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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 566 of 588

#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.

#5648 of 5868 Re: 2005 vs 2006 -- which to pick? [amy911] by temj12

Jun 09, 2011 (12:40 pm)

Replying to: amy911 (Jun 08, 2011 6:07 pm)
I have an '05 Accord 5 speed EX-L. This is the first car that I have followed Honda's recommended service to the letter and then some. I have 107,000 trouble free miles. I believe that when you keep it serviced like they recommend that you keep it in top operating condition and that it will pay off. I really don't consider that I have wasted money on that.

#5649 of 5868 - by dudleyr

Jun 13, 2011 (11:59 am)

I have 106,000 trouble free miles and the car has never been to a honda dealer (aside from minor warranty adjustments in the first few months). I have done all maintenance myself - so far only oil and filter changes. Will probably change the spark plugs soon though - or at least inspect them.

#5650 of 5868 just to be safe by stickguy

Jun 13, 2011 (12:42 pm)

Since my '05 (62K) is in having the faulty solenoid replaced, I am having the manual trans fluid changed also. I pretty much qualify as the severe schedule, and this falls into my "cheap insurance" catagory. Should be good to go for another year or so (coolant probably should be done by then). Only thing in the distant horizon is the plugs. Already changed the air filter and brake fluid, so nothing left that qualifies as 60K maintenance I don't think.

#5651 of 5868 New Sway Bar and End Links & TSX wheels by lilengineerboy

Jun 13, 2011 (1:10 pm)

So the sway bar is swapped. The Honda End Links, well, suck. They are a one-time use part. To remove them, the instructions say to slip a 5mm allen key into the bolt and then use a 14mm wrench on the nut. The bolt is of less than stellar quality and corrodes to the point you can't get the nut off without excessive force...which invariably strips out the allen head in the end of the bolt. A Dremel with a cut-off wheel is the only way to go. I'm amazed at how much more difficult the 2007 is to work on than the 1993 (although we will see when I do front brakes). Anyway, I now have Moog end links and an Acura TL rear sway bar.
At ~62k the tires are finishing up. I scored some Acura TSX 17x7 wheels off eBay and will be installing 215/50R17 tires. I am hoping those upgrades (tires/wheels/sway bar) help the car feel a little more lively. Now I just have to figure out what 3-season tires I want; the stock rims (or 15" steels) will have winter tires.

Messages Page 566 of 588

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