Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

isellhondas · May 2005

Unless the engine has been changed your LX doesn't have the VTEC engine. Those were only in the EX's.

Having your Accord checked for recalls will do nothing for your stability problem.

Soemthing sounds very wrong here and, since you seem to like driving at very high speeds I would suggest you immediatly take this car into a alignment shop or to the dealer! You could have a dangerous situation here. do NOT take it to one of the chains who only like to sell things like struts. Struts rarely go bad on Hondas.

Don't mess around with this....get the car inspected ASAP!

hatm40 · May 2005

I brought a 99 accord from the us into canada. The odometer is digital and in miles.
Is there any way to easily convert it to kilometres. I have a 2000 chev venture van and can do this with a touch of a button (back and forth between them). I realize the speedometer face will still be in both miles (large type) and kms (small type).

mike_m · May 2005

Thanks Mr. Bill. I'll check and see, those struts might just be original. Though the ride is quite good normally, and the car passes the "jump on the bumper" test.

Again, thanks!
Mike

mike_m · May 2005

Sorry Canddmeyer, I replaced the tires immediately after purchase, so I don't know first-hand how it handled at high speed with the old (mismatched) tires.

The previous owner is a friend, and he says the car has always done the floating thing. He doesn't drive fast, but said that if he did, he thought buying a spoiler would fix the problem. Thoughts on aftermarket spoilers, anyone?

And yes, I will be taking it into an alignment shop, to check struts and alignment. BTW, car is an EX, and says VTECH in large letters on the engine. LX in original post was an error on my part.

Thanks,
Mike

canddmeyer · May 2005

Thanks for the response. Let us know what the fix is. Myself, I wouldn't pursue a spoiler unless you want one for aesthetic's.

tampaman · May 2005

My faith in Honda has been restored. A couple months back I posted about my passenger side airbag deploying for no apparent reason while driving. '03 Accord had 37,000 miles but was only 18 month old. Dealer where I purchased the car only wanted to say the car was out of warranty and a $1380.00 Honda Care Extended Warranty would not cover it. Dealer stated they could find no apparent reason why it deployed. A phone call to Honda Customer Service resulted in much the same unconcerned response. I have always felt the written word is much more powerful than the spoken word. Certified letter sent to Honda Customer Service. A Regional rep called me telling me to take the car to a different dealer,,,They also could find no reason why it deployed. Rep told me they feel I probably ran over something but because they could find nothing they will replace the $1500.00 airbag. They DID the right thing. Never ever buy a Honda Care Extended Warranty

isellhondas · May 2005

Don't waste your money on a spoiler. They are only for looks and that's if you happen to like that look.

When you said it was an LX with a VTEC engine I was thinking that maybe the car was a cobbled up reconstructed wreck. I understand now that it's an EX.

Something just sounds VERY wrong. If they can't find a solution I would stick with the speed limit!

accordmq · May 2005

I have a 1996 Accord LX Coupe at about 130K miles (spent half of its life in the Great White North and the other half in sunny California). Cruising speed is 80-85 MPH, and sometimes over 90 around bends just for fun (legal disclaimer, what I said may not be true). The car is very stable going straight and around bends, even on crappy CA highways. I feel it is more stable than my 04 EX sedan. The only times that I feel the car floats is on wavy roads (like riding on a wave).

I would say get the shocks and sway bars checked; my car settles right away in the "bumper bounce" test.

I had a set of Bridgestone Potenza RE900 from Costco, which were pretty good and lasted 60K mile. Now I have a set of RE910, happy with them too, though I would have bought Turaza LS-T if Costco had the right size.

vox · May 2005

Hello, I have an 88 LXi and I'm having the same problem. At a stoplight the pedal slowly sinks and the car moves then I pump and the pedal comes back up. I disconnected the checkvalve hose at the booster and it has vacuum. I'm not sure but I think the booster is bad. Did replacing your checkvalve solve your problem.....thanks

mpel · May 2005

9'8 Acoord 4 cyl. 80,000 mi.

Want to replace plugs and wires myself (NOT a DIY person!)

Is there anything I need to look for, like Honda parts or a certain kinda of plug??

Thanks

whitecloud1 · May 2005

mpel,

It made the job very easy to have a set of long, pointy nose pliers, for like $10.
The plug hole is narrow and deep.

richards38 · May 2005

Sounds like a leaking master cylinder--leaking internally, no fluid coming out.
GET IT FIXED NOW!..........Richard

terfoster · May 2005

My tach nosedives to 0 and stays there while I'm driving. I've replaced wires and coil, but now they're telling me that I have to replace the throttlebody on my 1997 honda accord exr v-6 - with only 97,000 miles on it. Does this sound right to anybody?!!

lexie · May 2005

I have a 05 Accord w/ 650 miles on it. I noticed that it takes a while for it to cool down. It has not been hot enough to use AC regularly yet but I noticed that when I did use it, it takes an awful long time for it to cool down. I had to have it at full blast before the air felt 'cool'. If I had the knob turned half way, it was blowing like a fan but to have it at full blast, it was like a LOUD POWERFUL fan blowing cool air. Base on my previous experience with my Chevy Cavalier, the car cooled down within 10 minutes unless it was HOT outside. It was not blowing air like the Accord and I also did not have to have it at full blast regardless of the settings) I used the AC yesterday and after about 15 minutes, the car was not cool and I was already home and it also affected the performance of the car. I noticed that it had a harder time accelerating (slight jerk) than if AC was not on. The Accord is my car # 2 so I do not have much experience to determine if this is normal. I also try to avoid using AC because I am only getting 22.63 mpg averaging 45 mph in city limit. If I use AC, it would probably be around 19mph and that is a disappointment for a 4 cyclinder. My co worker has a V6 4runner and he is getting about 19mph. After driven it for about 600 miles...I really notice the road noise too....not as bumper ride as the Chevy compact but the insulation in the Honda is not that much better.

lastwraith · May 2005

Yeah, cruising on the highway for any length of time with intermittent or without overdrive will get you annoyed real fast....especially considering the gas prices shooting up. Anyway, my problem turned out to be that I needed to change the thermostat (the stock one had given up the ghost by sticking open, thankfully). This only became apparent in the very coldest winter days though, as the car seemed warm enough (via the temp gauge) the rest of the time.

This description I found somewhere helped me to pinpoint what was causing the car to stay out of lock-up, maybe it will help you as well:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------
I had the same problem with my 91, changing the thermostat fixed it. (No lockup in 4th)

Besides the speed sensing indicator, a converter may not lockup for any of the following reasons:

1. Engine temperature too cold - most converters will not lockup until the coolant reaches about 120°F.

2. Overdrive unit locked out - when an automatic overdrive is "locked-out" the torque converter lockup feature will also be locked out. Overdrive lockout would normally only be used when pulling heavy loads, thus the converter is logically "locked out."

3. Under low engine vacuum, heavy part-throttle acceleration is an additional power demand which could result in the engine lugging. To prevent engine lugging, which could result in serious engine damage, a sensor determines if low manifold vacuum exists.

Typical lockup converters connect these sensors in a series creating a "string" arrangement. That is, if one sensor gives a "no" signal then the converter will not lockup.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------

As I said before, mine would never engage lock-up in fourth which made it a bit more likely for me that a new thermostat would fix the problem. Sounds like your problem is more intermittent and quite possibly due to an erratic speed sensor, or something other than a tstat. But, it's a cheap item and they do crap out after a while so it's not a bad idea to change that thermostat anyway.

I'll have to look at my service manual to see how to troubleshoot the speed sensor....I'll post some info after I come back home for you. I can say that I got it pretty cheaply and the replacement was quite simple, so if you for some reason cannot test it...swapping it out is very feasible to do with minimal cost/effort.

Good luck, it's nice being about to get 30mpg again.

bobst · May 2005

They probably meant to say that your throttle body needs to be cleaned. We have had it done on our cars, but I don't know if it is necessary.

Since your tach is not working, there may be a wire loose somewhere. It will probably take a skilled mechanic to figure out which wire it is.

lastwraith · May 2005

mike: I second and/or third the opinion that you need to have the suspension looked at by someone you trust. The car should obviously not be floaty at speeds near 80, and a spoiler is really not the answer for that. Spoilers will barely do anything at speeds that low, besides the fact that it still wouldn't address the real issue with your car. Good luck, I hope your solution turns out to be obvious and cheap

terfoster: not sure about your particular model, but the 90-93s (and presumably later models) were prone to speed sensors failing, which would give you a dropping tach usually accompanied by a falling MPH/KPH indicator. Just a thought, they may have changed things in your car's year anyway. Good luck to you as well.

terfoster · May 2005

Thanks lastwraith for your message. The dealer told me to replace my computer which was giving their diagnostic machines error messages - one of which was "replace throttlebody". I found a used computer and had it installed (including the wires and coil). But, the tach keeps dropping to zero after working for about 10 minutes. No problems with my speedo indicator, though.

I just want to know if having the tach drop to zero will give me other problems, or can I keep driving my accord without any side effects? Will the car stall out? If I don't have to spend any more $$$ that would be great - but, it's kinda disconcerting having the tach drop when you're cruising at around 85 mph.

lastwraith · May 2005

terfoster: I drove around with a pretty flaky speedo and tach for a while since it didn;t happen all that often and I initially had no clue what it was. Also, I like to figure these things out for myself if possible which meant it took longer;)
Anyway, from what I remember reading nothing bad is going to happen to your car just because your tach is kaput. It seems to be pretty much just a convenience in the cockpit. Even with both the speedometer and tach malfunctioning my car drove perfectly fine. However, I guess if the cause of your tach problem is something very different than mine, then THAT could possibly cause you other difficulties. (ex. a totally shot speed sensor may cause lock-up problems and/or other shifting inconsistencies) So basically, YMMV i guess.

My links won't help much with your '97 I don't think, but you should attempt to retrieve any error codes stored in the computer. Often there are error codes but you will never see an idiot light of any kind. This could also help to narrow down your search if there is/are a code/codes.

terfoster · May 2005

That's great advice, lastwraith. I've still got the old computer and will try to get the error codes. The dealer wouldn't give me the diagnostic print out - they actually wrote down the error messages on the back of a piece of paper.....but, I'll attempt it. Thanks!

mikedong · May 2005

If the code tells you that CEL was caused by EGR problem, then you can go ahead to Honda dealer to have them to fix it for FREE. your accord (with the low mileage and years) should be covered by Honda's extension warraty on this EGR problem. otherwise you have to pay about US $450. good luck!!!!

david54 · May 2005

I have 1990 honda accord LX with automatic transmisson ,about 2 weeks ago got in would not come out of park ,i manualy unlocked out of park, S light was on , all
i was getting was high gear , it would go in low range manualy an i was able to get going then manualy shift it to high , my research tells me this problem is a
transmission computer, what throughs me is that the same day the S light went out an its shifting perfect thats been about 2 weeks ago an about 150 miles , question? does this sound like trans computer ? going on vacation in about 2
weeks I hate to spend $260.00 for rebuilt computer an misdiagnosis the problem
an still have a problem.

lastwraith · May 2005

Your problem does seem to suggest a problem with the TCU, epecially if it randomly behaves in a perfectly normal manner. Pulling the code from the computer would give you a better idea of what you are dealing with.

I would not shell out $260 for a rebuilt computer. You can easily get a TCU at a reputable salvage yard for much less than that....and any decent yard will have at least a 30 day return policy. I got mine for about $40 and it has served me well for the last 2 years. Either that or you can send your TCU away in the mail for less than $260, but of course you will be a week or more without any TCU in the meanwhile.

babaganoosh · May 2005

I have a 1998 Accord DX 4 door with auto and AC that I paid $15.6K in Jan 1998. Haven't done much to it other than change oil, tires, small things like that. At last oil change the garage said the CV boots were torn. I got it to a dealer a few weeks later (I've noticed clicking only when turning the wheel fully to the right or left) and he said the $380 CV boot replace is really a $776 replace both front axles also. He asked if I did the timing belt (it has 128K on it) and I said no. I know the tires are also almost due to get replaced... a new 05 accord DX 4 door with AC and auto is $15.5K. So I am wondering shoudl I plunk down all that money into the used car (even if they were overselling me and I just need the CV boots, not axles) or put it towards a new car? The timing belt is over / way overdue? and the belts, hoses, etc. are also original.... is it a timebomb waiting to happen?

thanks!

mastro · May 2005

Lexie, I've got an '05 EX V6 with about 300 miles. AC blows very cold, very quickly. I've only been through one tank of gas so far and ended up at 19 mpg with all city driving. You should have the dealer check out the AC. I've checked around a number of boards with regards to mpg. The vast majority are getting mid to high 20's city and 30 highway. I attribute my 19 mpg to newness. Naturally, driving styles have the biggest impact on the mpg you'll experience.

lastwraith · May 2005

Considering your accord has been good to you throughout it's life as far as unscheduled maintenance, the fact that you are not talking about 128K "hard miles", and the major benefit of saving a large sum of money.....I would stick it out with what you have unless there is a major reason to upgrade to a newer model. At 128K miles, you are barely even half into what I would consider the life expectancy of your vehicle. The I4 Accords have proven time and again to basically be indestructible.

Your timing belt is overdue, but even then all the things you listed as needing to be done are just wear items. For all intents and purposes your car is in perfect condition. Why not keep it and drive happy knowing that the bank will not be grabbing car payments from you anytime soon? Considering all the Accords on the road with 200K+ miles on them that are still going strong I don't think you have a timebomb on your hands at all. Plus you have the peace of mind of already knowing all the idiosyncracies of your particular vehicle. A new car may mean trouble free maintenance, but then again there are many people on here with nagging rattles, squeaks, and other small complaints that can make a new car purchase a sordid affiar simply because they ended up with a vehicle "with character".
(Having said that, I'm sure a new Accord would doubtlessly prove just as reliable and trouble-free as yours has been over the years. But I am a big believer in sticking it out with what you have, especially if you know the history of the car to be relatively positive.)

Either way, Happy motoring.

mitch902 · May 2005

I have a 2001 Accord LX and have had numerous problems with it. First my tranny was bad so Honda replaced it with a rebuilt tranny. This was about a year ago, Now when I drive it it looses power. Have taken it to dealerships, they can't find anything wrong. I live in Minnesota, and all winter, It never acted up, but it is getting warmer, and acting up again. (Has 115,00 miles on it) Now it seems to be using more oil & CEL light comes on & off, and I think it is backfiring. It seems boggy at 25-30mph, and you have to really give it gas to get it to accelerate. I don't know what to do. I doesn't bog consistently though, just on&off. HELP!

medmund · May 2005

I have a 04 Accord ex v6 and the same think happened. It was the a/c clutch burned out at 9000 mi. Take it to the dealer and they will fix it, whatever it is, it's under warranty

chucko3 · May 2005

That means you have no leak in the vacuum line. One less variable.
I would test the check valve first before replacing the MC or the booster.
Disconnect the check valve hose at the booster end and the hose at the manifold end. Blow on one end of the hose, then the other. If you can blow through the booster end, but not the manifold end, the check valve is OK. Then I think it's the MC.
No, I haven't tested/replaced my check valve yet. The pedal hasn't gone to the floor lately.
Next time if the pedal sinks to the floor at the stop light, pull up the hand brake and pump the pedal. And if you have to do this for every trip, it's time to replace the MC.

temj12 · May 2005

I have an 2005 Accord with 1500 miles on it. Mine is the EX-L with the four cylinder five speed. I am getting 30 miles to the gallon in city driving, but I live in Nashville and the traffic may not be as bad as where you are. I do not drive in traffic to work everyday. There are so many variables, but it seems your mileage should be better. It is hot here and I have been using the AC since I bought the car. It is my first Honda. I notice the same thing that the air is not exceptionally cold like my american autos have been. It does take longer. Mine has the auto temp, but it does not work nearly as well as the auto temp in my wife's car. I don't notice any difference in power with the AC on. I doubt that the AC will put that much of a drag on your gas mileage. I drove it on a 385 mile trip this weekend and I got 34 miles per gallon driving 75 to 80. You are right about the road noise. I bought a Civic for my son and I noticed it immediately. The Accord is not insulated enough because there is too much road noise. One thing that contributes somewhat is the quietness of the engine, however it should not have the road noise it has.

chucko3 · May 2005

Your Accord is treating you right for the past 7+ years. A timing belt job (all belts, water pump, and seals) will get you another 100K miles.
At 128K I think you're better off with new drive shafts. If you don't mind using non-OEM parts, NTB can replace the drive shafts for much less and the part is lifetime warranty. I have them on my 89LXi.
Don't forget to flush the radiator & tranny fluid. It will keep your car running cool and smooth.

temj12 · May 2005

I would definitely trade with that many problems and that kind of mileage. Honda is coming off the sticker right now more than usual.

chucko3 · May 2005

Have you tried to put the air in recirculation mode for several minutes when you turn on the A/C? It may help to cool down the interior faster.

babaganoosh · May 2005

Yeah, it's really not problems per se, but wear issues. Yes, I bought the Accord because of Honda reliability and I DON"T feel its letting me down... I did get 7+ years with no problems. I'm just coming to the realization that at some point (NOW), that an older car needs some work. I hear stories about people putting money into a car at one point, then something else goes wrong but they already spent $x so they have to keep tossing money into a money pit... Here for me is the realization that even without a problem, it still needs a fair amount of work (I think it's a fair amount... but yeah, it's just the routine maintenance?! Timing belt, tires, the cv boots / axles (I could have brought it in sooner and caught this when it was just the CV boots, not the axle...).

lastwraith · May 2005

Without the diagrams, this is kind of hard to explain but I'll do my best. Really, having the service manual would be ideal if you are planning to keep the car and are interested in doing your own repairs. I have a Haynes and the Honda Service Manual, between the two of them there is almost no information I am without. The Haynes will run you about $20 whereas the service manual is more near $50-70.

Anyway, turning to page 23-110 of the service manual we have "Speed Sensor Input test". This allows for determining if the VSS (vehicle speed sensor) needs to be replaced by testing the input side terminals coming from the engine.

I have no idea how to describe where the VSS is if you already don't know. I can say that you should be leaning over the passenger side of the engine compartment and looking down towards the center of the engine bay. The VSS is held in with 2 mounting bolts and the easiest way to find it is to follow the transmission up to the engine bay, since the sensor is mounted there. I wish I had a scanner handy.

Here's the sequence of events in the service manual:

Note: Check the #1 (10A) fuse in the dash fuse box for proper operation.

1) Disconnect the 3P connector from the VSS. (It's the main plastic connector responsible for linking the VSS to the input side. All testing will be done with the connector that is NOT tethered to the VSS, so you can leave the VSS side of the connector on the side somewhere out of the way).

(taking the connector in your hand, if you orient it so that you have the snap-clip on top and are looking at the terminals inside the connector then from right to left the terminals are ORANGE-YELLOW-BLACK)

2) Check for continuity between BLACK and body ground.
There should be continuity, if NOT then check for either an open in the BLACK wire OR poor ground.
If there IS continuity then go to step 3

3) Check for voltage between YELLOW and body ground with the ignition switch on.
There should be voltage, if NOT then check for an open in the YELLOW wire.
If there IS battery voltage then go to step 4

4) Check for voltage between ORANGE and body ground with the ignition switch on.
There should be approx. 5V, if there is none check for: defective gauge assembly OR an open in the ORANGE wire.
If there IS approx 5V go to step 5

5) If all continuity and voltage tests are normal, but the speedometer and the odo/trip meter do not operate, replace the speed sensor.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------
If you do end up changing the VSS, make sure you do not lose the little pin (the joint shaft) that is inside when you disconnect the old one/reconnect the new one. They are easy to lose since they are small.

Also, from the troubleshooter in the service manual the possibilities are:

Blown #1 (10A) Fuse
NS speedometer circuit (built into the main print panel)
Main print panel (attached behind the gauge cluster)
Bad speedometer/tach/odo/tripmeter (replace main print panel + speedo + tach +trip/odometer as a set)
Faulty or incorrectly installed speed sensor
Bad ground
Open circuit in wires or loose or disconnected terminals.

Hope all that helps somewhat.

isellhondas · May 2005

I'm wondering just how well you have maintained your Honda?

If you have been good about changing oil etc, it's well worth fixing.

Your CV joints are bad if they are clicking. These didn't have to go bad. If someone had spotted the torn boots early they could have just replaced those alone and not the entire joint.

Sounds like just a lot of deferred maintenance has caught up with you.

If you sell it or trade it, the cost of repairs will be deducted from it's value so you might as well get it fixed and drive it.

babaganoosh · May 2005

You summed it up perfect - deferred maintenance.... for what it's worth, it clicks only on tight turns. but any clicking is bad clicking?! : )

And a garage pointed out it the boots were starting to crack... but I didn't look untill a couple weeks later and saw that they had seperated completely. But when you add that to the timing belt, etc (and what else at 125K miles would you be doing - routinely replace all the belts and hoses? brake lines fail over time, right? statistically, an older car is more likely to have a sudden, stuck on the side of the road failure than a newer car? I just don't like the potential for that. or am I just paranoid?

bobst · May 2005

No, I don't think you are being paranoid.

I would definitely consider trading it in for a new car.

With the problems it has, I would feel bad selling it to an individual. But I would not feel bad about trading it in.

jimex · May 2005

I, too, had a '98 (an EX) which was very dependable. My car had about 160k miles on it when I decided it was time to trade it in. I certainly felt that I got my money's worth out of it and since I commute 120 miles/day up the dreaded routes of 95 / 128 / 3 into Boston, I wanted the peace of mind that I wouldn't get stranded. Because if you breakdown on that route, people would just shove you off the road, down some embankment and you wouldn't be found for weeks!!

So I got another EX, a 2005...the sticker was $23,655 and I got it for $15,500 with my trade...

If you can do it financially, a new Accord is the way to go. It's so much better than the '98 and I now have the peace of mind of having a car that will go another 160k miles with mimium upkeep.

Hope this helps,

PS - and. yes, any clinking means to you need to replace the CV's.

techman41973 · May 2005

Many are familiar with the static electricity problem when exiting their car. Apparently it has something to do with some of the newer tire compounds. I have heard solutions ranging from spraying cloth seats with a fabric softener solution to "remembering" to touch the metal frame before leaving your car.
I saw another option that seems much more practical.
I am wondering if these things actually work.
http://members.cox.net/ylosk/private/Antistatic/anti_static_strap_earth_ground.htm
If any of you have tried this type of solution please let me know it works. Thanks

chucko3 · May 2005

I think it has something to do with sliding out of a fabric seat on dry days. It happned to me on some occasions.

clyde2 · May 2005

I have the exact same problem. I had only had my car 8 months old when this happened. I was told it would be $610.00 to fix it. I am checking into a defective product claim.

dwynne · May 2005

You can get a large non-aerosol container of spray anti-static stuff at places like Radio Shack or probably the office supply places. The aerosol stuff will work but the other is a lot cheaper. Just spray the fabric from time to time to eliminate the problem.

I was thinking the problem was caused by the particular OEM Michelin tires that comes on these cars. You are not still running the original tires, are you? I would have thought a replacement with a different brand or model of tire would also have "fixed" this.

Dennis

mrbill1957 · May 2005

Yes, if they are made from conductive rubber, in theroy they will work. I say in theory because they need to make contact to another conductive surface for the static charge to bleed off. Dry blacktop or concrete does not always guarantee a good earth ground. They are designed to ground an insulsted car to earth, not just the person sliding out the door.

If touching the metal frame before leaving the car works, then the frame of the car would have to be grounded, thus eliminating the need for the grounding strap.

The static charge built up from sliding over seats wont be corrected with the strap, you need to find means of the keeping the static from being generated in the first place, hence the fabric softener.

I work in an electronics lab, and we have used conductive heel straps that you connect your body by placing part of the strap into your shoe, and the rest wrapping around your shoe's heel, making contact to conductive floor wax.
Obviously this isn't something you would be willing to wear, but that would solve the problem.

Last time I saw one of those used, my dad was mounting one to his new 1969 Delta 88

mrbill

slawenda · May 2005

My dealer says that my 2004 Accord EX-V6 sedan needs the rear brake pads replaced. I have approx. 22,500 miles on mostly (approx 90%) highway miles, with very little "stop and go", or heavy braking. I am wondering if this might be unusually too early for brake pads to wear out? Furthermore, he wants to charge me approx $100 for just the rear pads. Is this about right? It seems to me it would be very easy to make extra money this way as a dealer -- "If you don't replace them now, your rotors will be damaged". Sounds like a great sale or guilt trip expense. Am I off on this?

imidazol97 · May 2005

Isn't there a spray for clothing that prevented static cling? ClingFree? I would try that on the seats.

My observations are that the static varied with what pants or jacket I was wearing (nylon jacket or polyester content pants as I scooted on the seat getting out. Nonconduction material + friction + nonconductive material = static electricity. I don't get it as much on the leather seats in our newer car.

But the shoe I was wearing seemed to make a difference. The shoe insulates or bleeds off charge to the ground. A variation in socks could also be a factor. I generally am wearing Reebok or Rockport comfortable shoes.

The method is always to touch the metal on the car. I touch the roof trim and the door handle after I'm out. I'm not sure a grounding strap would help because if you're still charged and the car has lost its charge there's still the potential for a spark as you touch the metal of the gas nozzle if you haven't touched the car metal after getting out.

dwynne · May 2005

The CliingFree stuff should work, but it is spendy for the amount of spray you get. For the office here we get it in large pump spray bottles for economy. We keep the static down in the carpets and the employees and computers are a lot happier.

One of these would last longer that your car, most likely:

http://www.staples.com/Catalog/Browse/Sku.asp?PageType=1&Sku=432935

Dennis

imidazol97 · May 2005

Thanks. Now I understand why you recommend Office Depot or Staples.

The other aspect of static is that the flowing gasoline may be generating a charge as well. The metal nozzle against the metal tank/car grounded filler dissipates that charge. If someone holds the nozzle in midair, that also could cause a spark.

blane · May 2005

slawenda:

If they say that your REAR pads need replacement, I'd be cautious. The rear pads can outlast the front pads almost two to one. That's because when you brake, the vehicle's weight shifts forward, making the front pads wear more quickly. Get another opinion.

chucko3 · May 2005

True, but the rear pads are thinner than the front pads. So it's possible they'll
wear out first.

Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

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