Unless you are already into Car Detailing and Paint Care, which it sounds like you are not, I would pay a professional. Don't know about your area but your could probably have the car paint taken care of for around 300 dollars. It should probably be washed-->clay barred-->hand waxed-->polished. That is assuming their is not any paint damage.
You can obviously do all this work yourself and it will be cheaper. However, I have clay barred an Acura Vigor, which is about the same size as you car, and it will take a full day of constant elbow grease. it is not a fun job, it is straight hard work. Any clay bar product will do fine I am sure. And it is very simple to do, again just a lot of work. Clay bar can be found at almost every auto parts store (Kragen, Checker, Napa, Autozone, etc...)
If you don't want to do it yourself, find a detailer, not a car wash/detailer combo shop. Find the ones that are in commercial areas like where you would find mechanics. Or find the ones that luxury used car dealers use for their reconditioning. It will cost you a few hundred but if they have to please luxury car dealers than I am sure you will be pleased. Just make sure to mention you want the car clay barred as part of the exterior detail.
Clay barring removes dirt, debris, oil and contaminants that are lodged/fused into the paint.
If you are really anal you could also ask for a wet sand after the clay bar. But we a re talking about a 10 years accord, not a luxury/collector/sports car. That may be over kill.
Again you can easily do all these things if you do not want to pay. It would be a great learning experience as well. You should google the above topics and I am certain you will find a number of sire with how to's on all of this and that will give a more thorough explanation of what does what for your paint.
Good Luck!!!
PS ~ Last wash a year ago. Better keep guiding your daughter until she finds a spouse who can take car of the "manly" things.
My vehicle is out of warranty (5 years old and 176,000 miles) and the Heater/AC and Radio display just went out. Do you have any information on the DIY fix?
Honda extended the warranty on the displays to 7 years, 70k miles, but they may do it for you free, even at your mileage. They have to change a defective PCB (printed circuit board).
What should I do to clean it up, protect it, and hopefully get a few more years out of it.
There are lots of good sites on the web that will give you some idea of what needs to be done. You can spend a lot of money and/or time... or you can do some basics yourself.
Washing with a good car wash is an important first step. Using a clay bar is crucial but I disagree with Forlorn about it taking all day and needing a lot of elbow grease. Good clay and a good lubricant makes it pretty easy to do. I've never had to rub hard to remove anything... but it is amazing what you'll pick up.
You can use various levels of polish to remove scratches (if they aren't too deep) either by hand or with a machine. You aren't going to want to spend time wet sanding on a car like that.
To finish, you can either put on a wax or paint sealant. The wax will last 3 months and the sealant longer (but you won't get as deep a shine... probably not something that will concern you with this car.) My CarSpace has some pics of my car with a paint sealant after almost a year to give you an idea. Not all sealants are created equally, however, so get a good one.
You can check this forum on Edmunds: Paint & Body Maintenance & Repair for more info. As I said earlier, there are many other websites that will give you all the details. Autopia is pretty popular and has lots of tips. My personal favorite is Detailer's Handbook from Griot's Garage. You can read it online at that link for free or you can buy it. It has great info but you don't have to use their products (personally, I love them.)
Sorry it took so long. I just saw this message. The DIY repair I used for the radio backlight is at this website, just a few posts down from the top. (Nice big pictures, you can't miss it.)
Thanks again for the advice. I went to the Honda Dealer on Friday and took a printout of handa-accessories.com's prices. And the guy was a bit confused at first if he was able to, but then went ahead and matched the online prices (I fibbed a bit and said someone had did it for me before - the truth was that someone did it for elroy5 before ;-) ).
So I got to shave a few bucks off of all the items I needed AND didn't have to pay shipping so it worked out well.
In the post I am replying to, I listed all the items I had wanted to get: a) Air Filter / Genuine Factory Honda Accord engine air filter - $20.49 - bought two of these b) Micron Air brand Pollen Filter - Also called A/C or Cabin filters. Fits Years 2003-2005, for other years - $15.95 - bought two of these too c) Automatic Transmission Fluid ATF-Z1 - $6.11 - bought 5 of these d) Genuine Factory Honda long life antifreeze/coolant type2 - 1 Gallon Container 50/50 prediluted. - $11.73 - bought 2 of these
Final price - $136.20
Now, I have been shopping around a bit with the different dealers in the DC/Baltimore area to find out the costs of the 120k and under services I have to get done: 1) Inspect Valve Clearance (110k miles) 2) Transmission Fluid (120k miles) 3) Coolant (120k miles) 4) Spark Plugs (110k miles)
Many of the dealers were pretty high in price for the services, so by me getting the parts, I should have been able to save significant money. However, Sport Honda in Silver Spring was one of the last dealers I e-mailed, and when they responded, it seemed to be most reasonably priced for these 4 services and looking at their breakdown, it seems that by buying my own parts, I prob won't be saving a significant amount. Check out their e-mail to me below:
Transmission Fluid Replacement - fluid $36.00 washer $4.00 - Labor $52.00 - our present special $79.95 (a savings of about $12.00) the fluid replacement consists of about 3 quarts... the procedure that you are quoting - 'three successive flushes w/ roadtest' is only done if there is a specific problem with the transmission fluid being burnt - Honda does not recommend a flush of the system unless there is an actual problem - If in fact this procedure was needed the price would be $249.95 - I would be suprised indeed if it turned out to be necessary.
Spark plugs - Honda platinum $100.00 regular installation $104.00 /$ 204.00 - there is a si Valve Adjustment - Honda Valve cover gasket $14.00 + labor charge of $156. - when done together - special price is $349.95 - As it is necessary to remove the valve cover to inspect the adjustment there is no seperate charge for the inspection
Honda engine coolant for your vehicle $22.00 + labor $72.80 - Special $ 86.95"
When I get a chance, I'll post some of the other breakdowns I received from other dealers. I hope all this info helps other Accord owners when they hit services around this mileage.
Yep, if you look at the post I just made above this one (replying to a post on getting honda dealers to match onine prices), I grabbed an extra Micron Air brand Pollen Filter/A/C or Cabin Filter and an Air Filter to keep handy since I was getting the price as low as I would probably get it.
I just posted a bit ago (scroll up a few posts() about where I'm planning on going to get some big 120k and under service items done on my 2004 Accord EX-L Sedan w/ Auto. I'll ask them about the power steering TSB also.
I am having a similar problem w/my 2003 Accord on the Hood, Roof & Trunk. I reported it to Honda America back in Aug.08 and finally had a District Repr. visit the local dealer finally in Dec 08. What a joke this was, the District Repr. could/would not pin down a time for the appt.just so he would not have to talk with the customer about a Honda problem, specifically the strange spots in the clear coat. As you can guess. I never had the opprtunity to talk w/the Honda Repr., but all he reported that it was "environemental". This is a convenient answer and if you task Honda on a definition of "environmental" they cannot really explain. All Honda is looking for you to do is walk away. As a family we take proper care & pride in our vehicles. During the conversation w/Honda America we explained that the Accord 1) The vehicle is weekly and detailed/waxed once/twice annually 2) The vehicle since owned has been garaged or parked in a carport 3) At the place of business where the vehicle is parked free of tree sap and no bird dropping sit on the paint So this is the present position we are in and it just comes down to arguments. If anyone else knows a solution (maybe class action) to get Honda to pay I'm willing to listen. I presently own (3) other Honda's (2) 07's and (1) 2003 Civic. If this is Customer Service that Honda brags about, this issue is not being addressed correctly. This is a sad situation that I hope does not get ugly.
I have the 4 door sedan 2004 honda accord EX-L w/ Navi (Auto) so I believe I will be needing the:
Use IZFR6K13 (NGK) or SKJ20DR-M13 (DENSO) for SULEV model (4-door model only).
I don't think I saw spark plugs on handa-accessories.com so even though I was able to take a printout to the honda dealer and have them match prices, I couldn't do it in this case. So if I was to go to the dealer to buy them, I'd have to pay whatever price they have. or I could go to Autozone and get these from there for probably cheaper right?
I know it's an older model, but I had a 95 Accord EX that required NGK something or other and I got all 4 for about $10 at Checker Auto. If that helps at all.
Just did a quick check. NGK for your year are $10 a pop.
I have a green 2003 Honda Accord and the clear coat started getting cloudy over a year ago. My dealer actually painted the roof free of charge (car was 4 years old then) but now the problem is on my trunk and starting on the hood. I have always taken good care of my car which is not garage kept but that should not matter. Honda doesn't sell their cars stating that they must be garage kept to keep the clear coat from coming off. The district rep for Honda came out to inspect the car and gave me the same jive that he gave you about environment and mileage on the car (95,000 miles) which has nothing to do with the paint. Honda Customer Svc has agreed to give me $250 towards the cost to paint my car (my estimate is over $1,000). I am very dissatisfied with Honda and will not buy another car from them. I informed them of my dissatisfaction and they directed me to the Better Business Bureau. They were actually cocky about it. I would love to join a class action suit. A five year old car should not need to be repainted. Honda just don't seem to care and I believe they should pay for the car to be painted...not me.
I swung by Advance Auto Parts and the guy looked up spark plugs for my 2004 Honda Accord EX-L w/ Navi (Auto, Sedan) and the NGK Laser Iridium 1ZFR6K11 (stock no. 6994) came up. It was $9.99 each and they were in stock.
I was expecting to find the IZFR6K13 (NGK) for SULEV model (4-door model only). Did I get the right plugs?
The Denso 3377 Iridium Long-Life also came up, but were $20.99 each and had a check shelf next to it so I just told them to forget about it.
there's a 3 year replacement on the NGK - how would that work for me? Would they go bad? if so, how would I know?
On the Denso, there's a 90 day replacement if defective. Both of these warranties are as per Advance Auto Part's printout.
I dunno...I just gave you what the ALLDATA database said to use...this is what mechanics consult. I have no idea what the differences are in those numbers.
My black '93 EX had to be repainted when the clear coat failed. My graphite '07 EX is staring to get cloudy on the hood already. I need to bring it in and have it checked. Also, I have found the '07 seems more prone to door dings then other vehicles (including the '93). The PDR guy is putting his kids through college on my $75/ding repairs lol.
Randomly had the passenger side air bag light come on during the middle of a road trip. It went off but still concerns me that it went off in the first place. I have a 2006 Accord EX.
Are you talking about the one's up front or the ones that come out of the seat? I think those are side-impact airbags.
If the side-impact light went off, if you were riding with somebody, it may have meant that your passenger fell asleep and was leaning too far over. Otherwise I don't know.
The light, above the hazard-flashers button, comes on when something or someone is in the seat that is similar to the weight of a child (the owner's manual tells this in detail). Somewhere between 45 and 89 lbs I believe. Lets you know the airbag won't deploy.
My backpack can do it sometimes. Nothing to worry about.
Randomly had the passenger side air bag light come on
Thegrad was right... if no one was in the passenger seat and there was something on the seat that set off the light. However, it looks like you said the side air bag light came on. Was anyone with you? As someone said, that happens if they had an arm or were otherwise leaning against the door. It shuts off the airbag for safety reasons. Had it happen to me once when my daughter leaned against the door.
yeah my wife (about 120) was in the seat. I don't think she was leaning against the door, but she was moving around a lot to help with our baby in the back.
That'll do it. My (now ex) gf was around 105 lbs, but when she'd cross her legs (putting more of her weight on the floorboard), the light would sometimes illuminate.
My accelerator has been sticking & they can't recreate it at the dealership! Anyone else have this problem? It happens at about 40-55 mph; I've discovered that I can throw it into neutral while I'm driving & gun the engine a few times & it pops back up. Please help before I reclaim my deathtrap from the repair shop!
I posted what I'm replying to a while ago. I thought I would follow up:
I'm at over 120k on my 2004 Honda Accord EX-L w/ Navi (Auto, Sedan, 4-cyclinder) and wanted to fix the error I made by having my Transmission service done at 90k at Firestone. However, the Honda dealers I'm calling are just saying they do a simple drain and fill. A few dealers have said they do the 3 successive fluid exchanges but that I probably don't need it in my car.
Well what ever kind of car it is, carry a video camera in the car and have it ready to go. I once kept one of those little memo tape recorders in my 05 Malibu when I heard a banging noise I brought it to the dealer twice or course the noise was phantom. Upon bringing it back a third time, this time of course with the recording. It got fixed, the funny part was that the dealer didn't evev take the car for a ride after I played the tape, they just pulled it into the garage and proceeded with replacing the struts under warranty.
So I went to add wiper fluid the other day and I noticed some black carbon buildup around the seam of the plate that covers the spark plugs (not sure what to call said plate). Anyhow, I was wondering if anyone can tell me possible causes for this. The car only has 50K on it and seems to be running well. The black spot seems to be preferentially located with respect to the right most front cylinder. Is the seal around one of the plugs leaking? Thanks for the help.
What do you mean by "carbon build-up"? Can you provide a picture? You say right most front, do you have a V6? What "plate" are you talking about? Is it a gasket or metal? Have you changed/inspected your plugs yet? If you remove that plug is it covered in oil? Usually if a plug is loose you will have more noticeable problems than a "build-up" (whatever that means). How often do you change your oil? Has it ever been filled too much?
If you send a picture I am sure it will be easier for people to answer your question.
I mentioned before (see message I'm replying to) that I grabbed an extra Micron Air brand Pollen Filter/A/C or Cabin Filter and an Air Filter when I was at the Honda dealer in Laurel, MD because they were willing to match the price online to handa-accessories.com. I was wondering if rather than hold these two items for back up for the family's 2004 Accord I4, should/could I replace my wife's 2007 Accord I4 Auto with them? She bought her car in 9/2007 and has 15936 miles on it. But I don't think the 2007 Accord I4's filters are compatible with the 2004 Accord I4 because when I go to http://handa-accessories.com/accmaint06.html, it says:
Air Filter Genuine Factory Honda Accord engine air filter. Fits Years 2006 - 2007
Micron Air brand Pollen Filter Also called A/C or Cabin filter. Fits Years 2006 - 2008
Thanks Tallman1. Maybe I'll go ahead and replace the air filter & cabin air filter in my wife's 2007 Accord then. As I mentioned, the car's at around 15k miles and we bought it new over a year ago. I know with the 2004 Accord, the manual says to do the filter changes around 30k, but seems others say to do 15k. You're supposed to check if it's dirty and go from there right?
Unless you feel like you drive in dirty/dusty conditions, or where it might have leaves/junk in the filter, I believe 30k miles will be more than soon enough. It's such a pain in the butt to check the filter though (tough to get the box open) I'd probably change it if I went to the trouble to check it.
I agree with thegrad, unless you are driving in some very dirty conditions, I'd stick with the 30k routine for both.
The 07 has the maintenance minder system, so you can follow that. Mine seems to come up before 30k interval but it hasn't been that dirty so I've stayed with 30k.
Thanks for the responses tallman1 and thegraduate. Will hold off on switching the air filters in my wife's 2007 Accord I4 then. We'll just do it in the 2004 Accord I4.
The maintenance minder system in the '07 - I know it reminds me when an oil change needs to be done (when the oil life gets low), but how do you know when to do air filters, etc.
I like life w/ the '04 Accord when I just follow the manual
There are codes that come up when the wrench icon displays (letters and numbers). Your owner's manual lists to which service the numbers and letters refer.
I wish I could find the article talking about how often you need to change air filters. It said with modern autos, you don't need to change air filters as often as you think. The whole air/fuel system re adjusts itself as the filter gets dirty. I don't recall how often they said to change the filter, but when I saw the numbers, I said "no way" to myself. I'm too "old school" and still go by how dirty the filter looks.
I know the one you're talking about. It mentions that fuel mileage isn't actually affected, although power is (a relatively insignificant amount if you don't let it go).
What’s the life span of the OEM battery? My car is 3-year old with 46,000 miles on it.
The battery died on me last night(a very cold night in Northeast; about 10F with wind chill) after I listened to the radio for 30 minutes without having the engine running. Got a jump start. Now, the battery has a “dark eye” (not fully charged).
The tow truck driver told me it’s not uncommon to have a dead battery if I stop the engine and have the radio on in such a cold night. I would think the OEM battery will last more than 3 years. What’s your experience?
I don't think your battery replacement was too soon. It's in the typical range of 36-48 months based on my past 25 years of driving cars.
I had to replace the battery in my Honda Accord 2004 EX-L, 2.4liter, in June, 2008, purchased car in July, 2004. Original battery lasted 47 months. Car wouldn't start one morning after attempting to crank it twice. I checked the battery voltage and it was about 10.5VDC. It should have been ~12.5VDC. I knew the voltage was not good. Called AAA and got a jump start. The car started on first attempt with the AAA jump start. I drove directly to Advance Auto Parts and they tested it and said the battery had a bad cell. I replaced it with a Titanium battery from Advance Auto Parts. They installed it for free (I'm sure I paid in some way for the install service though by buying the battery there) and it only took 5 minutes to replace. Car has started fine since.
I live in Florida and hot weather is not the best for car batteries and probably has shortened my car's battery life. I had a former cars battery die in Florida after 25 months, a bit short lived in my opinion. One month after the full replacement warranty expired... My experience has been that around 3-4 years is about what I've gotten out of batteries with different car makes/models over 25 years of owning cars.
One thing with the OEM battery, you don't know how much abuse it went thru at the dealer. It's not uncommon for batteries to go dead sitting at the dealers lot. If they let it sit and it partially froze, that could have done damage before you even got the car.
IMO, Honda uses marginal batteries to start with. 3-4 years out of hte OEM is actually normal. In your case, I would replace it now to be safe, since you are going to be doing it soon anyway, and a dead battery on a cold night stinks.
I put one from Walmart in my Odyssey a couple months back (it was testing out below spec). Top rated by CR, and only $$75 installed, and they did a nice job. Also has about 2x the rated power.
On my 2005 Accord, the battery is still in the OK range (from the oil change last omnth) but sounds very weak. Then again, it always has, which I think reflects how low powered it is. Still starts, but makes you wonder on a cold day.
I also know mine was dead on the lot, since they had to jump it the first time I test drove the car!
I probably should have replaced it proactively, but I was too cheap.
You can get a battery from anywhere (I got mine from Sam's club). I would get one with at least as many CCA (Cold Cranking Amp) as the original. Just make sure you have the radio code, because you will have to enter it to get the radio going again.
When you buy the car new, the dealership is supposed to give you a card (credit card size) with the code number on it. If the battery is disconnected, you need the code to make it come on again (anti-theft). The serial # is supposed to be in the glove box on a label. The dealership can give you the code with that information.
Comments
You can obviously do all this work yourself and it will be cheaper. However, I have clay barred an Acura Vigor, which is about the same size as you car, and it will take a full day of constant elbow grease. it is not a fun job, it is straight hard work. Any clay bar product will do fine I am sure. And it is very simple to do, again just a lot of work. Clay bar can be found at almost every auto parts store (Kragen, Checker, Napa, Autozone, etc...)
If you don't want to do it yourself, find a detailer, not a car wash/detailer combo shop. Find the ones that are in commercial areas like where you would find mechanics. Or find the ones that luxury used car dealers use for their reconditioning. It will cost you a few hundred but if they have to please luxury car dealers than I am sure you will be pleased. Just make sure to mention you want the car clay barred as part of the exterior detail.
Clay barring removes dirt, debris, oil and contaminants that are lodged/fused into the paint.
If you are really anal you could also ask for a wet sand after the clay bar. But we a re talking about a 10 years accord, not a luxury/collector/sports car. That may be over kill.
Again you can easily do all these things if you do not want to pay. It would be a great learning experience as well. You should google the above topics and I am certain you will find a number of sire with how to's on all of this and that will give a more thorough explanation of what does what for your paint.
Good Luck!!!
PS ~ Last wash a year ago. Better keep guiding your daughter until she finds a spouse who can take car of the "manly" things.
There are lots of good sites on the web that will give you some idea of what needs to be done. You can spend a lot of money and/or time... or you can do some basics yourself.
Washing with a good car wash is an important first step. Using a clay bar is crucial but I disagree with Forlorn about it taking all day and needing a lot of elbow grease. Good clay and a good lubricant makes it pretty easy to do. I've never had to rub hard to remove anything... but it is amazing what you'll pick up.
You can use various levels of polish to remove scratches (if they aren't too deep) either by hand or with a machine. You aren't going to want to spend time wet sanding on a car like that.
To finish, you can either put on a wax or paint sealant. The wax will last 3 months and the sealant longer (but you won't get as deep a shine... probably not something that will concern you with this car.) My CarSpace has some pics of my car with a paint sealant after almost a year to give you an idea. Not all sealants are created equally, however, so get a good one.
You can check this forum on Edmunds: Paint & Body Maintenance & Repair for more info. As I said earlier, there are many other websites that will give you all the details. Autopia is pretty popular and has lots of tips. My personal favorite is Detailer's Handbook from Griot's Garage. You can read it online at that link for free or you can buy it. It has great info but you don't have to use their products (personally, I love them.)
Good luck!
http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-trucks/2003-honda-accord-wiring-problem-8584-1- - - 8.html
I used the directions at this site, http://www.cdplayerrepair.com/Remtips/accord_rem.htm , and this site, http://www.cardomain.com/ride/561772/3 , to help in removing the stereo. The top panel is difficult to remove, but after you get that off, it goes pretty easily.
Thanks again for the advice. I went to the Honda Dealer on Friday and took a printout of handa-accessories.com's prices. And the guy was a bit confused at first if he was able to, but then went ahead and matched the online prices (I fibbed a bit and said someone had did it for me before - the truth was that someone did it for elroy5 before ;-) ).
So I got to shave a few bucks off of all the items I needed AND didn't have to pay shipping so it worked out well.
In the post I am replying to, I listed all the items I had wanted to get:
a) Air Filter / Genuine Factory Honda Accord engine air filter - $20.49
- bought two of these
b) Micron Air brand Pollen Filter - Also called A/C or Cabin filters.
Fits Years 2003-2005, for other years - $15.95
- bought two of these too
c) Automatic Transmission Fluid ATF-Z1 - $6.11
- bought 5 of these
d) Genuine Factory Honda long life antifreeze/coolant type2 - 1 Gallon Container 50/50 prediluted. - $11.73
- bought 2 of these
Final price - $136.20
Now, I have been shopping around a bit with the different dealers in the DC/Baltimore area to find out the costs of the 120k and under services I have to get done:
1) Inspect Valve Clearance (110k miles)
2) Transmission Fluid (120k miles)
3) Coolant (120k miles)
4) Spark Plugs (110k miles)
Many of the dealers were pretty high in price for the services, so by me getting the parts, I should have been able to save significant money. However, Sport Honda in Silver Spring was one of the last dealers I e-mailed, and when they responded, it seemed to be most reasonably priced for these 4 services and looking at their breakdown, it seems that by buying my own parts, I prob won't be saving a significant amount. Check out their e-mail to me below:
Transmission Fluid Replacement - fluid $36.00 washer $4.00 - Labor
$52.00 - our present special $79.95 (a savings of about $12.00)
the fluid replacement consists of about 3 quarts... the procedure that
you are quoting - 'three successive flushes w/ roadtest' is only done if
there is a specific problem with the transmission fluid being burnt -
Honda does not recommend a flush of the system unless there is an actual
problem - If in fact this procedure was needed the price would be
$249.95 - I would be suprised indeed if it turned out to be necessary.
Spark plugs - Honda platinum $100.00 regular installation $104.00 /$
204.00 - there is a si
Valve Adjustment - Honda Valve cover gasket $14.00 + labor charge of
$156. - when done together - special price is $349.95 - As it is
necessary to remove the valve cover to inspect the adjustment there is
no seperate charge for the inspection
Honda engine coolant for your vehicle $22.00 + labor $72.80 - Special $
86.95"
When I get a chance, I'll post some of the other breakdowns I received from other dealers. I hope all this info helps other Accord owners when they hit services around this mileage.
I just posted a bit ago (scroll up a few posts() about where I'm planning on going to get some big 120k and under service items done on my 2004 Accord EX-L Sedan w/ Auto. I'll ask them about the power steering TSB also.
I would like to hear from Others
Use IZFR6K11 (NGK) or SKJ20DR-M11 (DENSO).
Use IZFR6K13 (NGK) or SKJ20DR-M13 (DENSO) for SULEV model (4-door model only).
I have the 4 door sedan 2004 honda accord EX-L w/ Navi (Auto) so I believe I will be needing the:
Use IZFR6K13 (NGK) or SKJ20DR-M13 (DENSO) for SULEV model (4-door model only).
I don't think I saw spark plugs on handa-accessories.com so even though I was able to take a printout to the honda dealer and have them match prices, I couldn't do it in this case. So if I was to go to the dealer to buy them, I'd have to pay whatever price they have. or I could go to Autozone and get these from there for probably cheaper right?
Just did a quick check. NGK for your year are $10 a pop.
I was expecting to find the IZFR6K13 (NGK) for SULEV model (4-door model only). Did I get the right plugs?
The Denso 3377 Iridium Long-Life also came up, but were $20.99 each and had a check shelf next to it so I just told them to forget about it.
there's a 3 year replacement on the NGK - how would that work for me? Would they go bad? if so, how would I know?
On the Denso, there's a 90 day replacement if defective. Both of these warranties are as per Advance Auto Part's printout.
Also, I have found the '07 seems more prone to door dings then other vehicles (including the '93). The PDR guy is putting his kids through college on my $75/ding repairs lol.
If the side-impact light went off, if you were riding with somebody, it may have meant that your passenger fell asleep and was leaning too far over. Otherwise I don't know.
My backpack can do it sometimes. Nothing to worry about.
Thegrad was right... if no one was in the passenger seat and there was something on the seat that set off the light. However, it looks like you said the side air bag light came on. Was anyone with you? As someone said, that happens if they had an arm or were otherwise leaning against the door. It shuts off the airbag for safety reasons. Had it happen to me once when my daughter leaned against the door.
I'm at over 120k on my 2004 Honda Accord EX-L w/ Navi (Auto, Sedan, 4-cyclinder) and wanted to fix the error I made by having my Transmission service done at 90k at Firestone. However, the Honda dealers I'm calling are just saying they do a simple drain and fill. A few dealers have said they do the 3 successive fluid exchanges but that I probably don't need it in my car.
Any thoughts?
Upon bringing it back a third time, this time of course with the recording. It got fixed, the funny part was that the dealer didn't evev take the car for a ride after I played the tape, they just pulled it into the garage and proceeded with replacing the struts under warranty.
Thanks for the help.
If you send a picture I am sure it will be easier for people to answer your question.
http://i.pbase.com/o6/34/704134/1/72151109.e2uvBHj3.PC212101.jpg
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Air Filter
Genuine Factory Honda Accord engine air filter.
Fits Years 2006 - 2007
Micron Air brand Pollen Filter
Also called A/C or Cabin filter.
Fits Years 2006 - 2008
Cabin Filter: 80292-SDA-A01
Air Filter: 17220-RAA-A00
The 07 has the maintenance minder system, so you can follow that. Mine seems to come up before 30k interval but it hasn't been that dirty so I've stayed with 30k.
The maintenance minder system in the '07 - I know it reminds me when an oil change needs to be done (when the oil life gets low), but how do you know when to do air filters, etc.
I like life w/ the '04 Accord when I just follow the manual
There are codes that come up when the wrench icon displays (letters and numbers). Your owner's manual lists to which service the numbers and letters refer.
Mrbill
The battery died on me last night(a very cold night in Northeast; about 10F with wind chill) after I listened to the radio for 30 minutes without having the engine running. Got a jump start. Now, the battery has a “dark eye” (not fully charged).
The tow truck driver told me it’s not uncommon to have a dead battery if I stop the engine and have the radio on in such a cold night. I would think the OEM battery will last more than 3 years. What’s your experience?
Thank you.
Richard
I had to replace the battery in my Honda Accord 2004 EX-L, 2.4liter, in June, 2008, purchased car in July, 2004. Original battery lasted 47 months. Car wouldn't start one morning after attempting to crank it twice. I checked the battery voltage and it was about 10.5VDC. It should have been ~12.5VDC. I knew the voltage was not good. Called AAA and got a jump start. The car started on first attempt with the AAA jump start. I drove directly to Advance Auto Parts and they tested it and said the battery had a bad cell. I replaced it with a Titanium battery from Advance Auto Parts. They installed it for free (I'm sure I paid in some way for the install service though by buying the battery there) and it only took 5 minutes to replace. Car has started fine since.
I live in Florida and hot weather is not the best for car batteries and probably has shortened my car's battery life. I had a former cars battery die in Florida after 25 months, a bit short lived in my opinion. One month after the full replacement warranty expired... My experience has been that around 3-4 years is about what I've gotten out of batteries with different car makes/models over 25 years of owning cars.
Mrbill
I put one from Walmart in my Odyssey a couple months back (it was testing out below spec). Top rated by CR, and only $$75 installed, and they did a nice job. Also has about 2x the rated power.
On my 2005 Accord, the battery is still in the OK range (from the oil change last omnth) but sounds very weak. Then again, it always has, which I think reflects how low powered it is. Still starts, but makes you wonder on a cold day.
I also know mine was dead on the lot, since they had to jump it the first time I test drove the car!
I probably should have replaced it proactively, but I was too cheap.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Do I get a battery from Honda Dealer or buy it from Walmart or Costco or Auto Zone?
Can you recommend a few decent brands for batteries? How about specs? Do you suggest I go for a higher capacity?
Thanks again.
Does this mean I have to get my battery replaced at the dealership? They charge $113 for the battery while a Duralast-Gold in Auto Zone costs $90.