Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

tntitan · January 2003

I have a 2000 Accord SE with the 4 banger. It has 38K miles. When would you recommend changing plugs and/or plug wires? It seems to be running perfectly and my mileage has not changed but since they are so easy to get to I don't want to wait longer than necessary. Really just curious as to what you recommend and if you recommend changing the plugs ... what plug would you use?

virlitz · January 2003

for saving me $60 at the dealer for reset-:)

k_time · January 2003

Well..., I have a 2001 4-cyl accord ex w/17000 miles with the transmission problem. My local dealer is ordering a new transmission and will replace in a couple of days. This car has always been hesitant in first gear. Lately the car has been having a problem of downshifting into first gear at stoplights (especially in the California stop situation). This down shift is very hard. At the worst the car rolls out then it feels like it slams into the first gear (possibly going through park to get there). I asked the service advisor if this problem was the one described in the 100000 mile extended warranty card, he said it was. I bought the 4 cyl instead of the 6 cyl to ovoid the transmission problem (I knew about the problem in summer of 2001 when I bought the car) - go figure. We will see if a new transmission will fix the problem.

maxhonda99 · January 2003

auburn63, Thanks, I think that was the grease my service writer mentioned. He said it's made expensive though. Any idea where I can get a tube of it? It's not a noise from the window lowering and raising, it's a noise from the seals around the door. I pinpointed it yesterday, and put some silicone on it, but I'm sure that will wear out rather rapidly.

Thanks for the help.

auburn63 · January 2003

tntitan
Almost certain that your car has platinum plugs which do not need changed until 100,000 miles. The part number is a NGK plug#PZFR5F-11.

maxhonda99
I have heard a errrrt sound when rolling down mostly but also on up mode that ended up being the regulator but if you have cured it by lubing the seal then that must be it. The Shin Etsu can be found at Honda dealers parts department othe than that I dont know..

speedracer03 · January 2003

I had a "creaking" or rattling sound coming from the drivers side dash. I took it to Honda and they said they've had many problems like this and was able to fix it. Technically, they had to replace the A Pillar trim clip b/c they say it wasn't installed correctly from the factory. In any case, the problem is fixed and the noise is gone.

bburton1 · January 2003

A few weeks ago someone asked for the identification numbers for this warranty extension and they are 98-081 and 98-072, 00-073 and 02-031. There are a whole series of additional numbers for various codes and they are 811, 814. Apparently some regional Honda offices could not find this info-hmm wonder why.

This extended warranty covers the emissions system for 150K miles and even if nothing is wrong you get free of charge, new plugs, cap, rotor, ignition wires, oil change and filter. I have also had several parts of the evaporative system changed-couple of purge and 3 way valves plus today they changed the heated O2 sensor-all free of charge. The heated 02 sensor is a pricey part-$200+ from Honda and $80 from Bosch.

The heated O2 sensor malfunction symptoms were engine stumbling when cold and reduced gas mileage-the engine was running too rich and when cold caused mis fires.

Had an interesting time getting the work done when my regular tech supervisor was on vacation-his boss was a real expert at avoiding doing anything-reminds me of a certain large computer company's software support technicians-real experts at avoiding fixing a problem. Waited till the regular tech supervisor was back and got the heated O2 sensor replaced. Hope that does the deed.

bultman2 · January 2003

There is a wty issue with some accords did not have a proper install of clip. The correction is exterior glass clip/loose-removed and resecured tab. Operation 831099 Fail Code 043.

wenhongluo · January 2003

I have a 2000 Honda Accord EX V6. The check engine light came on suddenly. I took the car to AutoZone and run the code. It was P-1491: Secondary Switch Solenoid Circuit Malfunction. Does anybody know what that means? Thanks.

dkrab · January 2003

After it's warmed up, my 92 Accord with auto trans, 60K miles, started doing an odd thing; as I roll to a stop, I hear a click, the engine revs up to about 1000 rpm, it clicks again and the engine drops back down to normal idle speed. Only does it after warmed up. Changed the fluid with Honda atf about 10K miles ago and the fluid I removed looked and smelled new, but the magnet did have stuff on it.

Also, same car, the steering rack is leaking fluid from both ends. Can the seals be changed? I don't want to have to replace the whole rack.

Thanks

bburton1 · January 2003

Have a 1997 accord shop manual-according to this it is a malfunction in the EGR or Exhaust Gas Recirculaiton system. There is a EGR solenoid control valve sensor that is sending a signal that it is not operating properly.

I think these codes are the same and if so this is no big deal. Find the EGR lift sensor and undo the wire connector and reseat it. Then disconnect the fuse that controls the ECM-engine control module for a few seconds-this will clear the code out of the system-if it does not come back on-that was your problem. Would suggest you buy a manual from Helm Publications in MI-this is the same one the honda mechanics use and has really detailed charts on trouble shooting.

good luck

auburn63 · January 2003

I also believe that it is a EGR code for restriction and if so there is an extended warranty out for some of those models for upto 80000 miles...

fredv1 · January 2003

#3958 Sharyl. Just noticed your post today. We have the identical problem with the upper left windshield of our new Accord. And our dealer too could not find the cause. Have you had any luck in remedying your problem?

chandrak · January 2003

I have a HONDA accord SE 4cyl 2000 with 21k miles. It was due for an oilchange oct'02 or 3000 miles. Since I hadn't put on even 2000 miles over this period i didnt take it for an oil change.

This morning, I tried to start the car and it just wouldnt start. There is enough battery and I checked the oil and esp the transmission fluid. Everything is within limits. There is just about enough txn fluid.

I tried to start the car a couple of times using the winter startup procedure going between brakes and the accelerator(as in the driving manual).

I am at a loss to understand what cd be wrong. I have faced similar problems a couple of weeks ago when it was very cold...can somebody suggest something what could be wrong?
Thanks,

4ztc524 · January 2003

I have the following rattles in my 03: crackling noise at top left of windshield. Miscellaneous rattles above driver and passenger doors (i've heard this might be the grab handles and/or window seals needing silicon grease). Rattles on door of large center storage area, which is quiet if I leave it open. I'm taking my car in for service next month. I'll post if their able to fix things.

bburton1 · January 2003

Your oil change had nothing to do with not starting. When I start my 97 i4 accord-I do not touch the accelerator-don't think u are supposed to on FI cars-In cold weather it is very easy to flood cars-u get the plugs wet and they don't fire very well at low temps. Let it sit for several hours and try again-do not pump the gas. Did it fire at all or was there just grinding and no indication of starting.

Never had a problem starting a honda even in -38F temp with the car sitting outside.

pro_honda · January 2003

Hi all,

I'm thinking of buying a used 4 cyl. Honda Accord (maybe a 99,00 or 01). I thought the transmission problems were only with the 6 cyl., are there problems with the 4 cyl. trannys as well?

Also, do you think I would notice a big difference in power between the previous generation 4 cyl. 4-speed auto vs. the 2003 4 cyl. 5-speed auto?

If there is a big power difference or if the previous generation has tranny problems, I might consider buying new, but I'd prefer to buy used to save money.

Any opinions are greatly appreciated.

mymo · January 2003

I had trouble starting my 98 exv6. It would crank just fine but no go. Turned out that one of the cells in the battery shorted out which caused a slight drop in voltage. This in turn led to a false reading with the imobilizer which didn't allow the fuel to flow. One new battery was the cure with no additional starting problems. Since the engine felt and sounded like it was cranking at normal speed I did not suspect a bad battery.

martylaw · January 2003

Took delivery on a 2003 EX v6 Coupe last week. There was a constant rattle coming from the left front corner of the dashboard, where it met the window. Brought the car back and the dealer took the top panel off, still heard the noise, tightened things under the dash and under the hood. Finally, they realized it was a squeek originating at a rubber bushing at the FRONT OF THE HOOD, and transmitted back along the hood so it sounded like it was inside the car. They applied some kind of grease, and it was fine.

Now the car is completely quiet, tight, and rattle free.

chandrak · January 2003

Thanks Bburton1 & Mymo.

A couple more questions:

Yes, I went back to the car a couple of hours later and restarted the car. Yes, it would crank. I generally dont keep the ignition turned on for more than 2 seconds(usually the car comes to life by then). This time, I kept it on for say 3-4 seconds and the car shuddered. I alternated with pump gas and start and it worked. But, why shouldnt we pump the gas? Is it not recommended?

I guess, its time to check the car for its batteries and find out whats going on? BUT, this problem seems to happen only when the car hasnt been started for long(like a weekend).

Thanks and i will be seeing the dealer this week, still have another 9months of warranty on the car.

bburton1 · January 2003

Didn't think u are supposed to pump the gas on a FI vehicle-the ECM controls the gas mixture. I have not read my manual when it comes to starting but I don't think u are supposed to pump the fuel. Carbureted vehicles-u could and when u flood them hold the accelerator wide open-pumping a carbureted vehicle adds a lot of gas. What pumping the accelerator does with FI is an unknown to me.

Hope somebody else chimes in on this but I think u should not touch that accelerator when starting.

rva1 · January 2003

Does anyone else have a problem with a 2003 Accord ex (4 cyl, MT) and steering drift in windy conditions? I have found it very difficult to control when it's windy outside or trucks/buses pass by. The car seems to drift suddenly in response to the wind and this occurs without moving the steering wheel. Tire pressure is 30 psi all around. The dealer's mechanics looked at the car and said they could find nothing wrong in the suspension (visual inspection only); they didn't check alignment. Dealer suggested I learn to live with it. What would you do?
Thanks for any advice you can give.

atlantabenny · January 2003

I owned both of the previous gen Accords, both with 4cyl auto gearboxes and now own (but wife is primary driver of) an 03 Ex-L 4cyl/auto.

1)"...are there problems with the 4 cyl. trannys as well?"

I've not heard of the 4-cyl models having the tranny problems of the V6, and didn't experience them on our Accords. Apparently the trannies aren't able to handle V6's power but are fine for the 4's.

2) "Also, do you think I would notice a big difference in power between the previous generation 4 cyl. 4-speed auto vs. the 2003 4 cyl. 5-speed auto?"

The 03 more smoothly and quietly accelerates, altering the sense of speed as compared to the previous gen Accord, which seems "faster" because of the acceleration raucous.

Actual 0-60 time is shorter for the 03 if I remember the magazine tests correctly.

Overall the feeling is that the 03 is a more refined, quieter and sophisticated Accord although it still doesn't isolate as much as a Camry (I drive a Camry Solara 4cyl).

3) "I might consider buying new, but I'd prefer to buy used to save money."

Upfront cost is definitely lower on a pre-owned vehicle, but future costs like timing belt change, tires, (not to mention higher APRs on used versus low promotional APRs on new) etc. reduce the differential to a point where one asks "is $2000 more over 4 years for a new Accord worth the technology upgrade and the higher overall satisfaction of ownership?"

Each one of us answers this differently, and in my case the 03's new-generation improvements were compelling enough to change.

bburton1 · January 2003

Is this your first Accord-they give a lot of road feedback-to some people having always driven cars that insulate them from the road-this could be disconserting.

The road feel and handling is why I buy honda's. Oh if u have Michelin MXV4 tires-don't replace them with the same tire-read reviews on tirerack.com. Michelin X-One is a better choice and so is the Bridgestone ? -- senior moment-potenza I think-there are several types and they are geting good reviews. good luck with your honda.

tntitan · January 2003

Definitely do not touch the gas pedal when starting the car. Why would you think that you need to do this on a fuel injected car?

I also have a 2000 SE with 37K and it has never had a problem starting. Check out page 171 in the owners manual on starting your car. If instructs you to turn the ignition key without using the gas pedal. If this does not work, wait at least 10-15 seconds and try again. (I have never had to go past this point.) If this does not work, THEN accelerate half way (do not pump the gas pedal) and try again. If this does not work, THEN accelerate all the way (again do not pump the pedal) and try again.

Try starting the first time without touching the gas pedal and you will probably not have to worry about all of this other stuff for years.

mikek37 · January 2003

I am the owner of a 2003 Accord V6 with 2500 miles. I have noticed a very annoying creak and/rattle that is coming from the back seat passenger area. Has anyone experienced a rattle such as that. Thanks

k_time · January 2003

In Reply to message #4030 and #4036 look at my message #4016. The 4cyl can have transmission problems. There are probably cars out there with the generic problem that gets unnoticed until a hard failure occurs. My car is not back from the shop yet - will post a new message with results from the new transmission.

atlantabenny · January 2003

Any tell-tale signs of impending failure ? Got 2 sisters-in-law who still have that generation Accord. Thanks.

atlantabenny · January 2003

No need to reply, I re-read your post.

pro_honda · January 2003

k_time:

My initial post was in response to reading #4016. I'd never heard of the problem with the 4 cyl. I'm still not sure if it's an isolated incident or not. Let us know how it turns out.

atlantabenny:

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my post. The fact that you have owned both generations lends definite credibility to your opinion! I've got a lot of thinking to do. I'm afraid to take the 2003 on a test drive since the new car smell tends to diminish my objectivity !

bmwthx · January 2003

I have a 2003 Accord LX 4cyl. automatic and have experienced "steering drift" on all roads. Car pulls to the right. Two different Honda dealers service depts. looked into the problem (cross rotated tires, adjusted steering wheel, test drove) and they could not find anything wrong. The Honda shop foreman drove the car with me in the passenger seat down the freeway and told me Honda Corporation says a 7 second maximum drift from one lane to another is allowed. My question for Honda owners is: Do all Accords pull to the right? My previous cars (not Hondas) never did. The problem has been addressed by two Honda dealerships on three separate service occasions. Did Honda sell me a Lemon..if so, I will escalate and persuse to Honda Corporation of America!!!!!!

gotribe · January 2003

I've got a 2003 Accord EX V-6, and while it has a number of problems, drift isnt one of them. It goes down the road straight as an arrow, unless the road is heavily crowned. I would not accept the Honda dealers "its normal" response, because its not normal for any car. Escalate it to the Honda Customer Relationship Dept--(800)999-1009. They'll take your report, and then have a "case manager" call you. Good luck.

test007 · January 2003

When I first took home my 2003 Honda Accord, the car pulled to right.
Took it a Honda dealership and I asked for an alignment check. The service manager told me that alignment was little off the manufacture specification. It was realigned and now drives straight. The dealer initially said that it’s normal for the car to follow the crown of the road, and asked me to test it on one way straight road.

I suggest do an alignment (if not already performed) and follow up with what Gotribe suggested.. Escalate.

That 7 seconds rule is very interesting. Did he mention how fast you would have to be going for 7 seconds rule to apply. Good luck.

lookman · January 2003

Since some 2003 EX V6s have rotten egg smell, has any one contacted Honda to find out what their response was? I was told by salesman that it was my brakes (not true) and Service Dept said that a plastic bag may be stuck to my exhaust. It is either the exhaust system or the fuel but I would like to know Honda's answer since it is prevalent on 2003 models. Otherwise it is an eggcellent car.

chiggaraccord4 · January 2003

i believed the rotten egg smell is sulfure from the catalytic converter. some gasolines contains more sulfure than others.

to all the accord 03 i4 owners:
what gasoline(manuf, octane) do you put in ur baby?

seaf · January 2003

I own a '99 civic, and it has trouble starting when it has been parked for 8+ hours when the gas tank is below 1/4 full. I think it is due to the fuel lines loosing its pressure while parked, so to get around it, I turn the key to the ON position for about 6 seconds (the fan and other instrument lights should come on, along with the seatbelt alarm) to allow the fuel pump to repressurize the lines, then I turn it to the START position to crank, this reduces the cranking time to save wear on the starter motor. Often times the when you turn the key quickly to START, some of the cranking time is wasted as the fuel pump works to fill the fuel lines to get fuel to the engine. This doesn't work if your problem is you do not even hear a the engine cranking.

I've posted this numerous times in the civic forum, and I wish there was a FAQ about some of the most common problems.

Also the rotten egg smell of new cars should also belong in a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). It is due to the catalytic converter being worn in, it should go away after a while.

2003corolla · January 2003

I have read a few owners having trouble starting their new Accords. I am in the market for a 2003 and am worried about this problem. Do any of the members here have troubles starting up the vehicle or has Honda put out a TSB on this?
thanks
Andy

1997montez34 · January 2003

In the owner's manual it states that the catalytic converter will emit a sulfur smell after a period of hard acceleration.

From what I understand sulfur from our crappy gas builds up and is burned off during hard acceleration. I notice the smell too but only after I rev it out. I wouldn't worry about it.

lookman · January 2003

Update:

Honda 800# Customer Service acted as if they had no clue. At Honda.com web site, they do address it as part of the car's cold engine being accelerated or deaccelerated and no mention that it is just an initial break-in problem, though that is what a service advisor told me.

I presume that others are not talking of the burning smell, that new Honda's and other car's emit, very noticibly when parked in an enclosed garage. I understand that to be the anti-rust undercoating, which wears off eventually.

I have never experienced smelling a stink (egg or sewer like) while sitting in a new car at the traffic light. Since I have only 500 miles, I have not indulged in hard driving.

My new car came with a factory filled tank and I have filled it with the Sam's gas with 87 octane; but now I will experiment with "better" brand gas.

Any input is welcome.

mikek37 · January 2003

Lookman you raise a viable question. Have any accord owners switched over to hgher octane gas. If so, see any benefis?

treoster · January 2003

I've experienced this as well.
Very hard to find TSB info for Honda (surprisingly difficult)

Anyone had this problem, gone to a dealer, and had it fixed?

I'm also curious about the comment someone made about Civic and turning it to "ON" for a few secs to get the fuel lines pressurized, and then subsequently, having less wear/crank on the engine. Any mechanics out there want to comment on this?
I had a 2K Maxima, and always had much smoother starts (although once in a while, the immobilizer chip would go south).

bburton1 · January 2003

Thanks for suggesting turning the ignition to full on for a few seconds before starting-Will give it a shot and see if it quickens up a cold start. Have 150K on my accord I4 and it used to start instantly and now takes a couple of seconds in cold weather-down to 0 here last night.

Somebody a few days ago posted a very good explination of the "cause" of the rotten egg smell. Has a lot to do with how much sulfur is in our fuel. I can even smell it when my vent is open to outside air when some idiot floors his 7K# UAV in front of me. If a rotten egg smell is the worst problem u are having with a car-oh what luxury.

If i had an 03 accord that pulled to the right-would really be torqued. Lots of people are reporting this-hope honda listens and fixes whatever is wrong. Guess you could under inflate the left front tire a bit to give more drag. Love the "7 second" rule-must have been a high double digit iq sales guy to think up that one. FYI- I sell for a living.

sangana · January 2003

I am getting around 21.5 mpg in exclusive city driving. The specs says 24 mpg. Is this normal or too low ? Thanks..

vadp · January 2003

I heard two versions.
The first one is simple - you get the smell because your catalityc converter goes south on you.

The second one is more complicated and doesn't indicate any problem.
According to that theory you get tha smell because your car is realitively new, and is running a tad on the lean air/fuel ratio mixture side.
The sulfur compounds found in all gasolines.
In a lean engine these compounds are broken down into simpler form, most notably Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) which is changed into Sulfur Trioxide, (SO3) in the catalytic converter.
This SO3 will build up until a rich air/fuel mixture occurs in an engine, such as slowing down and stopping at a red light, or going uphill where the engine is working a little harder and calling for more fuel.
At that point, the SO3 is changed to H2S, (Hydrogen Sulfide), the "rotten egg odor gas" and exits out of the exhaust pipe.
There is nothing that is "out of adjustment" or not working correctly. The smell will cease as the converter ages, in the meantime you may want to try various brands of gasoline to see if that will help.

seaf · January 2003

I think I heard it on Car Talk, you know the click'n'clack brothers, Tom & Ray. They're mechanics who have a pretty entertaining talk show. Check your local NPR schedule, they're usually on weekends in the morning.

They said that Japanese cars are notorious for low-pressure fuel lines, Honda & Toyota were the major ones. This trick works well on my Civic when my gas is low.

bmwthx · January 2003

To gotribe and test007 thanks for your suggestions. The alignment was checked by two different dealerships and found matching factory settings specs. By the way, does anyone know how responsive Honda is to customer escalations? Also, I cant think of any other mechanical issues that would make a car pull to the right? (tire pressure is ok, tires were cross rotated already, rims are in good shape). Appreciate your feedback, Thanks!

k_time · January 2003

I got my car back today, however before I discuss the results I want to talk about the Accord transmission. I have owned both a 1985 and 1992 Accord both bought new. These cars had very positive shifting transmissions (almost "shift kit" feeling) which I liked. Honda in the mid 90's was loosing sells to cars like the silky smooth shifting Toyota Camry which a lot of people preferred. In reaction to this Honda improved the smoothness of the Accord transmission. This is when the problems started to happen - the result Honda extended the transmission warranty to 100000 miles on the Accord model. I noticed that something was very different when I drove my brand new 2001 Accord EX with leather off the lot of the dealership. The car did not have confidence in first gear, however I passed this off as a characteristic of the new design. Knowing about the transmission problems then on V6 cars I chose the I4. For 17000 miles the transmission degraded to a point that it needed attention.

Today I picked up my car (with the new improved transmission) from the dealership. The car feels excellent. No funniness in first gear, no hard downshifting and no gear crunching. Honda definitely fixed the generic problem in this improved transmission.

I would highly recommend the Accord as a used car option. It is a refined vehicle that has good resale values (sold my 1992 10 year old 130000+ miles for 1/3 of what I bought it for). Honda stands behind their product with extended warranties when generic problems occur. I would also look at the Camry although smaller in size a very good car from an excellent manufacture.

1997montez34 · January 2003

www.driveaccord.com doesn't work. Are you sure that's the right URL?

jaccord03 · January 2003

I have a 2003 Accord EX v6 sedan with about 2800 miles on it. In the past few weeks, when the car is turned off, it makes some noises like the fan is still going or almost like a suctioning noise. They are coming from the center vents. There is no way these are normal noises.

I took it to the dealer, actually 2 dealers, the first said they heard no noise, the second told me if was the "freon depressurizing after being used and that it was going back to liquid after being in a gas state."

Does anyone else have any noises from the air system after turning off the car? Shouldn't there be no strange fan noises coming from a car with under 3000 miles on it?

I just cannot accept that this is the way the car is supposed to be.

Thanks for any advice/opinions.

spleck · January 2003

I get that sucking noise on my 91 Taurus, but I've never heard it on newer cars. It's cold here, so I can't check, but it seems to me it only did it if it was between selections (equivalent to Honda with AC half on), or if I turned the AC off right after I turned the car off.

Honda Accord Problems 2000-2005

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles

Your Privacy