Berkeley Parents Network: Hondas

Berkeley Parents Network

Hondas

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Services & Businesses > Autos > Hondas

Advice about Specific Makes

Mechanics and Dealers

Honda of Oakland Service Center?
Honda repair shop for oil changes, etc.
Mechanic for 1988 Honda Accord
Honda Dealers

Check engine light - Honda Accord

May 2004

The ''check engine'' light came on in our Honda Accord a few weeks ago. We took it to Dana Meyer in Albany, who charged us nearly $100 to tell us it was a loose gas cap. (!) Ever since then, we have been tightening it carefully. Now the ''check engine'' light is on again. So, I'm thinking that it was not a loose gas cap after all, but some other problem. I was wondering if any knowledgeable person on the list could let us know what kind of problem this could be. Could it be dangerous? By the way, the engine sounds and runs fine. Thanks for any advice. Cecilia

I had the check engine light come on in my Honda Civic. The manual suggested a loose gas cap as the primary cause. I retightened the cap but the light stayed on. I read that you can disconnect your battery for a few minutes and that resets the light to off. If there really is a problem, the light will come back on and you have to pay the $100 to get the error code read. There is a way to read the error code yourself by counting a flashing light, but the method is slightly complicated. Note that you have to reset your clock and radio after you reconnect your battery. The light did not come back on for me. You might try it one time and see if this works for you. '97 Civic

My husband (a competent home mechanic) says: ''The check engine light (CEL) comes on for all sorts of reasons, including an automatic function every 5,000 miles or so, telling you to take it in for regular servicing. There are many other possible reasons. When it comes on your car's computer stores a code, which a mechanic can and should easily figure out. You don't say, but I assume Dana Meyer did this and it came up ''Tighten Gas Cap''. If the light came back on there's another problem, or a defective sensor feeding the CEL, or, entirely possible, that an inattentive mechanic neglected to reset the CEL. Easiest quick solution: disconnect both battery cables and let the car sit for 30 minutes. The resets the CEL. Start the engine and drive around per normal; if the CEL comes back on, there is a problem, even if the engine seems to run fine, but the problem may well be minor. Possibilities include the Oxygen sensor, dirty plugs or other basic tune up needs, or the mechanism by which the CEL triggers in the first place. A thoughtful mechanic should read the codes for free or nearly free, as it takes all of 2 minutes of work. Fixing the problem is of course another question, but as a very general rule, if the CEL is on and the engine seems OK it's likely not a huge problem.'' Hope this helps. MG

Maybe you should try a different dealership or someone else that services Hondas. We had the exact same problem a few weeks ago with our 1996 Accord. Took it to Doten Honda in Berkeley. When I dropped the car off, they asked about the gas cap, and made a note that I had not checked it. It turned out to be an oxygen censor. They said it was a $300 part, but the replacement was covered under warranty. No problems since. Susan

Funny you should ask about this...the check engine light just went on for our '96 Honda Civic. (The car's at the dealership even as I type.) The owner's manual says that the check engine light indicates a problem with the emission control system. The owner's manual didn't make it sound like a big emergency, but our car was ''acting funny'' after the light went on, so we had it checked out right away. Of course, after we made the repair appointment, it started driving normally again. The guy at the dealership also didn't sound very concerned. We haven't heard back from the dealership yet, so I don't know for sure, but when we dropped it off this morning, we were told that the repair would likely be covered by the emissions warrenty. Hope this helps. Grace Shannon

The Check Engine light in my Mazda turned on due to a faulty oxygen sensor (I guess it thought my engine wasn't getting enough oxygen, when in fact it was). My local garage was unable to fix the problem and said I'd have to bring it to a Mazda dealer. Instead, I called mobile car-electronic specialist Dan Stone (D.A. Stone Electrics) at 510 425-3005; he came to my house, looked at my car, shopped for a used oxygen sensor, came back to my house a few days later, and in half an hour, installed the secondhand oxygen sensor. He charged me $95: $20 for the oxygen sensor (they cost several hundred dollars new!) and $75 for an hour of his time (though I think he must have spent more than an hour total, even not including the time for him to drive to and from my house). Nomi

The check engine light comes on for a variety of reasons. A diagnostic would need to be run to see what codes are coming up. A loose gas cap is one of them, and they charged you a fair price for running a diagnostic -- although they could have cut it, given the circumstances. You may have an entirely different code/problem now. OR, you may just need a new gas cap. I would try that first, and you might even try a bottle of STP and/or a tank of premium gas. These are things that can affect the pressure, and that's one of the factors that trips the check engine light.

I also have an accord. When this light first came on, I was concerned it was a vital function gone awry. My regular mechanic told me it would take about $800 to fix the catalytic converter. I chose to drive with the light on for about 2 years. Recently I had occasion to go to the dealer for another problem, and had them check it on their computers. They informed me that my catalytic converter was bad, and replaced it to the tune of $1000! Within a week the light was back on. I returned to the dealer, who told me it was indeed the gas cap, which must be twisted with four to five clicks each time it is replaced (who knew???). I was informed that if I didn't do this and the light came back on, I would have to return to the dealer to have the problem taken care of, with a charge at each visit! It is, apparently, indeed the gas cap. I've been twisting the sucker for the past few weeks and voila! no return of the light. My best. Ilene

While I drive a Pontiac rather than a Honda Accord, I can say that I've had a similar experience to yours -- right down to paying $100 to be told that about my gas cap. Mine continues to come on on occasion, and I have just continued to ignore it, because it always goes away. If they checked it and said your engine is okay, I wouldn't worry about it. This started over a year ago for me, and I haven't blown up yet! :) Katie

We had that happen on our Toyota Prius, and the mechanic explained that once the system detects inappropriate gas fumes, it can take a few days to re-set itself. We drove all the way to LA and back before our light turned off. Our gas cap has an instruction on it to turn it until it makes a click, or else it isn't tight enough. Perhaps you need a new cap? heidi

I had this same problem with my Accord - my mechanic said they'd forgotten to reset the light after my last oil change. Hopefully it's the same issue for you. Erin

I have a Chevy Cavalier, so this may not be that useful. The check engine light kept coming on, so I brought it to the dealer as my regular garage didn't want to mess with it. The dealer ran a diagnostic for about $100 & told me that it wasn't a big problem, but they weren't sure what it was. For a lot more money, they could track down the problem exactly. We lived with for about another 6 months & went back to our garage. They messed around, did some expensive stuff & the light went away for a couple of weeks. When it came back on, the garage took it personally & went over the car with a fine tooth comb (for no charge) & found the problem to be a cheap valve that had burnt out & needed replacing. So, in our case, it was something small & cheap in the electrical system. Ask your garage to start looking at the small, cheap stuff first, before replacing computers & expensive parts. running smooth

I have a Honda Accord wagon and have had the ''check engine'' light come on twice. Both times it was the oxygen censor in the emmisions system which needed to be replaced. Both repairs were covered under a manufacturer warrenty (not additional purchase. You may want to check with a honda dealer if your car is covered if that is the problem. anon

You didn't mention what year your Accord is but I had the same problem with my 2000. Luckily it was still under warranty when this happened so the dealer took care of it. It's something fautly with the wiring and it took several months before the dealer (Jim Doten Honda) received the part to correct it. I imagine even if you're not covered by the warranty you should still get the part because it's a defect (not a serious one that requires recall but simply a nuisance to see the light always on.) The owner's manual says this can happen if you don't turn the gas cap three times to hear it click. This did not correct the problem obviously because it's the wiring. Bring your car to the Honda Dealer and if that is the problem I'd go back to the original mechanic and ask for some compensation. $100 is quite a lot to charge for not fixing the problem! BTW - the light has not gone on since (and I'm sure I don't always click the gas cap 3 times!) Hope this helps. Good luck.

Carseat in CRV

Sept 2005

I got a 2005 Honda CRV and I'm very confused about the safest spot to put the carseat. We have a Britax Roundabout that has LATCH and our last car didn't have LATCH b/c it was so old. In the CRV, only the 2 outer seats in the back have LATCH. I thought the middle seat was safest for the carseat? Also, I worry about the side airbags if we put the carseat on the outer seat. I put it in an outer seat, but I'm not sure that's the best option. Anyone out there know? Thanks. Jodi

put the carseat in the middle with the seat belt and make an appointment with the CHP for them to check your installation (you should do this even if you were to use a latch system). They'll also teach you how to anchor the top of the car seat to the floor - that helps stabilize things quite a bit. And once you turn the seat forward facing, you can use the top anchor provided above the cargo area. ---yes, honda makers are dumb...

LATCH it seems, might not be as safe as using the lap and shoulder belts. I read something to that effect in Consumer Reports. I have LATCH in my element, but I continue to use the lap/shoulder belt. I reccomend you go to a carseat safety check or call the non-emergency line of you local police department and make arrangements for them to show you the best way to install your seat. 90% of all carseats are installed incorrectly. paula

You can put the car seat in the middle, just use the two centermost anchors, you just can't put 2 directly next to each other. We have a 2005 CRV & a Marathon and it works out fine (and being able to tilt the passenger seat so far back is a god send on long trips when the little one gets fussy and you can't stop just then!) Lovin' my new CRV

I don't know about CRVs, or whether it's safe to use a latch hook on the side if you put your carseat in the middle. But according to a mom friend who is also a firefighter, the safest place for a carseat is in the middle, because there is less chance the baby will be hurt if you get impacted on the side of your car. I would recommend taking your car and carseat to a police or fire station and having them help you install it in the safest place and in the safest way - with or without the latch. It may be possible to use the side latch hook even if your carseat if in the middle. Good luck. Gal

I just had to write in to correct a piece of advice given by one of the respondents to this post. It is *NOT SAFE* to install a carseat in the middle position using the LATCH anchors closest to the middle. The LATCH anchors in the CRV are positioned for the two side seats. If you install a carseat in the middle, you MUST use the seat/shoulder belt. The LATCH anchors are too far apart to safely secure the seat in the middle. Just ask the CHP. --besides, then you can't fold down the small portion of the back seat when you need to

Honda of Oakland Service Center?

Sept 2005

I live very close to Honda of Oakland and am interested in having my Civic serviced there instead of my usual mechanic who is about a 20 minute drive from my house. What I'm wondering is if anyone who has their car serviced there can give me a review of the experience. I have had negative experiences with other dealership service centers in the past (like Toyota of Berkeley telling me I needed my brakes replaced when they were in almost perfect condition - I got a second opinion luckily) - anyway, the convenience of Honda of Oakland is very tempting, as well as my belief that dealership service centers probably know their own cars better than other mechanics -- It's just the trust issue. So if you have your car serviced there please give me a review -- thank you. anon

See Honda of Oakland for reviews. Also recommended: Berkeley Minicar

Honda repair shop for oil changes, etc.

June 2005

I am still a little new to the area and I am looking for a Honda repair shop. I would use it mostly for oil changes, barring any emergencies. Hopefully the place would be in Berkeley. Any suggestions? lookin'

Recommendations received:

Berkeley Minicar (2)

Carlson's Garage

Steve's Auto Care

Mechanic for 1988 Honda Accord

June 2004

I am looking for an affordable honest mechanic for our 1988 Honda Accord. Does anyone have any recommendations for Honda mechanic in East Bay? I have seen the previous recommendations and there are none specifically for Hondas. Thanks! Monique

Recommendations received:

Art's Automotive

Berkeley Minicar (2)

Jim Doten Honda (2)

Marty's Motors

Oakland Auto Works

Steve's Auto Care

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