that somehow I mucked up the cc. The dash button for cc lights up, however I am not able to set cc. Any ideas where to go next? Thanks, Chris
  • crbecrbe Member Posts: 3
    I also have a black 1998 Honda Accord V6 and am extremely disappointed at the paint. At about 5 1/2 years some fading was noticed on the roof - I mentioned it to the dealership several times with no resolution. The clear coat is gone and the fading has spread on the roof and also the trunk lid. I am giving my car to my son so I am looking for a decent, reasonably priced paint job. The car runs great and should keep going for many more miles. It's cheaper to paint than buy a new car.
  • honda01honda01 Member Posts: 5
    Hello, I am wondering if anyone has had this problem with their Honda. I have a 2001 Accord V6 and the needle to the speedometer has fallen past the little rubber peg that usually holds it in place. It still moves and kinda gets stick at the peg because it’s behind it, it really can’t go past it. The odometer is still marking my miles too. I took it in for an estimate and they told me that it has a broken electrical circuit board and that I have to get the whole panel repaired and that my odometer will read zero and I have to do this other stuff. I am just wondering if anyone has had this problem and found an easy fix for it.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    How did it fall past the peg I wonder...that's a first for me! I happen to have a new odometer (my 162,000 mile 1996 Accord now shows 50,400 miles!). You'll get a piece of paper officially stating the mileage of the car. I don't know about the rest, I'm afraid, but the new odometer isn't too big of a deal.
  • dawaddawad Member Posts: 5
    In response to:
    How do you plan on passing the state emissions test with the maintenance light on, and non-working O2 sensor and cat?

    Easy. It's not required in the state I live. Also, a picture of my fiancee covers the maintenance light, so it goes unnoticed.
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    By any chance have you had the car 'detailed'? If so, the detailer probably used a buffer on the paint.

    Modern cars have very little paint on them. And a clear coat on top (on most colors). A buffer can easily cut the clear coat off, and/or most of the thin paint job. More sun will burn the paint off, down into the primer.

    This is a lesson learned when I had my brother-in-law (at the request of my wife, his sister) buff my 1991 black SHO. He is a good painter, but didn't really understand how little paint is on a car from the factory. He had dealt with buffing after repainting. Within a year you could see the white primer all over the car - trunk, top, etc.
  • tylerwm94tylerwm94 Member Posts: 26
    I have the same problem with oxidation on my '98 Accord as well. I've been trying to decide if I should get it painted before I try to sell it. Is yours green? I wonder if it has anything to do with paint color.
  • rapriderraprider Member Posts: 42
    About 3 years ago (at 20k miles) I replaced my OEM MXV4s with Toyo Proxes (based on some recommendations here) after a minor accident took out the 2 passenger side tires. Not 3 years later (at 50k), I just recently blew the front drivers side, and have temporarily re-installed one of the MXV4's I'd kept in storage.

    I'm now considering just replacing all 4 tires, even though the Toyos on the rear only have about 35k on them and look to be in decent shape tread-wise (although I noticed a cut in the sidewall of one the other day). I'm currently looking at the Falken Ziex or possibly the Dunlop SP Sport A2, particularly from a price/performance standpoint (Falken is about $70 at the local Sears, Dunlop is about $70 at TireRack.com).

    The spec is 205/60/16 91V. It's a tough size to find, but available. The Falken is rated as a 92H. The Dunlop is rated as a 91H. Is this a significant difference? I'm more concerned about the speed rating differential on both than the load rating of the Falken, considering that the spec for the Accord is a V rating.

    A couple things to note...1) I only have 50k miles on the car since my commute varies between 15 and 35 miles r/t per day and we usually use our suv on the weekends...2) I'm starting to get bored with this car and may replace it in the next year or two, so high treadlife is not especially important...3) I do push the car and tend to drive it hard (don't we all?!?), but I also maintain it pretty well...4) I'm was not a big fan of the Michelin MXV4 series, at least not the OEM equipment, which I found very sloppy esp. in rainy conditions, compared to the Toyos I'd replaced them with, but I'm not prepared to drop $130+ per tire, given 1) and 2) above...5) I live in central NJ, so although snow/ice is an occasional consideration, so I do not expect to purchase dedicated snow tires.

    What are you riding on?
    Any specific experience with either of the above tires is appreciated. Thanks for your help,

    Rich
  • holthausholthaus Member Posts: 3
    Fuel relay switch is it still on the steering side of the front of the dash next to the drivers door?
    Let me guess you took the car had the CEL come on. then they told you it was the catalytic convertor....did it stall both while driving and immediately after restarting, and did the stalling begin happening after the CEL light and dealer advice to replace the cat?
    Did the stalling problem start when the weather got hot? Fuel relay switch problems in older Hondas only happened in the hot weather....and on the older ones you could not start the engine until the inside of the car cooled off.
  • htranhtran Member Posts: 6
    My 98 honda accord coupe leaks on to the driver side carpet soaking it while driving in heavy rain. What are some solutions
  • user777user777 Member Posts: 3,341
    sell the car to someone else is one solution. ;)

    sorry. couldn't resist.

    you have to localize the problem or have someone else do it (perhaps a detailer or a body shop).

    question, is the leak due to rain or just possibly, using the AC when it's raining to defog the windshield?

    it is a common occurance that an AC evaporator pan behind the glove box has it's drain line clogged due to debris entering the outside cabin air intake at the bottom of the windshield (visible with the hood up) (leaves, pine needles, twigs, nut shell casings from hungry squirrels, tree seeds (helicopters)), etc.

    when that happens evaporator run-off collects in teh pan and typically overflows when you make turns (typically left-hand turns).

    with the A/C on, if you have the problem, you'll see water running into the passenger footwell when turning, and you can sometimes hear what sounds like water bubbling when hitting a hot frying pan.

    you will also notice with the air on, the car on and in [P] park, the hand brake firmly applied, water will not be trickling to the dry pavement below (look in the area just back of the front passenger wheel). No drip? No drain. ;)

    ok, assuming that isn't your issue, what i've heard other people do is line their door with paper toweling and hitting the car with a garden hose. where the paper toweling gets wet (on the interior side of the seal) is perhaps where you might have a door seal issue.

    i guess another thing to check is that water running down the window freely exits the bottom of the door and runs off the door sill (the horizonal which you step over when getting into and outof the car) and down to the ground.

    did you look under the vehicle and see to it that the underside of the body hasn't been compromised by a hole or an underbody plug that may be missing (compare left and right underside visually)?

    other thoughts are a windshield weather-stripping problem.

    time to get careful and patiently selective with a garden hose to hit parts of the car, performing some experiments until you localize the problem.
  • htranhtran Member Posts: 6
    i have tried using a garden hose but it doesn't seems to leak only when i am driving in the rain that's when it start leaking down where the gas pedal is located at.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Sounds like the drain is clogged for the fresh air vent compartment (under the windshield wipers). You could try pouring a little water into the fresh air vent and seeing if it drains out under the car, behind the front wheel. If it doesn't, it could be filling up that compartment and seeking exit through various grommets or holes in the firewall.
  • htranhtran Member Posts: 6
    thanks.. a lot i'll see if it is clogged
  • destadesta Member Posts: 1
    bought a 99 honda accord w/90k miles. during the test drive did not notice any proble with the rpm's. I mostly drive without A/C.

    Since the car had high miles, I got all my belt and tensioner, water pump and all the seals in the front replaced about 3 days ago.

    Now when I am driving my car, when I get at 3000 rpm the car lunges, shakes and vibrates. also while the ac is on I noticed that the motor will go out at a red light.

    Thanks for your help.
  • master1master1 Member Posts: 340
    This is not a fix where I can tell you something like, "just turn that knob." Something is wrong with your car and the best thing would be to take it to a dealer.
  • fazzerfazzer Member Posts: 3
    My Wife has a 99 Honda Accord LX with 75k on the engine. It has a whistle sound coming from the engine. It has been doing this for at least 2 years and getting more annoying! It happens when the car is warm and being driven at a slight acceration. When on the gas hard there is no whistle. When in Park (auto trans) the sound is there, also the sound is there in drive at no speed, but disappears when in neutral?? My Mechanic has cleaned the throttle body, it seemed to help a little, but now is back in full force!! He is stumped. (a great Mechanic). Im almost at the point to take it to the Honda Dealer and have to pay the going freight charge there. Please help! Thanks, Mark from PA.....................................
  • extech2extech2 Member Posts: 120
    I bet a dozen donuts the timing belt is off a tooth or two either advanced or retarded. Take it back to the shop and have it corrected. Do not let them sell you anything else.
  • szamzamszamzam Member Posts: 3
    could anyone help me out on how to replace a/c condensor for honda accord 1991.
    thx.
  • jaedleejaedlee Member Posts: 59
    just had my car serviced for front (both) axle replacement. had to shell out 300bucks... is that about right? It's 99 accord Ex and i have been hearing that infamous "clicking" noise on turning out of the driveway but kind of put off getting serviced cause i was so busy. I took the car in to local mechanic but he apparently damaged the ABS senosor on the wheel and the ABS light now comes on. Has this happened to anyone else? He's got the part on order and will have it replaced but i probably won't take my car in to him again. Sometimes it's worth it to take the car into the dealers ...
  • jaedleejaedlee Member Posts: 59
    What is the issue with the transmission on the 99 (and other year) Accord? Mine is 99 and i'm not a car buff so not sure what i should be looking out for regarding the tranny. Thanks.
  • ezmilesezmiles Member Posts: 5
    Hi everyone,

    I had my 99 Accord EX V6 Sedan serviced at the dealer last week, including a trans. flush. When I got the car home, I noticed that the trans. fluid was overfilled by about a quarter of an inch. I didn't think much of it at the time; after all, I just got it back from its 75,000 mile service.

    Since then, I have read that an overfull trans. is a very bad thing because the fluid can foam. But my question is, How much is overfull? A quarter of an inch isn't much on a ruler, of course, but on the dipstick, it's about 100% of the distance between add and full.

    I have owned this car for a week, and I'm still working through the new-owner anxiety thing, but then again, you all know about V6 automatics. . . .

    BTW, I should mention that I read the manual about how to check the trans. fluid. Warm engine. Park level. Engine off. Pull out and clean dipstick. Repeat, but read before you clean. Put dipstick back where you found it.

    Is this worth worrying about or taking back to the dealer?

    Thanks,

    EZ
  • ezmilesezmiles Member Posts: 5
    Hi Jaedlee:

    Most of the transmission issues have been with V6s. At the very least, perform the maintenance on an automatic transmission to the absolute letter of the Owner's Manual.

    This is an excerpt of a letter that Honda American sent to some Honda owners about what to look and listen for with Honda transmissions.

    Quote:

    These characteristics are normal; they should not require you to call your Honda dealer.

    Quick downshifts. The transmission has a computerized control system called grade logic. When going down a hill, even a light touch of the brake pedal can cause grade logic to downshift to the next lower gear. Downshifting helps to slow the vehicle through engine braking.

    Does not always shift through the full range of gears. This can also be caused by the grade logic system keeping the transmission in the optimum gear for different driving conditions.

    Mechanical noise when selecting a forward or reverse gear. It's normal to hear a slight mechanical noise when moving the shift lever from one gear to another. This noise can sound abnormally loud if any of the windows are down and you are parked next to a wall or another vehicle.

    Vehicle may not hold its position when stopped on an incline in gear (may roll backward when the brake pedal is released). This can occur on most Honda-made vehicles. It is one of the measures used to improve fuel economy.

    Hard shifts before the engine warms up. By design, the transmission shifts a little harder when the engine is cold. It returns to smoother shifting when the engine warms up.

    These characteristics are not normal; if you experience any of them, call your Honda dealer.

    While driving, the D4 indicator on the instrument panel flashes.

    An abnormally loud noise from the transmission.

    Extremely slow or delayed gear engagement, upshifts, or downshifts.

    Abnormal gear slippage during upshifts or downshifts.

    Erratic or excessively harsh shifting.

    Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) leaks.

    End quote.

    I just bought an 99 ex v6 and am trying not to worry too much about the transmission. What can you do except perform the maintenance and service as stated in the manual? If you poke around on the web too much, you might get the impression that every Honda V6 has a bad transmission. This is just not the case. When people have a problem, a lot of them go to the internet and complain. Happy Honda drivers often can't stop grinning long enough to post on the internet.

    HTH,

    EZ
  • bolivarbolivar Member Posts: 2,316
    Did you do what I suggested in message 308 - ask the Honda service manager if your serial number is covered under the extended 100,000 mile warranty for V6 transmissions?

    If it does have an extended 100,000 warranty, you have one of the 'potentially' troublesome transmissions. If not, stop worrying about your V6 transmission.
  • jaedleejaedlee Member Posts: 59
    Thanks EZ for the info. I think i'm going to call the dealer and verify my vin. I've got 78k on my V6 accord and i think i'll feel more at ease (as Bolivar posted) once i know for sure since it is the "commute" car for the wife. Thanks again.
  • dawaddawad Member Posts: 5
    Exactly right. However, with the exception of the hot weather. The random stalls occured, just that, randomly. One of the service monkies told me to bring in the car when it wouldn't start for an accurate assessment. "We're out of luck unless it dies here," I told him. They're solution: Park my car outside of the garage, hood up, and leave it idling for 45 minutes. Of course it didn't stall there and only resulted in me driving away with less gas in the tank. This whole process took almost a year until they diagnosed it properly. By then my O2 sensor fried and cat burned up. 45k later the car runs like a Honda should
  • jaedleejaedlee Member Posts: 59
    Just found out i've got an oil leak at rear oil seal. I took my 99 EX to get the ignition recall done and i just inquired about some leak i noticed from near engine/transmission. I read somewhere on the internet that the rear engine oil seal can be easily replaced during the timing belt change. I've got 76k on my car so i've got about 15k more to go before i change the timing belt. The oil leak is very minimal and i've never had to supplement oil during my oil changes. Is it true about the timing belt and the seal? Can i hold out? Thanks.
  • mplowmanmplowman Member Posts: 1
    your problem with a faulty fuel relay switch smacks of a similar problem i am having with my 99 accord (with a mere 270k miles) When the temp rises as it is doing now car will start fine but will then just die- leave it to cool it will start right up again. The diagnostic codes say cat system below threshold.....do these symptoms indicate a faulty fuel relay switch ????
  • htranhtran Member Posts: 6
    Hi i have a 1998 Honda Accord coupe v6. for some reason whenever i drove it over a speed bump or a little pothole, i notice a knocking sound on the driver side front wheels. when i drive on regular level road, the car feels normal without any sound at all. i've tried go under the car but dont notices anything out of place. so i was just wondering if anyone know what can be the problem.... help would be gladly appreciated.
  • htranhtran Member Posts: 6
    i was wondering how do you know when is it time to recharge your a/c . when i turn my a/c on i notice that it kinda shake a little then when you start drive the shaking kinda goes away but after a while it would come back.... is that a sign telling me to recharge or add freon to my car.????
  • mrbill1957mrbill1957 Member Posts: 823
    There is no need to recharge an A/C system because of age. Refrigerant will last the life of the system.

    The only time you would need to recharge the system would be if a leak developes, and/or a component fails and the system needs to be repaired.

    If the A/C seems to be cooling as well as it always has, then it should be OK. If it doesn't seem to be working well, then maybe it's low on refrigerant.

    I'm guessing the shaking you feel is the compressor kicking on/off. Low refrigerant should not shake the system anymore then a full system. There is always the possibility of something else has worn (motor mount) that's allowing the engine to shake more then before.

    Mrbill
  • htranhtran Member Posts: 6
    thanks for the info...
  • avianfluavianflu Member Posts: 33
    Anyone here know who make Honda's blue antifreeze and Auto trans fluid? These evidently are essential fluids.

    We've already established that Exxon makes their 5w20 motor oil.
  • holthausholthaus Member Posts: 3
    Drive the car and jiggle the key while watching your dash lights if they dim or you can actually get the car to stall then you need to replace the electrical part of the ignition switch (be persistent with the jiggling) . You have a lot of use on this ignition switch and it could well be worn out. Compare the profile of the key you always use with one you seldom use, such as the valet key, mine had a completely rounded bottom edge wheras the valet keys edge was pointed. This is potentially dangerous as, in my case, the car stalled while driving it 35MPH. There is no code that your computer will give you to show the switch is going bad.
  • uajessieuajessie Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2002 Honda Accord EX Coupe. It has been nothing but wonderful to me and now, 4 days before my lease is up, it will not start. In live in an area with extreme heat and the car was not driven for about 10 days. I would assume this is a simple battery issue, but all lights, stereo, AC, etc, came on just fine. Wouldn't they all be dead if it was just a dead battery? Is there another power source for all of these items?? The car did start after being jumped and we let it charge for about 20 minutes. Now, the next morning, will not start again. This is the original battery.....Ideas???
  • jtjohnsonjtjohnson Member Posts: 1
    I had the EXACT same thing happen to me yesterday. Turned the key and all I heard was an electrical, static sound, though the keyless entry, radio, etc. worked. Jump started fine, and drove normally, but even after driving for 30 minutes, it would not start up again. Charged the battery on an external battery charger until the load test showed full power, again, once I turned off the ignition and tried to re-start.....nothing.

    In my case, it was the battery. I purchased the car used almost two years ago and the battery was an Exide brand that was half way though it's warranty. I took it to a nearby NTB, that sells Exide batteries and would honor the warranty.

    Before you start getting dizzy from the $$ signs involved with replacing the starter or alternator, check and see if your battery is still under warranty. Before I realized my battery was under warranty, I priced some that would fit my car (1998 Honda Accord EX V-6), and found they started around $49.95 and went up from there.

    Good luck! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, though after going through it myself less than 24 hours ago, I'd bet my last dime it's your battery.
  • uajessieuajessie Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the response jtjohnson. Luckily all turned out well and it was just the battery. I went to Wal-mart and just got a cheapy battery put in as my lease is up tomorrow and I don't see the need to spend extra money at this point! Sometimes things turn out not to be so bad after all! Thanks for the input!
  • defrankonddefrankond Member Posts: 3
    hello all, i have a 1998 honda accord lx and ive had the car about a year. it has the 2.3 litre 4cyl sohc vtec and ive noticed that when the engine is started when cold it runs fine but when you come to a stop about a quarter a mile after the engine is running and then go to accelerate again it acts like the engine wants to die or bog down. :mad: lately ive noticed that it is starting to do it when warm sometimes as well. what could be the problem??? also im not sure but i have never seen a srs light come on when the car is started. but the computer codes always come back clear so i dont think there is a error report for it.
  • jaedleejaedlee Member Posts: 59
  • jaedleejaedlee Member Posts: 59
    When should you replace it? 90k? And should i replace any other parts while i get the timing belt done? Thanks in advance.
Sign In or Register to comment.