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In & Out: The 1999 Honda Accord
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| Inside+Out: The 1999 Honda Accord |
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| Updated |
Mar 17, 2005 19:41:50 |
| Rating |
 81 ( -7 -8.64% ) |
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Description:
driver controls
Mysterious Dashboard Lights
SRS – This is the dreaded air bag light: AKA Supplemental Restraint System. Now, the first thing to understand is that the SRS light should come on for a few moments every time you start the car. The light is basically telling you that the air bags are waking up and preparing for duty.
When the light goes off, it means that roll call has been completed and all of the air bags’ sensors and components are present and accounted for – and they’re armed and ready.
If the light stays on, then one of the sensors or components is not responding properly. A continuously glowing SRS light does not mean that the air bag will deploy at any moment, but it does mean the system needs to be checked by your Accredited Autobytel.com Dealer.
Despite some bad publicity, air bags are extremely helpful allies in a frontal crash, so you want to have a constantly glowing SRS light checked as soon as possible.
ABS – ABS stands for Anti-Lock Braking System, and each time you start your Accord, the ABS light will come on for a moment and let you know that all is well in the emergency braking department. In other words, should you hit the brakes too hard while rounding a curve or driving on slick pavement, the ABS will be ready to intervene and distribute braking power more gently so the tires don’t skid.
If the light stays on, then the ABS is experiencing a malfunction and the Accord is trying to tell you that the ABS might not be able to lend a hand in an emergency. The Accord will still stop fine in normal conditions, but it’s definitely time to see your Accredited Autobytel.com Dealer.
Also, the ABS light should not be confused with the regular red BRAKE light. If the red brake light comes on (after you have released the parking brake, that is), then there could be a problem in the car’s regular braking system, and that could lead to a loss of normal stopping power.
Both the ABS and BRAKE lights are too important to be ignored. (ABS is an option on the Accord LX, and it’s standard on the LX V-6 and EX models)
Check Engine – Don’t be alarmed if you’re confronted by a glowing yellow light on the instrument panel that sternly commands you to "CHECK ENGINE". Now, if you’re not a mechanic in a white shop coat, looking under the hood isn’t going to reveal much.
You can, however, start by checking to see if your fuel cap is tightly screwed down. A loose gas cap will release nasty fumes into the atmosphere, and the Accord’s strict emission control system won’t have any part of this. In truth, the light should really say "Check Gas Cap". But let’s not take this too lightly.
After tightening the gas cap, you should restart the engine to see if the light turns off after a moment. If not, the likelihood of a major malfunction is still remote. No need to panic. Rather, the Accord’s extremely vigilant emission control system has probably detected a lazy spark plug that didn’t fire on cue, or an over-ambitious fuel injector that may be pumping too much gas into the engine.
Sometimes it just takes a short drive and a restarting of the engine to clear things up. If the light remains on after a bit of driving and a few restarts, it’s time to make an appointment to see your Accredited Autobytel.com Dealer. Although your Accord may be running fine, the problem that set off the check engine light could cause trouble down the road.
The good news is that your Accord will actually remember the specific malfunction and then report the misbehaving component to the technician when you go in for a check. Your Autobytel.com Dealer has a diagnostic tool that will interrogate the engine so thoroughly it can even find intermittent problems that aren’t acting up when the car’s in the service bay.
Maintenance required – The Accord is not a car that needs a great deal of service, but every 7500 miles it will need some attention. And in order to elbow its way into your busy schedule, the car will set off a yellow light that reminds you it’s time for a check up.
At first, around 6,000 mile intervals, the light will begin blinking for ten seconds after you start the car. This is a hint. Once you reach 7500 mile intervals, the MAINTENANCE REQUIRED light will come on and stay on continuously until you have the vehicle serviced. This is a bigger hint.
In some cases, the Accord will need little more than an oil change. At 15,000- and 30,000-mile intervals, a more thorough inspection and service is required.
Regardless, if you take the car’s electronic advice and bring your Accord in when the light is on, your chances of serious problems will be reduced by a long shot. The light simply signals that it’s time for some preventative medicine.
Green Key – Your Accord is equipped with an electronic anti-theft device that keeps the car from starting unless you use your key and only your key in the ignition. An electronic module in the ignition recognizes the key and tells the engine it’s O.K. to start.
But, if you put the wrong key in the ignition, the green key light will blink and the car won’t start. If you’ve put the right key in the ignition, and the light blinks anyhow, pull the key out, re-insert it and try again. Electronic modules have bad days too.
By the way, it’s perfectly normal for the light to blink for a moment when you first insert the key, and then again after you turn the car off. It’s only when the light blinks continuously that there’s a problem. |
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