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Honda Accord (2003-2007) Maintenance and Repair

5868 messages,  Last post on May 07, 2013 at 7:55 PM

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What is this discussion about? Honda Accord, Electrical, Engine, Coupe, Sedan

    
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Messages Page 565 of 587

#5638 of 5868 2004 Accord LX- no audible reminders for headlights on or key in ignition?? by igozoomzoom

Jun 06, 2011 (10:30 pm)

I just bought a 2004 Accord LX 4-door A/T for my step-dad as a Father’s Day gift! To be fair, my mom, grandmother and I each chipped in to get it for him and it was a STEAL! My mom’s best friend since childhood (57 now) owned the car and drove it until last year when she bought a CRV. The Accord has 168k miles on it, but it has been serviced to the letter at the selling dealership. It doesn’t have a ding or scratch anywhere and the interior is amazinglyl clean for a seven year old car. It’s Taffeta White with Ivory interior.
 
There is nothing wrong with this car, but she sold it to us for $3,500 because she knew we wanted it for my poor old step-dad. =) His ’92 Accord EX just passed 300k miles and it’s going to need major engine work soon. He lets my mom get a new Grand Cherokee or Explorer or whatever she wants every three years and he drives the same thing over 70 miles round trip every day for more than a decade.
 
I’ve been driving it for the past week or so and hiding it at my house so we can surprise him…but driving it is making me REALLY want another Accord! My last one was a ’99 EX 4-door 5-speed, also Taffeta White.
 
But there are a few minor quirks that annoy me and I want to fix them if I can- that’s where you guys come in! =)
 
1- There is no beep when you leave the key in the ignition and open the door, even if the key is in the OFF position, it makes no sound at all. It should be making the normal Honda ‘key-in-ignition’ sound, right?
 
2- There is no chime to warn you when you leave the headlights ON even after you often the driver’s door and remove the key, it doesn’t make a peep. It should be making the little ding-dong sound like other Accords, right?
 
3- To be blunt, the audio system is pretty crappy! =( Honda has a habit of putting weak stereos in all but the very highest trim line. If I’m not mistaken, the LX has a 120-watt system and the EX has the same thing??? Even on the 2011 models, you just get a 160-watt, 6-speaker system on the LX, LX-P, SE, EX and EX V-6. Only by choosing the EX-L or EX-L V6 do you get the 270-watt, 7-speaker system! Is there some sort of connection between leather fetishists and audiophiles that I’m missing? =)
 
Anyway, being serious, the reception of radio stations is really the issue. I know that the antenna is embedded in the rear window, but is there any way to boost the signal or improve it in any way?
 
Those are the only issues and they’re all relatively minor….did I mention that I got it for $3,500? Hehe =)

#5639 of 5868 Re: 2005 vs 2006 -- which to pick? [mr_gone] by igozoomzoom

Jun 06, 2011 (10:54 pm)

Replying to: mr_gone (Jun 03, 2011 8:42 pm)
"I totally agree about the tail lights looking better, although I think the car overall doesn't look as good as the 1999-2002 version. And the 2008+ are best viewed from the interior of the car." ]
 
Do you mean the 1998-2002 version? =) I had a 1999 EX 4-door 5-speed in Taffeta White and I loved that thing! It looked just like this one-
 
99 Accord EX 4dr
 
As for the current model being best viewed from the interior- have you seen the ergonomic nightmare that is the current Accord's interior? There are so many buttons that I don't see how elderly folks that I often see driving them can figure out how to operate anything??? Maybe they're driving around in silence, with no A/C or heat and that would explain why they don't use turn signals and forget to turn their lights on....
 
I'd say the 2008+ is best viewed with a tarp over it, or a bag over your head....it's what we'd refer to as a "double bagger"!
 
There has only been one other generation of Accord that I absolutely hated- the '94-'97 models. I had a '96 and it was truly a 'lemon' and had some major issues. But I was stuck with it for three long years and a lady ran a light and nailed me in the right rear corner- my heart was racing, adrenaline flowing but even then I started grinning knowing that I was finally rid of that thing!
 
My '99 EX 4-door 5-speed was perfection compared to the model before it! I adored that car and I was heartbroken when I rear-ended an Impala on I-75 stop-and-go one evening during rush hour and it was totaled. It was almost seven years old and had 232,000 miles on it- didn't burn a drop of oil, was always ready to rev to the redline if I wanted to scoot and it had one of the best manual shifter and clutch combo I've ever experienced. The original clutch made it past 165k, which amazed me. But it was a helluva car...

#5640 of 5868 Re: 2005 vs 2006 -- which to pick? [mr_gone] by amy911

Jun 08, 2011 (6:07 pm)

Replying to: mr_gone (Jun 02, 2011 2:22 pm)
I am sorry to say, but I own a manual 2005 Honda Accord LX and it is NOT going to see any other owners for several years! I love it. I have had no problems with this vehicle - it's amazing.
 
With that said, I will never, ever, bring my vehicle to a Honda dealer for service again. When it was new, and I was naive, I did bring it to the dealer. What did I hear every time? Yup, "you need...". Yeah...no,just change the oil like I asked, wash it and give me my keys. I found a local garage, with a gruffy old owner who feels if a car needs something, fix it. He told me that if he serviced the car according to the manual, I should just drop off my paycheck to him every week! He just shakes his head at dealer garages. But, it is true, that IS where they make most of their money.
 
Oh and another thing. I feel that one of the reasons that my car has lasted so long (85,000 miles) is that it is an LX model and doesn't have all of the extra stuff that strains electrical systems that many of todays cars do.

#5641 of 5868 CEL update by stickguy

Jun 08, 2011 (7:18 pm)

CEL has been on for the last week. tried gas cap, nothing. So, took it to mechanic today (local guy, not dealer for 1st time). Coded out as "evap vent control solenoid". Dumb little part, probably makes no difference at all to the engine,mileage or performance, but costs a lot of money!
 
Probably could ignore it, but the light bothers me, and it won't pass inspection at the end of the year anyway. SO, getting it fixed. First problem though in 5.5 years and 62K. Other than the rear brakes of course.

#5642 of 5868 Re: 2005 vs 2006 -- which to pick? [mr_gone] by lilengineerboy

Jun 08, 2011 (8:15 pm)

Replying to: mr_gone (Jun 03, 2011 8:42 pm)
My 2007 Honda Accord EX 5spd just turned 60k and no Honda based issues to speak of, just a fender bender and it got keyed at work, nothing I can fault Honda. My commute is 90% highway and the car is in the low-mid 30s for fuel economy. I have found it to be a reliable, economical way to get to work and back and tote a small family (both in terms of number, just 3 of us, and size, 5'7", 5'2" and a 4 year old).
Its not the most interesting or exciting car on the road, but its been very reliable and reasonably economical to operate. I have been following the maintenance minder and maintenance schedule and I've used Honda parts, so it should last a long time to come. I did the trans fluid at 60k with Honda MTL, coolant at 30 & 90 with Honda anti-freeze, and I use Honda filters when I change the oil (with Mobil 1). I do have a K&N air filter now, though. I even got the Honda replacement wiper inserts.
The next thing up is tires. I am thinking of getting the HPF 17" wheels (or Acura TSX 17") and a performance oriented 215/50R17 for 3 seasons and put snows on the old wheels. I am hoping that will help me whine less about the car being dull.

#5643 of 5868 Re: 2005 vs 2006 -- which to pick? [lilengineerboy] by stickguy

Jun 08, 2011 (8:19 pm)

Replying to: lilengineerboy (Jun 08, 2011 8:15 pm)
since my car has to go back in for the part replacement on monday, I was thinking of having the transaxle fluid changed. Not sure if it needs to be anything exotic though. Worry more about that at an indy mechanic vs. the dealer.
 
might just do it at my next oil change. which at this pace could be next year!

#5644 of 5868 Re: 2005 vs 2006 -- which to pick? [lilengineerboy] by camrykiller

Jun 08, 2011 (8:50 pm)

Replying to: lilengineerboy (Jun 08, 2011 8:15 pm)
I have a 2007 Accord LX- MT about 3 months ago. It is the light blue color. I think its the first year they made that color. Anyway, I've had the following cars in stick shift. 82 Supra, 86 300zx, 95 Pathfinder, 97 Tiburon, 01 Echo. After the 01 Echo (which I gave up in 02), I started a family and now have 3 kids. 10 years later, I got the itch for a stick shift again. I bought the Accord used from a Kia dealership who had trouble selling it due to the MT, and got a sweet deal. It has 54K on it currently and is in near mint condition with the exceptions of a few paint scratches. I'm still trying to find the best strategy to engage the clutch and accelerate into 1st gear from complete stop. Its been so long, and I'm very rusty. Can do everything else fine...shifting, reverse, but going into 1st is shaky still. Lets just say I'm a pro at giving it gas, while being at some random point on the clutch that isn't the sweet spot. Other than that, the car is very well rounded. Can have fun, haul the family, and enjoy Honda reliability. But darn it if I can just get off to a smooth start every time without the dash shaking...lol I know I'll get it....practice, practice, practice...commute is mostly highway

#5645 of 5868 Re: 2005 vs 2006 -- which to pick? [stickguy] by igozoomzoom

Jun 09, 2011 (1:24 am)

Replying to: stickguy (Jun 08, 2011 8:19 pm)
Have any of you with a manual transmission started using a synthetic transmission fluid/oil instead of the conventional type? The only issue I ever experienced prior to 100k with any Honda 5-speed was a aversion to shifting easily into Reverse. Around 200k, my '93 Accord started balking at quick shifts into 3rd, but double-clutching did the trick when necessary.
 
In 2006, I jumped ship and bought my first non-Honda vehicle, a 2006 Mazda3. While shift-quality never approached the level of near-perfection of most Hondas, I adapted and it didn't really bother me. Eventually, around 40k miles, it started grinding going into 3rd gear, especially so on the 2-3 upshift. I took it to the dealer and they gave me a loaner to drive for the day (a base model 2008 Mazda3 5-speed) and I realized how much easier it shifted than my '06. The dealership said the issue was normal wear and/or due to aggressive driving (I'm an insurance agent, we're almost as wild behind the wheel as librarians). But I digress...
 
I did some research and found a lot of other manual drivers online who had similar issues, to varying degrees, on Mazdas and most other makes as well. Many of them tried switching to synthetic gear oil and the vast majority were pleased with the results. I switched to Red Line MT-90 and it did wonders for the shift quality and the 3rd gear grinding issue. It's been over 40k miles since I switched and it's still doing great!
 
I highly recommend it to anyone having issues or planning to drive their car well past 100k! While I used Red Line MT-90, no major stores carry it (in most areas) and it has to be ordered online. Royal Purple synthetic manual transmission fluid/oil is available in some auto parts stores and is top-notch quality. Just thought I'd share.

#5646 of 5868 Re: 2005 vs 2006 -- which to pick? [igozoomzoom] by mr_gone

Jun 09, 2011 (6:12 am)

Replying to: igozoomzoom (Jun 06, 2011 10:54 pm)
I'll take your word on the interior of the '08s+ being a nightmare--haven't spent that much time in them. What I don't get is why Honda has lost all sense of what looks good externally--the '07 CR-V is uglier than the '06, the '03 Odyssey is uglier than the '02 and the '11 is an incoherant design exercise, the new TL is an absurd-looking car, earlier ones weren't, etc. Honda's slogan used to be "We make it simple" and their cars' exteriors reflected that philosophy. While they still make good vehicles, the design is befuddling. Today, their slogan should be "We make it weird."

#5647 of 5868 Re: 2005 vs 2006 -- which to pick? [mr_gone] by temj12

Jun 09, 2011 (12:34 pm)

Replying to: mr_gone (Jun 09, 2011 6:12 am)
I agree with you about Honda styles. I have an '05 Accord EX-L Coupe which I really love. However, I don't think the style is that great. After I saw the new 2012 Civic four door, I posted a comment in that forum about Honda's lousy designs. I was "blasted" for saying anything negative about Honda. I do think Honda's styles are in the negative. The 2008+ Accord Couple looks awful.

Messages Page 565 of 587

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