Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

snw1977 · October 2005

yes, it does seem to drain pretty well. i have also checked every place imaginable inside the car and truck for water by smelling and feeling. none of the carpet smells or ever feels damp or wet. i notice the smell even when i havent used the ac, like on colder days and im using the heat. it's the strongest when the car has been sitting parked overnight and i get in to leave in the morning. have you ever heard of this? and do you think it could be the ac drain? i even blew air up into the the drain underneath the car because that was the recommendation by the honda dealer. i suppose that my aggravation is coming from the fact that i keep eliminating what could be the cause of the problem, but find that the smell is still there.

snw1977 · October 2005

supposed to read, "inside the car and trunk".......sorry!

mamamia2 · October 2005

This may sound silly, but it HAS happened... It could be some food that was left in the car ---- or something smelly in the engine compartment that a squirrel (or mouse) has left there.

Years ago, in Europe, a friend of mine bought a new car (Renault) and found a moldy, half-eaten Baggett between the back seat and the trunk....

snw1977 · October 2005

no, not silly at all. and honestly, i have wondered this. i can check between the backseat and trunk, but where would i go to look for something in the engine compartment? i mean, where exactly would i look?

mrbill1957 · October 2005

You might want to look in the cowl, the area just below the windshield. The plastic finned area is where fresh air enters the car. If something fell between the fins, and has piled up below, it may be rotting, causing the odor.The area is designed to drain, so you can flush it with a hose. I don't think that an odor in the engine compartment would be a problem. The air flow in a car is not designed to draw any air from the engine area.

Have you lifted up the rear seat? Things can drop below it, just reaching your hand around the seat might not reach everything.

Do you know the history of the car? Hopefully the car didn't come from a flood area. You did mention that the smell started after you bought the car, no hint of an odor when you first got it?

Mrbill

jnt · October 2005

I had body work done on 2003 Accord coupe V6LX and now the AM radio reception seems worse. It is possible that the rear window was removed and reinstalled to repair the driver side door and rear quarter.

Is the antenna in the glass?

Is there a place to check to see that wires to the antenna are reconnected?

FM reception seems fine.

There is normally one antenna for both AM/FM when it connects to radio. If your vehicle does not have a fender whip, then the AM/FM antenna is etched onto the rear glass or side glass. The current body Accord (with droopy tail light) for sure has rear glass antenna.

Typically, if the vehicle has rear glass antenna, it also has an antenna amplifier module which is normally located near the glass antenna (C pillar, base of rear glass, or upper part of the trunk). The glass antenna pattern is similar to rear glass defroster wire but not connected to it. Just follow the glass antenna wire, you should find the connection to the antenna module. The first suspect is a disconnection between the antenna and the antenna module. On the output side of the antenna module, there is co-ax cable (similar to your shielded Cable TV cable) connecting this module and the radio. This could be disconnected. If the body shop touched the radio somehow, then you may have a disconnection between the radio and this cable (behind the radio). Any of the three connections could be loose.

Things to check:

1. If your radio can receive FM stations 40-50 miles away then your antenna connection is likely OK. Even without connection, your radio can receive local stations (5-10 miles radius)

2. If you have no antenna connection, you will not receive any AM station unless you drive by an AM transmitter. You just hear white noise in entire AM band

3. AM reception is different during day-time and night-time. It's also depending on the locations. You will notice less sensitivity under highway overpass, power line or some metal shielding structure. So find a clear open area and compare your vehicle with others.

jt

paulychin · October 2005

Have you checked the ignition switch? My '92 Accord's switch went bad and it would start, but as soon as the key returned to the 'on' position, it would die. I disassembled the switch and saw that the flat surface of the contact for the "on" position was pitted. I ground it down so that it was smooth and flat. That worked and I saved myself the cost of a new switch. Maybe your switch is worn in the "start" position but fine in the on?

snw1977 · October 2005

okay, i will look in the cowl area and also behind the back seat. do those fins come out? how can i flush it out? i do know the history of the car luckily, it didn't come from a flood area. the strangest thing is, the car smelled brand new until i had it about two months. then, i started noticing the smell. no one has ever even been in the backseat since i've had it, nor do i eat or drink in the car. it seemed at first, it was the strongest when it was humid out. however, now i smell it all the time and even when i haven't used the ac. i'm sort of concerned that the smell will seep into the leather and not come out even if i do resolve the problem. think this will be the case?

haefr · October 2005

Here's something that worked for me. Mix a 50/50 solution of Pinesol and water to about a quart volume and slowly pour it through the cowl fresh air intakes. Most of it will immediately drain through the heater core/AC evaporator case onto the ground below, but some will remain to deodorize the casing and its contents and kill any accumulated mold/mildew. Allow it to remain overnight, then the next morning do a hose flush. There may be old vegetation (fallen leaves that have crumbled and fallen into the casing) and/or rodent or bird droppings that's rotting and causing the odor. Your problem is not unique to Hondas. And, it's more prevalent than you might imagine in humid areas - that dark, moisture-trapping enclosed casing is a virtual nursery for mold and mildew. Do NOT get fancy with an acid flush - thar's aluminium parts in thar, Matey. Avast, ye Swabie - ye don' wanta ruin yer heater an' air conditioner, now, do ye? Aurghhh!

snw1977 · October 2005

okay, great. thanks so much for the advice and input. this may be a dumb question, but how exactly do i do a hose flush? like with what type of hose and do i only flush the intakes out? this happened to your honda, as well? the smell is awful, but i'm glad to know that i'm not the only one this has happened to. thanks again for the input and your pirate impression made me laugh!

haefr · October 2005

Just turn on a moderately low stream from a garden hose and direct it into the cowl fresh air intake grill a few seconds to flush out the remaining Pinesol solution. Don't run your HVAC system during all this unless you want to chance spraying water into the car's interior from the various heater, defroster, or air conditioning vents . . . It happened to my '03 Sonata. In about three more years when I unload the Sonata, I'm looking forward to it perhaps happening to my replacement Accord.

user777 · October 2005

i think you have to rely on your sense of smell, or that of an assistant to localize the problem.

you said you replaced the cabin filters, and i suspect you would have seen evidence of mold or mildew on the filters themselves if that were the problem. you've also indicated that there was water draining from the evaporator line and exiting the vehicle with the AC on.

my advice would be to use your nose, to check the flooring material in front and back. don't forget to completely remove and check the floor mats. check for dampness under the matts.

i'd also check the trunk area, specifically the wheel well and the jack compartment.

if you come up empty, i think the suggestion to check under the hood is a good idea. it's possible a dead animal is lodged somewhere among the cables and hoses.

bobst · October 2005

"it's possible a dead animal is lodged somewhere among the cables and hoses."

That's a good suggestion. One time I found where a small animal had made a nest on top of the engine in our Nissan. Our daughter bought a new Honda and later found where a mouse had been chewing on someting in the trunk.

webutopia · October 2005

I own a Honda Accord 2000 LX V6. I have been hearing a pretty big knocking or a clocking sound when I put my car in reverse gear. This has been happening for almost 2-3 years but recently it started happening almost daily. This generally happens once a day and that too in the mornings. I had taken the car to the Honda Dealer Service Center and needless to say they were not able to reproduce the sound. Once a service agent also asked me to make sure I use the hand brakes especially when parking on the hill. I have followed that suggestion sincerely but it hasn't helped. The mileage on the car is 56K. Has anyone else also encountered similar problem?

snw1977 · October 2005

great, thank you all for your advice and suggestions. i do appreciate it. i took my car to the local honda dealer today and spoke with a guy in the service department. he came out and turned the car on, then sprayed some cleaner type stuff in the cowl intake under the hood. he also sprayed some inside the actual vents inside the car. he seemed to think that the problem is just must and mildew bulit up inside and that with enough treatments of that stuff, the smell would be gone. he told me that i needed to keep spraying that stuff or even lysol each day until the smell was gone. i half think this sounds logical, maybe just because i want the problem fixed. but, i can't help but possibly wonder if he wasn't just telling me that and when the problem could lie deeper and might entail actual work. any thoughts/ideas? does this sound right to any of you? i will, however, check for any small animals that could have gotten in and the pine sol trick to see if that helps. do any of you know of any type of system or kit that you can buy that cleans out the entire ac/heating system? i asked the guy at the dealer that and he wasn't aware of any.

prg · November 2005

Well, I've worked on many different types of cars, and I have changed timing belts, chains, etc. However, I just finished changing the timing belt, balancer belt and water pump on my girlfriend's Honda Accord. I made sure that the camshaft said "UP" and then the crack shaft indexes lined up. The car started and idled fine, however, the car "diesels" when you accelerate really hard. You can drive at full speed no problem, but you can't press down on the gas any harder than "lightly". My question is this. Isn't the distributor there to "adjust timing"? If the belt is off one tooth, would you have to take the belt off again and readjust it? Just curious.

Thanks for the help.

Sincerely,
PRG

orbitanalbino · November 2005

On a 1979 Honda Accord - what size (mm) are the valve guide threads ? - I need to retap one of them and do the guides secure or tighten clock or counter clockwise? Thanks!

user777 · November 2005

it doesn't seem right to me, but who knows. i suggest you do the things i suggested, if anything to rule these items out. and you should do them before you start applying chemicals with fragrances which will mask the problem.

do not forget to remove your mats and check for smell / dampness. also don't forget to check the trunk, the wheel well and also the access panels on the right and left in the trunk for signs of water.

also make sure your trunk lid rubber seal area is clear of debris and gunk from tail-lite lens to tail-lite lens.

hope it helps.

skeeball8 · November 2005

my accord has been sitting for a year because the key no longer will turn on the ignition?? help please

bmr123 · November 2005

I drove home from NYC last night in my 2 month old 2005 graphite accord and got a few eggs thrown at me. I went through a car wash and noticed that one of the eggs left an imprint on my side door after it dried off. Kinda looks like a swirling scratch thats 3 inches in diameter. It feels like a surface scratch that has a small little grooves in the door as you wipe your finger across it. I used scratch doctor which didnt work. Anyone have an idea on how to fix this? Is this going to be expensive? I might take it to my dealership but could only imagine how much it will cost and wonder if its worth fixing considering the scratches ill develop in the future. Anyone have any ideas.

sockpuppet1969 · November 2005

The oxygen sensor had physical damage to it - like a rock or something hit it. Makes sense because it failed while I was driving on a dirt road in a construction site. Cost about $165 to fix.

mpel · November 2005

1998 Accord LX - 86K, Tulsa

How easy/hard is it for a NON-Mechanic to change plugs in a 4 cyl.?? AND...should I replace the plug WIRES too....as a mechanic recommended??

Thanks

nowakj66 · November 2005

I bought the genuine Honda chrome exhaust tip finishers for a 2005 Accord. They install by sliding over the ends of the plain tips and then a bolt is tightened to create a friction fit.

My question - should the bolt tighten till it is flush with chrome finisher? I have some threads on the bolt showing and I think I am tight enough but I do not want to lose the finishing tip. Thx.

24towin · November 2005

I ran my '89 Honda Accord out of gas. When I put Gas in it and started it the idle went up to 4000 rpm and stuck. Look like there is a spring loaded pin on the idle adjustment that is out of whack. Does anyone know the position this pin should be in?

z9z9z9z9 · November 2005

> Please keep me posted on your transmission replacement.
> Hopefully Honda will goodwill a new one for you.

Yes, Honda is replacing the transmission for me. This improves my opinion of Honda America a bit - I haven't been too happy dealing with them in the past.

> Did your check engine light ever come on during the slippage?

No, no light. The transmission would just start slipping if I drove on the highway for more than about an hour. Heat build-up I suppose. If I let the car cool down, it would be all right for a while. I took it in to the dealer to have it checked, and now it slips after just a couple minutes - just spins like it's in neutral. I wonder if the dealer didn't add to the damage by doing stall-speed tests or something.

I haven't gotten the car back yet, but I will let you know the outcome when I do.

z9z9z9z9 · November 2005

> I drove home from NYC last night in my 2 month old 2005 graphite accord
> and got a few eggs thrown at me. I went through a car wash and noticed
> that one of the eggs left an imprint on my side door after it dried off. Kinda
> looks like a swirling scratch thats 3 inches in diameter. It feels like a surface
> scratch that has a small little grooves in the door as you wipe your finger
> across it. I used scratch doctor which didnt work. Anyone have an idea on
> how to fix this? Is this going to be expensive?

Yeah, someone did that to me too, about 7 years ago. The radial pattern is caused by fractures in the clear coat. If they were close enough and threw the egg hard enough it might even make it down to the paint.

If you take it to a body shop, they will probably want to clear coat the entire panel, which is expensive. I have a friend who does body work, and he worked the area with a buffer to lighten the scratches. It still showed if the light hit it just right, but it was 70-80 percent improved.

bmr123 · November 2005

I was just surprised that the paint would not hold up. I'm taking it back to the dealer when I get my new run channel put in and having them look at it. Yeah its such a pain. I spend so much to buy the car and now I have to throw money into it. Depending upon the dealership's price or goodwill fix, I might just keep it since im sure ill get more scratches and dings over time. I might try buffing it myself just to lighten it. Any idea how much this could cost me?

patrick620 · November 2005

I just bought my first Honda, a 1990 Accord ex. Would any factory service or electrical trouble shooting manual between 90 and 93 apply to the 90 or should I try to get the exact year? Thanks in advance for any replies.

steve58 · November 2005

take the bottom section of the back seat out and check for water laying underneath , the water soaks up in the foam and starts to mildew and turn rancid. i had this problem in my 04 accord , water leaked through a rubber grommet and could not drain. the end result destroyed the leather seat ,the leather peeled right up. honda replaced the seat no problem. since no one sits in your back seat it might take longer to notice the cover rotting from underneath. my back seat was used daily. this was my experience with strange odors in my car , its worth a look.

steve58 · November 2005

be careful with that buffer , you could do more damage than good. honda finish is thin and super easy to scratch and create swirls even when washing and drying. you should only use microfiber wash mits and drying towels, and then only clean ones.i have a black accord that shows everything, i also have some bird droppings that are etched into the finish that scratch remover wont touch, i am living with them because when i buff them out i know my swirlless black will be swirly ( can i say that? )

chucko3 · November 2005

Is it a Carb or FI?

tranti · November 2005

I had the same problem with my Accord coupe, 2002, 37000miles. When I shifted from P to Reverse, I heard a little loud noise. I changed transmission fluid and the noise was gone. So, go ahead, change transmission fluid. Don't let until it get 100K miles as manufacturer suggested.

haefr · November 2005

VERY easy on the 4-bangers, but get a Haynes or Chilton manual covering your model year Honda for the little tips and tricks that a neophyte isn't likely to know. Also get a 3/8" spark plug socket for the plugs you'll be removing and replacing. The autoparts counterman can help you there. These are deep sockets to allow clearance for the ceramic snoot, AND they have a rubber grip internally that holds the old plug for easy removal once you've fully unscrewed it. Replacing the spark plug cables is a good idea at this mileage, too. Be sure to route each one EXACTLY the same way as the one it replaces through the plastic loom channels. Replace 'em one at a time so you know you don't cross-connect. Honda specs very good materials, but even the best insulation deteriorates with heat and time. Finally, buy platinum or irridium spark plugs - they're that much better and last that much longer that they're well worth the extra cost. Do NOT remove sparkplugs from a HOT engine. The cylinder heads are aluminum and they can warp if they're hot when the sparkplug removed. Once you can comfortably rest your hand on the valve cover, it's safe to proceed. Finally pick up a tube of antiseize compound. Use a dab on each new sparkplug's threads to assure that the steel plugs don't gaul the soft aluminum they'll be screwed into - makes a big difference sometimes at the next replacement. Insert the replacement plug firmly into the sparkplug socket until it "snaps" to its locked position and start it just with your fingertips. When you lower the tip of the socket-held sparkplug into the hole, go slow and easy to avoid bottoming the "ground" electrode forcefully against something solid and bending it too close to the center "hot" electrode. Do all of this just holding the sparkplug socket by finger tips and screw it in slow and easy. If it won't turn easily four or five full revolutions this way, it's probably started incorrectly - remove it and start over. Only after you can easily rotate it on in with four or five full revolutions is it safe to put your ratchet on and tighten it fully. Don't use a ratchet larger than 3/8" to avoid the likelihood of overtorqueing and stripping the sparkplug hole threads in the aluminum cylinder heads. You shouldn't use more effort to final torque the replacement sparkplug than it took to loosen the old sparkplug.

haefr · November 2005

"...should the bolt tighten till it is flush with chrome finisher?..."

NO, obsessive-compulsive "neatness" doesn't count, here. Tightening the setscrew firmly enough to prevent twisting or pulling the chrome finisher off is sufficient. My '96 Accord came with a chrome finisher. The set screw protruded about 1/8" - 3/16". Forcing a flush fit of the screw head only risks scratching the chrome finish to set the stage for rust, deforming the tailpipe, or stripping the threads. (Besides, who looks at the stupid thing that closely anyway?)

caitie88 · November 2005

I have a 92 Accord 4cyl. automatic that is not shifting correctly. It doesn't seem to shift at all and appears to be stuck in D3 or D4. It will shift manually but when I put it in D1, the D4 light stays on. Does anyone know of or has heard of this problem?

bmr123 · November 2005

Is there any difference between GS27 Scratch Remover and Scratch X?? Will my dealership be able to work on it? Any idea on cost? Could I file a warranty issue, do I have any grounds?

nowakj66 · November 2005

Thanks. I don't mind a little protrusion, I just do not want the finisher to fall off. But yes, I am compulsive and did think it looked a little funny. :-)

altair4 · November 2005

How is vandalism a warranty issue?

bmr123 · November 2005

Well I won't mention the cause of it and say that the car's paint didnt hold up to normal use. I'll basically "play dumb" and see what happens. Maybe they will work on it to make me happy since I just gave them 24 grand. Also I have no respect for them since its been 2 months since they were suppose to order me a new run channel and a new speaker to fix my door rattling issue. I could've ordered the same products from Honda and had them 2 days later.

bmr123 · November 2005

I'm sure they can be creative and get the warranty to cover the problem.

pj23 · November 2005

In my experience, ANY black car is going to show the slightest paint imperfection. This isn't specific to Hondas. My '05 Accord has had several washes with clean wash mits (not microfiber) and clean terry cloth towels for drying, and I have no swirl marks.

It's interesting that Honda is always picked on regarding paint issues - it's thin, it chips easily, it's water-based and therefore inferior, are the three I've heard. How does one conclude that the paint is thin or any more or less inferior to the paint used on every other car produced in the U.S.? As far as the chipping goes, many indicate that Accords are more susceptible to it based on the number of chips received, but I think this may have more to do with the shape of the frontal are and the forward-most part of the hood than the durability of the paint.

pj23 · November 2005

An egg thrown hard can result in a fair amount of damage, to a car or a person or something else, so I'm not surprised that your paint was damaged by the egg. But I have a feeling that Honda and your dealer will laugh you out if you try to get warranty coverage for vandalism.

jeffbog · November 2005

I couldn't agree more. Eggs will damage any paint on any vehicle. Happened to my wife's Pontiac three years ago and she immediately came home to wash it off. I also think most in the auto business will recognize the damage that results from getting egged.

24towin · November 2005

:confuse: Carb that has the FI also. I can see and touch the float plate. The spring pin wire is off to the right connecting to the links on the throttle linkage. Does this make since?

Or if you know where I could look at a picture? That would be helpful.

mrbill1957 · November 2005

I'm unclear on how the egg damaged the paint. Did the impact of the egg do the damage, or is there something in an egg that etches the clear coat? Was the damage only at the impact area, or was the damage in all the areas the egg splashed?

Mrbill

chucko3 · November 2005

I have a picture in my service manual. But it's in pdf format. I don't know how to copy & paste it here. I can send an email of that picture.

chucko3 · November 2005

Damage in all areas the egg spashed. It happened to my 89 couple years ago. Didn't think it would make any damage to the paint finish until it's too late to wash it off.

batgirl1 · November 2005

I have a 2003 Honda Accord EX V6 Coupe -- nothing but problems with this car. A year after purchase the ABS harness caught fire, I put the fire out. Honda replaced about everything damaged. I tried to get American Honda to give me a new car because I don't feel comfortable driving this car after the fire.

The radio lights burned out over the summer, from looking at other forums this seems to be an ongoing problem. Honda should recall the radio component. Luckily I have an extended warranty and only had to pay $50.00

Now, my TCS light stays on all the time.........which from other research seems to be an issue with this car.

Other problems: my brakes had a "silent recall" as well.

I would trade this car in........but Im upside down on it. Ugh

Anyone else have the above problems at all.

Thanks

steve58 · November 2005

bmr123 , i use scratch x and have had some success with surface scratches , i doubt it will work on eggs but it wont hurt to try. unfortunatly, i think you will have to go to a body shop for repair or just live with it.

steve58 · November 2005

dont forget the orange peel surface appearance since we are bashing honda paint! honda used to have a nearly perfect finish on all of their cars , not any more , they do claim it is because they have switched to water base paint, most auto producers have also. less toxins i can see their point. so we will live with soft finishes that are easily scratched and chipped . look very close in different angles of light and you will see swirls in your paint especially if you have a dark color paint. black is beautiful and hard to keep clean and i enjoy the challenge. perfectauto.com has been a big help , check it out.

Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

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