Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

auburn63 · December 2002

Heat works wonder on those non existing nuts. But for those without torches you can get them off with a chissel and hammer until you break it loose then channel locks or vice grips. Never have had to replace a cat, all it takes is patience..

bburton1 · December 2002

The threads on the studs on the rear of my cat were gone-smooth-maybe the salt in WI/MN work faster on cats in Japan built Honda's. Used galvanized nuts/bolts to replace the almost rusted off studs in case I have to do it again.

agc1976 · December 2002

The dealer I bought my EX-L Coupe lost the card with the security code for the stereo system.

They promised to fix the problem, but just in case they don't work it out soon, what would be the fastest way of getting my security code?

robr2 · December 2002

Look for a sticker attached to the glove box somewhere. Many times the code is there.

Good Luck.

bodydouble · December 2002

I'm asking this question in the wrong thread because the car is an Acura CL-S. But I figured it's a close enough relative to the Accord and you're the only Honda tech on Townhall that I know of, so here goes:

Compared to when the car was new, I find that the steering reacts more to road imperfections and doesn't seem as precise, or tight, around the on-centre position. At city speeds it seems to require more minute steering corrections to keep it pointed straight. The steering wheel itself is a couple of degrees off-centre. Not that much except it used to be perfectly centred. I have checked tire pressure which is right on. Now I have to add that car does NOT drift or pull. Do you think I still have an alignment issue? Could my toe setting be off which results in the steering being more loose, or "darty"?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

jrock80 · December 2002

I bought my new 2003 Accord EX V6 Sedan a little less than a month ago. I have been having a lot of annoying little problems since day 1. When I picked up the car at the time of delivery I noticed that the pocket door below the HVAC and Radio (where CDs can now be stored) was rattling. No problem, the dealer ordered a new door and replaced it, this did fix the rattle. However, in installing the new door, the mechanics scratched all of the plastic around the gear selector up and left huge marks from a screwdriver where they had to pry up the pieced to remove them. Kind of annoying. The next week my sunroof started rattling. At first it happened only over large bumps, then after another week or so, it got progressively worse. I took it in for that and they fixed that. No problems since. Now the third problem I have been having is sort of a big one. On occasion, the car will not start. This has been happening since the first week I got the car. I have had it in 3 times for this problem now, and they even kept it overnight for diagnostics. They cant find anything wrong with it. It only does it once in a while. The car cranks but thats all it does. Sounds like its not getting any fuel. They thought it was the anti-theft system and the engine immobilizer, but they checked all of that out and reprogrammed my keys and ignition. A week after I got it back it did it again. Took 3 tries to get it to start. Not only can this be embarrassing with a brand new car, but I am afraid someday it will just not start at all and leave me stranded. Of course the car wont act up while it is at the dealer, so they all think I am nuts. Should I not be worried about this? Does anyone else have an 03 Accord that takes a couple tries to start? My car is also Graphite Pearl, and I have been reading other posts on here, and I did notice on my hood when I washed it that the paint looks blotchy in some areas just on the hood. Dark in some areas and real light in others, thought it was just me. And one other thing, sometimes when the car is sitting idling (I noticed this in the Wendys drive through tonight) it makes a funny ticking sound. Almost like a metallic rapping. I dont know what that is, and it only does it once in a while, sometimes when it cold, sometimes when its warm. I am using regular 87 octane gasoline as instructed. Someone please write back to me with suggestions or advice, I am really starting to get discouraged, especially with the starting thing. This is my first Honda, I had a 93 Pontiac Grand AM before with over 100k on it, and it saddens me to say that I never had a problem starting it. Thanks, and sorry this is so long.

tblazer503 · December 2002

Have had that problem. Only once though. I had the car garaged for a day(took the fiancees car out that weekend) about 36hrs and came back and to me it sounded like the starter was struggling actually. Well, I stopped, and turned off the headlights(usually let them auto turn off/on) and the car started right up. Had the car for 35 days and 1300 miles now, and that is the only problem so far.

FYI, '03 Japan built Accord EX I4 K24 5MT.

Here's a question for you all, I have noticed that the rocker panels under my doors are loose. If you play with it right behind the front tire, it will rock back and forth. Long story short, traced it to a missing inside screw that is supposed to support the rocker panel that prevents the movement. Curious to see if I am the only one. (Rocker panel is the plastic trim under the doors on the outside) Any feedback would be appreciated.. Easy enough to fix, just curious if it's isolated or not.

tblazer503 · December 2002

The storage compartment under the HVAC controls. That was ... interesting. The problem was that the door wouldn't open when pushed. So I disassembled it, and found that the guide for a metal rod was soft plastic. In it, I found that someone had forced the door open(apparently) and trashed the guide, thereby making it nearly impossible for the rod to follow the guide(extra plastic in the way) Cleaned it up, and put some synthetic grease in the guide, and works like a dream. Took about an hour all together. Interestingly enough, it looks like many of the main systems are behind that center storage. Nice cubby hole for something. =o)

talon95 · December 2002

I've had a similar starting problem, fairly infrequently, with my 2000 Accord. The engine turns over just fine, but it never starts or even seems like it's trying to start. Whenever this happens, I remove the key and reinsert it and try again. It always starts after this.

In my case, it happens so infrequently that I haven't pursued it, especially since the "reinsert key" approach has worked reliably. It sounds like your problem is worse, so I'd pursue it at the dealership. My suggestion is just something to try until they figure out how to fix it once and for all. If it works, maybe it will at least allay your fears of being stranded. Anyway, hope they can figure out the problem... if they do, please post about the fix.

gotribe · December 2002

This is a strange problem, I experienced it once on my 03 EX V6 too, and several times when my 02 Odyssey was new, but never since. As I recall, there were several posts on the Odyssey board about this many months ago--perhaps you could search for them. I believe (and my dealer agrees) that this glitch is in the immobilizer system sompeplace. But you've already done the key thing, so if it continues they'll have to dig deeper. The odd thing is that it seems to happen very early in the vehiclle's life and then disappear. Maybe the key has to "learn" the system, whatever that means!

maxpower02 · December 2002

coming from the right side of the dashboard. I picked up the car of Monday, heard the noice soon after I turned the heat on. Its been very cold here in NYC. It sounds like dripping water, as if water is dripping inside the heater coil??? Spoke to my salesman, he said noise could be from when it was washed, but yesterday I heard it again. It also happens when the heat is off. So far, (3 days) thats about it. No smell or wet spots on floor or driveway, so I don't think anything is leaking. Anybody else have this problem?

jrct9454 · December 2002

...if there is air in the system, the coolant circulating in the heater box could be making these sounds. Is the AC on? We often use it in conjunction with heat to take the moisture out of the air during the winter season. But I have never heard dripping sounds unless the drain is plugged, which usually makes for wet spots in the car. My first thought was/is coolant in the heater box that is not circulating properly.

bburton1 · December 2002

A couple of days ago just after driving off on cold mornings-let it idle for about one minute and then slowly off down the road. After about 300 yards the engine started missing-acting like either too much or not enough gas-put it in neutral and hit the accelerator and it cleared up. When it gets warm - no problems. Done it a couple of more times now-think mixture is too rich and when engine is cold-causes it to misfire.

Now got a CEL code of 45 and that code is either System Too Rich or Lean. One more thing-gas mileage just went down from an average of 30mph to 27 mph-never seen hwy miles this low before.

According to the shop manual it could be:
assuming too rich:
-fuel Pressure Regulator clogged, stuck closed
-Fuel Return Pipe clogged
-Fuel Injector Leaking
-Gas does not meet specs-bad gas
-Primary HO2S (Sensor 1) deteriorated
-EGR System insufficient flow
-EVAP Purge Control SOlenoid Valve leakign, stuck open
-Valve clearance

It has 147K miles-plugs, ignition wiring and rotor replaced 35K ago and a couple of 1457 codes in the past.

Any ideas-what should I try first.

thanks

auburn63 · December 2002

Sometimes the immobilizer doesnt reconize the key and therefore will not start the car. This happens from outside interferance such as but not limited to too much metal on the key ring. Try using the ignition key only for a while and see if it helps,

bburton1
Run dont walk into your nearest Honda dealer as your car may need a component covered under the emissions extension warranty upto 150,000 or 14 years. If you havent gotten a free tune up yet as part of this campaign you can get one of those also..Other than that my first thought was going to be a bad distributor cap or coil..but try the free way first good luck

auburn63 · December 2002

If the steering wheel is off center and wasn't before then it is possible that the toe is off and you may need an alignment. I'm not for sure if that will cure the road feel or not as sometimes road feel is the tires..

jrock80 · December 2002

I might have narrowed it down to a problem, but I am not 100% sure of my theory yet. I dont have a keychain or any other keys along with my Accord ignition key. It is all by itself. But what I did notice is that when I put my Nokia Cell Phone in the same pocket as my car key, it gives me problems sometimes. I am not totally sure maybe if something with the magnetics of the phone does something to the chip in the key. But I am going to try not carrying my phone and key anywhere near each other and see if that doesnt fix it. Wish me luck!

bodydouble · December 2002

I carry my cell phone in a leather case on my belt, and while it is not in my pocket, it is only about 6 inches from my key (which is in my pocket). And I've never had any starting problem with my CL-S. Also, my wife throws her keys into her purse with her keys and she's never had any starting problems either with her '02 Accord.

Now, if you hold your cell phone close to the key while you're cranking the ignition, then I can sort of see perhaps the the cell phone interfering with the chip.

bodydouble · December 2002

bburton1 · December 2002

Would the extended emissions warranty cover the Primary Heated Oxygen Sensor-one would think so as it is part of the emissions control system. Have a sneaky that is the problem and those puppies cost about $250-parts only.

habaka · December 2002

Help, I need some experienced advice.
The small inner one-way door that the nozzle pushes in when adding gas has disappeared on my 2002 LxV6 with 13K miles. I assume that it has fallen off into the gas tank. I have never heard of such a thing happening. I imagine that this will waste at least a 1/2 day of my time to get fixed. Is it worth worrying about? Can this part clog my fuel intake? Is it really necessary? Can it be retrieved through the trunk access? Is this a warranty item? Any help is greatly appreciated.

tblazer503 · December 2002

I would start with the simple things first...
try checking your vacuum hoses for cracks/looseness, I would probably drop a real good fuel system cleaner in to see if it is a fuel related problem, if it gets a little better, it may be the culprit. Check the throttle cables to make sure they are at least snug and not loose, and I would hook up a timing light to verify timing is on, hand in hand, I would probably pull the plugs and check the wear to make sure that all cylindars are firing normally, you can usually tell if the engine is running lean/rich, plugs running hot/cold, etc by the spark plug. just a few cheap thoughts. =o)

BTW you can also buy a fuel injector test kit for about 40 at the local auto store. If it's happening all of a sudden, I don't think it's a valve/fuel problem. Could be though.

tblazer503 · December 2002

I would take it in... at least it will be documented if it does cause problems in the future. I wouldn't recommend disassembling the fuel system if it is still under warranty, since there are more than a few sensors running around, unless you have a manual, but then again, it's still under warranty.

auburn63 · December 2002

bburton,
That is a covered component if it is bad..

fuel flap, did they not get rid of those? I thought they did but maybe I am wrong, I will try and check..

fritz1224 · December 2002

Auburn is right. There isn't a flap there. At least my 2k Accord doesn't have one. I don't think you had one either and are just now noticing it is not there.

mdx_kid · December 2002

I got my 03 EXV6 from the shop after three days and got the side view mirror fixed. It was a broken contact at the door. I talked to the service advisor about turning the key twice or three times to start up the car. According to him it's normal operation and most Honda V6 does this. He even showed me a letter from Honda that this is normal operation and service guys are not supposed to do anything. He said it doesn't happen with all the V6 they manufacture but more prominent in Odyssey. But anyways the new accord is awesome. It is very peppy and the interior is world class.

kherald · December 2002

I have always driven Hondas and have never had an electrical problem before. Does anyone have any idea why the fuse keeps blowing on my 03 Accord Ex V6 FOR THE INSIDE LIGHTS? This is becoming very annoying. Have changed the fuse once myself, hoping it was a fluke, but it blew again yesterday. Will be taking it in this time to have things checked. Any ideas? I'm crossing my fingers that I'm not stuck with a lemon electrical system and that this is just the beginning of problems.

mack20 · December 2002

Hi..

It always seems my car problems come in bunches.

Neways..here goes.

1994 Accord. 140,000 kms.

Car stalls while running. This has happened twice in the last three days. Was exiting driveway and car shut off. Tried starting. It was cranking but would not start. Finally after 5-6 tries and pushing it back up driveway. It started.

Then it ran perfectly for another day. Next day same thing happened.

Car cranks. So is this a fuel problem? I remember reading about similar messages a while back. Is this a common fix.

Thanks in advance

neceboopie · December 2002

I took my 2002 accord exv6 in to the dealership
and left it overnight since the loud thump only happens in the morning.They didn't hear anything and couldn't duplicate it. I know there's a couple of people out there with this problem (sounds like it's exploding when you start it). Any other people out there with this problem and
any solutions.

auburn63 · December 2002

mack20
Possibibly could be a bad ignition switch as they sometimes loose there connection in the run mode but work fine in the start and acc modes. Other than that the choices are many but my money is on the switch. You should loose the dash warning lights when it acts up, try wiggiling the key and see if you can make it stall..good luck

mack20 · December 2002

Thanks for the info. Is the iginiton switch easy to diagnose by a mechanic?

Are there any other symptoms? I rember for the last few months when turning the car off it would sound funny. Like a hole in the exhaust. Cannot explain it.

Thanks neways. Are those ignition switches expensive?

jrock80 · December 2002

Well I thought it was maybe my cell phone interfering with the key but thats not the case. It did it again this morning and I didnt even have my cell phone with me. Grrrr I dont know what it is and I have taken it to the dealer numerous times. It always works perfect for them (or so they say). This problem has been very disturbing since the car only has 2000 miles on it now, although this has been happening since the day after I got it. Not too mention embarassing, trying to start my new car while going to take a friend for a ride and it wont start and takes 4 tries, not a good thing.

What should I try to do next? I already told the dealer I wanted a new car after all of the problems I have been having with this one. They didnt like that idea. It seems like everytime I take it in for service they screw something else up or make things worse. Any ideas? Anyone want to buy a Graphite Pearl 03 Accord EX V6?

bodydouble · December 2002

Perhaps you should start a paper trail up the chain of command --- service manager, sales manager, general manager, Honda customer service. You make enough noise and they may start to be more "helpful". Worst case scenario, you end up in court and the documentation will not hurt.

silvernubira · December 2002

My 1988 Accord first started shutting off the engine then missing (bucking?). Replacing the fuel pump (about a month and 500 miles ago--no problems so far) was the solution.

aming · December 2002

"According to him it's normal operation and most Honda V6 does this" Is the starter cranking? Or is it just a click? If the starter is going and the car isn't catching you could end up wearing out your starter 2-3 times faster then if it worked properly. This could cost you down the road...usually after the warranty has run out. If this is "normal operation" then you might want to get him to extend the warranty on the starter.

Keep us posted...

dok4 · December 2002

I just purchased a 2002 Honda Accord EX-V6 4-door sedan. The power window on the front passenger side door seems too tight. It goes down OK, but goes up very slowly, actually stopping at times. I've had to roll the window back down and try again a few times before finally getting it to go up all the way. Has anybody ever experienced this problem, or possibly know what may be wrong?

mwcarlso · December 2002

The power window switch must provide more current to bring the window up than to bring it down. Your window switch may be faulty, only working intermittently. Also, the regulator could be getting stuck in the doors run channel on the way up. Your car should still be under warranty so bring it to the dealer and make them figure out what is wrong. It shouldn't be too hard for them to figure out. Good luck.

tblazer503 · December 2002

got a few "cheap" fixes...
Fuel filter... have you changed it recently? It's supposed to be changed like every 15k mi(22,5KM?) or so same as Air filter.

Plugs, Plug wires, Cap, Rotor inspection/replacement time. (if you haven't)

carb cleaner for the throttle body. =o)

oh, and add in the fuel system cleaner.

Can't hurt, hope this helps some.

johnhyre · December 2002

My 2002 Honda Accord EX V6 drivers seat with electric seats moves or rocks when I accelerate. Honda dealer replaced the seat rails and now says this is normal..my 98 accord did not do this. What might be wrong?

acmeroadrunnr · December 2002

Anyone get this in the mail? I got a letter from Honda this week for a free 100,000 mile warranty on my 2k Accord EX automatic tranny. Must be alot of failures to have them go to this extreme. My tranny was definately questionable, but both the d*mn dealer and then Honda refused to do anything about it (slipped 1st and 3rd) and I even had the tranny fluid changed every 15k miles. Rather than pay for a new tranny down the road, I got rid of it in June.
Well, you (Honda lovers) won't like me for this, but I have gone back to Nissan's. Since my '90 Stanza (traded it for accord) never had a problem I went back to the Nissan dealer and bought an Altima SE and hope it is as reliable as my Stanza was. I can also add that the dealer is definately easier/pleasant to deal with -they actually want your business.

talon95 · December 2002

My dealer was very cooperative about the transmission... I described the symptoms and the service manager immediately set up the appointment for the tranny replacement. They always make me feel like they value my business.

Too bad you had a bad experience with your Honda dealer, but they aren't all like that. And ironically, the nearest Nissan dealer to me has a terrible reputation for sleazy sales tactics and rotten service. However, equally ironic is the fact that the same people have a Honda dealership that's got just as bad a reputation. That's why I went elsewhere.

bburton1 · December 2002

Had a CEL and got the two digit code indicating an over rich condition. I suspected bad gas or maybe a O2 sensor. Went to the local dealer and the service manager said they would not charge me for anything for the diagnostic check even if it was just bad gas. Now the emissions system is still under warranty but he could have nicked me $80 for just slapping the code reader in the socket.

Also asked him what happened if the too rich condition burns out the cat-no problem-replace anything at no cost that is connected to the emissions control system.

Here is another item I learned. If you CEL thingy starts flashing-stop immediately-means you have a potential engine destroying condition occuring. Get it towed. Did not know they could flash. Learn something every day. Oh and when I buy my new accord-this dealer will get first crack at my bus. Most of the crooks I have encountered at dealerships are out front selling the cars-on occasion have found crooks in the back also-but not nearly as prevalent. Oh I sell for a living so I do not hate sales people and understand what they are about.

jrock80 · December 2002

Has anyone tried to replace the bulb for the low-beam on the driver side of an 03 Accord yet? You have to go through the wheelwell and take off this cover to do it. I was adding PIAA Superwhite bulbs and it was extremely awkward to get in. The passenger side you can reach from under the hood. Interesting design...

acmeroadrunnr · December 2002

True, and unfortunately for me the closest Honda dealer, besides the one I purchased from, were 30 miles away. If there were no problems with the car this would have been a non-issue anyway. I thought that since I brought the car to them for all the preventive maintenance that they would have been more helpful, but they weren't. At the time, Honda did not even want to recognize the faulty transmission. Their choice and anyway I am very happy with the Altima at this point.

mings98 · December 2002

I've got a 2003 Accord EX 4cyl. and off the dealership lot the front driver's side window started making rattling noises (very low, but since my left ear is right beside the window I can hear it). The noise goes away if you lower the window a bit and close it again, but comes back later on. I thought it was some kind of residue on the window from dealer's prep (wax, or something like that), so I cleaned the window thoroughly, removed whatever residues were on the window. However, the noise came back again a few minutes later and now it's driving me nuts. If the car was noisy (like my S2000 when the top is down) I may have not noticed, but the new Accord is so quiet you can hear just about any rattling inside.

Any suggestions?

mack20 · December 2002

Hey...

thanks for all the great feedback.

I did exactly what you did. Fuel Filter,plugs, Cap, Rotor have all been replaced. I will hold onto the wires.

I put in some fuel system anti-freeze. Cold in these parts. Mechanic said that they could have been water in the tank?

So far no problems. I'll drive carefully for at least a week.

Thanks!

jrock80 · December 2002

I was reading an article that said that if you use synthetic oil from when the car is brand new the car can benifit from it, but if you use regular oil and then switch to synthetic it doesnt really do much. Should I be using synthetic in my 2003 Accord EX V6? Or should I just let the dealer put whatever kind of oil they usually do?

tblazer503 · December 2002

I believe that you can buy an additive from your local auto shop that will "bind" the water in your fuel, and allow it to pass through the engine w/o harm... I would check into it... I believe it is a couple of bucks... only thing is that you will have to run your tank down a few times... check into it... can't hurt any.

mdx_kid · December 2002

Do you really need to have the "Torque Wrench" to tighten the nut after the oil change or regular wrench will do fine?

JROCK: If you don't live in cold areas(-20c) or very hot areas (>40c) and change the oil every 6000KM then you need not switch to synthetic. I am in the same dilemma but from little research I found that you have to change the oil filter after every 6000km and keep the oil change interval to 12000km or even 20000km by using synthetic oil. But then again I think if you gonna change your oil too at 6000km then it's not worth to spend double the money on synthetic and draining it out at 6000km.

jaynich · December 2002

My '99 has 35,000 miles, and i've developed a Tranny "clunk" about occurs about 5 seconds after each time the transmission has engaged in reverse. It seems worse when the engine is cold. Additionally, I have noticed some slight roughness in other transmission shifts, especially during automatic downshifts, etc. but these are intermittent. I'm having it looked at, but am interested in any comments others may have. How much would it cost to replace the Tranny, or is there some possible intermediate fix? I bought the car used and don't have a warranty. Should I continue driving it like this until it gets worse?

On tires, I'm looking for a good all-weather tire for the Northeast... Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance for any/all responses.

jar1945 · December 2002

I have a new Honda 2003 Accord 4 cylinder and the car often smells like sulfur dioxide. My dealer tested the fuel mixture from the computer and said that it might be too rich but was fine. He will put in new catalytic converters but I have had the car only 3 months and put only 1000 miles on it so far and he is afraid that the new cats won't help because of my driving "style". To work, shopping, etc. Never really fire it up enough to get hot and break in the converter, rings, etc whatever all that means.

Any suggestions please????

Jerry

Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Your Privacy