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Honda Accord (2003-2007) Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • nycarguy1nycarguy1 Member Posts: 8
    Hey Guys,

    Great info on this site. I have an 07 Accord LX V6 28k miles. One day last week, my center console bin cover decided NOT to close anymore. I prefer it closed to keep some personal items out of view of possible thieves (city street parking) - not to mention keeping my own world in order with a neatly closed bin :)

    While I normally don't go to the dealer for work, I am taking the car in for a $19.95 coupon.promo oil change next week, and wondered if this bin would be covered under b 2 b 3/36 Warranty? Good to have the info prior to me insisting the fix it !!

    Thanks!
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    wondered if this bin would be covered under b 2 b 3/36 Warranty?

    Yes, it would be covered... hence the term "bumper to bumper." ;)

    I'm amazed that you still have warranty left on an 07. I drive too many miles I so never reach the three year limit.
  • nycarguy1nycarguy1 Member Posts: 8
    thx for the reply...and thankfully it's still under warranty (even i never expected to be this far into ownership). It still looks brand new too. I bought the car to drive alot for work, but ended up changing positions and now drive her very little. Can't part with the car, as i love it for once a month road trips. it's a great ride, and i love the road feel and balance of the car.

    re: Warranty: If they try to tell me i broke it, and it's not covered - i'll be a bit more prepared to argue! I just called Honda warranty who confirmed it would likely be covered if not deemed "deliberate abuse". hey, i love my car! I'd never abuse her!
  • tankbeanstankbeans Member Posts: 585
    I got my car back. I'm very happy.

    Can somebody link the forum for paint and touch up work? My minor ding that i touched up is starting to fail and I want to get to it before it starts to rust too badly. I'm thinking that they, in the other forum, may have ideas about what I could do to touch my car up.

    I know there's a forum, but can't for the life of me remember where it went.
  • corkscrewcorkscrew Member Posts: 254
    Update: Picked up the Accord yesterday afternoon, they tested and replaced the drivers power door lock actuator and washed the car. We were told that a short caused the problem. The only charge was $4.05 plus tax for a new battery in the remote: ok...I can live with that.
    Corkscrew
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    Can somebody link the forum for paint and touch up work?

    This is what you probably want.

    Paint and Body Maintenance & Repair
  • billc8billc8 Member Posts: 3
    Weird no start problem on both a 2003 Acura MDX and a 1994 Mazda Miata.

    I have a 2003 Acura MDX and a 1994 Mazda Miata.

    The same thing has happened on occasion to both cars.

    For no apparent reason after a short drive after the engine
    is turned off it will not start. If I leave it sit for five
    minutes, it will start right up. This has happened several
    times. Today the Miata kept trying to fire by would not start.

    I let it sit for a while and it started right up with no more problems.
  • tankbeanstankbeans Member Posts: 585
    Thank you tallman. I knew I wasn't going crazy.
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Has anybody had an issue with their horn changing its tone? My car now sounds like it has a cold. My dad said it sounded "like a synthesized cruise-ship horn."

    Its embarassing to honk and I'm wondering if there's anything I should look for under the hood that could've caused this? In the last week or so the horn went from normal, to "out-of-tune," to "bionic cruise ship," and has done so in stages.

    Any help is appreciated. I'll get the car to a dealer next week as I want my brake fluid, tranny fluid, and air filter all changed as I get the 60k service competed (I'm at 20% oil life now, and I'm 300 miles from home).
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    You would probably have to remove the grill (and the plastic cover over it) to see, but I would check for ice in the horns. It's been pretty cold there lately, right? Been driving in some freezing rain maybe? I had to remove my grill to install my condenser guard. Had to replace a few clips, because they break easily.
    image
  • biomanbioman Member Posts: 172
    My 2006 EX V6 Coupe started to demonstrate some unusual behavior. Up to recently each time I started the car the outside temperature was visible, by default, instead of the odometer reading. If I wanted to see the odometer reading I had to scroll through the choices. Now, each time I start the car the odometer reading is there by default. I have to scroll through the choices to get the outside temperature. Is there a setting I inadvertently changed or did something fail?
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    It was 65 degrees when it changed tones, and hasn't gone back despite being in 60 degree weather in Gulf Shores all weekend. Thanks anyway though. :)
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    Now, each time I start the car the odometer reading is there by default.

    That's a new one on me. I wonder if there is a computer chip somewhere that has a memory issue. I haven't checked my manual but I don't remember any default setting for this.
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,435
    only thing I can think of is when the maintenance required light (the little wrench) comes on, you have to push the button to clear it (after starting the car), and I think then have to cycle to the temp reading.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • bob324bob324 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 Accord 4 cyl with 98k miles and it has recently started to use about a quart of oil every 3000 miles. This seems abnormal and any suggestions to fix or is this normal? The vehicle has had regular oil changes every 3000-3500 miles, If no way to fix, what would be a resonable life left of the vehicle?
  • temj12temj12 Member Posts: 450
    This is not normal based on my Honda. I have a 2005 Honda Accord, 4 cylinder, with 95,000 miles. I change the oil every 5,000 miles. The oil does not move on the stick. I will say that if this were one of the big three, and the car new, that they would not consider that excessive.
  • biomanbioman Member Posts: 172
    I don't know why, but resetting the trip odometers fixed the problem. :)
  • nycarguy1nycarguy1 Member Posts: 8
    update: just back from dealer service, they ordered part, no questions - covered under warranty. "drive it in anytime next week and we'll replace the unit, no appt needed!" -oil changed at the coupon price of 19.95 and no hard-sell or pressure to perform the 30k servicing (i change filters myself, do other items at more reasonably priced stations). if honda service had more attractive pricing, i'd go there for everything. i do love my honda, and the service when i must go there! :)
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    resetting the trip odometers fixed the problem.

    Great. I'll have to remember that if I ever have any trouble with mine.
  • dtaccexv6dtaccexv6 Member Posts: 1
    I am having a few minor issues as well as a major one.
    First the minor: A rattling sound from the driver armrest when radio volume is moderate to high. A grinding from the brakes. They work perfectly, just an annoying grind at random intervals and pressure.
    Now the major: Discovered a massive amount of water in spare tire compartment. Almost a gallon. Found white glue like substance under rear bumper, structural adhesive maybe?

    I really dont want to pay the 98 diagnostic fee plus parts and labor at my Honda dealer, so any help or advice would be great.
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,435
    funny, but I found a decent amount in my spare tire well last month (and only because I had a flat and needed the spare). Make sure to post if you find out where it came from, since I haven't gotten around to doing it yet!

    Grad, I think I paid about $60 for the brake fluid flush at the tire place when i had my brakes done.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Thanks stickguy; I'm going to price it at the dealer since I'm having some other work done there (horn), but will also check with the place (Big Ten) I have tires done, because I get the rotation/balance/alignment done there for free.
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    Flushing the brake fluid, while a good idea with any car, is a Honda thing. I haven't found where any other OEMs actually put that in their service requirements to flush the fluid. Brake fluid is hydroscopic (I think that is the word I want) so it absorbs moisture over time. That moisture hurts the performance of the fluid by contamination, and it provides opportunities for corrosion of brake components. Of course, my '93 Accord and my '93 Civic are the only vehicles I've had that needed new master cylinders.
    Its not too hard, I did it with one of those miti-vac things when I did my 30k service over the summer.
    When I was racing the Contour and the SE-R, I installed these things called "speed-bleeders" which are basically the bleed screw with a check valve in it. You just open and pump and it won't let any air back in. It was more critical to be able to do that fast as I would swap street pads for track pads at the track, and brake fluid that gets that hot should be changed more frequently.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Some personally directed posts have been removed. Is it the weather that's making people so cranky throughout the Forums these days? :sick:

    Let's just try to stick to the topic and resist the urge to needle others. Thanks!
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Well, my dealer has told me flushing the brake fluid would be $169. I haven't called the tire-guys yet (worked late and didn't get a chance to call).

    Having replaced the master cylinder in my '96 Accord, I'm not going down that road again. Its been just over 4 years (the manual says every three), but that shouldn't be too far past due. The '96 went 11 years - then needed the cylinder replaced. :blush:

    My bad... :shades:
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    A quart of oil every 3,000 does not mean the car on its last legs. The point where you really need to worry is a quart every 1,000 miles and even then as long as you keep adding oil the vehicle can chug along for many years.

    One thing to keep in mind is how accurate your reading is. I had a Honda that would read a quart lower when it was parked on a street with a high crown because the oil would drain away from the side with the dipstick. I though I had serious issues, when in reality the car was just using a little oil.
  • lilengineerboylilengineerboy Member Posts: 4,116
    Well, my dealer has told me flushing the brake fluid would be $169. I haven't called the tire-guys yet (worked late and didn't get a chance to call).

    Holy cow. If you lived in MI you could just come over and do it in the driveway. The vacuum tool thing was like $30 from Harbor Freight, a can of the blessed Honda brake fluid was $7 and it was about 40 minutes from wheels down to wheels down. I also took the opportunity to rotate the tires.

    Its not like its rocket surgery ;)
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    Well, its probably pretty complicated brain science to me... :) If a brake fluid change is $150 + I'll forget it and replace the master cylinder in ten years and consider myself ahead of the ball game financially ($150 every 3 years vs $350 every ten). Of course, I'll have it changed, but not for that price!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Actually burning a little bit of oil is probably good for the engine--lubricates the upper valve areas. My opinion is that it gets to be a real nuisance and a bit worrisome at a quart every 1500 miles, and a definite problem at quart every 1000 miles. But at 2,000 miles per quart and above, I wouldn't even worry about it---just be sure to check the dipstick once a month.
  • temj12temj12 Member Posts: 450
    I have 95,000 miles on my Accord. Does anyone notice how uncomfortable the driver's seat is. I have had to buy a pad to put at the bottom of the back of the seat. Is it the fact that the lumbar is there and the padding is thin? It does not make any difference whether I use the lumbar or not--it is very uncomfortable.
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    I also find the seats uncomfortable. I think it mostly has to do with how soft the back cushion is. I think on a softer seat my back does not relax as there is too much give behind it. One thing that helps is to get more support under the knees. This stretches the back muscles more so they are more comfortable.

    I would think the power seats in an ex-l would help a lot, but I guess not.

    I put some extra padding in, but need a better solution. Would like to put in stiffer springs
  • mamamia2mamamia2 Member Posts: 707
    Took our '05 V6 for a 30k service at my local mechanic. I was looking for any reference to Fuel Filter replacement in my service book, but see NO MENTION of it at all..... I tried doing some search here, both for Gas Filter (nothing) and Fuel Filter (hardly mentioned and not in reference to periodic replacement).... WEIRD....

    So, where is the Fuel Filter located, and more important, when is it suppose to be replaced?......
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    There is no fuel filter on a 7th gen Accord. There is only a strainer in the tank, and it should last the life of the car. I guess they figure if it's small enough to go through the strainer, it can be burned by the engine with no harm done.
  • mamamia2mamamia2 Member Posts: 707
    Wow..... This is the first car I own that has no fuel filter... GOOD. Thanks.
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    I think it mostly has to do with how soft the back cushion is.

    Interesting. I always thought the Accord had pretty firm seats. I find them quite comfortable and I've made many trips of 250 miles or more. I have an EX-L and can adjust things fairly well. My only complaint is height.... or the sunroof not going over to the side far enough.
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    EX-L is much better for seating, but I did not buy one because of the sunroof and headroom. Don't get me started on the mandatory sunroofs on higher trim levels.

    the Accord seat is not "soft" like some domestics, but it is nowhere near a firm VW (or my '90 Integra), Wwhich I Find very comfortable. It was firm enough that I did not notice a problem until after I owned the car a while and took some longer trips.

    Everybody is different though so seating is subjective.

    This spring I may try to raise the front of the seat and shorten the springs in the back of the seat so they are tighter. This should help for me since placing a towel under my knees does the same thing.
  • wise1wise1 Member Posts: 91
    My 07 Se has the original Michelins and they are feathering. The dealer says I am rotating them too often. It has 25K on it and the tires are rotated per Honda maintenance minder codes A-1 and B-12. This car was realigned soon after purchase and I was told if it does not pull right or left within 6 seconds its aligned properly. Of course thats a bunch of hogwash!!!! It still DRIFTS within 6 seconds and the feathering of the tires proves they don't know what they are doing!!! Any way does anyone have the specs. on alignment for a 2007 Accord SE 4-door???? I need these so I can get the alignment right I am not a money making machine!!!! :sick: :sick: :sick:
  • wise1wise1 Member Posts: 91
    When at a stop sign or a red light my 07 accord has pronounced vibration. Dealer says its a normal characteristic of 4 cyl. engines when under load. Once I accelerate the vibration disappears. Any possibilities of a motor mount cracked or ?????? Any comments appreciated. The purge control valve is noisy at the red light too, could this be the reason for the vibration???? :sick: :confuse: :sick:
  • tallman1tallman1 Member Posts: 1,874
    Dealer says its a normal characteristic of 4 cyl. engines when under load.

    No vibration in my 06 I4... same thing as the 07. If your vibration is new, then it isn't normal for your car either.

    Is idling while stopped considered "under load"? :confuse:
  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    I have more vibration when the lights, rear defrost, and A/C are turned on than when they aren't, but its not very noticeable (its got much less vibration than my '96 at idle, even though the '96 doesn't really have any problems in that department). Perhaps "under load" is referring to electrical; that's what I'm thinking.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Dealer has it sort of backwards......LARGE displacement 4 cylinder engines (2.5L and up) do tend to vibrate while underway, in the mid and upper ranges. But idle speed is hardly "under load".

    Your idle speed may be too low.
  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,435
    Just noticed today for the 1st time (in over 4 years!) my "maint. req" light was blinking this morning. This is on my 2005 4 cyl (no maintenance minder system).

    Oddly, my 2000 TL starting blinking last week!

    I didn't even know the Accord had one. I need to check the manual, but I assume it is just based on elapsed time since the last service, or maybe miles?

    Guess the dealer must have reset it when they did oil changes in teh past, or something about hitting 50K turned it on.

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • thegraduatethegraduate Member Posts: 9,731
    In 2005 that light was dictated by mileage; the reset procedure is simple, and is in the manual.
  • austinman7austinman7 Member Posts: 313
    I find the cloth seats in my 07 SE V6 to be comfortable overall, with one exception -- the lumbar support is too far forward for me. Since it's not adjustable -- which I think it should be, even if only manual -- I've hung a small, thin pad (about 1" thick) over the top part of the seat to compensate, thus evening out the seat's profile from top to bottom. Inelegant, I guess, but it makes the seat work for me.

    When I've sat in an Accord with adjustable lumbar, I just dial it all the way back, and it's fine.

    Accord seats have the right amount of firmness for me, but that's subjective, I realize. If you want soft, try my old '96 Regal. ;)
  • elroy5elroy5 Member Posts: 3,735
    Having had surgery on my lower back, I need a firm seat, that will support me from head to waist. The leather seats in my 03 sedan support my back very well. I use the lumbar slightly raised. The only problem I have on long trips is numbness in the left leg, but that's nerve damage causing that. It can be tricky, to get that perfect adjustment to the seat bottom and back, but once I'm there I'm good for hundreds of miles. My brother has a Lincoln Town Car, with short back soft/spongy seats. The seats are killing me within the hour. :sick: Soft seats are not good, for some people.
  • car_crazy1car_crazy1 Member Posts: 43
    I have a 2006 accord exl. My car seat started showing the same problem around 90k. The padding thinned out over time and my back was getting pressed on the lumbar bottom where the lumbar plate curves out making it like a horizontal blunt knife on my lower back. Spent around $200 at a upholstery shop to get it checkedout if anything is broken. They unclipped the bottom of the lumbar leaving the rest of the lumbar there and I used my car like that for two days and that loosened up the lumbar a little bit .

    However, when i clipped it back, the lumbar pressure on my lower back was gone but the lumbar started vibrating at the bottom like a massage pad with low intensity. A pad at the bottom of the back of the seat was helpful but that will make the seat look odd. Tried some 10 different types of backrests and none of them worked as they were too high or too thick. I opened the back cover and inserted a rag between the seat cushion and the lumbar at the bottom of the lumbar where it curves out and that seems to have solved the problem plus gives me enough support for my lower back.

    In your case, you can directly insert the rag without going thru the process of unclipping and the rag will prevent you from leaning on the lumbar "knife". Its the same thing what the pad is doing except this is a "lookclean" approach.

    If you know how to upload a picture here, let me know and I will upload the lumbar picture for a better understanding. I know how painful these seats are.
  • tankbeanstankbeans Member Posts: 585
    What you need to do to reset this is simply push the trip reset switch before you start the vehicle and hold until the light stops flashing. Don't release the switch until the light stops flashing or you'll abort the procedure. Then if you reapply pressure while the engine is running you'll reset your trip meter.
  • consumerwiseconsumerwise Member Posts: 26
    2003 Accord EX-L. Thought seats were very comfy but spouse did not. I appreciated the lumbar adjustment and heated seats however, getting in and out of the vehicle seemed a nightmare.

    Vehicle was comfortable for long trips but for day-to-day errands - neck became sore and I can't tell you how many times I hit my head on the door frame.

    Handed down the vehicle to son - he can now deal with it. :shades: ;)
  • wise1wise1 Member Posts: 91
    This is with NO electrical anything on. Just sitting at a stop sign or red light. The vibration goes away as soon as I accelerate. I've complained about the purge control valve before but they said it doesn't have anything to do with it. I don't agree!! It is noisy and when one of the hoses is felt when in park it vibrates like it has marbles rattling in it. This can't be NORMAL!!! Any suggestions, I'm taking it in to the dealer in the morning!!! I've got an appointment early am. :sick: :sick:
  • wise1wise1 Member Posts: 91
    The stealership did just as I expected they said My car is normal. They had an SE 07 on the lot I took for a test drive and it had the same issues as mine which makes it normal to have vibration in the drivers seat as well as many rattles. Well ONE THING THEY MADE CERTAIN, THIS IS MY LAST HONDA!!!!!!!! What good is a warranty if the dealership refuses to do the work??????? One day someone with enough money and time will sue the &^%$ out of them!!! I'll just sell it and let someone else have the pleasure of the STEALERSHIP's hospitality!!!!!! :sick: :sick: :sick:
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