Honda Accord (2003-2007) Maintenance and Repair

atlantabenny · December 2005

Could be an overly-sensitive "auto-stop" feature that prevents the window from squashing objects in its path. My 03 coupe has this as an intermittent problem.

If, for example, the window run-channels are binding the window glass because they're winter-frozen, auto-stop will always be on - leading to the condition you're having.

Or it might just be a completely broken unit. Either way, dealer would probably have to change the unit.

cabriggs · December 2005

I had this problem last week for a few days with my 05 Accord, but now it's working again. When it wasn't working, it was cold and we'd had snow and ice, so atlantabenny's suggestion that ice was triggering the auto-stop sounds like the right idea.

-cb

cabriggs · December 2005

I have a few odd problems with my 05 EX-V6 sedan and I was wondering if anyone else has seen these issues.

1. When I use the driver's seat heater it emits this weird smell after a few minutes. I wouldn't describe it as a burning smell, but I have no idea what it smells like. It worked fine the first several times I used it over maybe a month before I started noticing the smell. I think the passenger seat heater is ok although it gets used much less frequently so I wouldn't necessarily know if it has the same problem.

2. The auto-up/down function of the driver's power mirror stopped working for a few days, although it's working again now. Even when the auto function was broken, the window would still go up and down, I just had to hold the lever. This just came up from someone else a few messages ago, but I'm curious to see if there are other possible causes.

3. The driver door speaker sometimes sounds horrible and distorted, especially on bass. Usually I turn down the volume (which was probably around 15 to begin with) for a few minutes and when I turn it back up, the speaker is ok. I've noticed this happen on several very cold days, although I'm not sure it was cold every time.

Has anyone seen any of these issues? I'll take it to a dealer next week. I just wanted to get an idea of whether these are common problems.

Thanks for any info.

-cb

(I accidentally posted this in the Quality Control Issues forum, but I meant to post it here, so I'm reposting.)

geraldp1 · December 2005

Steve58, thanks for your imput on our paint woe's. I, by now, am convinced that Honda uses substandard paint on it's vehicles. Would you believe I receved a customer satisfaction survey from Honda headquarters in the mail today? After all the dirty crap they tried to pull over on us about their paint defects---and we still don't have the problem resolved because Honda does'nt want to resolve it on a vehicle that is still under factory warranty. One thing is for sure, Honda does'nt value it's customer base.
Oh by the way, don't ever use BBB if you have a consumer related problem, their inept.
Yea,I noticed they are a lot of tranny, radio, & tire talk on this site. I kinda felt out of place. Thanks again,Geri1

bechard · December 2005

I have a 2003 Accord that was a lease car I bought at around 30K in mileage. So I know all maintenance was done, mileage was low, etc. My question is this: Knowing that dealerships LOVE to have you come in for checkups and repairs, I just got my 45K checkup/maintenance reminder. What would this cover, and do I really need it? I plan on replacing the trans. fluid w/ my next oil change - always smart to do regularly, I'm told - but should I let them squeeze the (probably) extra $100-$200 out of me? I love the car - my first Honda - and do want to care for it. Knowing this, what maintenance SHOULD I really consider top-priority over the next x-number of miles? Thanks for your help here - maybe I'll split the $$ with my answerers!

steve58 · December 2005

Geri1, I found that the way to get results from honda is to take the same route you have, and you will be denied. then you have to go back to the service manager at your dealership and be persistant and stay on them ,ask them things like what if it was their new 27000 dollar car what would he do ? be a thorn in his side! call every week until you get results! I had to do this because my paper thin cheap leather seats cracked in less than a year! i knew for a FACT honda would come through and they did after several months of pleading my case . cant stress enough persistance! as for honda finishes i compare the finish on my old 87 accord i bought new , it was the perfect paint job! no doubt about it their paint was to brag about! I ,being very fussy about the apearance of my black 04 accord found that after buying it the paint scratches by simply sli ding your fingers acrossed it! and this is a FACT again! i am sure it is only very visible on dark colors. the majority of owners dont take proper care of the finish on their cars , but there are still a few of us out there, and by that i mean washing your car atleast every 2 weeks in winter or summer! ever washed your car and had the water start freezing befor you dry it? you will never find me posting anything false on any web site, I dont know much, butwhat i write is through my experience ( the last couple of sentences are for the watchdogs GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR i will bite back!) let me know how you make out, and look back a couple of months ago on this site for some more paint info.

steve58 · December 2005

blane,blane, blane thank god for people like you so people like me can release some of our frustrations. first, drive down to your local honda dealer and look very close at the finish of every car in the lot.do you even know what orange peel is? open your eyes and take a good hard look around, you might be surprised at what your missing.I guarentee every new honda is full of it! especially down the sides. while i agree most owners dont care about it. but it is a fact and there are many of us who do care .we are used to hondas high quality and feel we are being ripped off by theirlack of quality control when they are designing their cars .if people like me dont complain about these petty problems who knows what they will sacrifice next.isnt this what these forums are for? as for your little dings in your doors i have found that when you park at walmart to take a little extra time in choosing your spot and park in the center of the space. basically dont park beside a car that has been neglected ,which might mean park down on the far end of the lot and do something you probably need to do WALK. take notice of the cars that park way down there most of those people dont want people like you parking beside them.they dont want dings in there cars.hope i havent offended you.and by the way i have new leather seats. honda does really care, but only if you draw them a picture. steve

nash123 · December 2005

Hi all,

Unfortunately I scratched the plastic piece that runs the length of the rear right door (door protector) which is not a big deal but I want to replace it. I already ordered the part online for $28 (which I think is very expensive for a piece of plastic but I digress) and will get it soon.

Does anyone know how to replace it? I pried the old one and there are some clips behind it. But it does not look like those clips will fall behind. Would I have to remove the inside door compartment to get to the backs of those clips? Any help is appreciated.

geraldp1 · December 2005

Steve58,you can bet I will continue to pursue Honda on this issue--but at this juncture in our so far 6 month ordeal, going back to this particular dealership would be fruitless. Guess what? Our 04 Accord is the color black also, I can look at it real hard and it will scratch. Gotta run now and complete this Honda customer service survey concerning the mediation we went through with them--going to have fun with this one. Thanks, geri1

pj23 · December 2005

We've owned 5 Hondas over the past 4 years - 4 Accords and 1 Civic. I never noticed orange peel on any of them. It can't be that big of a problem, otherwise one would think that at least one of those cars would've exhibited orange peel. By the way, I've never posted anything false either.

another_person · January 2006

how big is the scratch? if it's small and hasn't gone down to the plastic yet, wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to just polish it out? If it has gone down to the plastic, it wouldn't it still be easier to fill, primer, and then touch up the scratch?

nash123 · January 2006

They are big, and have gone deep into the plastic in thin lines which makes it hard to fill etc. And not to mention the touch up paint does not exactly end up being the same blue as my car (already tried it, it is strange). I already got the part so I am planning to replace it but wasn't sure how the clips come off.

It is part 8 (and 4 each of 9's) in the diagram below.

http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/jsp/mws/prddisplay.jsp?inputstate=5&cat- - cgry1=Accord&catcgry2=2005&catcgry3=4DR+LX&catcgry4=KA5MT&catcgry5=PROTECTOR

jocolli · January 2006

I found these forums while looking for others with power window problems. My Accord just hit 50,000 miles.
(1)Every morning, I stop by a fast food joint for breakfast. Since the weather got cold I've noticed a new problem. The window tracks were lubed as part of a 30,000 mile service. Below 40 degrees, the drive side window fails to go up. -Even when I continuously hold the button in the up position. I have to manually pull the window up while holding the button up.
(2) The power washer jet on the driver's side does not give any water. It did in the past. then, slowed. Now it is completely stopped. The passenger side jet works fine, but, NOTHING comes from the driver side.
(3) The paint on my accord chips regularly. The front hood looks bad. Probably from bugs. however, there are also chips on the sides and trunk lid. And, this has happened since day one. None are bigger than the diameter of a pencil's eraser. The graphite gray paint just disappears and the dark primer is revealed. I live in an urban area and the car does not see gravel roads. This car was built in Japan, so, I am wondering if it is the Japanese paint booth vs. the US paint booth? If so, I will stay away from the Japanese built Accords in the future.
I did purchase the extended warranty. And, hopefully, the first two problems will be fixed. But, I wanted to point out that people are telling the truth about the accord paint and that there are others with the paint problem too.

streetster · January 2006

Guys!
Help me out here a little bit.
Could you please define "orange peel"
thx

rcc8179 · January 2006

Had my first actual mechanical problem with my 05 Accord. The auto up & down feature on the power driver's side window stopped working. The power window still works, it will go up & down but I have to hold the switch like an "old fashioned" power window. (Isn't it funny how you get used to features like this; it wasn't that long ago I bought a new car with crank windows).

It could just need reset. To do this, start with the driver's window closed. Open it by holding down the button--and then continue holding for 2 seconds after it is completely down. Close the window by pulling up on the switch and again hold the switch for 2 seconds after it is closed. If this was the problem, it should be fixed. Otherwise, take it in to the dealer. I think it needs reset if the battery is ever disconnected.

thegraduate · January 2006

And yes, I am also a victim of 2 transmission replacements in my '00 Odyssey.

Wow. We just traded our 2000 EX Ody in. The only problem we ever had out of it was a creaky front passenger seat. Seems like you attract tranny trouble.

hermann · January 2006

I am the owner of a '05 Lx Sedan in Eternal Blue Pearl and it has a fairly severe case of orange peel..During my last oil change at the dealer I walked the Accord area of the lot. All of the Accords on the lot had orange peel. I wonder if Honda thinks we will all be back for new Accords.

Things that make you go Hmmmm..

natenj1971 · January 2006

Have a question regarding the clutch in my 4 cyl accord with MT. I've noticed that sometimes the clutch is very soft and other times heavy. I've had other cars with MT and never noticed this much range. At start up the clutch is usually pretty soft. Stays that way on short drives. Tonight after driving 40 miles on the highway (in 5th gear) I had to downshift for my exit - the clutch was so heavy I had to look to see if something was got stuck behind it. The car is seven months old and has 5k miles.

Any feedback is apreciated.

haefr · January 2006

"Orange peel" is descriptive of the textured appearance of sprayed paint. ALL mechanically painted production cars that don't undergo wet hand rubouts with 800 grit or finer sandpaper, followed up with another rubout with rubbing compound, followed up with polishing after the paint drys will exhibit some degree of orange peel when viewed by reflected light at certain angles - in other words lots of hard hand and machine work with progressively finer abrasives are required to elliminate orange peel. If you want to see autopaint applied and caressed as it was meant to be, attend a hotrod or restored classics show or auction. Some of these owners spend more on a custom-applied paint job than some recent model Mercedes and BMW owners payed for their cars. Durability of modern automotive paints is a justifiable sore point. The problem is that solvent-based automtoive paints with polyurethane catalytic hardeners are no longer legal in the United States for mass produced cars because of environmental concerns about hydrocarbon emissions. (They're still available and legal for restorers, paint shops, and auto body shops, though, because those enterprises only do a small fraction of the painting an auto manufacturer does on a daily basis.) So, water-based paint is used instead. After the bodywork is sprayed, it is CAREFULLY rolled into a bake oven where the heat evaporates the remaining water and "cures" bonding agents included in the paint that set it to the primer coat. But, these paints are applied to a much reduced thickness and they're simply not as durable as the acrylic lacquers and enamels GM and others used in the late '50s through the '60s. It's not just Honda folks - it's virtually all automanufacturers selling affordable cars (and some not so affordable cars, too - check the paint complaints on the Mercedes discussions!). What to do? GARAGE your ride every night. When out, park at the end of the row where there should be reduced liklihood of some addle-brained soccer mom and her snot-nosed spawn on their merry way to a Kohl's super-sale crashing their four year-old Explorer's "Acme Safe Co." door into your pride and joy. Is it fair that drivers of newer cars should have to take defensive precautions? No. So?

haefr · January 2006

There might be a worn bushing that the clutch pedal is suspended from*. Should be a warranty item, but the dealership's service monkeys would have to verify the heavy action before they could take action. Guess what the odds of that are... Still, if it were my car, I'd take it in and complain (and make sure they started an invoice so I had documentation how early the problem started for later warranty or post-warranty purposes).

Another possibility is that the clutch servo cylinder (you have a hydraulically applied clutch) is the problem. This would also be a warranty item, but, again, it would have to be verefied by the dealership personnel before they could submit the fix to Honda for reimbursement.

*In the "old days", sooner forgotten than lamented, bronze bushings were used - they just needed to periodically have a drop of motor oil applied (which most owners neglected to do and most mechanics conveniently "forgot"). Fast forward to twenty-five years ago, or so. Now "self-lubricating" plastic bushings (typically nylon, delrin, or teflon) are used. Guess what? They're not self-lubricating at all after a little dust gets on 'em. Eventually they start binding and ultimately shred to smithereens.

streetster · January 2006

Thanx a lot for the explanation but just tell me one more thing, how to spot it. How to find out if a car has orange peel?

blane · January 2006

Here is a Google link to some images and resources describing the orange peel paint phenomenon that is ABSOLUTELY NOT UNIQUE to Hondas. It affects every single mass market brand of automobile to one degree or another.

http://images.google.com/images?svnum=10&hl=en&q=%22Orange+Peel%22+paint&spell=1-

geraldp1 · January 2006

Sounds like your 04 got the same defective paint job at the factory as ours did. From your description it is a exact duplication of the way the finish looks on my 04. The tech expert that looked at ours stated it was a sub surface problem probably caused from a bad primer job----so if I were you,I would'nt be so naive to think that your hood flaking is a result of "bugs". Oh Yeah, my 04 contains 60% US/Canadian parts, 25% Japanese. Final assembly point was Marysville Ohio. So this problem is not restricted to a japanese paint booth.

Mr_Shiftright · January 2006

It's very obvious...."orange peel" is nothing subtle. It has the surface of an orange (exactly!) and a matte finish. It's best to spot it by viewing the panel at a shallow angle--(eyeball against the paint)-- not viewing perpendicular to the surface.

geraldp1 · January 2006

Mr Shiftright, from what I've read so far on this sight it's becoming more evident to me that "orange Peel" is just another name for a poor quality paint job. To me, theres no way the finish should have the surface of an orange & matte too. Honda has a paint problem.

dhoff · January 2006

rcc-

Thank you! You have saved me a trip to the dealer. I followed your instructions & now the auto up & down both work.

I bet those instructions are in my owner's manual. I need to crack it open sometime.

Thanks again.

Dave

Mr_Shiftright · January 2006

No a new car shouldn't have orange peel, that's true.

Sometimes what happens is that cars get damaged on their way to the dealer and are repaired prior to sale (minor damage) and these repairs are what shows orange peel.

But I do see orange peel on various new cars from time to time.

carpntr1 · January 2006

I purchased a 2005 Accord with the 4 cylinder. At 4500 miles along with cooler temperatures I also experienced the exact sounds from the engine. I had the oil changed at the dealer and before doing so I told them how the engine had valve noises the first 15 minutes of driving. The dealer suggested that the oil change should eliminate this ticking sound. Needless to say the sounds did not stop so I returned the car to the dealer with your story and they agreed to change the oil and that when the oil was changed the first time, the wrong oil was used. The service advisor did agree the sound was not normal. I am now advised to drive the car 1000 miles to monitor the situation. That's where my progress is. If you have experienced or obtained any information with your case please respond. By the way the second oil change has not eliminated the valve ticking.
Thanks

steve58 · January 2006

Mr. shiftright. with all due respect , i have to disagree with your post on "minor damage and orange peel". .haefr post #120 gives the most convincing reason for auto manufacturers paint issues. they are direct results of government enviromental decisions. what manufacturers need to do now is put the pressure on their engineers and designers to GET a solution! steve

Mr_Shiftright · January 2006

I think that automotive paints are better than ever. Ten years ago there were problems in the technology but I think that's all been solved. I've quizzed some top notch body shops in California about this and they have assured me that any problems are in application of the paints, not the paints themselves. They are very happy with the products.

nash123 · January 2006

Update in case anybody ever needs it:

I took it to the friendly people at Carr's Honda in Chicago, they have a body shop there. Their tech came out with the putty knife and pulled the piece off as he was working his way with the putty knife. No scratches whatsoever. The old clips came out with the piece so nothing fell into the door compartment. Then went the new piece in. Took 10 minutes max.

natenj1971 · January 2006

Thanks very much for that very informative answer. I'm printing this out and taking it with me to the dealer.

Thanks again!

vu2000 · January 2006

My car was also bought used with 5200 miles. The first time I heard the noise, I changed the oil myself with 5W20 oil and a Honda filter. This car's oil was initially changed by a Honda dealership with Honda filter before I bought it. I have changed the oil 3 times already, the car now had 12000 miles, still making noise on cold start.
I am waiting another month or two before bringing it to another Honda dealership and have it checked again. Please post again if you ever find out what is wrong with the car. I will post again if this is ever fixed. I hope I will not hear the same line "they all make that noise". Other than this one nagging noise from the engine, I like everything else about this car.

shortyes · January 2006

Not sure if this is the place to ask about this but I have a 2006 Honda Accord VP. From what I read online since I could not find it in the user's manual is the gas tank capacity.

I read online it is 17.1 but my low gas light comes on around 12.5 gals is this correct? Is Honda trying to be safe with a 5 gallon reserve? I know Toyotas and Mazdas I have owned in the past has a 2 gal reserve aka if it has 15 gal the light would come on around when only 1-3 gal were left.

sailing3 · January 2006

I have a 2006 Accord with the touch screen. What's the best way to clean off the fingerprints?
Thanks.

whitecloud1 · January 2006

Soft cloth dampened with water, followed by dry cloth to remove moisture, works for me.

ezshift5 · January 2006

....I filled up immediately after my low fuel lite came on this week. My owners manual sez 17.1;took about 13.8.

Ergo: my reserve is circa 3.3 gallons.....FWIW

best, ez..

user777 · January 2006

exactly. the semantics of the light is "low level", not "low-low" level.

if you think about it, it may not be immediately noticed, nor if it is noticed - acted upon right away. all the hondas i have owned have been equally conservative.

like you, once you fill up a few times after the light illuminating, you can see if it is consistent and then feel more secure knowing you have a bit of reserve to find an open station.

let's say 3.3 gallons would get you 90miles (30MPG). what would someone prefer instead, only having 1/2 a gallon remaining to be the trigger for the light first illuminating?

guiseppe · January 2006

I have just noticed the exact same condition with my 2003 EX V6. Oncoming cars think I am flashing my brights, it is getting to be very bothersome. Have you gotten to the bottom og your problem?

altair9 · January 2006

I have a 4 cyl,2005. EX,AT. The car has only 3000 miles. I am noticing a ticking or clicking now that the weather is cold. It seems to be most prevalent when the accelerator is pressed, and disappears or lessens when I take my foot off the accelerator. Is this the same as what other posters are describing? I would assume that if it was a valve problem, I would hear it all the time, not just with the accelerator? I bought the car in the summer and did not experience any noise originally. I have not yet changed the oil but have had the car since beginning of June, so I am going to change the oil soon. Is the ticking/clicking something I should be concerned about. I don't want to just get paranoid for every problem from reading the boards!! Thanks for input in advance.

haefr · January 2006

I had a '96 Accord with the 2.2L I4. The valves ticked when cold from the get-go. Seven years later, they still ticked when cold - no louder, no softer. This was in spite of meticulous valve adjustments performed by yours truly every 12,000 miles. These were mechanical, adjustable valve lifters. I don't know whether Honda has finally gone to hydraulic lifters in their Accord 4-cyl engines, but cold start noise from mechanical, adjustable lifters is perfectly normal. One other point about mechanical lifters: it is possible to adjust all slack out of mechanical lifters. That will assure complete silence from the valve train in operation. It will also assure burned valve facings since the valves won't completely close once the engine is fully warmed. (Things expand when hot.) Complete closure allows heat from the valve facings to be dissipated through the cylinder head at the contact surface. My current car, an '03 Sonata V6, has hydraulic lifters. But, there is a very slight ticking sound at idle - warm or cold. Bad hydraulic lifters? Nope. It's the normal "popping" of the fuel injectors' solonoid valves operating. Ain't modern technology wunnerful?

carpntr1 · January 2006

your assessment of the valve design in honda steers me to believe that you're mechanically inclined. please set me at ease this new honda i purchased is my first japanese auto but consider the following,in my 45 years of life,i have owned these engines previously,the chevy 305,the fords 400m,302,300-6,3.0v6, and currently the 5.4 triton past dodge engines of the 340 and 2.7,currently the 5.9.My sons' car 3.8 ford. i consider myself an avid oil changer. as a construction contractor,i have logged over 100,000 hours with several honda generators each. motorcycle engine sizes from childhood 100cc to my current 1100cc honda cruiser. i also maintain a 500cc 2stroke with oils. i will not list numerous smaller yard engines. yet some of these machines have mechanical valves. out of all engines i've owned, not one was lost due to oil related issues. this 5.4 triton i must admit sounds during cold starts as though the engine is absolutely dry of oil,but for only 1-3 seconds. this 2005 honda 2.4 sounds partially starved for 5-10 minutes. please elaborate your last posting.

Mr_Shiftright · January 2006

If you're having these kinds of problems it's a great idea to change the brand of oil filter you are using. I know for certain that Audi for instance will actually collapse lifters if non OEM filters are used---no harm done---change the filter and the car runs great again.

iansdad1 · January 2006

While $470 is certainly a small price to pay with regards to one's life; it's a lot to pay for maintenance of your vehicle. I do alot of my own maintenance because I like to save money when I can. I am not confident when it comes to changing brake fluid because I do not have the proper equipment. With my luck I would get air in the lines and wind up having to take it to the dealer to have it done right anyway. However, even with limited mechanical "know how" the other "replaces" would be easy to do and could save "labor" charges. The money saved could buy dinner for you and the "Mrs."

iansdad1 · January 2006

Hi.... David here.

I have always had excellent results with Chevron gas, 87 octane. It is a little more expensive than some others but in the long run I believe it's worth it. Besides, Honda recommends it as one of the original Top Tier Gasolines. You do not necessarily have to use it all of the time but maybe every other tankful. Of course you could always stick with your usual gas and use Techron additive as you fill up.

iansdad1 · January 2006

Make : HONDA Model : ACCORD Year : 2004
Manufacturer : HONDA (AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO.)
Service Bulletin Num : 03036 Date of Bulletin: JUN 03, 2005
NHTSA Item Number: 10003480
Component: SUSPENSION
Summary Description:
VEHICLE DRIFTS TO THE RIGHT. *TT

Hope this helps.

iansdad1 · January 2006

"honda has a reputation for soft, thin and super orange peely paint"

Really? Hmmm.... Based on what evidence? :confuse:

iansdad1 · January 2006

Alright...awesome explanation about the paint process.

Thanks

accupatriot · January 2006

I see this issue alot, We have yet to pin down what driving conditions or styles that seem to contribute to this. I'll keep you posted though if anything turns up.

accupatriot · January 2006

How dark you can tint and should tint are different questions. The first to consider is what is allowed by law in your state. the second is will it impair safe operation of the vehicle? lastly, Do you have a navi system in your car? it will affect that as well, possibly even disable it if there is any metallic component to your tint...

Honda Accord (2003-2007) Maintenance and Repair

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