Your owner's manual for your XM Accord will tell you how to select the channel where you will find and then write down the radio's code number (I forgot exactly how or I'd tell you, but it's easy). The manual also gives you the XM 800 phone number which is also on the XM web site.
After you write down the radio's code, call XM--it's not a 24 hour number, but the daily hours are convenient.
The person at XM will take your radio's code number and then instruct you to turn on the radio to channel 1 (I think) and keep it on in an unobstructed place--not in a tunnel or underground garage--so the stations can load. It will probably be finished in well under one hour. There are channels you can test to be sure the system is fully activated.
XM will not ask you for a credit card--they'll probably do that as you approach the end of your 90 day free trial.
I activated my XM radio shortly before taking a 500 mile drive from San Francisco to Palm Springs last month. I was driving alone and I'll tell you, the XM radio was FANTASTIC! The same channel follows you everywhere with no static or commercials. I like Broadway show music and listed to Channel 28 for the 8.5 hour drive. I remember hearing only one or 2 songs more than once during the entire 8.5 hours. The sound quality is superb, too.
I do so little driving that I really don't know if I'll sign up after the 90 days ends--I might buy an XM radio to use at home and there is a discount for multilple radios. Every radio requires a separate subscription........Richard
Even though I have the V6, I'd agree that the 2.4L is smooth and powerful enough for highway passing without a problem. When I went into the dealership I had my deal lined up to buy my EX-V6, but the salesman was so impressed with the power of the 2.4L he insisted I test drive it before I made my final decision.
After extensive drives in both cars, I was starting to change my mind in favor of the 2.4L, but when we worked out the numbers there was only a $1300 difference between the two cars. Well, the little guy with the pitchfork on my left shoulder insisted I get the V6 and although I'm happy with it, I would have been happy with the 2.4L as well.
I've heard some folks complain that they can actually hear the engine in the 2.4L, but I like the vroom-vroom. Just because you can hear it revving doesn't mean it's buzzy or underpowered. With the V6, sometimes I think I must be driving an electric car because I can't even hear the engine.
Yes, I mean that exactly. When a person leaves the car, closes the door and the engine is turned off, the alarm arms itself after 30-45 seconds. The alarm is armed with the doors unlocked and it does alert when the door is opened without first unarming (with the remote button). there is a push switch (on the red alarm indicator) to put the car in "valet" when you are filling upwith gas, etc. or leaving the car for service. It is a pain on occasion when you forget to unarm it, but it is truly passive with no inpout required from the the driver. This is the factory alarm system on my 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan LE. Had it for years and have used it enough to know what I'm saying. The same passive system can be had on after market alarm systems. The Accord requires something to be done by the operator to arm it. You can walk awway without locking the doors and have no alarm protection. It does not arm itself without inout from the driver. that makes it active in that respect. It is simply convenient that the arming is tied in with the remote.
Thanks for the answer to my question. Yes, my LX 4 cylinder is an automatic. Interesting there would be that kind of difference in rpms at 80 mph -- 2600 with the auto, 3000 with the manual. My son has a 1998 Accord coupe manual transmission (5-speed) that also does about 3000 at 80 mph, but always seems smooth and not stressing itself at that engine speed. I'm sure the engine is designed to run those rpms.
Speaking of rpms, for around-town driving at 45 mph, it would be nice if Honda would put a D4 selection on the automatic. 45 mph is too slow for the fifth gear, which drops rpms way down to 1400 or so. If you just barely nudge the pedal, it shifts back to fourth gear. It would be nice to keep it in fourth for that kind of boulevard driving.
But that's a minor complaint in an overall great car. Still enjoying finding excuses to drive it after two weeks of ownership.
I had a '98 Accord Coupe with 5s man. before I start letting my wife drive it almost exclusively. The car is great especially at highway speeds. I still really like it. My wife loves it. While it had the same hp rating as my old '86 Dodge Shelby Turbo(150hp, gives an idea of how far things have come) that Dodge was nowhere near as comfortable but you could feel the head-snap torque. I bought a 6 cylinder with auto transmission. The torque is back! At highway speeds the engine is near silent. Unless gas is a real concern the V6 is a step up. The biggest differnce there is that I have to look at the fuel gauge a little more often.
Seems like quite a few Accord owners are being hit by defective Delphi Alternators? Mine went out after 50,000 miles, and cost me $350 for a rebuilt one!
I have seen quite a few posts here about the exact same problem.
Have had my Accord EX-V6 4-door sedan (no nav) now, for three weeks and just love it!!!!! The ride, quality of the interior, looks-------it's the whole package!! Had a 2000 Grand Prix GT coupe before, and thought it was a great looking and riding car, but, after comparing the two, the Accord wins hands down!!! It's a "cool ride"!
Oh, and the XM radio is the greatest. I live in a rural area (good radio stations are limited), so this is a real treat!
I would recommend this car to anyone. Think I will go take it for a spin!!! Later
Very sorry to hear about your alernator. I had to replace mine in my Civic at 190K and it was very pricey too.
Is your Accord a Japaneese or American built one? I've heard that the two have alternators from different manufacturers, and am interested in knowing if one or the other has a different reliability.
The reason I asked is because I heard it has been said in this forum that Japaneese-origin Accords were fitted with a nippondenso (I think) alternator, and the American-origin ones came with the Delphi.
Even though I'd rather never replace anything, it was okay with me because it lasted so long. Again, sorry to hear of yours dying so prematurely.
Do you have any high current-draining accessories in your car? For instance, an aftermarket stereo/amplifier?
It lasted for 50,000 miles. It's not like it went poof two months after you bought the car. Sure, it should have lasted longer, but sometimes stuff happens, right?
Has anyone used this place in the past? As detailed in my previous two posts, my 2 week old 2004 Accord EX-L has already been involved in 2 "incidents", neither with me at the wheel. Please see previous long posts for details. Anyway, I've had issues with the selling dealership (Honda of Frankfort in Frankfort, KY) and have filed formal complaints with American Honda and the BBB. As a result, I've no inclination to let the folks at Honda of Frankfort even look at my vehicle again, in fear of some sort of retaliation, and the fact that it's 1.5 hours away! I've a letter from them, signed by the salesperson, sales manager, and GM stating that they'll repair the vehicle to my satisfaction (the owner's son was driving my vehicle and struck another vehicle in the lot - 8 in scratch across front bumper, and bumper makes a "squeeking" noise now when light pressure is applied to the area of the accident). I'd prefer to let Superior repair this damage, along with the damage to my rear bumper and rear quarter panel on the passenger side. Any feedback regarding Superior or my run of bad luck would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I am sorry you are having so much trouble with your new Accord. I smashed the rear end of a Jeep Comanche pick-up when I was working for a dealer in high school. Wasn't sold yet and I quit before anyone noticed. Oops.
Anyway, why did you buy from a dealer so far away? It seems all your problems are magnified because of this.
I bought from this dealer because they SAID they had the car I wanted (they didn't exactly), their price (a couple hundred lower than other quotes received), and mostly because they gave me $12,700 on my trade-in (a 2002 Ford Escape XLT with all options except moonroof and 4x4 - 43k miles, excellent condition). I was prepared to accept $12,500 for it, but the 12.7 number made the sale for me...wish now I hadn't done it, at least with this dealer! Another Honda dealer offered me $11,300 for my trade. I understand there are regional variances, etc. that play into these things, but $1,200 difference between dealers 80 miles apart seems odd! I hope for the owner of the dealership's sake that he returns one of the 3 phone messages I've left for him since Wednesday...I'm thinking this is about to turn really ugly, and that's not what I want.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't dealerships know when they're getting vehicles from the factory? For example, wouldn't you know when you'd get say a 2004 Accord EX-L, silver with black leather?
Another question: How long does it take to "order" a vehicle from the factory, or can this even be done?
I don't sell cars but I've bought 2 Honda's recently.
One dealer in OK that carries very little inventory on the lot was able to tell me what the very next order that was coming from the factory was going to have on it. They could not tell me what they would have 2/3 months from then. I placed a deposit on my car prior to delivery to the dealership.
The other car I bought from a different dealer was able to search all existing inventory within a 3/4 state region and find the exact car I wanted. But no effort was made to predict future deliveries.
Yes, dealers know what is coming in ahead of time.
It's also possible that the car you saw was already pre-sold to someone else. This happens.
I guess I don't understand what's wrong with the car you did buy. Is it because of the extra accessories they added? Pinstripes, door edge guards etc can be easily removed without causing the slightest amount of damage.
Was it the 150 miles? These miles resulted from a dealer trade and do not devalue the car or harm it in any way. Pretty common.
It sounds like you have had an incredible amount of bad luck as far as the body damage go's but it's not the end of the world. Your new car will look like new once it's fixed.
It does sound like your dealer amy have been a bit brash with his comments. That is unfortunate.
I would give you the same advise I would give a friend or neighbor here. The make of car has no bearing on this advise.
Try to relax a bit...I know it's frustrating but it's only a car. This will soon pass and you will have many happy years with your new car.
Life is short...enjoy!
Good luck, hopefully things will go more smoothly in the future.
When I bought my '03 Accord, my dealer had to resort to a dealer trade to get me the car I wanted when I wanted it (mine is an EX-L manual, which is relatively rare). So, my car had about 100-120 miles on it when I picked it up. I will admit that I was a bit apprehensive about this, but the car thus far (25,000 miles) has been absolutely fine. And, it's been my observation that most of the people who do drive the cars in the dealer trades are retired gentlemen who don't strike me as the type that would abuse the cars.
Thanks for the quick responses guys. Isell, I still have 1 more question for you: can dealerships "order" vehicles from the factory, and if so how long does it take? Let's say for some mysterious reason the dealer (and every other dealer within a 100 mile radius) didn't have a std accord ex-l in silver. Could you then order one with these specs from the factory? Thanks again.
Thanks again for the prompt response. What's wrong is that the salesperson "misinformed" me (I won't say lied - I said that to the owner of the dealership and he about had a heart attack. That's when he went off on me, making sarcastic and discriminatory remarks based on where I grew up (Ohio)). I told the salesperson upfront that I wasn't wild about the mileage, the pinstripes, and the edge guards (the pinstripes and door edge guards aren't Honda products, they're some aftermarket crap that the dealer said they put on all their vehicles - another lie, because not all of their vehicles have this stuff on them). I asked him about trading another dealership, and he said he could but that it too would have some mileage on it, probably half of the 150 on mine. Then I asked him "when can you get one from the factory?" Verbatim. He said it would be 60-90 days. I said no thanks. If I was going to wait that long, I'd wait another 60 days for the 2005's to come out. This is where he told a mistruth. When I went back to the dealership a week later to pick up the products they couldn't give me when I purchased the vehicle (this is another thing I'm upset about. The salesperson refused to mail the stuff to me. I had to drive 3 hours round trip, then spend 3 hours there, just to pick up wheel locks, all-weather mats, and a cargo tray. They also promised to throughly clean my vehicle and fill it with gas. Another lie - they didn't throughly clean my vehicle. All they did was hose it off. Nothing cleaned inside. All this time and trouble, not to mention the damage that occured to my car there, for what? I told the salesperson 3 days before I went there that it would cost him $15 to mail the stuff to me via UPS, but no), what do I see in their lot but the exact vehicle I wanted, without all that dealer-added garbage on it, and without the mileage! 60-90 days, haah! He knew he was getting one in less than 6 days, but felt compelled to withold that info from me, when it was obvious that's what I was looking for. Furthermore, he said it would be 60-90 days to get one from the factory, and you're telling me they don't really do it that way. Another lie! I'm a christian, and I'm sure everyone has told a lie no matter what the size at some point in their life. But the owner of this place gave me this holier than thou act that's a bunch of garbage. I've made complaints to Honda and the BBB, and there's no way I'm taking my car back down there for them to fix it! They'll probably mess something else up on it, plus I'll feel like a leper in there after the conversation(s) we've had. That's why I want to get an estimate on the damage, and present that to this dealership and have them cut me a check. At the time, we all thought the bumper would just have to be repainted. But I've been looking at it more, and when I apply light pressure to the area when the paint was removed on the bumper, I hear a squeeking noise (it's hard to describe). It doesn't make this noise on the other side of the bumper. This tells me that there is some internal damage there. I want a new from the factory bumper, painted, and preferably something for my time (but I'm not really going to make a big fuss about this). Your thoughts?
You would do well to just put that dealership in your past and move on. As isellhondas said, you have a long fun future with your car ahead of you that has nothing to do with your terrible experience at the place where you bought it.
Personally, I think you are making a huge first step to doing that by finding another place to fix the bumper. That's the way to go, certainly.
I understand your desire for compensation for the physical damage to the car and I hope you can get that worked out. The things you went through when you bought the car are the things that are in the past and - in my humble opinion - are the things that you would help yourself the most by trying to let go so that you can enjoy your new car.
When a "deal" gets too complicated it is time to move on to another dealer. We have purchased and / or leased five Honda vehicles from the same dealer in northern New Jersey since 1997. Our process is simple. We make an appointment with our salesperson, and the three of us walk the storage lot of new vehicles. When we find a vehicle that we like, the saleperson gets the keys and a set of dealer plates and we road test the vehicle. If we like it, we make the deal. I would not get involved with the "trading process" from dealer to dealer. I want to see the car as it was delivered from the truck. When a "deal" gets too complicated, something always goes wrong. Also, I would not take delivery of a vehicle that was not complete. ----Just my opinion. ----- Have a nice day. ----- Greg
I do have an aftermarket Clarion amplifier to power my add-on speakers and sub woofer. It has a peak rating of 440 watts. No one told me adding an amp like that would shorten the life of my alternator. Is that true? Do you have more details on that?
Your alternator was designed with efficiency in mind, and was made to accomodate all the electrical needs of you car with all the possible factory accessories.
The engineers didn't calculate in an aftermarket amplifier, especially a high-current one like the Clarion you have. It puts a tremendous strain on your electrical system and makes your alternator work harder to keep up. This WILL dramatically shorten the life of your alternator.
I hope you replaced it with a slightly beefier one or you will have this problem again in another 50K
Thanks for asking that important question and clearing the air on this guys premature alternator wear. I have a 2k v6 with a Denso and although a part could go anytime it upset me that it went at 50k. I surely got 125k on some of my american cars.Had a Triumph Spitfire for 12 years every thing else went but the alternator. Lesson everyone should learn including me, don"t jump to conclusions until you have all the facts.I can't seem to remember how many amps that will be but I am going to check!
My dad and I both work at the Mitsubishi plant in Illinois. I don't know if Honda is setup like Mitsubishi but Mitsubishi has their factory division (MMNA) and their sales division (MSNA I believe). The sales division is the intermediary between dealers and the factory. Dealers can search existing inventory held at the factory but I think they go through the sales division when submitting orders and "get in line" for when they receive their vehicles. The factory might contact the dealer(s) when the vehicles are shipping.
I had the power steering fluid replaced on my 92 Accord and the mechanic (former Honda mechanic) insisted that Honda PS fluid was not necessary and after saying that he put in Castrol PS fluid. I noticed that even Bardahl sells a special blend formulated just for Honda cars. Has anybody out there ever experienced problems in the long run using regular PS fluid ?
I had a Civic that I put non Honda fluid in. Leadked like a sieve. After I replaced it with Honda, it stopped leaking and the steering felt more connected.
Honda PSF has additives to keep the seals in the system flexible. Honda probably has their fluid made to their specs by a company specalizing in the fluid business. Why take a chance - if you every have to replace the power steering rack-you are probably looking at 3 to $500.
Using anything other than Honda ATF or PSF is asking for big problems. Other brand brake fluid - DOT 3 is ok as well as air and oil filters and brake pads/shoes. Don't monkey around with other PSF or ATF fluids-could be a very costly experiment.
It seems every time a consumer is screwed on a deal and writes about it here there are several posts that question the consumers complaint and defend the stealer, I mean dealer to death. Case in point, desmonsm issue might seem trivial to some but it is a legitimate gripe. Why is it so hard for those that sell Hondas or whatever to listen to their customers needs and stop lying? Desmonsm case is a prime example of the disdain and contempt for the customer by a so called friendly Honda dealer. It seems a bit strange how often some folks that sell Hondas post on this board, perhaps they sell by osmosis. All those considering purchasing a vehicle, please use an alternative source, DO NOT walk onto a dealers lot unprepared and vulnerable to the folks that don't have any interest in your well being. My advice for desmonsm is not to just "move on" as Pat suggested. No desmonsm, you need to complain to every body from Schiro Honda's family on down. Salespeople count on you to just go away and be happy 'cause you are driving a..(cue dramtic music) HONDA!! Well, its just a car, not a religious experience and as such all consumers should have their complaints, no matter how insignificant they seem, addressed quickly and completely. Desmonsm, if you need assistance communicating with the dealer or Honda corporate, please let me know. Even though I don't know you personally, I know of your experience with the dealer from your post. I'm a money paying consumer like you that believes in fairness. The time has come to stop the status quo of abusive dealers and corrupt salespeople.
No one here is defending the way that desmonsm has been treated. I believe we've all hoped that he can get his grievances properly addressed; I know I have.
Having a bad experience (or several) with a dealership doesn't need to equate to possessing a bad car - that's what I meant and I hope he is able to keep those things separate.
Your hatred toward us in the car business has been apparant in most of your postings. When you refer to us as "stealers" you step completly out of bounds and you lose any respect we may have for you or your opinions.
I did not defend the treatment desmonsm recieved from that dealer. Instead I tried to put her at ease.
Hopefully he/she didn't take it the same way you did.
Does anyone know if the Accord has an optional hands-free cellular phone kit? (I have heard of it existing, but the Honda website doesn't seem to mention anything) Does anyone actually have it? Does it require a bluetooth phone? Any reviews or information would be appreciated.
I have had no problems with any of my "stealers". My experience has shown me that if you go into the process at least moderately knowledgable about the car, they don't try to screw you. But it is a business to seel cars for as much profit as possible and they WILL take advantage of those that show weakness. On one hand you could call that deceptive. But then again you have to wonder why anyone would go into a $20,000 debt without thorough knowledge. It's not the dealerships job to teach anyone how to spend money.
I have seen one on the site handaaccessories.com. It *is* a honda-genuine accessory, usually dealer-insalled.
It looks like it fits both the pilot and the accord, and it plugs into the jack on your phone and plays incoming audio through your stereo speaker. It requires some installation, including mounting the microphone near the instruments.
Okay folks, let's knock off the "stealers" comments - they are not necessary, civil or respectful and only detract from whatever point you may wish to make.
My wife and I are looking at a new car and would buy the Accord, except that it does not have side curtain airbags in Canada. Does anyone know if that is going to change in future years? It fits her requirements in every other way, it's all that's stopping us. I wonder why Honda would include them in US and not in Canada?
I'll actually defend salesman. I mean ok they are bad dealers. I agree damaging somebody's car in a lot is terrible. Salesman are working at dealerships to make a commission. Its not like they get paid by the hour. If you accept a bad deal than you you get a bad deal. Its up to you to do your research. The best thing to do is to buy a car from a dealer that is close to your house(This wat its easy if you have a problem the dealer is lose by to fix your car.) If you can't get a good deal than walk out of the dealership. You don't owe it to the salesman to give you your precious time to sit there and give you a run-around.
I agree with post 13577 totally.
If I were having a problem with a dealer than go to a new dealer to get treated good.
It just sound like this dealings that Desmonsm had with this dealer from the start were going to be nothing but problems. I mean from the pinstriping to damaging the car. To top if off buying it 3 hours from you house is kinda shaky. This whole thing just seems out of wack to me. I don't mean to be insulting but I'm just stating my opinion.
I would stay away from that dealership they just don't seem like they care at all about the product they sell.
I have found service to vary greatly from one dealership to the next (especially in the service department). In my experience, dealership #1 is about 1/2 hour away, but is not in a good neighborhood. Dealership #2 is about 35-45 minutes away, but I have not always been treated well. Dealership #3 is about 45 minutes away and has treated me well, but they are in an upscale part of town and are more expensive than the others. Dealership #4 is about 1 hour away, but they have always treated me well and their prices are competitive with independent shops. Guess which one I usually visit? (#4) The point is to find a dealership that treats you well.
I’m extremely happy with the price that I negotiated for my 2004 Accord, about $100 over actual dealer cost, i.e. about $750 below invoice. Reading these boards, there are many folks that also got very good pricing. Here’s some food for thought, just to stimulate some discussion.
When a new vehicle is not heavily discounted, its eventual resale price is likely to be a high percentage of its original price, presuming it is as reliable and desirable as an Accord.
How about where the new vehicle is heavily discounted? Doesn’t it follow that the eventual resale price, for those who weren’t as successful in their original negotiation, might return a much smaller percentage of the original purchase price?
That resale price (or trade-in price) would be the same in either case. What do you think?
I inquired about installation of the Honda brand handfree cellular kit at two dealerships. I was told by the parts departments at both stores that Honda had discontinued the Handsfree Cellphone Interface Base Kit #08E00-ED0-100. It had listed at $120 and is still available at a couple of online dealers at about $104. You still need to purchase the Handsfree Cellphone Interface Cable #08E02-ED0-100H and Handfree Cellphone Interface Attachment (various stock numbers depending upon cellphone model) about $68 together online.
However, the dealer service departments insisted that if Honda discontinued it, they wanted no part in an installation that might cause them warranty problems.
I don't know about PSF because I use Honda PSF. But for ATF I have been using Penzoil ATF for my 89 Accord since 60K mark. No problem here. As long as it's DEXRON-II, it's OK. That's what it's said in the 89 manual. For PSF, the manual states "use only Honda PSF. Do not use ATF or any other brand of PSF because it will damage the system".
I don't support most of your 'problems' you are having with your dealership.
You think the salesman 'lied' to you about 'having' a car with the options you wanted. Well, they did not 'have' the car when you bought your car. Maybe your salesman knew about 'your' car being on order, and maybe he did not know about it coming in. You cannot expect a salesman to know everything about everything. And after all, he is a salesman - he wants to sell a car now, not some time in the future. You might have completely changed your mind about 'your' car when it did actually appear. Give him this much slack, at least do not accuse him of 'lying' when what he actually is doing is trying to sell you a car, now. And, I don't think you said you actually asked him if a car like you wanted was coming in, you are upset because you 'assume' he knew it was coming and should have volunteered this info.
You now are upset about 150 miles on the car. Didn't you know they were going to get the car from another dealership? How did you think it would get to you, fly? 150 miles is nothing. Now 750 or 1,000 would be something different.
The owners son wrecked your car. This is terrible. And they should do everything possible to do the very best job of repairing the damage. And probably do a little extra, exactly what, I don't know. Oil changes, tire rotations, etc come to mind first off. But you are asking for a 'factory painted new bumper'. There is no such thing. You or anyone else will not get this. A body part comes in primer color, and the body shop paints it.
Paint stripes, door edge guards, whatever. You bought these, they were on the dealer add-on window sticker, you got them in whatever price you negotiated. Get over it. Pull the edge guards off in less than 2 minutes yourself. If the stripes are tape, let your thumb nail grow out a little, take your wifes hairdryer out to the car, and a little heat and a thumbnail will remove them in about 10 minutes. Congratulate yourself on a job well done. If they are paint, grow to like them...
Verbually abuse the little old lady that hit your car. Take it to several bodyshops and get appraisals that include the damage she did plus what the dealers son did. Take the highest two of these and make her pay for one of them out of her pocket while you threaten to have her license suspended because of the accident. Then, make the dealerships you bought the car from, and the son broke the bumper, fix both damages for nothing. This way, you end up with money in your pocket and a much better feeling inside, because this car deal has turned from one where you think you have been abused, to one where you can feel you have abused the little old lady and the dealership.....
Ummmmmmmm, ummmmmmmm, ummmmmmmm, ummmmmmmmm. I must calm down. I must calm down. I must calm down.
I think I better go check my blood pressure, I've just gotten too involved in this discussion....
Comments
After you write down the radio's code, call XM--it's not a 24 hour number, but the daily hours are convenient.
The person at XM will take your radio's code number and then instruct you to turn on the radio to channel 1 (I think) and keep it on in an unobstructed place--not in a tunnel or underground garage--so the stations can load. It will probably be finished in well under one hour. There are channels you can test to be sure the system is fully activated.
XM will not ask you for a credit card--they'll probably do that as you approach the end of your 90 day free trial.
I activated my XM radio shortly before taking a 500 mile drive from San Francisco to Palm Springs last month. I was driving alone and I'll tell you, the XM radio was FANTASTIC! The same channel follows you everywhere with no static or commercials. I like Broadway show music and listed to Channel 28 for the 8.5 hour drive. I remember hearing only one or 2 songs more than once during the entire 8.5 hours. The sound quality is superb, too.
I do so little driving that I really don't know if I'll sign up after the 90 days ends--I might buy an XM radio to use at home and there is a discount for multilple radios. Every radio requires a separate subscription........Richard
After extensive drives in both cars, I was starting to change my mind in favor of the 2.4L, but when we worked out the numbers there was only a $1300 difference between the two cars. Well, the little guy with the pitchfork on my left shoulder insisted I get the V6 and although I'm happy with it, I would have been happy with the 2.4L as well.
I've heard some folks complain that they can actually hear the engine in the 2.4L, but I like the vroom-vroom. Just because you can hear it revving doesn't mean it's buzzy or underpowered. With the V6, sometimes I think I must be driving an electric car because I can't even hear the engine.
Barry S.
Speaking of rpms, for around-town driving at 45 mph, it would be nice if Honda would put a D4 selection on the automatic. 45 mph is too slow for the fifth gear, which drops rpms way down to 1400 or so. If you just barely nudge the pedal, it shifts back to fourth gear. It would be nice to keep it in fourth for that kind of boulevard driving.
But that's a minor complaint in an overall great car. Still enjoying finding excuses to drive it after two weeks of ownership.
The car is great especially at highway speeds. I still really like it. My wife loves it. While it had the same hp rating as my old '86 Dodge Shelby Turbo(150hp, gives an idea of how far things have come) that Dodge was nowhere near as comfortable but you could feel the head-snap torque. I bought a 6 cylinder with auto transmission. The torque is back! At highway speeds the engine is near silent. Unless gas is a real concern the V6 is a step up. The biggest differnce there is that I have to look at the fuel gauge a little more often.
I have seen quite a few posts here about the exact same problem.
What happened to Honda reliability?
Oh, and the XM radio is the greatest. I live in a rural area (good radio stations are limited), so this is a real treat!
I would recommend this car to anyone. Think I will go take it for a spin!!! Later
Is your Accord a Japaneese or American built one? I've heard that the two have alternators from different manufacturers, and am interested in knowing if one or the other has a different reliability.
Delphi makes the alternators for Accord . . Delphi used to be a part of General Motors.
Even though I'd rather never replace anything, it was okay with me because it lasted so long. Again, sorry to hear of yours dying so prematurely.
Do you have any high current-draining accessories in your car? For instance, an aftermarket stereo/amplifier?
It lasted for 50,000 miles. It's not like it went poof two months after you bought the car. Sure, it should have lasted longer, but sometimes stuff happens, right?
Anyway, I've had issues with the selling dealership (Honda of Frankfort in Frankfort, KY) and have filed formal complaints with American Honda and the BBB. As a result, I've no inclination to let the folks at Honda of Frankfort even look at my vehicle again, in fear of some sort of retaliation, and the fact that it's 1.5 hours away!
I've a letter from them, signed by the salesperson, sales manager, and GM stating that they'll repair the vehicle to my satisfaction (the owner's son was driving my vehicle and struck another vehicle in the lot - 8 in scratch across front bumper, and bumper makes a "squeeking" noise now when light pressure is applied to the area of the accident). I'd prefer to let Superior repair this damage, along with the damage to my rear bumper and rear quarter panel on the passenger side.
Any feedback regarding Superior or my run of bad luck would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Anyway, why did you buy from a dealer so far away? It seems all your problems are magnified because of this.
I hope for the owner of the dealership's sake that he returns one of the 3 phone messages I've left for him since Wednesday...I'm thinking this is about to turn really ugly, and that's not what I want.
Another question: How long does it take to "order" a vehicle from the factory, or can this even be done?
Thanks in advance
One dealer in OK that carries very little inventory on the lot was able to tell me what the very next order that was coming from the factory was going to have on it. They could not tell me what they would have 2/3 months from then. I placed a deposit on my car prior to delivery to the dealership.
The other car I bought from a different dealer was able to search all existing inventory within a 3/4 state region and find the exact car I wanted. But no effort was made to predict future deliveries.
It's also possible that the car you saw was already pre-sold to someone else. This happens.
I guess I don't understand what's wrong with the car you did buy. Is it because of the extra accessories they added? Pinstripes, door edge guards etc can be easily removed without causing the slightest amount of damage.
Was it the 150 miles? These miles resulted from a dealer trade and do not devalue the car or harm it in any way. Pretty common.
It sounds like you have had an incredible amount of bad luck as far as the body damage go's but it's not the end of the world. Your new car will look like new once it's fixed.
It does sound like your dealer amy have been a bit brash with his comments. That is unfortunate.
I would give you the same advise I would give a friend or neighbor here. The make of car has no bearing on this advise.
Try to relax a bit...I know it's frustrating but it's only a car. This will soon pass and you will have many happy years with your new car.
Life is short...enjoy!
Good luck, hopefully things will go more smoothly in the future.
Thanks again.
A seperate "special" order, no.
Unless you have a five speed, your Accord is a VERY popular model. This doesn't mean there are a lot of them out there, though.
Again, I didn't understand...what was wrong with the one you bought?
I told the salesperson upfront that I wasn't wild about the mileage, the pinstripes, and the edge guards (the pinstripes and door edge guards aren't Honda products, they're some aftermarket crap that the dealer said they put on all their vehicles - another lie, because not all of their vehicles have this stuff on them). I asked him about trading another dealership, and he said he could but that it too would have some mileage on it, probably half of the 150 on mine. Then I asked him "when can you get one from the factory?" Verbatim. He said it would be 60-90 days. I said no thanks. If I was going to wait that long, I'd wait another 60 days for the 2005's to come out.
This is where he told a mistruth. When I went back to the dealership a week later to pick up the products they couldn't give me when I purchased the vehicle (this is another thing I'm upset about. The salesperson refused to mail the stuff to me. I had to drive 3 hours round trip, then spend 3 hours there, just to pick up wheel locks, all-weather mats, and a cargo tray. They also promised to throughly clean my vehicle and fill it with gas. Another lie - they didn't throughly clean my vehicle. All they did was hose it off. Nothing cleaned inside. All this time and trouble, not to mention the damage that occured to my car there, for what? I told the salesperson 3 days before I went there that it would cost him $15 to mail the stuff to me via UPS, but no), what do I see in their lot but the exact vehicle I wanted, without all that dealer-added garbage on it, and without the mileage! 60-90 days, haah! He knew he was getting one in less than 6 days, but felt compelled to withold that info from me, when it was obvious that's what I was looking for. Furthermore, he said it would be 60-90 days to get one from the factory, and you're telling me they don't really do it that way. Another lie!
I'm a christian, and I'm sure everyone has told a lie no matter what the size at some point in their life. But the owner of this place gave me this holier than thou act that's a bunch of garbage. I've made complaints to Honda and the BBB, and there's no way I'm taking my car back down there for them to fix it! They'll probably mess something else up on it, plus I'll feel like a leper in there after the conversation(s) we've had. That's why I want to get an estimate on the damage, and present that to this dealership and have them cut me a check. At the time, we all thought the bumper would just have to be repainted. But I've been looking at it more, and when I apply light pressure to the area when the paint was removed on the bumper, I hear a squeeking noise (it's hard to describe). It doesn't make this noise on the other side of the bumper. This tells me that there is some internal damage there. I want a new from the factory bumper, painted, and preferably something for my time (but I'm not really going to make a big fuss about this). Your thoughts?
You would do well to just put that dealership in your past and move on. As isellhondas said, you have a long fun future with your car ahead of you that has nothing to do with your terrible experience at the place where you bought it.
Personally, I think you are making a huge first step to doing that by finding another place to fix the bumper. That's the way to go, certainly.
I understand your desire for compensation for the physical damage to the car and I hope you can get that worked out. The things you went through when you bought the car are the things that are in the past and - in my humble opinion - are the things that you would help yourself the most by trying to let go so that you can enjoy your new car.
Good luck to you.
Once again...the car you saw may well have already been sold.
The door edge guards etc that you don't care for can be removed without causing a problem.
150 miles is nothing...really...
The collision damage can be made like new by any body shop worth it's salt.
Find another dealer and try to move on.
I do wish you well...you've had a tough start!
Craig
A 440 watt amp??
Wow!
The engineers didn't calculate in an aftermarket amplifier, especially a high-current one like the Clarion you have. It puts a tremendous strain on your electrical system and makes your alternator work harder to keep up. This WILL dramatically shorten the life of your alternator.
I hope you replaced it with a slightly beefier one or you will have this problem again in another 50K
I surely got 125k on some of my american cars.Had a Triumph Spitfire for 12 years every thing else went but the alternator.
Lesson everyone should learn including me, don"t jump to conclusions until you have all the facts.I can't seem to remember how many amps that will be but I am going to check!
Hey how are the ears with that size amp-wow you must be able to shake the ground.
I noticed that even Bardahl sells a special blend formulated just for Honda cars. Has anybody out there ever experienced problems in the long run using regular PS fluid ?
Using anything other than Honda ATF or PSF is asking for big problems. Other brand brake fluid - DOT 3 is ok as well as air and oil filters and brake pads/shoes. Don't monkey around with other PSF or ATF fluids-could be a very costly experiment.
Having a bad experience (or several) with a dealership doesn't need to equate to possessing a bad car - that's what I meant and I hope he is able to keep those things separate.
Your hatred toward us in the car business has been apparant in most of your postings. When you refer to us as "stealers" you step completly out of bounds and you lose any respect we may have for you or your opinions.
I did not defend the treatment desmonsm recieved from that dealer. Instead I tried to put her at ease.
Hopefully he/she didn't take it the same way you did.
It looks like it fits both the pilot and the accord, and it plugs into the jack on your phone and plays incoming audio through your stereo speaker. It requires some installation, including mounting the microphone near the instruments.
It fits her requirements in every other way, it's all that's stopping us.
I wonder why Honda would include them in US and not in Canada?
I agree with post 13577 totally.
If I were having a problem with a dealer than go to a new dealer to get treated good.
It just sound like this dealings that Desmonsm had
with this dealer from the start were going to be nothing but problems. I mean from the pinstriping to damaging the car. To top if off buying it 3 hours from you house is kinda shaky. This whole thing just seems out of wack to me. I don't mean to be insulting but I'm just stating my opinion.
I would stay away from that dealership they just don't seem like they care at all about the product they sell.
When a new vehicle is not heavily discounted, its eventual resale price is likely to be a high percentage of its original price, presuming it is as reliable and desirable as an Accord.
How about where the new vehicle is heavily discounted? Doesn’t it follow that the eventual resale price, for those who weren’t as successful in their original negotiation, might return a much smaller percentage of the original purchase price?
That resale price (or trade-in price) would be the same in either case. What do you think?
However, the dealer service departments insisted that if Honda discontinued it, they wanted no part in an installation that might cause them warranty problems.
But for ATF I have been using Penzoil ATF for my 89 Accord since 60K mark. No problem here.
As long as it's DEXRON-II, it's OK.
That's what it's said in the 89 manual.
For PSF, the manual states "use only Honda PSF.
Do not use ATF or any other brand of PSF because it will damage the system".
I don't support most of your 'problems' you are having with your dealership.
You think the salesman 'lied' to you
about 'having' a car with the options you wanted. Well, they did not 'have' the car when you bought your car. Maybe your salesman knew about 'your' car being on order, and maybe he did not know about it coming in. You cannot expect a salesman to know everything about everything. And after all, he is a salesman - he wants to sell a car now, not some time in the future. You might have completely changed your mind about 'your' car when it did actually appear. Give him this much slack, at least do not accuse him of 'lying' when what he actually is doing is trying to sell you a car, now. And, I don't think you said you actually asked him if a car like you wanted was coming in, you are upset because you 'assume' he knew it was coming and should have volunteered this info.
You now are upset about 150 miles on the car. Didn't you know they were going to get the car from another dealership? How did you think it would get to you, fly? 150 miles is nothing. Now 750 or 1,000 would be something different.
The owners son wrecked your car. This is terrible. And they should do everything possible to do the very best job of repairing the damage. And probably do a little extra, exactly what, I don't know. Oil changes, tire rotations, etc come to mind first off. But you are asking for a 'factory painted new bumper'. There is no such thing. You or anyone else will not get this. A body part comes in primer color, and the body shop paints it.
Paint stripes, door edge guards, whatever. You bought these, they were on the dealer add-on window sticker, you got them in whatever price you negotiated. Get over it. Pull the edge guards off in less than 2 minutes yourself. If the stripes are tape, let your thumb nail grow out a little, take your wifes hairdryer out to the car, and a little heat and a thumbnail will remove them in about 10 minutes. Congratulate yourself on a job well done. If they are paint, grow to like them...
Verbually abuse the little old lady that hit your car. Take it to several bodyshops and get appraisals that include the damage she did plus what the dealers son did. Take the highest two of these and make her pay for one of them out of her pocket while you threaten to have her license suspended because of the accident. Then, make the dealerships you bought the car from, and the son broke the bumper, fix both damages for nothing. This way, you end up with money in your pocket and a much better feeling inside, because this car deal has turned from one where you think you have been abused, to one where you can feel you have abused the little old lady and the dealership.....
Ummmmmmmm, ummmmmmmm, ummmmmmmm, ummmmmmmmm. I must calm down. I must calm down. I must calm down.
I think I better go check my blood pressure, I've just gotten too involved in this discussion....