Honda Accord (2003-2007) Maintenance and Repair

carwala · January 2006

I bought my 2006 Accord LX V6 (first Honda) just last week. Only 200 miles on it yet, but I distinctly feel the hesitation in deceleration like the brakes are being applied when I take the foot off of the gas padel. I was hoping that it will improve as the car is broken into.

My V6 Minivan (Mazda MPV) or even my 1990 Corolla has much predictable movement.

I tried turning OFF the VSA on Accord to see if that's somehow causing it, but that didn't help.

It certainly takes more cranks to start the car, again compared to my other vehicles.

About the Gas millage: Haven't refilled the tank after picking it up from dealer yet, but at 200 miles, the tank is already at the quarter.

Haven't noticed any side pulling yet though.

Overall NOT much impressed with Honda.

neumie2000 · January 2006

The "hesitation in deceleration" that you feel is completely normal. The Accord uses engine breaking and will keep itself in a lower gear when letting your foot off the brake to aid in stopping or not gaining too much speed going down an incline. It is actually a nice feature and helps to save the brakes. With regard to the cranking, all cars are different. If you think that it is cranking far too much to be normal, take it in to your dealership to get checked out. It really does not sound like you have any real problems with your vehicle yet, so I'm not sure why you are not impressed with your Honda. We've had ours for over 30K miles now, and have never had it back to the dealership. It has been a great car for us!!

Good luck with your purchase.

guiseppe · January 2006

I have an 03 ex v6 with 37,000 miles and up until now it has had a great service record. Just a couple of weeks ago while driving at night I noticed the headlights dim at times and then go back to normal strength. I thought it was my imagination but a couple of oncoming cars flashed their lights, thinking I was flashing my lights at them. There is definitely a link between the shifting of the transmission and the dimming of the headlights. I did find a TSB from Honda #05034 - I did not subscribe to the entire bulletin but the title read "headlights dim or diagnostic trouble code P1298 is stored in the ECM/PCM". Not sure what this means but before I went to my local service dept, I was curious to see if anybody has had this trouble with their car. Any clues/comments are appreciated.

FYI - on the Honda paint problem, I had bird droppings bubble the paint on my trunk right down to the primer. My car was still under warranty and I did get the dealer to repaint the entire trunk of the car.

user777 · January 2006

http://www.alldata.com/tsb/Honda/1123052400000_1124089200000_05-034/341.html

whitecloud1 · January 2006

Now that's useful. I'll be watching for that condition on my '03. I have an extended warrenty and plan to use it whenever possible.

gary23 · January 2006

Has anyone experienced problems with their 2005 Honda Accord's paint? I have a Nighthawk Black Clear Coat and have noticed that the paint is VERY susceptible to to rock chips, debris, et. I have owned many black cars over the years and it looks like this vehicle's front end was shot with a BB gun.

accord6mt · January 2006

I have an '05 Accord coupe and so far the paint is fine... I live in the Washington, DC area so temps here vary from 20s in winter to 100 in summer... pretty much a good mix of temps and precip (frozen and liquid).

Good luck!

blane · January 2006

Absolutely no issues with the quality of the paint or of its applicaation on my 2004 Accord Coupe. It was built in Ohio.

guiseppe · January 2006

Thanks for the link!! I will be making a bee line to the local service dept and provide them with my findings.

stickguy · January 2006

my silver 2005 doesn't have any flaws that I have noticed, and I did do a wax job a few weeks back (right after I bought it), so I think I would have noticed. I do pay attention and look for any problems too.

gary23 · January 2006

Does anybody have a "do it yourself" method of repairing rock chips on their vehicle? I've tried Langka where you fill in the chip with paint and then rub it down to the existing paint. It works but the paint in the chip is very dull and it appears that the Langka product dulls the new paint.. Any other thoughts?

stickguy · January 2006

I got a few nicks on our van. I have never had any luck using touch up paint, so I am taking it to a detail pro when it warms up, to get a good spring cleaning and the touch up work done at the same time.

carwala · January 2006

Thanks for your reply to my (and others) question about Accord's "Hesitation/Breaking in deceleration".

Do you know where I can find any Official Honda Documentation about this Accord Tranny "Feature"?

I searched web but couldn't find it explained anywhere. Instead found a few other web-sites where people have complained and are really annoyed about the same problem.

I drive a lot on local roads, and this feature really makes it difficult to drive at low speed. Normally when I see a red light from far, I take my foot of the gas, and expect the car to continue at the (almost) same speed, up to the signal, where I can use brakes. But now I have to apply gas for longer time till I am really near the signal before applying the brakes. Thus I am saving breaks at the expense of extra gas. :confuse:

If this was really a good thing, I imagine that Honda would have advertised it and put it on Window Sticker as a Brake Saving Feature. Also normally the good features are copied by the industry. Are you aware of any other cars with this feature?

mrbill1957 · January 2006

If you want the repair to be invisible, the chip has to be filled and the paint has to be sprayed on.

Touch up bottles work OK to protect the chip from further rust (ya got to catch them quickly), but there will always be signs of it being repaired, esp if you color is metallic.

Mrbill

geraldp1 · January 2006

We have an 04 black accord bought new. From your description sounds like it's the same as ours. I would'nt be so naive to think that your problem was caused by rocks & debris. Refer back to message #71 & those that follow.

steve58 · January 2006

my black 04 accord is showing more chips everytime i wash it. i think these ugly silver/pewter color cars dont show the flaws as much as dark colors. i guess we should buy silver and be part of the majority of the population and not give a ---- about how our property looks. take notice of the number of silver cars vs dark color cars. again, it all boils down to water based paints and nothing anyone can do about it.

thegraduate · January 2006

It is called "Grade Logic Control". It is even on my 1996 Accord with 4-speed Auto. It is on the window sticker under this title. I know that Toyotas have this feature, as do all automatic Hondas (maybe not Hybrids, not sure). It should lower your gear when coasting down a hill, and, if not then, it DEFINITELY will downshift once or twice (raising rpms to around 2k-2.5k) to help you slow down on hills. I have found it to be very beneficial where I live (a hilly neighborhood with lots of stop signs on hills). My 1996 has always hesitated b/c it downshifted to third when i applied a moderate brake pressure going down the same hill. Whenever I got down to 35 mph, it always kicked in. Still does it religiously. With 156k miles on that one tranny, I'd say it won't harm your car, and I always average 28mpg (rated 23/31) in the 96.

Also, in reference to number of starts:

My dad has had an 03 and an 05 Accord (4-cyl), and I have a 2006. All three take longer to crank than my old 96 with 156,000 miles. It's not an issue, just a different starter.

ssmith212 · January 2006

I'm planning on purchasing a certified accord. It come with 1 year or 12,000 mile warranty. I have the option to purchase the additional warranty for 100,000 miles(for about $1,200). Is it worth it to get this, what does it cover? Any feedback would help. Thanks!

dburrus1 · January 2006

Had the same problem on my 03v6. It began at 25K with a couple of blisters along the front edge of the hood. Regional rep agreed to a repaint one time only. The dealer tried to send me to a shop they use but I resiisted because of the one time only provison. Ended up going to the finest shop in the area to have it repainted. When they broke the blisters water was present. 7 months later the blisters showed up again and the shop stood by their lifetime warranty. At 70k it happened again. The body shop discovered that the weld underneath the lip of the hood was bad. Honda Inc. approved a new hood and another repaint. 94k and so far no new blister.

mamamia2 · January 2006

If this is a genuine Honda-Care warranty then yes, it is worth it. Especially if you have ZERO $ deductible. Check the appropriate board for extended warranty here.

geraldp1 · January 2006

Yeh, "58" is correct, the defect tends to show up in 04 Honda's with darker colors. The Tech Expert that examined the paint on our 04 black accord stated that "washing" the Honda will initiate the flaking & chiping.

steve58 · January 2006

did the tech expert explain how washing your car will make it flake and chip ?

blane · January 2006

mamamia2,

Did you mean here and forward?

jaylo247, "Honda Extended Warranties: Pricing and Info" #780, 28 Nov 2005 4:26 pm

bigmike91 · January 2006

Hello everyone, I have read many complaints (both here and elsewhere) about automatic transmissions on Accords malfunctioning and/or failing. Does anyone know if this problem occurs only with V6 models, or is it a problem with the four cylinder Accords also? Most of the complaints I have read are from V6 owners. Do the V6 and four cylinder models use different automatic transmissions? :confuse:

blane · January 2006

bigmike91,

The automatic transmission Service Bulletin was issued July 1, 2004 for second gear inspection of all 2003 V6 Accords and specific VIN ranges of 2004 V6 Accords.

http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=624

Owners of the affected vehicles would have been sent a recall notice letter.

neumie2000 · January 2006

I have an 04 Toyota 4Runner with the same feature. It is actually much more noticeable than on my wife's Accord. I do want to clarify something. Grade logic control, as the name applies, should only be a factor when going down a grade. Are you saying that on a completely flat surface, coming to a stop, letting your foot off the accelerator results in an INCREASE in rpms and a subsequent premature slow down? If this is the case, I would tend to agree with you that something may not be functioning as it should. I only notice this "feature" when traveling down a grade, not when on a completely level surface. Let us know a little more information about the exact conditions under which you experience this.

arhonda · January 2006

Did they agree to paint the whole car or just hood? I am concerned that the paint won't match. What about after they replace the entire hood?

haefr · January 2006

Another good bet is the preferred way to clean fine coated refractive and delicate front-surface reflective optics: a micro-fiber cloth lightly dampened with 91%* isopropyl alcohol, then "polished" with a clean, dry micro-fiber cloth. Commercial glass cleaners such as "Windex" would be good as a dampening agent, too.

*Common "rubbing alcohol" is only around 80% strength. Nothing in principle wrong with that, but these products also often contain lanolin (sheep-wool fat extract) to prevent skin dryness. While lanolin won't damage the screen face, it does tend to leave a "smeary" apearance as well as act as a "dust magnet".

car_crazy1 · January 2006

I went on a long drive for 300 miles or so.
When I press the trip computer once, it shows trip B and when i press it again, it shows outside temperature and trip A and when i press it again, it shows oil life%.

Before the longdrive, oillife showed 100%. After the trip its showing 90%.

At what percent should I take it back to the dealer for an oilchange ?

I checked the servicemanual and I dont think there is anything specified in that.

stickguy · January 2006

on my Odyssey, the wrench symbol comes on at 15%, which is when you are supposed to take it in, although I am sure there is some lag time built in.

iansdad1 · January 2006

hmmmm......0% would be my guess.

randomatic · January 2006

Any of you Accord-o-holics have any expierence with upgrading your headlamp bulbs?. While researching the possibility of upgrading my stock 03 Accords headlamp bulbs to Sylvania SilverStars on Sylvania consumer products web page, I was informed that "late model" Accords ambient voltage runs as high as 15 volts which is quite a bit higher than the 12 to 12.8 volts that these bulbs are designed to run on , and that this has caused shortened life spans,some as short as two months,in vehicles that have made the switch. The explanation is that the higher voltages creates a higher pressure within the bulb, thereby shortining its life. It also described the failure as as the result of the bulb "shattering", which would would result in a sudden loss of illumination. Again this is one reply from one web-site, albiet a good one, and has made me re-think this idea. Has anyone else heard similiar claims, or anything contrary to this?

another_person · January 2006

so if voltage can spike to 15, then shouldn't the 12v stock bulbs "shatter" too? The stock bulbs in my 05 are from Sylvania, so shouldn't the upgrade from the bulb manufacturer be just as good as the standard bulbs? Personally, I just ordered a pair of PIAA extreme white plus bulbs because I was unimpressed with silverstars in my other vehicles. I really hope i didn't just waste $70

haefr · January 2006

I question Sylvania's assertion that late model Hondas run a system bus overvoltage as high as 15 volts. Failure of electrical components wouldn't merely be limited to headlight bulbs. A fully charged battery will test out at ~13 volts under NO load. Alternators are voltage limited to just over 14 volts by the voltage regulator (assuming the regulator is working correctly) What does take place with the super-bright halogen replacement bulbs is that the filaments are modestly under-rated for the nominal voltage at the battery terminals for their increased lumen output and will never last quite as long as conventional halogen bulbs. Still, only two months is an inordinantly short lifespan. I would be more inclined to suspect that the installer inadvertently touched the fused quartz envelope and left skin oil contamination on it. Doesn't take much to set up a thermal disparity on the very hot quartz surface of even a conventional halogen bulb that'll result in early bulb death - not atypically associated with bulb shattering. The situation would be compounded with the extra thermal stress from the under-rated filaments in the super-bright halogen bulbs - they run even hotter. If you touch the envelope of a halogen bulb with bare skin during installation, immediately wipe it down with a clean tissue saturated with 91% isopropyl alcohol to remove skin oil contamination. Do NOT use common "rubbing alcohol". That stuff's reduced 80% alcohol content isn't problematic, but it usually also contains lanolin as a skin moisturizer - just as "bad" as human skin oils from the standpoint of premature bulb failure. Most pharmacies and pharmaceutical sections of large discount retailers stock the 91% stuff, but you may have to ask an employee for help finding it or it may be stocked behind the pharmacy counter. Wearing an un-talc'd latex or vinyl glove is a good way to avoid installation problems.

andyrus · January 2006

The radio with faulty display was replaced for free even though our Accord is already 3.25 years old with 32k miles. I have also noticed that driver's seat was a little bit loose (it was moving back and forth - very annoying when braking). Also free repair. I am very happy with Honda service.

thegraduate · January 2006

At what percent should I take it back to the dealer for an oilchange ?

The owner's manual suggests at 15% that you should schedule an appointment. The oil life monitor works by counting your rpms since last service. After reaching a set # it drops incrementally by 10% at a time, so that 100% = 100-91%; 90% = 90-81% and so on. My car has 3400 miles on it and is displaying 50% oil life. If you drive harder (revving more) you will reach 15% quicker than if you don't rev much (logistics prove that point = less rpms per mile and hour = less revs for total miles).

jocolli · January 2006

Check out the January '06 Consumer Reports Magazine. They tested numerous bulbs: APC Plasma Ultra White, GE Nighthawk, Philips CrystalVision, Sylvania SilverStar, and Wagner TruView. Their conclusion was that although some bulbs produced a whiter looking light, they weren't "better." Their bottom line was don't waste your money.

djm2 · January 2006

Recently I had the opportunity to speak with a Honda Tech at a social gathering. He recommended the following: ----1.) Change the engine oil and filter every 3,000 miles, ----2.) Change the transmission fluid every 15,000 miles,---- and ---- 3.) Warm up the engine on cold mornings, prior to driving the vehicle, for long automatic transmission life. Best regards. ---- Dwayne

nash123 · January 2006

Our Honda Tech says 1. You do not have to change the oil at every 3,000, you can go way over, 2. Change the trans fluid at every 30,000 miles, and only if deemed necessary after it is checked, and 3. Warm up the engine only for a couple of minutes.

bioman · January 2006

The definitive source for maintenance of your vehicle is the Owners Manual. It was written by Honda and it is the benchmark upon which all warranty related items are adjudicated. If you drive your vehicle under certain severe conditions, the maintenance schedule in the Owners Manual takes that in to account. YOU have to decide if you drive under those conditions. If you do, you could follow the schedule for severe conditions. If you do not drive under severe conditions you could follow the normal maintenance schedule. We have problems because the local dealership want to make more money so they have what they call recommended service schedules. If you follow the dealer recommended schedules will your car be protected? Of course! Is that recommended schedule necessary? That is up to each vehicles owner to decide. My personal opinion is that a lot of what the dealers recommend is overkill. My 04 Accord EX V6 gets an oil & filter change every 5K miles. I use Mobil 1 oil and a Pur 1 filter and I rest easy. I will probably service my transmission at the 30K mark because the transmission works very hard and must be given every chance to live as long a life as possible. From what I have read, if you wait too long and then service the transmission you can create more problems with fresh transmission fluid than if you left the transmission alone! Since I service my cars myself, I check everything that the Owners Manual says has to be checked, usually under normal maintenance conditions. I have done this for over 40 years and all of my cars have gone well over 100K (Oops, forgot about my 95 GMC Jimmy that I got rid of after four years because it was the biggest POJ I had ever owned). I guess what I am trying to say is that each of us has to establish a comfort zone. You cant really trust most of the dealerships because they have a profit motive driving them. Not all of them provide very good service so you have to be lucky and find one that does. Otherwise you will get very expensive, incompetent service that may not be necessary. So pick some point between severe & normal and follow that guideline. You can do the work yourself or find a good, honest service provider and stick with them.

austinafm · January 2006

I'm almost embarrased to post this, but I've been searching the net and this site for an hour and can't find an answer. I bought a replacement air filter for my 2004 Accord 4 cylinder thinking it would be simple to replace it myself.

Problem is, I open the hood and have no idea where it is supposed to go! I know this isn't a hard question: can someone give me a clue, or direct me to a URL that illustrates on a step-by-step basis how you change out the air filter on this car?

Many thanks in advance for your help.

neumie2000 · January 2006

My wife has a 2003 EX V6. I have about 10K miles left of warranty, and I am considering purchasing an extended warranty since we will be keeping this car for at least another 4-5 years. The major issue which others have discussed in this forum is early transmission failure. My question is this, has Honda officially extended the warranty on the transmission in the 2003 Accord V6?? Is there something in writing that confirms this or is it a case by case basis between the owner, the dealer, and a local Honda rep? Any answers are appreciated.

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. 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!!!

neumie2000 · January 2006

Was that a typo? DBW was out well before 2005, at least 2003, and I believe before that even.

stickguy · January 2006

It went DBW with the 2006 changes. Other cars have had it for a while though.

crimsonlaw2002 · January 2006

I had my front driver's side replaced at about 18K miles because it was warped. a good 5000-7000 of the miles were highway miles without excessive braking, so I'm not sure why one warped so quickly.

After having that replaced and the other brakes serviced, as part of a regularly scheduled maintenance visit, I now have my rear brakes squeaking when I hit the brakes (not due to weather, nor is it the first braking action of the day). I have 25K on it.

blane · January 2006

neumie2000,

Take Honda Service Bulletin 04-037 to your dealer and have them look up the latest information, since this is a preliminary version.

http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=624

You may not be able to purchase a HondaCare extended warranty now.

blane · January 2006

My 2004 Accord V6 is Drive By Wire.

Since you are questioning whether your father's 2005 Accord pedal is functioning correctly, why doesn't he take it to a Honda dealer's service department for his potential warranty question?

aparker2 · January 2006

This might be a wierd question, but I have had my car for a little over a month and the other night my husband left the light on inside of the car and it was on all night (8-10hrs). Will this affect my battery life? My car started fine, I just did not want to have to worry about any maintenance probs. in the near future.

thegraduate · January 2006

Well, he's got 37,000 miles on it. Warranty's out at 36. It's not bad at all, just annoying when I've come from the smooth DBW. Not being my car, I don't want to bring it up.

Honda Accord (2003-2007) Maintenance and Repair

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