2001 Accord Advice
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Registered User
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 23
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2001 Accord Advice
Hey guys,
I just purchased a 2001 Accord LX, with only 16,500 miles on it. it is in the shop right now getting the rear end re-done. i got some awesome deals on the parts so i will have the car up and running for right around 9k, with added spoiler and new paint. The car books at 17,000 so i think i got a good deal.
anyway, the reason for the post is to ask for some advice and get some questions answered.
What can i do to keep it running great?
what can i do to maybe add a little hp without a ton of money and no visible changes?
what are some problems i can expect to have with the car (IE: maintanence)
and just some general adive on how to keep it looking great....
i will post picks when it is finished, and try to post some pre-surgery pics.
I just purchased a 2001 Accord LX, with only 16,500 miles on it. it is in the shop right now getting the rear end re-done. i got some awesome deals on the parts so i will have the car up and running for right around 9k, with added spoiler and new paint. The car books at 17,000 so i think i got a good deal.
anyway, the reason for the post is to ask for some advice and get some questions answered.
What can i do to keep it running great?
what can i do to maybe add a little hp without a ton of money and no visible changes?
what are some problems i can expect to have with the car (IE: maintanence)
and just some general adive on how to keep it looking great....
i will post picks when it is finished, and try to post some pre-surgery pics.
#CustomUserTitle
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 63,855
Likes: 1
From: glass case of emotion
Q. What can i do to keep it running great?
Oil changes at 3,000 miles. Since there's almost no miles on it, run synthetic.
Air filter changes every 12,000 to 15,000 miles.
Transmission fluid drain and fills every 15,000 miles.
Radiator flush at 30,000 miles.
It doesn't take much to keep these cars going well past 100K.
Q. what can i do to maybe add a little hp without a ton of money and no visible changes?
"little" is the key word here. I would do with an AEM short ram intake. It provides a washable cone filter and will actually save you money in the long run.
Q. what are some problems i can expect to have with the car (IE: maintanence)
Looks like you got an LX i4. You can expect your typical maintanence parts to go over time, but this happens with every car.
Suspension:
- brakes go at 50K
- rotors, pending stopping habbits, can go to 80K+
Powertrain:
- don't hammer your automatic trans. don't neutral drop. don't expect to launch like a Viper from a red light. Keep the accelleration normal and your transmission will be fine.
- Sparkplugs and wires need to go at 90K, same with the water pump.
The only real "problem" I've heard about are dying alternators and O2 sensors ... nothing too serious.
Oil changes at 3,000 miles. Since there's almost no miles on it, run synthetic.
Air filter changes every 12,000 to 15,000 miles.
Transmission fluid drain and fills every 15,000 miles.
Radiator flush at 30,000 miles.
It doesn't take much to keep these cars going well past 100K.
Q. what can i do to maybe add a little hp without a ton of money and no visible changes?
"little" is the key word here. I would do with an AEM short ram intake. It provides a washable cone filter and will actually save you money in the long run.
Q. what are some problems i can expect to have with the car (IE: maintanence)
Looks like you got an LX i4. You can expect your typical maintanence parts to go over time, but this happens with every car.
Suspension:
- brakes go at 50K
- rotors, pending stopping habbits, can go to 80K+
Powertrain:
- don't hammer your automatic trans. don't neutral drop. don't expect to launch like a Viper from a red light. Keep the accelleration normal and your transmission will be fine.
- Sparkplugs and wires need to go at 90K, same with the water pump.
The only real "problem" I've heard about are dying alternators and O2 sensors ... nothing too serious.
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 69
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From: Bergen County, NJ
I'm no mechanical genius, but I have 2 2k Accords, so i'll give you my 2 cents worth.
First - your car is about 4 years old with only 16k miles (4k per year - very low). Was this recent body damage or did it happen 3 years ago and the car has been sitting since then? Regardless, you may want to just refresh all your fluids because of their age. Oil, trans fluid, brake fluid, coolant, even windshield washer fluid - I would drain and replace all of them to get a fresh starting point for the car.
Carefully inspect the tires for uneven wear or rubber cracking, then drive it at different speeds to check for vibration from out of balance wheels, out of alignment, or flat spots on the tires. This car has been sitting a lot. Also, a severe rear end hit could throw off the alignment or wheel balance.
The trans - because of the inherently bad design of the auto trans in the 6th gen Accords, you have a 50/50 chance of having the trans crap out on you. Honda has graciously extended the trans warranty to 7 yrs / 100k miles for the 2000 and 2001 Accords, so you will have 3 years to figure out if yours will be one of the failures. Don't worry - you will get a free replacement if it happens in the 7/100 window.
Note - if the car was in "Park" or even "Drive" when it was smashed from behind, that could have really jolted the trans, and may have caused some damage. Don't be too quick to tell the Honda dealer this car was an accident repair or they may not honor the trans warranty.
After 4 years the a/c cabin filter is probably dirty and stale smelling. You can replace this yourself for the cost of a pair of new filters - roughly $20 - $25. Search for the instructions here or on other sites.
I know the 2000 LX came without a standard CD player in the head unit. If you don't have one in your 2001, you can pick one up on EBay for about $50, and installation is simple.
One last item - there was a general recall on the 2000 and 2001 Accords for replacement of the ignition switch. Check with your local dealer to see if your car is affected.
Happy driving...!
First - your car is about 4 years old with only 16k miles (4k per year - very low). Was this recent body damage or did it happen 3 years ago and the car has been sitting since then? Regardless, you may want to just refresh all your fluids because of their age. Oil, trans fluid, brake fluid, coolant, even windshield washer fluid - I would drain and replace all of them to get a fresh starting point for the car.
Carefully inspect the tires for uneven wear or rubber cracking, then drive it at different speeds to check for vibration from out of balance wheels, out of alignment, or flat spots on the tires. This car has been sitting a lot. Also, a severe rear end hit could throw off the alignment or wheel balance.
The trans - because of the inherently bad design of the auto trans in the 6th gen Accords, you have a 50/50 chance of having the trans crap out on you. Honda has graciously extended the trans warranty to 7 yrs / 100k miles for the 2000 and 2001 Accords, so you will have 3 years to figure out if yours will be one of the failures. Don't worry - you will get a free replacement if it happens in the 7/100 window.
Note - if the car was in "Park" or even "Drive" when it was smashed from behind, that could have really jolted the trans, and may have caused some damage. Don't be too quick to tell the Honda dealer this car was an accident repair or they may not honor the trans warranty.
After 4 years the a/c cabin filter is probably dirty and stale smelling. You can replace this yourself for the cost of a pair of new filters - roughly $20 - $25. Search for the instructions here or on other sites.
I know the 2000 LX came without a standard CD player in the head unit. If you don't have one in your 2001, you can pick one up on EBay for about $50, and installation is simple.
One last item - there was a general recall on the 2000 and 2001 Accords for replacement of the ignition switch. Check with your local dealer to see if your car is affected.
Happy driving...!
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,008
Likes: 0
From: Silver Spring, MD
After you get the car back I would run some water over the trunk to see if it leaks inside the trunk. If it were me I wouldn't buy this car because of the severe rear end damage. Hondas can run forever so I would of waited intil something else better came along even if it had more miles than the 16K on this model. Good luck with this car keep us posted.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 23
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yeah, i trust the guy that is doing the work, he has done a lot of work for me in the past and is always trust worthy. i will flush that stuff out like u said and i am also planning on gettin it alligned. thanks guys
Senior Member
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 3,049
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From: OH
Invest $75 in a factory service manual...the more you know about your car, the more you can "treat it right" 
www.helminc.com
www.helminc.com