Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

pblevine · June 2002

Beachnut & Isell,
(This should be fun) Now that we know that my '98 Accord Coupe EX V6 is not well "Insulted", how can I "Insultalate" (OK, insulate) the car. Where should I place more "Insulting" material. And don't tell me to bend over! Really, there must be a few spots were we can put some foam or sponge like material. And don't tell me "in your ear" either.

beachnut · June 2002

I suppose duct tape would be an appropriate solution to your road noise ... it'll fix anything, right?!

And no, I'm not bi-polar, just in case anyone was curious!

essweb · June 2002

Hey All,

I have own a 94 Accord LX, and currently Own a 98 Accord LX-4 and a 01 Accord Coupe V6.

At about 65,000 miles, I noticed the brakes of my 98 start to have some problem. When braking (light) at relatively higher speed ( 65 to 80 MPH), I can feel strong pulse from the brakes though it diminishes below 60MPH. The vibration or pulses are difficult to detect at normal street driving speed.

And the exact problem has happened to my 94 Accord LX, and it was never fixed.

I went to different Brake shops and Pepboy, and they all failed to find out the exact reason, and some of them say they can not drive it on the highway so they don't see any problem with the brake. But they did refinish the surface or the rotor or even change a new rotor but that didn't help the situation.

One guy from Midas did mention once to me about a part which pushes the brakes together might have getting jammed with dusts, and he recommend changing it. But I don't recall the name of the part.

I am hesitate to bring it to the dealership or any other shops, because from past many times experiences, I don't think they can find out the problem. Hopefully some owner out there have the same problem before and can help me with it.

Thank you.

bodydouble · June 2002

I was going to suggest you've got warped rotors. But then you said they machined the rotors or maybe even put in new ones and the problem is still there. So now I don't know! But you might want to first determine whether the symptoms you are experiencing are brake pulsing or a shimmy.

wdoran · June 2002

My 90 accord power drivers window closes leaving a gap at the rear edge top, damaging the seal and causing much wind noise. I've tried adjusting the window regulator adjusting bolts but cannot get it to close right. Would a new regulator solve problem?

msurgeon2 · June 2002

I don't know about your part of the country but here in St.Louis area there is only one gas refiner left and they make most if not all the different brands sold here. At one time there was a few separate oil refiners that made certain brands but no longer. I notice you don't see the commercial advertisements on TV claiming this gas is better like you did years ago. From what I hear there is no difference in brands any more. In St.Louis the largest seller is probably Quick Trip and no one seems to know what brand it is (or cares).

Kirstie_H · June 2002

msurgeon, I'm in St. Louis too, and out my way, there are virtually NO QuikTrips (which is a shame, because they are bar none, the best). In fact, thinking about the 5-mile radius from my house, I don't think any two are the same.

kirstie_h
Roving Host
Edmunds.com

auburn63 · June 2002

You will pobably need to reposition if not replace the window run gasket as well as put in a new window regulator..good luck

cokane5227 · June 2002

My 02 accord coupe is 9 months old now and the leather on the front seats is already showing signs of wear. I've heard that Honda's leather quality isn't very good so I need some suggestions on how to keep the leather looking new, what would you guys recommend on conditioning and renewing the front seat leather? Which product(s) works the best? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks

isellhondas · June 2002

There is no product that you can apply that will prevent wear. I'm surprised that your interior wold be showing signs of wear!

maxhonda99 · June 2002

cokane, I use Eagle One Leather Cleaner and Conditioner. Works well. Just follow the directions on both bottles.
As isellhonda said above, all leather wears just like cloth does. But the Honda leather is of the cheap-o kind compared to Toyota. But it's still not as cheap as GM Or Ford leather.

isellhondas · June 2002

when getting in and out of the car. Coupes have high bolsters. If a person isn't somewhat careful I can see where these might wear.

My 99 EX coupe at 45,000 miles hasn't been affected.

cokane5227 · June 2002

I think I'm careful enough when getting in and out the car, but it did rain a lot through the winter, and I just couldn't avoid getting water onto the leather everytime I ran across the parking lot to get to my car.
Anywayz, I still have to condition and renew.

bodydouble · June 2002

I'm not so sure Toyota uses better quality leather. When we were checking out the Camry a few months ago, the one in the showroom already had wrinkles all over the driver seat and generally looked more worn than the seats in my almost 2-years old CL-S.

robc5 · June 2002

I've got a fairly odd problem that I'm guessing some others may have had (or possibly know how to fix). Specifically, the right front and rear passenger doors on my '99 "slam" shut ALL the time. What's weird is that my wife has been the primary driver of this car, which has seen little to moderate passengers. Thus, the doors have not gotten a whole lot of use. Nevertheless, although they don't feel any lighter than the other two doors, one has to shut them with care and caution not to slam them shut. Any advice on the cause or its solution would be appreciated. Thanks.

hbund216 · June 2002

I noticed the same thing would happen with my car if I had passengers. Then I realized it was because when they were shutting their doors mine (driver side) was open and there wasn't any air pressure resistance against their doors. If there is one door or window open the doors shut very easily. Try closing all door and windows and test the passenger side doors to see if they still slam shut. Hope it helps.

lancerfixer · June 2002

Well, after nine years and 117,000 miles, my Accord coupe finally needs unscheduled maintenance. Should I complain up a storm now? :-)
Auburn or Isell, do either of you know (ballpark) how much a new oil pan gasket goes for at a Honda shop...is it a straightforward affair, or it it one of those "three hours of labor to get at the $20 gasket" things?

Thanks.

isellhondas · June 2002

It's called a "gravy job". I think it calls for something like 1.5 hours of labor but a crackerjack cna do it in half that time.

Makes up for some of the crappy jobs.

Auburn, correct me if I'm wrong.

auburn63 · June 2002

We get like 2 hours I think and the part is like 20 or so dollars if I remember correctly. The job is not too bad especially with a lift. You have to remove the center support, then the A-pipe(front exhaust) then the 20 or so 10mm bolts that hold it on. Cleaning the pan is sometimes the hardest part if the gasket sticks to it.

sukal · June 2002

Can someone tell me which brand of coolant should I be using to top off my 1992 Accord EX. I looked in the manual and all it said was Honda recommended. Now where other than a dealership would I find such a brand? What about the brands carried by Walmart like Havoline etc ?

The second question: is there an easy way to check the ratio of coolant and water in the radiator before I top it off ?

letsrock · June 2002

does anyone know if, for the fan speed knob for Accords with the manual air-conditioning, if it's designed to have half-way settings between the 4 speed settings, ie. between 1 & 2, between 2 & 3, etc.? If you turn the know slowly you can feel a very slight "click" at the half-way points. The "click" is so subtle I'm not sure if it is designed to have half-way settings.

scott_doe · June 2002

I am considering buying a 95 Accord Wagon. Its in beautiful shape, but it has 205K miles. Reliability is why we are looking at Hondas.

Does anyone have any good stories of high mileage Accords? Horror stories of them blowing up at 206,000 miles?

pblevine · June 2002

I can recommend two products which will help you restore and keep your seats in better condition. Zaino (www.zainobros.com) makes a leather cleaner ("Leather in a Bottle") and a conditioner which have worked fine for me ('98 Accord Coupe EX V6).

isellhondas · June 2002

Well, you are asking a tough question...

I've seen many Hondas hit high 200,000 miles numbers and beyond. I once took in a Civic with 357,000 miles.

Still, 200,000 plus miles are a LOT for any car.

I have to assume that you would be paying a very low price for this car? If so, and you have the car checked out by someone who really knows Hondas, you could have a long lasting bargain.

Bear in mind, you will need to drive it until it dies because you will find few takers with those miles.

If it's a well maintained car with service records etc and the price is RIGHT, I wouldn't be afraid of it if it checked out.

hbund216 · June 2002

The fan only has 4 settings.

bodydouble · June 2002

I know it has 4 MARKED settings. But I was wondering if there is variation in the fan speed in between each of those 4 settings. Especially right at the midpoint where I can feel a slight detent as I turn the dial.

keady · June 2002

My 1999 EX V6 increasingly has static on the AM band, on some stations that I did not notice it before. The static does not get worse upon acceleration or change in sound, just like white noise.

Ideas anyone?

Regards,

keady

beachnut · June 2002

I don't think the speed changes .... actually I believe it stops the AC from running. My dial (the plastic part) was broken and would not always advance the switch accurately. This was fixed a while back, but there were a couple of times when I seemingly couldn't get the AC on (no green light above the compressor switch) and realized the fan switch was stuck between two settings.

hbund216 · June 2002

It has 4 distinct Marked and Fan Speed setting. Hence you have a choice of 1, 2, 3 or 4 not 1.5.

mikemw1 · June 2002

have you tightened the oil pan bolts? try that first, we very seldom replace a gasket. local dealers sell that every time there is an oil leak anywhere. if it has a v/c leak it needs an oil pan gasket. rear main seal, needs an oil pan gasket, etc...

lancerfixer · June 2002

Thanks for the tip. I'll need to find someone with ramps so I can get under there and look myself.

auburn63 · June 2002

I have a 92 Accord that now has 292,167 miles on it and is still a very reliable ride that I depend on for my trip to work every day 30 miles one way. To be fair I also have a 86 Monte Carlo SS with 300,000 on it and other than needing an exhaust is doing well also. So can cars survive for long periods of time? Yes but it depends on their history of care and maintanance. If it looks well taken care of, runs good, no smoke then ask if they have any service records and if the timing belt has been done recently and make a decision from that info..Good luck

auburn63 · June 2002

We see them getting hard and cracking or badly pushing out but we also do catch them sometimes with just loose bolts as I think Mike said so check it out. It can go either way..Good luck

altair4 · June 2002

Hey, I have the same problem as you describe. In fact, this is the second time that this occurred. The first was when our 97 Accord was about a year or so old, and the AM got almost to the point of complete static. The static stopped when the engine was off. I went to our dealer and was told it was not covered by the either the warranty or the extended warranty, but I b!tched and moaned to our sales person and he got it fixed as a good will item. All I know is that they 'cleaned' a connection somewhere.

It lasted a couple of years and now I'm getting the same problem again. I am planning to pull out the radio and see if I can clean the antenna and power connection on my own. If this doesn't work, I'll bring this up at my next dealer maintenance visit. Tell us the exact symptoms...does it affect all stations, does it stop when the engine stops, does the noise get louder or faster with engine revs...

Good luck.

bodydouble · June 2002

Since you're a Honda mechanic, I wouldn't be surprised if your Accord goes another 1/2 million miles

coates2 · June 2002

My 90 Accord had the same problem with the opening at the top corner of the window. What is happening is the gasket is grabbing the window near the front of the opening. lubing the gasket will solve the problem.

keady · June 2002

altair4

The radio gets worse every day. The signals are weak on all stations but I can still get a couple just fine. Not much better with engine off. I can get the stations fine with a cheap portable radio and the Accord radio worked perfectly until a few weeks ago.

Does anyone know how I can fix it?

99 EX V6, 45k miles,extended warranty

altair4 · June 2002

Well, if your extended warranty is the Honda one, I would say the next step is to stop at the dealer and see what they say. You got nothing to lose but some time and maybe they have a quick fix.

Did you see any degradation in the FM reception? Did the problem come on suddenly or gradually reach this point?

If your extended warranty is with another provider, give them a call and see what's covered.

Just had another thought...is your antenna a metal mast type or is it on the rear window (like mine)? I would check to see if any of the antenna wires on the window are broken - you could probably repair that with the same kit they use for repairing the rear defroster grids.

phatratpak · June 2002

I'm trying to help my parents out, they posted this in the wrong discussion group, please advice, thanks in advance guys:
I have a 1998 Honda Accord with 60,000 miles. Up until last week, I have had no problems with it. However last week 2 things happened and I am wondering if it has happened to anyone else. First, I was travelling along on a highway on a very hot day, and all of a sudden I got no response when I pushed down on the accelerator pedal. I pulled over, turned the car off and was able to turn it back on after a couple of tries. I continued along for 1 more minute and it happened again, and then I couldn't restart it. We took it to our mechanic at a private garage (not a Honda dealer). He was able to reproduce the problem, but unable to solve it. Now that it isn't so hot, it seems to be running OK, but now the malfunction indicator lamp (CHECK) warning light has come on. Has anyone had this problem? HELP!!!

cota99 · June 2002

I own a '96 Accord LX. When I turn off the car, the fans turn on about one minute later. A few months ago, some hoses burst due to over heating. Does anyone know what the problem may be? I bought a new radiator that I have yet to install. Thanks in advance for the help.

altair4 · June 2002

My 97 does what yours does...the cooling fan starts up a minute or so after shutting off the car. That's normal.

Regarding your burst hose...

Could have been a defective hose.
Could be an improperly installed radiator cap.
Could be a defective cooling fan sensor, that's not turning on at the proper temperature.
Could be a bad fan.
Could be an improper mixture of coolant and water.
Could be a bad water pump.
Could be an air blockage if the coolant had been changed recently without purging the air bubbles.

Have you been properly maintaining the coolant system with regular changes?

Did you have any service done on the car before the hose burst?

What made you purchase the radiator? Is the current one clogged or leaking?

How many miles on the car? All original hoses at the time of the burst?

What was your driving condition before the burst? City, Highway?

Did you have any coolant leaks before the bursting incident?

We need more data to help you!

rmd122 · June 2002

My 01 Accord's A/C fan makes a loud humming sound on speeds 3 and 4. It started immediately after it came out of the car wash.

It is still under warranty but I'd like some ideas in case the dealer doesn't agree with me.

bburton1 · June 2002

They generally break when they have a few too many years on them-rubber and the fabric cord deteriorates. every year I squeeze my hoses to see if they appear to be getting soft and look at them after driving for a while-you maybe lucky and see a knot appearing-time to replace then.

dudleyr · June 2002

How important is it to use Honda antifreeze in a Honda? The nearest Honda dealer is 170 miles away from me, and I was in the area and they said any ethelyne glycol would work (yellow prestone etc.) and told me I didn't need Honda fluid.

I should have insisted, but then thought that maybe they don't even carry the Honda fluid if they didn't want to sell it to me.

Is prestone OK ? What about the new red prestone that is supposed to last 5 years. Can that be used or not - I think I heard it was not compatable with the yellow prestone, but the container says nothing about this. I will be flushing the system, but there is always some left behind.

All of the anti-freeze (including generic at wal-mart) says it is OK for all cars. Is this true?

If I could easily get the Honda stuff I would do that and not worry, but what is the best substitute, and how much protection if any am I giving up by using it?

bsum70 · June 2002

I got a 94 Accord, during the 5 year (put on almost 100k) that I own it, I had to change the brake (rotor/pads) 4 times!! I tried OEM or after market rotor/pads combination but same thing.. brake shudder. I did use a torque wrench to tight the wheel nuts. The last set of rotor/pads was put on less than a year and now the brake shudder again (rotate and alignment not too long ago)!! Is that anything else I could try? I love my Accord but this is just too much!!
Thanks for your commend

th83 · June 2002

I just bought an Accord V6 last Tuesday and I've noticed that the transmission shifts very strangely. My old car, an Acura Legend, had very positive shifts that actually increased the speed of the car(the car would lunge forward with a shift) but my Accord is different. When the tranny is ready to shift, the car slows down then sort of slides into the next gear, sometimes not-so-smoothly. Is this normal? Or am I suffering from the dreaded V6 Accord transmission problem. The car only has 200 miles on it and I try to be careful with it(i.e. I come to a complete stop when changing from reverse to drive, etc.). Your input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Tom

cokane5227 · June 2002

yes, it's normal, don't worry about it my car does the same thing. all you need to do is take some time and you'll find out how to drive it smoothly. it's a honda characteristic.

bburton1 · June 2002

Generally is caused in honda's by a warped rotors and in the over 500K I have put on honda's, my rotors got warped when I let some yoyo tighten down the lug nuts with an impact wrench-even using torque sticks. Try retorquing the lug nuts at 80 FP and no more assuming you have stock rims. Some AL rims require much less.

Now I take my own overpriced snapon torque wrench with when getting new tires and watch them like a hawk. Replacing rotors on a pre 98 honda is expensive-gotta press em out of the hub PITA because u can screw up the wheel bearings-been there and done that-hey why is my front wheeeeel wobbbbling in turns.

bodydouble · June 2002

Just as cokane said, what you've described in normal. In fact, I think Honda purposely retards the timing just a hair when the tranny shifts to get a smoother shift. I guess too many people didn't like that "lunging" that your Legend had.

killakella123 · June 2002

Yes, it takes some getting used to. The ratio between 1st and 2nd isn't really to my liking. When accelerating from a slow roll, the car is usually still in 2nd, if you gun it to get into 1st, it jerks pretty good and takes off a little more than I really wanted, if you don't give it enough gas to get into 1st, it struggles to get the RPM's up and into the good acceleration range.

Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

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