My 2003 Honda Accord EX has a problem with the backlighting on the radio and the ac controls. All the lights have gone out, but everything else on it seems to work still. I have looked for a blown fuse but could not find one. Any suggestions?

Could be a bad connection. Likely you will have to pull the panel off. Usually that is easy once you find the trick. It is a matter of finding an out of sight screw or 2 and then pulling the right place. I don't know the trick, and you may have to buy a manual to find out. I think the expensive factory shop manuals are much better then the books from the auto parts store.

I have experienced the same problem. $300 and two weeks to send the unit out for repair. $700 for dealer to install new one. E-bay has a few used ones but they don't last long. I paid a little over $100 and got a piece of junk. It's going back tomorrow. There is a service bulletin on it, but I have not been fortunate enough to find someone willing to give me a copy of it.

We have the same issue. Car is barely 2 years old and Radio light does not work. I called Honda and they have opened up an Incident report to see if they can offer anything. As all ways it's not a recalled. Also there is no way to find out how to fix it without major expense. :confused:

My local dealer was willing to repair the unit (out of warranty) for about $400.00. They were going to ship it out to a repair shop that turned out to be someone I'll mention later.
I then purchased an EX radio from bronco_buddy on Ebay for $185.00 plus $15.00 shipping (he knows their value). He generally has a unit up for sale on a regular basis. They are coming from wrecked cars.
I checked tonight and there was not one unit for sale. Some joker is trying to pass off a face plate as a dim light solution. Stay away from that one.
I then was able to download instructions on how to remove the old unit. It took me about 90 minutes.
In fooling around with this nightmare, I discovered that the part that is bad, is inside the head of the unit, not the face plate. It is some kind of transformer.
Make sure that if you buy a unit, that it is the exact one for your series (EX, LX, DX), it really makes a difference. A local radio repair thief wanted $286 to repair my old unit and they hadn't even diagnosed the problem.
If you have any other questions, drop me another note. I hope this helps!
Pat in Cleveland

Here were the directions that I used:

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/561772/3

I feel lucky to have found this message thread a few weeks ago. I had this same problem with my 2003 Honda Accord EX and thought it odd that it wasn't just a blown fuse. In this instance, I was fortunate to have purchased an extended warranty from the dealership. Consequently, they kept me somewhat shielded from the specifics of the problem fix. It was not easy, though. After about 30-minutes of diagnosis I was told that the problem was with the radio (hard to believe that the radio can cause backlighting problems, but, oh well... ). The dealership was simply going to take the radio out of the Accord, send it to get fixed, and call me when it returned (the idea was to keep me in possession of my car while the radio was being fixed offsite). About an hour later, the service technician told me that things had unexpectedly "snowballed" and that by removing the radio the Accord's defrost function was unable to operate. He then went on to explain to me that the dealership could not release the car with inoperable defrost ventilation. Next stop, Enterprise Car Rental. From what I then understand the dealership spent the next three days trying to repair the radio. On the forth day, the dealership called to tell me that they had fixed the problem. When I arrived at the dealership, I learned that "fixing" the problem was achieved by installing a new radio. The service technician told me that he could go into the specifics of my problem if I wished, but that, with the new radio solution, it would most likely be a waste of time to explain. In hindsight (about 18-hours of hindsight), I would have liked an explanation. At the time, however, I was just glad to ditch the rental and get my car back. And everything works fine...

I also have this problem. Has anyone had the dealer replace their radio without cost using the extended warranty? Or otherwise? Thanks.

Has anymore heard any updates on a possible recall?? I have a 2003 Honda Accord EX with the same issue.

I'm taking my car in on Friday. I'll let you know what they have to say.
Dm

I'm experiencing the same issue... no lights in the radio display... also no lights in the AC button wording. The green light that says if the A/C is on Auto works, but at night, you can't see what any of the buttons are since you can't see the actual word "Auto". It's also really dark in the car at night now :-(

I've barely had the car for 2 years. Bad luck? Or do they need to recall this thing?

Dealer said not covered under extended warranty. About $300 canadian to fix faceplate (needs to be shipped out... which means I have to leave the car for 3-4 days.) About $1000 for new faceplate. I'm not happy. Why buy a new faceplate that is going to burn out again in 2 years? I'm going to write honda canada.

Dm

I own a 2003 Accord with a 6 cd indash radio. I had to get my radio replaced by the dealer due to a CD getting stuck, this was under warranty. I didn't have the problems mentioned in this forum probably because after that I installed an aftermarket radio. After reading how much people have to pay and dedicate time to get this fixed, I'll say that I took out my stock radio and spent less than $200 buying an installation kit which includes the climate control buttons, nobs and slot to fit the new radio. Installed a $400 (Sony CDX-M9905X) with no problem or interference with other stock components. Obviously it can be any radio of lower ot higher price. The point is in the event this is a common "glitch" among these radios, this might be a solution.
Below is a link with an image of the installation kit.

http://www.installer.com/photos/99-7864.jpg

I just purchased my 2003 Honda Accord EX it has 24K miles on it, and I've owned it for 2 days, and then the display on the CD pad goes out.. I can barely read this display, I still have audio sound.. I believe I'm still covered under the orig warranty. Has anybody taken it to Honda and have it covered under the orig warranty? [email protected]

Any response would be greatly appreciated!

Just this morning as got in my car, I noticed that the radio/CD/clock display is dead. The radio works. It looks like the LCD backlight is dead. The lights behind the climate control buttons are fine.

I still have close to year/11000 miles of my 3 year / 36000 miles warranty left. This problem is covered by the warranty, I assume. Has anyone had difficulty getting this fixed under this warranty?

Thanks,

Baskaran

Same Issue 2003 EX. Out of warranty and the radio went out. I thought it came on for a time but no luck. What is the going price now for a new radio installed? Is there another option? Thanks for the tip at least I'll save a step and not try screwing around with the wiring.

I'm having the same problem with my 03 Accord. I went to fill up with gas last Thursday (10/27) night and noticed it was very dark in the car. The center console display was dark. By shining a flashlight on the display, I could tell the LCD portion was working just fine. But there was no backlight. I checked the fuses, tried tapping the display, etc, but it wouldn't light up.

The next morning as I was driving in to work, the display suddenly came back on. I figure the vibration from the road I was driving on caused something to temporarily fuse back together providing power to the backlight. After arriving at work I turned the car off, then back on... the display was out again and has not come back on since.

I had an appointment with my dealership for the 75K mile service Monday (10/31) morning and showed them the problem with the display. The dealership told me that the entire radio would need to be replaced. I don't have an extended warranty, and with close to 75K miles on the car, I was bracing for the bad news. My service advisor told me that the radio would normally cost around $400 plus $79 for labor to replace. However, they are only going to charge me for the labor. I suppose they are picking up the cost of the radio for "goodwill" since I've had the car serviced exclusively by them.

Anyway, the "new" radio is on order and my service advisor is supposed to call me when it arrives so I can have it installed. We'll see what happens...

I also have a 2003 Accord and the radio and climate control lights have went out, seems like Honda has a problem they should own up to and have a recall! I bought the car new and planned on driving it till the wheels fell off, the only problem is it looks like the rest of the car is a piece of crap. My moon roof will open but will not close, I have to use the hand crank, as I mentioned my radio and air con. Lights have went out, no bad fuse anywhere I can find. I will buy American Union Made autos from now on, at least my money will help support the US economy.

My light went out in my dash this past summer. I brought it to my local dealer and they replaced the radio free of charge without any questions asked. They said it is a common problem with this model and should be covered by warranty since it is a "defect". The only way to fix it is to replace the entire unit with a new one. Of course, the first time they ordered the radio they ordered the radio for the 4 door model (I HAVE A 2 DOOR). But they ordered the correct radio and I had it resolved with-in a week.

My 2003 Honda Accord EX Stereo backlight ALSO went out as well as the illumination for the center console. The stereo and all functions still work. I know this is a reoccuring problem

My question is:::: WHAT EXACT PART IN THE FACEPLATE or RADIO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS AND WHERE IS IT?? If anyone can tell me the exact location or what the part is and what it looks like, I can replace it myself! Or if anyone has the schematics for the unit, that would help too!!

I have done lots of research online for this... found instructions to take the radio out... Someone says it is a transformer in the head of the unit... someone else says it is in the faceplate. I even found out what color wires power up the illumination from the harness(red and black). But I cannot find what the exact problem is!! I am negligant to paying hundreds to have the whole unit replaced. If anyone can help me with my question... please let me know and I am sure it will help others looking in this thread as well

Did you check with your local dealer to see if they will do it under warranty? They should. It is a defect in the radio. There is no reason we (the consumer) should pay for it. My car is a lease. Is yours? Maybe they would only cover a leased vehicle?

Yes I called my dealer. My car has 48,000 miles on it and it isn't covered since the warrentee ran out at 36,000! I know this problem is so easy to fix, it's just that Honda won't give their wiring diagrams away!

Thanks for the help though...

Ugh! I'm having this same problem with my 03 Accord. I cannot believe Honda isn't doing anything to fix this problem when the part is clearly defective. My dealer wants to charge me $800 to fix it. I don't even want to pay $400, much less $800.

I have a call in to the service manager. I'll try to hash it out with her, but my warranty is out (I'm at 2 1/2 years and 52,000 miles.) How frustrating! I never expected this from Honda!

Susan in Texas

My main motivation for posting this reply is to reaffirm that this is a wide spread problem among 03 Accords. Since I have gone through the trouble of signing up, I might as well share my experience as well.

I called American Honda about the problem and as of today 11/17/05, there is still no recall; no surprise there. I now have a case pending on the matter and I can assure you that I will be on pins and needles until I hear back.

I would suggest that anyone who comes across this post do the same thing. I don't expect that it would lead to a recall, but, at the very least, Honda will have to spend the time it takes to document the case and possibly even follow up with you.

Here's the number: 800-999-1009
You will need your VIN prior to calling.

Good luck to you all, I'm getting XM.

I have the same problem with radio and lights of the console. I think it happened when I turned the ignition key on while the engine was running already. If some of the other members also had the same event, it might be a good step towards the solution.

I don't think the problem with the console would be solved when the radio is changed. However, I realized this after the dealer ordered a replacement for the radio of my 18 months old Honda accord EX. I would pursue more tomorrow.

Take care all...

Update: I had my radio replaced on Nov 8th. My dealership only charged me the agreed upon $79.00 for the labor. I'm sooo happy to have to functionality back again... driving without it really sucked!
I'm also pleased with my dealership... Bankston Honda in Lewisville Tx.
Good luck to all!

Has anyone had any luck getting this resolved without paying a lot when your vehicle is out of warranty? If so what did you do. This is rotten of Honda I would have never thought this would come from them. I have always owned a Honda and this and the transmission recall is making me nervous about buying another car form them. Does anyone have the copy of the service Bulletin that Honda had out regarding this issue? If so can someone e-mail it to me. Thanks

My car has 63000 miles and it is 2 1/2 years old, I called American Honda after I read all the e-mails and was furious. They are being totally cool they are replacing my radio free of charge and my car is completely out of warranty and they never asked if I always get my car serviced there. I called one dealer, and he wasn't helpful where another was. Just bypass the dealers and call American Honda,they will help you, Thank God.

I bought my 2003 Honda Accord EX 3 months ago with 35,400 miles on it. I did not buy the extended warranty due to Honda being so reputable, therefore I felt I did not need it. Of course now the backlight on my 6 disc CD changer/center console does not work and I am now over 36,000 miles. I found this problem to be quite common after reading all the above posts! How disheartening! I tried to call American Honda as suggested above and they are closed until Monday. (It' the day after Thanksgiving.) I then called the dealership where I purchased the car and they said they would charge me $95 labor and their cost on the replacement part, but they couldn't determine what part needed replacing over the phone. The parts manager told me that it is one of 3 components that needs replacing and the cost is anywhere from $400 to $800 at THEIR cost. Diagnosis of the problem is an additional $45. I am going to call American Honda on Monday to see if I have any luck getting this covered through them. My car only has 41,000 miles on it. I wish I had known about this problem prior to buying my car. Hopefully Honda will do the right thing and stand by their product. I will let you all know what happens.

Wow, I had no idea this was such a widespread problem. Much like everyone else, my 2003 Accord EX display went dark a few days ago. I spoke to the dealer and Honda Canada. I should suggest that they read this site as they said that my problem was quite unusual and unique. I too am beyond my warranty and my extended warranty doesn't cover this.
Any suggestions for someone in Canada (Ottawa)? Has anyone got Honda Canada to acknowledge the defect or found a dealer willing to replace the unit?

Thanks

This is a huge problem and not a new one, here are 2 other sites of chat rooms that have a lot of the same problem http://www.car-groups.com/board/nextpost/29523/0 and trywww.hondaaccordforum.com/m_79/mpage_1/key_/tm.htm#82
Try calling your main Honda headquarters in Canada.American Honda is the Mainone out here and they helped me a lot and my car had 63000 miles try calling american Honda maybe they can give you a number in your area 1-800-999-1009. Good luck

Thanks Renee, I'll follow up on your suggestions and let you (and the group) know how it went.

Cheers.

Call Honda of America and insist that they replace your radio. They will try to deny your request but be persistent. I did it and you can to. First take your car to the dealer. Ask them all information on how they can fix it and ask for the serviceman name and remember all the bull**** that they told you. Call Honda of America and tell them what had happened at the dealership. The person at Honda of America is super patient so you must be extra super persistent to get it your way. Do not hang up without getting a case number. Insist that this is not your fault and that it is a common problem. Tell them that there is a bullentin issued by Honda about the problem. Remember that the person at Honda of America will still insist that they can not help you. They will ask you various questions. Tell them this is your 2nd or 3rd Honda. DO NOT GIVE UP. Repeat your problems and concerns and insist that you love Honda vehicles and that you believe in Honda will do the right thing for you. Be patience with them until they finally give you a case number and write it down. They then will contact your local Honda dealer where you had brought your vehicle in where they claim they can't help you. Give them the number and name of the serviceman. Within a couple of days, Honda dealer or Honda of America will contact you to schedule a replacement for a new unit FREE!! Don't worry that your car is in warranty or out of warranty. It does not matter. Just believe that Honda is at fault in this issue. It can take up to an hour to insist that Honda is at fault so if you are not patience and persistence with them, it won't work. Believe me if you persist it will pay. Good luck and congratulation on your new unit.

I have the same problem with the 2003 Honda Accord Backlight. This seems to be a problem with Honda Accord across the board. I have owned Honda accords since 1984. I trusted Honda for the quality and at present I am very disappointed. Honda wants 370 dollars to repair my radio. One thing for sure they have lost a loyal customer. What happened to standing behind your product? I would like to start a letter writing campaign to Honda. I am starting a campaign. If you are interested in participating to make Honda stand up to its name. Just send your name, email address and the year of your accord to [email protected].
I will compile a list and articulate a letter with customer concerns and complaints and forward it to Honda of America.
Please assist me --I will keep sending the list at least until I get a response.
There is power in numbers.How would Honda look if we told everyone how they do not stand behind the product. :(

I called American Honda and spoke to a representative. I explained to her what happened with my backlight problem and informed her that it happened within the first 90 days of buying my 2003 Honda. I also told her I was aware that there is a service bulletin regarding this problem. I requested that Honda repair this at no cost due to the frequency is which this is occurring. She was VERY nice, and assigned me a case # right away. She told me a case manager would be contacting me within 48 hours to discuss my claim and asked me which dealership I would be taking my car to for repair. I will be waiting for their decision, but based on my conversation with the representative I believe Honda will be replacing my radio at no cost. I will advise when I have this confirmed. Good luck to all of you still working on a solution for this problem. I hope this works out the way I am hoping it will, not only for me, but for all of you. For those of you who do not have the American Honda number from one of the above posts, here it is again. 1-800-999-1009. You will need your VIN when you call. Good luck!

I bought my '03 Accord EX Oct '02. Apr. 2004 at 27,000 miles the lighting in console went out. The dealer replaced it because it was still in warranty. Yet again, Sept '05 at 71,000 miles the same thing. This time they made me pay the Honda cost of $127.08 for the radio. Supposedly they fixed the problem. Tonight my accord wouldn't start (maybe starter) at 74,000 miles. Honda is not winning my allegiance. My '90 Civic didn't have these kinds of problems.

Honda contacted my dealer, and they called me to inform me that they will be replacing my radio at no cost! They ordered my new 6 disc cd changer, and they will call me when it comes in to schedule an appointment to replace it. I am SO happy this worked out! Who has the extra money, let alone at Christmas time, to spend on something that shouldn't have happened in the first place? I am impressed that Honda handled this the way that they did. I met with no resistance when I requested the free replacement, and they got back to me within 24 hours with their decision. The only thing they asked me to do prior to making their decision was to take my car to my dealer to have the dealer document the light was in fact out. After having done that, the dealership contacted me the next day to let me know the part was going to be covered under "warranty" even though I was over 40k miles.
My concern after reading the above post is that this may happen again! If it does I will install an after market stereo and be done with this, but hopefully it will not come to that. Merry Christmas to you all. CALL HONDA! They will help you.

I bought Honda Accord, model EX, in April 2003. The problem that occurred a few days ago was that backlight of Clock/Radio/CD/Climate display went off. Every component of the unit works properly, but I cannot see information on dashboard.

I called my dealership and they told me that just to determine what is the problem, what I already could see, I have to pay $95.00 + tax. I told them that this is too expensive for something so obvious, so they told me to come to service and they will look that for free and give me options what I can do. Next day I went there and they even didn’t try to look my car. Instead the service advisor told me that because car is out of warranty I have to pay $1200 to get whole unit replaced. It looked to me they already had these cases and they knew what was wrong.

Because that option sounded to me very stupid (paying $1200 just to get light), I called customer service for Honda Canada. After listening to complain she immediately told me that I have 2 options. To pay $1200 for replacement or to get unit refurbished for $300. Again she sounded like somebody who already came across the problem. I told her that I found on different forums tons of people with the same car and the same problem, and that it was obvious that something is wrong in the design of that unit when it requires replacement/refurbishing of the whole unit just because of light. That would be like selling $300 lamp that has to be replaced when bulb gets broken. So she took VIN of my car but she told me that she could not open the case until proper diagnostic is done on my car. She called the service and they told her they did visual check, but for diagnostic I have to go back and pay $95.00 + tax. After that Honda may pay me part of repair to get that light back.

I am very disappointed with my experience with both Honda customer service and Honda dealership. They all know there is a system problem with the radio unit in the car but instead to fix it, they choose to make profit of it. I understand their motivation to act like that but on the end they will just loose one customer and I hope I can persuade somebody else not to buy their cars.

I wonder if there are any TV stations that would be interested in picking this up, referencing this web site. Sometimes local stations are interested in consumer stories. I think that would get some attention and it would alert people in general about the problem. Or, I think Money magazine has a section for issues like this. Again, it would make it more public, perhaps motivating Honda to take care of its mess.

I found that Honda knows about the problem with the radio in all Accords 2003 and in some Accords 2004. They issued Service Bulletin in July 2004 that describes the problem. But they also decided not to inform owners of vehicles about the problem. Instead they wait for the problem to occur and if the car is in the warranty they would accept the cost of the repair, and if it is not they would consider to accept the cost, at least in USA.

:D I read on another forum that you may can get your radio fixed for FREE!! If you call Honda af America (1-800-999-1009) and make a claim a radio replacement They will replace your radio for free. I'm going through it right now and should have a response soon! You will need to take it to your local dealer and get a radio replacement price, call that number, give them the diagnosis, vin #, proof of purchase, and a little other information. They will let your know if they will do it or not. It's worth a shot!!

Oh yeah one more thing you don't have to have a warranty either, just make the call! But if you wait too long they might get tired of replacing radios and stop doing it! So I'd act as fast as possible :)

Just call them directly and they should open a case for you. 1-800-999-1009. They are aware of this problem and should work with you to resolve it. I called Yesterday and now am waiting for a call back. Fingers crossed.

Just call them directly and they should open a case for you. 1-800-999-1009. They are aware of this problem and should work with you to resolve it. I called Yesterday and now am waiting for a call back. Fingers crossed.

Thanks for advice. Unfortunatelly I am in Canada and have to deal with Honda Canada. They were not satisfied with diagnostic that my dealership did (probably because they did it for free and visualy) and to open the case they require me to do full diagnostic ($95 + tax) and after that they would consider doing something for me.

I am not sure what they do during "diagnostic" and what the result of diagnostic would tell them what is wrong. I will try to get that info from the dealership. For me it is obvious just looking at the unit. Everything works normally except it doesn't have light, so to see information on the display I now use battery lamp. Not convinient but at least it is cheaper.

I am joining this discussion because my 03 EX 4-door Accord car stereo display went off last night, too. After scheduling an appointment with Honda Carland last evening, I found this message board with tons of people experiencing same problem. I did call American Honda per your advice and requested that all service be done under basic warranty (my 03 EX has 31k Mls, and I have an extended warranty too).
I was also able to google-out a PDF file that many people here are referring to - Honda Service Bulletin:
(#04-027 Audio-HVAC Module is Dim or Dark) (http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=673)
At this stage, I am waiting for American Honda rep to call me and I hope that they will agree to replace unit or to get it fixed under a factory warranty...
I will keep you posted.
Good Luck to all!!
:)

I called Honda of America about a week ago. They assigned me a case # and a case worker they said they would call me back in 48 hours. They did not call but I called three times never spoke to my case worker. I left messages.What I did not know they were working on it.The dealer called me on yesterday told me Honda of America will repair the radio 100% free .I took my car in to the dealership and persuant to there word they fixed it free. I am very happy now. My car has nearly 80000 miles and I eat my words that they down stand behind there product. I owe them an apology. My wife is now considering trading her accord for a Honda Pilot. If you call and talk to Honda they will stand by the product. It is not me they repaired a friend of mine Accord also. Please make the call if you want to get your car repaired. :D
Kudos Honda

I called them a week ago and today they told me that they will buy me a new radio but I have to pay the pabor charges!!

After sending e-mail to dealership with questions about "diagnostic" that they and Honda Customer Service told me has to be done, guy from dealership called me to tell that there is no diagnostic for this type of the problem and that they will replace radio for free. So now I am waiting for them to get the radio in service and to call me.

Yesterday the lights went out on my 2003 Honda Accord Coupe radio. I have tried to call my dealership, but they are busy. I am waiting on a call back. I went on line and found this site. Glad to know I am not alone. I called American Honda and filed a report with them. I am supposed to hear back from someone in 24-48 hours. I am also out of warranty, but was told they may help me out. I will post the outcome. Thanks!

I would love to know what dealership that was? Where are you located?


My light went out in my dash this past summer. I brought it to my local dealer and they replaced the radio free of charge without any questions asked. They said it is a common problem with this model and should be covered by warranty since it is a "defect". The only way to fix it is to replace the entire unit with a new one. Of course, the first time they ordered the radio they ordered the radio for the 4 door model (I HAVE A 2 DOOR). But they ordered the correct radio and I had it resolved with-in a week.

I had my Radio installed free of charge in North Hollywood California Robertson Honda they are the best, not even a penny :o

I live in Atlanta, GA. I am still waiting on a second call back from American Honda. I will probably call them today.

I found the service bulletin. I'm going in today to the local dealer to get the diagnostic American Honda needs as proof of the problem. My car is out of warranty so I will need a goodwill approval to avoid the high cost. If approved fine. If not I'll complain as much as possible but, won't pay that cost. Did you get the link for the service bulletin. I'm in Dayton, OH area. When I asked the service department (Hidy Honda, Beavercreek OH) representative he denied any knowledge of this bulletin (hope it displays):

http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=673

I hope I have a good result from this. After the trip to the dealer I will phone American Honda to make sure they have a case opened and pray from that point on.

The display on the radio in my 2003 Honda Accord EX just went out last week even though the radio and climate control worked normally. My car had 42,000 miles on it and is out of warranty. I found this thread and also the link to the technical service bulletin (04-027). The bulletin clearly states that if the display is dark/dim but the radio works fine, the solution is replacement and installation of a new radio without cost to the customer regardless of warranty status.

http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=673

So I just took the bulletin to my local dealership (Hudson Honda) and told them about the problem. Within a couple of hours, they had replaced the radio free of charge with no hassles. So if any dealership attempts to charge for replacement and installation of a new radio, I would report it to American Honda. Dealerships take their ratings very seriously. If need be, tell the dealership that you will call American Honda about their attempt to charge you for something that should be taken care of for free. These crooked dealerships are probably taking money from both American Honda as part of the service bulletin and unsuspecting customers. BEWARE of crooked dealerships.

I have the same issue as amny others, unfortunately. The first thing I did is to go to the NHTSA website and fiel a complaint http://www.nhtsa.com/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.ee6733b87096a398d33a431046108a0c/

Hopefully if enough owners of the most widely sold passenger cars file a complaint this will give leverage against American Honda to fix this defect. My only hope is that since the instrumentation is not visible, the argument can be made that the defrosters cannot relaible be used -which is ILLEGAL.

I will cann the dealer and American HOnda in the morning to see what they can do. I will keep this posting updated and good luck to all in the same situation.

I know how upsetting this problem is since I have experienced it first hand. I hated driving around not being able to see the climate controls! But, I believe American Honda is standing by their product and is fixing the problem. You simply have to call and do your part. I was worried at first too, about the expense of the problem, but I had NO issues with Honda. They were very courteous and prompt in fixing my problem. I just want to give some reassurance to those of you who are just now going through this experience that it is fixable however inconvenient it might be. The dealership I went to even gave me a free loaner to go to work with. I can't speak for all dealer's out there but it does pay to ask for what you want. Good luck!

Same problem as everyone else. Took it in for the 40K checkup & told them to change the lightbulb. They called me & told me they needed to replace the radio for $700 & I went ballistic. Finally today I find this forum. American Honda is closed, but once I told the newbie service rep what I found out here, including the service bulletin, he said they (David McDavid Honda in Irving TX) would replace at no cost. I told him I wanted him to order a replacement, call me when it is delivered, set an appointment to replace & provide a loaner given the amount of time invested in the wild goose chase. I asked him if he had any questions & he said no. Many thanks to you all!

Okay, here is the deal on this one. Located inside the main unit of the radio/climate controls (big metal box which holds both the CD's you insert, and the actual AM/FM receiver) there is an electronic component Honda calls a resistor. More than likely it is a resister, but of a very small value 0.1 ohms or so. Anyway, the backlighting/climate lights get power which is passed through this part. It apparently burns out (Open) after some time has passed. I had to fix this problem on my Brothers 2003. It took some time to find and fix, but it works fine now. To be honest, the part only costs about $1 dollar! I just jumpered over it with a piece of wire! Honda really should have thought this one out before placing it close to other warm components in the system. If you have any questions email me!

:confused: Well surprise surprise this has happened to my 03 Honda Accord EX coupe too. I have owned one other Honda and I never had these kind of problems! I even have a Subaru WRX that has been raced for 2 years and nothing like this! I called Honda lastnight and they said I had to get an estimate as well. I called the dealership here in Myrtle Beach (I am from Texas, just relocated here last month) last night and he was so unhelpful! I called the dealer back this morning and the service manager said he could just get some number from the front of my radio and save me the trip for the estimate. The guy at Honda said that it is a good chance I won't have to pay anything for it, but he cannot make any promises. I have 49,893 miles on my car partly from the 1200 mile trips from Texas to South Carolina. I hope they will do the right thing and help everyone. They for the most part put out good products, there is no reason why they shouldn't put a recall out and warn other owners!! This is crazy to put us, the consumer through all this back and forth for THEIR mistake. It says right on the TSB that it is a faulty unit, if I am paying on a $21,000 car, and it has anything faulty it should be replaced. If they do not fix this in my car, I have a lease I will pay the difference and buy another Subaru and drop my honda in their lap and make it their problem!

I had the same problem as everyone descibes. I called American Honda this morning (1-800-999-1009). I was fully expecting to have to go nuts on them at some point to get this resolved. The woman I spoke with was really awesome. Basically, I just told her that I have a problem with my vehicle and my local Honda service department has not been helpful in resolving it. I told them that their solution was totally unsatisfactory. I think that gets their attention right off. I told her that my display went out and that my car is out of warranty (even though it only has 21,000 miles). I told her that the dealership quoted the replacement unit at $853, and that it is totally unacceptable. She asked for the name of the person I spoke with. She put me on hold for a minute or two. When she returned, she gave me a case number and said that the local Honda service department would be contacted about this. According to her, American Honda is going to take care of it.

All I have to do is call and make an appointment, and American Honda is going to take care of the rest. It took less than 10 minutes on the phone with American Honda and they were totally willing to help. I'll let you know how it goes with the service department at the dealership.

I also have a 03 model Honda Accord w/ 61K miles & out of warranty. My local service dealer told me that this was a problem in all 03 models, not just the Accord. They quoted approx $400 to replace.

Anyway, I googled the problem & found this site... Following other posts, I printed the service bulletin & called American Honda (800-999-1009). I told the rep my problem, about this particular post thread & the service bullet info. She was very polite & gave me a case #. The next day my local service mgr called me to schedule the replacement at NO $ to me. I wanted to add this for others to follow. Thanks all, for the advice!!

If you read up I have posted this numerous times already... call HONDA, and they WILL take care of the problem. They KNOW this is a chronic situation and are willing to stand by their product. Once again... do your part, call and let them know you are affected by the LED lighting problem, they will fix it for free. Do not try to deal with your local dealership first. They CAN'T help you. Call Honda, they will contact the dealership of your choosing and the problem WILL be taken care of at no expense to you. Please do not listen to the hyper sensitive people who think Honda is out to scam anyone. They aren't! Every major manufacturer has experienced one problem or another with a particular model year. At least Honda is willing to do something about it. Let them. Other manufacturers have done much less. Honda will take care of you. Feel confident in this. I have been there and had nothing but prompt, courteous service. Recalls are safety concerns, and this is not, and should not be made into a situation where Honda didn't do their due diligence. A service bulletin was issued as technical assistance to Honda dealers making them aware of this situation, and in fact one was issued. This does not give the dealership the right or the cost return guarantee to fix the part for free. This is exactly why you need to contact Honda directly and let them contact your dealership. They WILL! Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I have tried numerous times to assist those of you in my situation how to correct your problem rather easily and I keep reading the fly off the handle posts about Honda. I appreciate the gas mileage, aesthetics, heated leather, and many other features of my car that have never given me reason to complain. Let's not let one easy fix problem trash the reputation of an otherwise stellar performing car. Another point... my boyfriend is a service manager for a Mercedez -Benz dealership. A regular maintenance appointment without a service issue by them is $200 plus. And for this you get an oil change and tire rotation, and ohhh yeahhh.. Maybe a very expensive bottled water while you wait. Think about it! And... have a great new year. My motto? Don't sweat the small stuff! It just gives you another reason to complain when all you have to do is watch the evening news to realize how good your life really is. Love and Peace, Dana

Got my car back today, after having radio replaced for free. I brought the issue up directly with my dealership, as Honda was closed over the long weekend when I discovered this site. Dealership did the right thing & I do love my car! Thanks again to you all... good luck. I'm very glad I checked the web before pulling out the credit card.

Well my call went in early Thursday morning, and they said I did not need the case number and someone would call me... I have heard nothing yet. I am ragging on Honda for the fact they are making us jump through hoops for their mistake. I think that is bad business. Some are getting this taken care of, I hope that my phone rings early Monday morning. I love my Honda, but I don't like the way that they are handling the problem.:confused: :confused: They have great customer service every time I call, I will give them that. So is it my local dealer that is taking so long? If they fix the problem, they will have my respect, until then, none until the error is corrected. I understand that fluks happen, but this is a big one affecting a lot of people, not in a safety aspect no, but in one that people are questioning the reliability and luxury of Honda and or it's dealerships.

I went to Honda with my backlight problem,the car was out of warranty and they stood by there product.I got a new radio at no cost.This is why you stick with Honda.They recognized a problem and stood by their customers

Hi all, I just joined this forum because I seem to have the same problem as you all, but my unit went out at around 16,000 miles! (a new record? ;)). My car is a rebuilt title, it had very minor front end damage with no electrical system damage and I got a hell of a deal, drives like a new car. But since my title is officially salvage, Honda acts like I'm not even a person. To be honest, I wasn't expecting them to be very kind.

I'm handy with a soldering iron, however. If anyone could direct me to the specific component to fix, I would be very obliged! Mystified88 stated it was a resistor, however I am sure there are dozens of resistors in there. And mystified, you have your e-mail blocked!

If anyone can help please post here or feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]

Thank you!

Hi! Congratulations to everyone who can have Honda exchange the radio for you!! I'm basically posting this for people who are do-it-yourselfers, and who know a bit of electronics. The part that goes bad in the radio which powers the lamps and backlight is a resistor. Yep, it only costs about a dollar! It's a special resistor though, not like the rest on the board. If you can fix things, here is what you do. Take the radio out - this is truly the hard part! Open the bottom by first taking off the heatsink and some screws. Pry the bottom off carefully and remove the circuit board. Unplug the ribbon cable and look at the Parts side of the board. Located very near the heatsink is a resistor labeled something like R727 (sorry not exact) You can't miss it... it is black and located between two other parts that appear similar. I wish I had photos! Anyway, if you'd like, measure the part. It should read virtually a short 0.1 ohms or zero ohms. The problem is that it doesn't, and that is why your radio lights don't come on. It gets very hot, and after some time burns open to Megaohms. Solder a piece of wire (jumper) over it, and the lights should work again. I believe the two parts that surround this resistor are both diodes, but I can't remember exactly. Anyway, it is RIGHT next to the metal that holds the transistors and audio chip to the heatsink. I don't think I am stirring anyone wrong here! This is a very small part though, so be careful not to hurt the circuit board while soldering. If you are capable of this type of work, then you know how to use an ohm meter to read the part. It should read a short if good!

Thank you very much mystified. I will get to work right away. I remember taking the unit out before and the radio was very hard to dislodge from the rest of it to access the circuit boards. However now that I know what to fix I will be more motivated to find a way in ;). One question though- would jumping this component cause any damage further down the road? I would imagine with such a low resistance the difference would be negligible, just asking.

For those who are wondering, I don't believe shorting/jumping the resistor will cause any problems. If you really know your thing, open a digikey catalog, and try to find a good replacement part. I would suggest buying a surface mount fuse instead with correct spacing and a value somewhere around 3 amps. It wasn't my car, so I took out the part and soldered a wire in it's place! That resistor will not be a problem anymore! Hey! IT IS WHAT I DO!

Update- I've found the part. It is reading 300,000 ohms so this must be it. It is part number R797 and is a small black box like surface mount resistor, but still fairly large. Unfortunately this part cannot be accessed from the back (solder side) as it's wiring is sandwiched in the board. So I'm going to jump it from the component side of the board. Since I only have a normal soldering iron and not a SMT model, this should be fun as there's barely any space between the part and the heat sink assembly. I'll post another update when it's back in the car. Wish me luck!

Final update- I am happy to report that this worked great. My radio unit now works exactly as new. Thanks a million mystified88! Here's a cyber-beer to you!

Well, I am glad to hear it all came together!! I'll tell you, it made my brother happy that I had fixed his! If Honda can do the work... good for them, but I've heard mention that it can take up to 6 weeks to get it fixed. I cannot do without climate control in the winter! Anyway, I'm glad I didn't steer you wrong here! Got to have those lights! How can one tell what station they are on and such? Thanks for the beer... CHEERS!

Before I had my radio repaired I could have sworn the LED lighting was a neon green color. Now the light is white. Am I crazy, or does anyone else have geen backlighting?

No, it always was white, and the other push buttons are backlit orange. How would green match the gauge cluster? ;)

BTW- Honda doesn't repair these, they simply replace them and (I imagine) throw the old ones away. The company that made them probably had to build all the new ones for free anyway.

Thanks Hypo, It just looked weird to me, probably from driving without the backlighting for over a month. At this point I don't care what color the light is as long as it works! It was just one of those things that makes you go hmm!

FYI, I had the same problem on my '03 EX and the radio was replaced under warrantee. This problem must be costing Honda a fortune, but they replaced everything-no charge! The dude that said Honda was making a profit on a bad design has his wires crossed - they are eating this problem whole. The lights, BTW, are neon green on both the original and replacement radio.

Note to gkelley : Honda Accords are made in the USA by union labor. Could be part of the problem, In my opinion.

I thought I was losing my mind, now here is another person who says the lights ARE supposed to be neon green. I prefer to have the neon green, was much more aesthetic to me.

Lol, no the lights are indeed orange and white. Google image search for honda dashes and you won't find any green ones. Believe me, I own one, and have seen other accord dashes from different years 03-05, all were the same color. Now I don't know about non-US cars, maybe they do it differently in europe or japan.

I don't thinks so.. even the backlighting for my controls is green, not orange as you say.

Really? Hmm, are we talking about the same dash unit? I'm referring to the auto dual climate AC with in dash 6 cd changer. Are your gauge clusters also green? What model accord do you have?

Yes my gauge clusters are also green. I have the 6 disc CD changer in a 2003 Honda Accord EX.

Same problem 2003 Accord EX with no lights on the radio and clock. I can't believe Honda does not have a recall issue for this problem.

It seems ridiculous for a radio light to die in less than 3 yrs and for that problem to cost the consumer >$300 to repair a lighting issue.

Anyone found a cheaper solution to getting our radio lights to come back ON?

Any suggestions on what to do first with this faulty radio situation. Mine just went out today and I called the dealer to make an appointment to check it out. He sounded as if he knew exactly what the problem was and said the whole unit would probably have to be replaced. He asked if the car was under warranty, which it isn't, and went on to say that maybe Honda would be able to "help me out" whatever that means. I go in a couple days, but I wasn't sure if I should call Honda of America first and try to get a case number or wait and see if the dealer will try to help me out.

I think you are doing what needs to be done - keep the complaint volume up to the dealers. This particular radio clearly has a fault, corrected on subsequent models, and needs to be rectified in all 2003 Accords so equipped. I have a hunch that Honda is betting most of the cars with the defective radio will be traded off or sold before the radio fails, thus saving on general recall costs. I was lucky in that mine failed while still under warrantee.

jmrmba: Call Honda America and get a claim number. I am the second owner of my vehicle and it was out of warranty when the radio backlighting failed. Honda still replaced the radio for free. You do still need to take the car in to your dealer to have the defect confirmed. So, in the meantime keep your appointment, call Honda and let them know which dealership you are taking your vehicle to, and Honda will work with the dealership from there. In fact, my dealership called me back the day after I brought my vehicle in to have it looked at (at no cost) to schedule the repair/replacement of my radio. Honda moves very quickly once they are aware of the problem. Trying to save you some time. Good luck.

I am going to call Honda now. Thanks for the advice.

I also had a problem with my Accord this past September. I bought the car used and three months afterwards the backlight failed. I took it to a Honda dealership thinking it was a fuse but they told me I had to replace the unit for $600. I told the dealership which I bought it from (not a Honda) and they said that they would change the radio with an aftermarket radio because the asking price was too expensive. I agreed to have it replaced being that my sister was their employer and she said that the radio they were putting in was nice, NOT TRUE. When I saw my car I wanted to cry. Anyway, I recently wanted to replace it back with the original radio and I ran into this forum. I called Honda America and they were willing to change my radio. But, this is the fun part, I needed the OLD RADIO. I don't know where that radio is and I am going insane. I was very disappointed because their own dealership wasn't able to tell me this was an ongoing problem and I trust their better judgement on replacing the unit then. Had I known this, I would be a happy camper, unfortunately I am not. Does anyone have any idea what should I do or say so that I can have the radio replace. I love my accord, I just hate the radio.

The lights went out on my stereo last night. It was very odd to me... nothing made them come back on. My first though was to check a fuse, but that didn't really make sense either since I would have expected the whole radio to be out if it were some kind of fuse issue. It also seemed weird that all of the lighting (including the stereo) would be on their own isolated circuit. Well... I hopped on the ol' net think it seem just weird enough that someone else might have seen something like it and this here forum is what I found. THANK YOU ALL FOR POSTING and letting everyone know what your experience has been and what SOLUTIONS you had found. Thanks to this posting I called Honda America today and then a dealer. I took it in for about an hour this afternoon so they could officially diagnose it. They topped off the fluids, adjusted the tire pressure and (for a small charge on my request) changed the oil for me while it was there. They ordered the new radio FREE OF CHARGE and told me it would probably be here in a couple of days and that it would probably just take about an hour to switch it out once it came in. THANKS NEIL HUFFMAN HONDA OF LOUISVILLE... YOU RAWK!! :) I am the second owner of my car. I bought it used from Carmax and it is out of Honda Warranty. The dealer authorized the swap out at no change with no problem at all. AWESOME. CALL HONDA AMERICA AND CALL THE BEST HONDA DEALERSHIP IN YOUR AREA. No worries...

I called Honda USA and I worked with a Brian Kumiyama. He was adamant about me visiting a dealer first to confirm the problem. I visited a Honda dealership to have them confirm the problem. Brian contacted the dealership. Brian called me back to inform me that Honda would replace my radio at no cost to me. Honda USA would cover 100% of the cost. I need to schedule a time for the dealer to perform the replacement. The dealer will have to order a replacement radio.

I also found out that the replacement radio is the same model and brand as my existing radio. I had some concerns that this may happen again. Brian told me that the issue has been brought up to their vendor, Alpine. Alpine has made changes to this model of CD/Radio to address this issue. The replacement radio is a rev-up. Hopefully we will not be experiencing this issue in the near future.

I have to give a lot of credit to Honda for addressing my problem at no cost to me. They people I spoke with at Honda USA were all very polite and easy to deal with.

I think the issues with posting a recall is something no car manufacturer wants to do as they leave a negative mark on the quality of their product. I really think this is the main reason they have not done a recall. The radio is not made by Honda but even so the negative publicity would harm them the same. At least we are getting the issue resolved.

Good Luck to all with the same problem.

Thanks to many of you. As many of you suggested, I called American Honda and now they are replacing my radio for Free of Charge. The dealer tried to charge me $139 for diagnostics. I told them I had called American Honda and wanted to talk to service manager. After that everything went smoothly.

Again, thank you all.

The dealer tried to charge me $139 for diagnostics.

What?! Are they using PhD rocket scientists to diagnose your (well known and documented) radio problem?

Good thing he backed off on that one, sheesh!:eek:

I'm in a 2003 Accord Coupe with the same problem. Lights just went out one day at 39K. Of course, I was just out of warranty. Going to try the customer service route and expect they pay for the problem. I work for a TV station and will be willing to play that card if I have to! If they say "no", maybe a story on this problem would change the tune!

I own a Honda Accord 2003 EX V6, I was very happy with it until I found out there is this problem with the radio lightning pad, I called American Honda and they told me my guarantee has expired and there was nothing they could do. It is very upsetting that Honda will do this to their customers. I suggest writing a letter and sign by all affected, any comments?

I'm in a 2003 Accord Coupe with the same problem. Lights just went out one day at 39K. Of course, I was just out of warranty. Going to try the customer service route and expect they pay for the problem. I work for a TV station and will be willing to play that card if I have to! If they say "no", maybe a story on this problem would change the tune!

I'm in , let me know how I can help.

Yup, I have same problem, anyway, I reside in Canada, and freaking honda canada do not and will not take the responsibilities of fixing this mess.

Is there anybody here that got there car fixed for free in CANADA? Please let me know how.


Also To those people who managed to fix it themselves, would you please be specific on how to go about fixing itt? As I read, I don't get the "solder a wire" part as to where to solder the wire to? And what kind of wire?

Thanks.

Hi everyone. I took my 2003 Accord EX V6 to the dealership this morning with the same problem. I'm very surprised it's a common problem, as the dealership told me "he has only seen this problem once". He estimated that the cost to fix is $900 and he showed me the bill from the other customer with the same problem - $900 + tax. He even showed me a diagram with the entire Radio unit / LCD and told me blah blah blah have to change this and that.

Thanks for all your advice and I will call Honda Canada now and see what they can do about it. I'm from Markham, Ontario. I'll keep you updated.


Stella

My 2003 Honda Accord EX has a problem with the backlighting on the radio and the ac controls. All the lights have gone out, but everything else on it seems to work still. I have looked for a blown fuse but could not find one. Any suggestions?
I just got same problem on my '04 accord ex. At 24,000 miles. Will take to dealer along with printouts of these posts and see what happens. It's a lease, so maybe they'll cover.

Where do you live and who is your dealer??

ANY TAKERS ON A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST HONDA OF AMERICA? I suppose that I am now, once again, in the "Accords Are Junk" club. A bit of background... I am now on my 5th Honda (4th Accord). Each time I swore that I WOULD NOT buy another Honda, each time I did with the hope that their quality had improved (I also took for granted that Consumer Reports knew what they were talking about!). I have (as evident by my name) a 2004 Honda Accord EX V6 2dr. I purchased it used with 43K on 12/29/05 (traded in by a preacher/teacher - I assumed it was well cared for!). About 20 days ago, the now infamous radio/dash lighting demon struck. I took it to my local Honda dealer (on US Route 60 in Huntington, WV - you know who you are!). I had purchased 4 of the last Hondas I owned from here (but not this one). Since it was bought at Ford dealer and not at their place, I was automatically treated like the bastard child at a family reunion. I informed the service advisor that I had an extended warranty (NAC) and that they paid claims "over the phone with a credit card". Reluctantly, she accepted the warranty, removed my radio to be "sent off" to New Jersey to be fixed. (( She also told me that Honda of America WOULD NOT replace the unit with a new or remanufactured radio unless the car was still under factory warranty - that they could only send my existing one off for repair... and that this problem was VERY common!)). After getting the radio back (10 days later) it was reinstalled. The backlighting for the dash was STILL not working. Of course, the service department neglected to check to make sure it was. I discovered it, thankfully, before I left the lot. The writer contacted the "radio repairer" in NJ; he supposedly forgot to check "another transistor" that "may have failed". So, again, I was without a radio for 5 more days. Today, I took the car back and had the radio put back in. YIPPEEEEE! Music and dash lights!! (I did have to pay my deductible;the service advisor informed me that her dealership WOULD NOT accept my warranty as NAC would only pay 10% of their markup for repair - the dealership charges 42% markup (BOOFLIPPINHOO! )) (She even wanted me to pay the 2nd freight charge for having the radio shipped - NOT!). So, I went out this evening, started my car, turned the lights on and guess what! NO DASH LIGHTING AROUND THE RADIO - AGAIN! I am of the mind set at this point, if the dealership will not REPLACE the unit, of getting an attorney and suing Honda of North America. I will be contacting the Better Business Bureau in my state, maybe even the attorney general of WV. I really am not in an equity position to trade the car right now so I am stuck with it. ANY TAKERS ON A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST HONDA?! My email is [email protected]. Let me know!

I too have this problem and have found this site invaluable in trying to work with Honda to resolve it. I keep geeting conflicting information from them however and am constantly reminded that I am the second owner and that the vech. Is out of warranty. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, file a complaint with the National Hiway Traffic Safety administration: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

They are the ones who issue recalls and it is my feeling that this issue warrents one. I almost hit a curb when trying to read the clock.

Pressing and holding the CD/AUX switch (on the 6-CD changer) for 10 seconds makes my LCD lights go out. Pressing and holding the CD/AUX switch for 10 more seconds makes them come back on. Does that work for your lighting problem?

Same here... having a 2003 accord coupe with backlight problem at the radio panel.

Check with 2 dealers:
One said it can cost $800 to replace a new radio set
Another said it would cost $300 labour to fix the radio panel

My 2003 Accord EX with 63000 miles had the same problem. Backlights went out a few months ago but the radio still worked. I pulled the fuses to see if one was blown and when I put them back in nothing worked. I called America Honda and told them I expected my radio to be fixed and that I knew this was an on going problem. The first guy I spoke to was an ***. I was contacted by someone else a couple days later and he requested that I take it to a dealer to get looked at. I call Bankston Honda in Lewisville, TX and spoke with a guy name Chuck. I explained that I had been in contact with America Honda and was aware of the problem with the 03 Accord but they wanted them to look at it. Long story short they ordered me a rebuilt radio and installed it at no cost to me. I am pleased with the out come and very pleased with the service I got from Bankston. I am not sure if I will buy another Honda but if I do it will be from Bankston.

Follow-up from Laserwiz regarding backlight issue: Honda still tried to give me the run around but Honda of Stevens Creek took care of me in spite of Honda's parts / labor split offer. Good for them. In any case, this issue has left a bad taste in my mouth re: honda. I think I'll be sticking with Toyota!

I have this problem also, only now my radio will not work AT ALL - has anyone else had the radio quit working ? Also the lights on my seat heater button on the passenger side won't work...

If you need help whit the lights on your radio (Honda Accord) go here
www.stereofixer.com

Ihad the same problem whit my radio and this people help me
www.stereofixer.com

Hi all. Thanks for this wonderful message board. My lights went out a few weeks ago. I tried the fuses but then went to the dealership- who acted as if they never heard of the problem before. Landmark Honda in Alexandria VA. They supposedly looked at my car, but to be honest I thought it was a bit fishy that they didn't charge me for the diagnosis. They told me to replace the unit is would be more than $700 but I could call a local audio repairman and get a better deal. I was in Pittsburgh (where I bought the car) and speaking to someone I referred a honda too (now I feel like a jerk). I mentioned my lights issue and she said, "you too?" I called the other repairman today and he said its $320+ to fix it. Then I hit the net (because he gave me the impression he's heard of this issue before) and found all of you!! Sign me up! I'll join in a letter writing campaign, go to TV, whatever! Darn them. Its despicable that any of us had to go through this- they should have fested up to this after the first 100 defective units. I'll call honda too- but I'm so disgusted that they tried to sweep this issue under the rug when I went in for an appointment. They would have been more than satisfied for me to pay +$300 to have it repaired when this is really THEIR issue. My email is [email protected] (And, I'm forwarding this to my friend who is having the same problem- she's under warranty- I'm not.)

Check this link, here is the picture of the radio we are talking about
http://www.stereofixer.com/radios010.html

Update: American Honda opened a case for me. I received a voice message this AM saying they'd pay for the part but I'd be responsible for the labor. Still an unfair deal if you ask me. Not buying another honday. And, given this is a lease, they'll get it back next year and I'll buy something else.

Lisa

I'm in. Contact me [email protected] I'm in DC.

What happened when you called Honda? They offered me a split deal- which is still rotten. They made the point of saying, "the radio was made by alpine". I told them I bought a Honda for the reputation, and could care less who made the radio- that should be their product backed by them. They can go after Alpine.
[email protected]

I'm in a 2003 Accord Coupe with the same problem. Lights just went out one day at 39K. Of course, I was just out of warranty. Going to try the customer service route and expect they pay for the problem. I work for a TV station and will be willing to play that card if I have to! If they say "no", maybe a story on this problem would change the tune!


What happened with your case? Let's take it to TV!

[email protected]

ANY TAKERS ON A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST HONDA OF AMERICA? I suppose that I am now, once again, in the "Accords Are Junk" club. A bit of background...I am now on my 5th Honda (4th Accord). Each time I swore that I WOULD NOT buy another Honda, each time I did with the hope that their quality had improved (I also took for granted that Consumer Reports knew what they were talking about!). I have (as evident by my name) a 2004 Honda Accord EX V6 2dr. I purchased it used with 43K on 12/29/05 (traded in by a preacher/teacher - I assumed it was well cared for!). About 20 days ago, the now infamous radio/dash lighting demon struck. I took it to my local Honda dealer (on US Route 60 in Huntington, WV - you know who you are!). I had purchased 4 of the last Hondas I owned from here (but not this one). Since it was bought at Ford dealer and not at their place, I was automatically treated like the bastard child at a family reunion. I informed the service advisor that I had an extended warranty (NAC) and that they paid claims "over the phone with a credit card". Reluctantly, she accepted the warranty, removed my radio to be "sent off" to New Jersey to be fixed. (( She also told me that Honda of America WOULD NOT replace the unit with a new or remanufactured radio unless the car was still under factory warranty - that they could only send my existing one off for repair...and that this problem was VERY common!)). After getting the radio back (10 days later) it was reinstalled. The backlighting for the dash was STILL not working. Of course, the service department neglected to check to make sure it was. I discovered it, thankfully, before I left the lot. The writer contacted the "radio repairer" in NJ; he supposedly forgot to check "another transistor" that "may have failed". So, again, I was without a radio for 5 more days. Today, I took the car back and had the radio put back in. YIPPEEEEE!! Music and dash lights!!!! (I did have to pay my deductible;the service advisor informed me that her dealership WOULD NOT accept my warranty as NAC would only pay 10% of their markup for repair - the dealership charges 42% markup (BOOFLIPPINHOO!!)) (She even wanted me to pay the 2nd freight charge for having the radio shipped - NOT!). So, I went out this evening, started my car, turned the lights on and guess what! NO DASH LIGHTING AROUND THE RADIO - AGAIN! I am of the mind set at this point, if the dealership will not REPLACE the unit, of getting an attorney and suing Honda of North America. I will be contacting the Better Business Bureau in my state, maybe even the attorney general of WV. I really am not in an equity position to trade the car right now so I am stuck with it. ANY TAKERS ON A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST HONDA???!!!! My email is [email protected]. Lemme know!

I'm in. Email me [email protected] - Lisa

Oh, and another point. No one at American Honda or the local dealership knows how many cars need to be effected before ordering a PRODUCT UPDATE- which is a "recall" but on issues other than safety. Clearly, this issue is a candidate for that. But, no one wants to share the details on how to get that ball rolling. I'll try consumer reports, consumer affairs, BBB, and my state government. I'll be glad to hand them their car next year when my lease is up. Then, head to the Toyota dealership.
Lisa [email protected]

With all your suggestions and information about my backlighting on my honda, I just called American Honda and have a case # opened up... will let you know the results! Thanks for all your suggestions, this was my first time on this site and it seems to have solved my first problem... thanks soooo much:p

with all your suggestions and information about my backlighting on my honda, I just called American Honda and have a case # opened up....will let you know the results!! Thanks for all your suggestions, this was my first time on this site and it seems to have solved my first problem... thanks soooo much:p


I just got my call returned from American Honda (2nd call) with Ms. Sullivan 1-800-999-1009. She refused to budge on paying for the labor saying:

1. Honda is already offering a "good will gesture" by paying for the (defective) radio
2. They make decisions on a "case by case" basis so its okay that there is inconsistency across the country.

I pushed her on what factors make their decisions and she said (a) age (b) mileage and (c) problem. Given that all of us have the same three factors with (b) being the only variant, I find it really hard to swallow the disparity of our interactions with Honda.

3. She said that a PRODUCT UPDATE would not replace the radio it would only update software.

So, you can't have a recall because it isn't safety related. You can't have a product update because that would just "update" not "replace" the faulty radio. Nice.

I'm stepping up if there is a class action lawsuit or complaint being filed. Let me know. I'll be pursuing my own avenues as well.

Good luck. [email protected]

My Honda is out of warranty and I called the 1-800 number yesterday. I referenced the service bulletin 04-027 and told them that I had the same problem. I was told to take my car to the dealership and that they would follow up with me in 24-48 hours. I took the car to the dealership and they are replacing my radio today. No questions asked!

Apparently, there was an update to the above referenced service bulletin in January of 2006 (06-001) and the dealership can now replace the defective radios whether they are in warranty.

The original service bulletin can be obtained at the following link:

http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=673

I know that many of you are having trouble but I think you can avoid a lot of grief by referencing the service bulletin.

I hope this helps!

Same problem with the 6-disc CD changer in my 03 Accord. Past warranty , of course. Searched on the web and had trouble but got some great advice. Call Honda USA and explain the problem. They will give you a case # and tell you to go to your local dealer. (I bought mine used from the dodge dealer locally so I just knew this was not good news for me). When I called they told me to come in and I'd have to pay a diagnostic fee and that Honda would pick up the radio---new one is $800. When I went in all they did was take down some numbers and they would call me when the radio came in. They not only didn't charge me any fees, they installed the brand new replacement radio at no charge to me... nothing... nada. I was shocked. When I asked they said Honda won't recall the radios because it is not a safety problem. Enough people have complained about it now that Honda is replacing them for free. The people that had this problem in the past had to pay out of pocket until it became a big enough problem that Honda stepped up. Good Luck---it worked great for me.:)

After filing with the BBB and calling back to the local dealership, in Alexandria VA, I finally got the radio replaced for free. Initially, Honda America would pay for the part but still insisted that I pay for the labor. Then, the service manager at the local dealership called me back and told me he'd throw in the labor too.

I feel for the people that had to pay out of pocket for this. If I were you, I'd document it all and request reimbursement based on all of this new information.

Lisa in Alexandria VA




Same probelm with the 6-disc CD changer in my 03 Accord. Past warranty , of course. Searched on the web and had trouble but got some great advice. Call Honda USA and explain the problem. They will give you a case # and tell you to go to your local dealer. (I bought mine used from the dodge dealer locally so I just knew this was not good news for me). When I called they told me to come in and I'd have to pay a diagnostic fee and that Honda would pick up the radio---new one is $800. When I went in all they did was take down some numbers and they would call me when the radio came in. They not only didn't charge me any fees, they installed the brand new replacement radio at no charge to me....nothing...nada. i was shocked. When I asked they said Honda won't recall the radios because it is not a safety problem. Enough people have complained about it now that Honda is replacing them for free. The people that had this problem in the past had to pay out of pocket until it became a big enough problem that Honda stepped up. Good Luck---it worked great for me.:)

My 2003 Accord had the same defect. (The stereo/AC console display was very dim). My dad followed the instructions below and he got it to work! Thank you for the detailed instructions. Taking the console apart at the beginning was tricky. Here are detailed instructions with photos about how to remove the stereo:

iAudiophile.NET: Article / iAudio your Honda Accord 2003 (http://www.iaudiophile.net/content.php?article.35)

One thing we noticed that was different that was the top center console piece (where the AC vents are) needed to be moved outwards (towards the back of the card) before lifting upwards.

Also, YOU NEED YOUR STEREO CODE! When you reconnect your stereo it will display "code" when you try to turn on the radio. It's a 5 digit number. If you don't have it, you can get it from a dealership if you provide the serial number from the back of the stereo. We lucked out and found it written in pen inside the owners manual. I have heard of this before- so check the front/back of the manual and also sections concering the auto theft system or the stereo.

Thanks again everyone for sharing the information!



Hi! Congratulations to everyone who can have Honda exchange the radio for you!!! I'm basically posting this for people who are do-it-yourselfers, and who know a bit of electronics. The part that goes bad in the radio which powers the lamps and backlight is a resistor. Yep, it only costs about a dollar! It's a special resistor though, not like the rest on the board. If you can fix things, here is what you do. Take the radio out - this is truly the hard part! Open the bottom by first taking off the heatsink and some screws. Pry the bottom off carefully and remove the circuit board. Unplug the ribbon cable and look at the Parts side of the board. Located very near the heatsink is a resistor labeled something like R727 (sorry not exact) You can't miss it... it is black and located between two other parts that appear similar. I wish I had photos! Anyway, if you'd like, measure the part. It should read virtually a short 0.1 ohms or zero ohms. The problem is that it doesn't, and that is why your radio lights don't come on. It gets very hot, and after some time burns open to Megaohms. Solder a piece of wire (jumper) over it, and the lights should work again. I believe the two parts that surround this resistor are both diodes, but I can't remember exactly. Anyway, it is RIGHT next to the metal that holds the transistors and audio chip to the heatsink. I don't think I am stiring anyone wrong here! This is a very small part though, so be carefull not to hurt the circuit board while soldering. If you are capable of this type of work, then you know how to use an ohm meter to read the part. It should read a short if good!

We have a 2003 Accord Coupe EXL. Have had many problems, rattling bolts inside the doors, sunroof switch came unplugged, brake rotors warped within 5000 miles, etc. Most during the warranty period, some not. I replaced one of the O2 sensors last month. The black vinyl coating on the window trim is starting to peel, again. Of course our radio backlight went out as well.

After seeing all the people who have posted on this site as well as others, I called Honda to see if I could get it covered even though my warranty is expired. I talked to Javier, who said no "campaigns” or “updates” were outstanding for my car. I asked him to check service bulletin 04-027 and he first said that it didn’t apply to my model, so I read to him from the bulletin. He then replied that my warranty was up and gave me a song and dance about how service bulletins were just for the dealers to help in identifying problems. I told him of the many people who where having success in getting Honda to replace the defective radio and he said it was a dealer thing. I finally said the magic words“Goodwill consideration” and he gave me a claim number and said someone would call me back later.

Caroline called me back two days later about my “light dimmer” and basically said the car was out of warranty and there was nothing Honda could do for me. After explaining that the problem was not a light dimmer, I told her about service bulletin 04-027 and she repeated that it was just a tool for dealers. After much going round and round she finally asked who did my service. When I replied that I did, she said that part of what they look at on goodwill claims was how loyal the customer was to the dealer. I asked her why the owners manual even explained how to change the oil. Finally, she said I would have to take the car to the dealer for “diagnostics”, which I would pay for. She said this must occur before Honda would consider any goodwill towards “part of the replacement cost.”

After much thought, I decided to repair the radio myself, and never darken the door of a Honda dealership again. Repair was quite easy, and took less time then my conversations with Javier and Caroline. Thanks to mystified88 for your post on the faulty part, and to all the other people who took the time to post on this problem.

I'm from Toronto Canada, and my 2003 Accord is having the same problem as everyone posted here, and I'm so glad that I found this forum!

So I did the same thing as others suggested here, contacted my service dealer, and shown them bulletin 04-027. They told me nothing in Canada about this, and Honda Canada never issued such bulletin. I would have to pay $275 to send the radio out for repair, and then $98 for labour in order to get this problem solved.

So I contacted Honda Canada directly, told them the exact problem, and asked if such bulletin was issued for Canada. The gentleman replied yes so I asked further about the "goodwill consideration" as I'm at 38 months, 73K now so my basic warranty expired already but I bought the extended warranty but just that it's not covering the radio.

He asked me how much off I am from the warranty, so I told him. Then he asked me for my VIN#, dealer etc. and then placed me on hold for 20 minutes. Got back to me, and told me he got to dig deeper and would cotact me back. That's from yesterday...

An hour ago got email from the General Service Manager of my service dealer (as I was talking to him about my case), and he said Honda Canada approved my radio replacement, but I've to pay for the labour of $98. So I've scheduled an appointment to get this done tomorrow. The end.

So for Canadian viewers in this forum, I've a success! If you've the same problem as me, go contact Honda Canada directly, and forget about talking to the dealers if you've no more warranty. Good luck!

Looks like I've found the forum I need. 2 weeks ago at 59,000mi. I lost the illumination in my radio display. Checked fuses, no problem. On 5/17, I took it to my dealer who charged me $40. To confirm the light is out (duh). Quoted $700 to replace or send to factory for $275. Minimum. Found this forum last night which gave me info and ammo to call Honda America. Very accommodating (I have a feeling they have heard about this problem over and over). Gave me a case number and said I would get a call in 2 business days. We'll see. They mentioned 100% coverage and "good will consideration". I think this has all the earmarks of a quiet recall. Will post future results. In some way I think Honda really has a beef with their radio supplier, but they are hearing the customer's wrath.

On May 22, 2006 I called Bankston Honda in Lewisville, TX and told them I had the dim radio problem, and if they could order the part ahead of time (as per the bulletin). The service advisor told me NO, I would have to leave my car there for 2-3 days while the part was then ordered, delivered, and installed.

They don't provide loan cars, and when I said "well thats inconvenient" he agreed but said they have too many radios on the shelf from preorders that never got fulfilled. Unforuntely one of the radios on the shelf wasn't for my car!

So I called America Honda and spoke with Bruce who was helpful in getting all my information and a case number. I reported the dealership and he said someone would follow up in 2 days.

I have the same problem. It happened about 3 years ago, Spring 2003 - 6 months after I bought the car (2003 Honda Accord). I was just a few hundred miles past 36,000 miles/just right over my warranty (how convenient). My dealership would not cover it and told me I would have to come in for a diagnosis. They were going to charge me for an estimate. I was tired of my dealership making money off me, so at the time, I decided not to pursue it any further.

I tried taking the advice that you guys wrote and called American Honda, and the customer service rep said she's never heard of the problem and there's nothing she can do. When I politely said that it is a shame the Honda doesn't care about their customers and it's poor marketing to allow hundreds of customers be unhappy with their vehicle and risk non-repeat buyers, she didn't care and sarcastically thanked me for calling and hung up on me. I have just decided that I will suffer without a backlight and never ever buy a Honda again. I refuse to ever let me children or any other members of my family buy one.

I would also gladly sign a petition write a letter, anything that might help our cause. I didn't realize there were so many others with the same problem. I am in the process of talking with a friend to hire a lawyer.

djun,

I can relate with your desire to keep family members from buying Honda. My sister has an 8 year old Accord she bought used. She just graduated college and got a real job, and this weekend told me she had test drove a new Honda. I explained about my radio problem and the help (or lack thereof) I received from Honda and showed her these boards and others.

She's test driving a Camry tonight!

If you or anyone you know is handy with a soldering iron in tight spaces, you can repair the radio yourself. Lots of help here and on other boards. If only Honda was as helpful. Must depend on who you talk to, or "How many Hondas do you own?".

Now, my brother-in-law is looking at a new Honda mower... I'll see what I can do to change that, too.

I think I got in just under the wire regarding the warranty. The dealer replaced the radio at no charge. No problems with radio since. However, now my keyless entry and automatic door locks are not working. Anybody know something about this? Not too happy about all these problems with a 3 year old car.

I have a 2003 Honda Accord EX, that had the radio, and console lights go out last week. After reading all the articles about it online, and talking with the Honda dealership, I also found out that Honda has a tech doc regarding this. The lights in my Accord went out at 59,000 miles. I have a platinum service contract with the dealership, with a $100 deductable. I called Honda America after finding it was covered by my service contract. Honda America told me that this was reviewed on a case by case basis. A day or so later, Honda America called me, and informed me that they would cover my deductable. I doesn't hurt to call them, they may replace the part for free.

I wrote a while back about my ongoing battle to get my radio replaced by Honda America. I changed my radio in October after I was advised by a Honda dealership that I had the options of paying over $500 for a new OEM radio or settled for something cheaper. I chose the latter and forgot about keeping the old radio. Now I'm frustrated and very close to trade-in my car. Honda America won't consider my case unless I have the actual radio. Can someone advice me on what to do??

Update to my case. AmericanHonda took good care of me. I went to a different dealership (McDavid Honda in Irving, TX) and they did the quick verify that it was indeed this problem. They didn't have to keep the car like the other dealership claimed. A week later (my preferred scheduling) I was back in the dealership and in less than an hour had my new radio at no cost to me. AmericanHonda even called me the following Monday to make sure all was working well. Even got free car washes each time I took the car in :)

Thanks American Honda!

Hi: I am a new member of the NO-BACKLIGHT-CLUB, my 2003 V6 has only 15k and the backlight went out this morn. So I'll follow the many advise I've seen so far and take it in on Monday for verification and then call Honda and see what happens. I'm the 2nd owner and it's out of warranty so lets see if they try to BS me. I also owned a 2004 and had the same problem--I must love the punishment--thank God I didn't have it for very long.

It's me again from above

So I decided to call Honda first before taking the car in for diagnosis and it was an excellent idea and you'll see why from the following.

I told the person that it's a known problem, so she looked it up and verified that indeed that is the case. She then said I have to take it in for diagnosis/verification and once that's done the regional Honda Manager will look into the case to come up with a verdict. It sounds kind of scary as if there was a possibility that they will not cover it, but for some reason I felt at ease especially seeing many people here have had everything covered by Honda. Also it seems the more widespread the problem becomes the more accommodating Honda gets. So anyway I told her what I Dealer I would take it to and she said someone should contact me within a day or 2 once the problem is verified.

Not wanting to waste anytime I went to the dealer couple hours after the conversation ended. When I got there I explained that it's a known problem and that Honda just wants you guys to verify it and I'll be all set. They seemed to be at ease with verifying it EXCEPT that they wanted me to PAY for the diagnosis. So I argued with them for a few minutes as to why I can not afford to pay diagnostic fees for something that is Honda's responsibility because it's a known problem and there's even a tech-bulletin on the matter. Fortunately at some point in our debate we both decided that maybe we should consult with someone higher up in the chain. So he went out of site and then came back asking for my name and disappeared again. He then came back and said that EVERYTHING was ALL taken care of. Honda had called the local dealership and told them that they have ordered a new stereo and will cover ALL replacement charges and all I have to do is just schedule an appointment. So I did -- scheduled an appointment -- and off I went. Then when I got back to my office I saw there was a voice message from Honda, the person basically said we Honda have decided to FULLY cover everything, the stereo has been ordered and the dealer should be calling you to set up an appointment for the replacement.

The appointment is set for next Tuesday and even though everything looks fine, I'm still keeping myself open for some unforseen problem or clause that was initially overlooked. So God willing I'll update this post after Tuesday and let you guys know how it went. In the meantime keep the following points in mind:

1. Call Honda 1st before going to the dealer. 800-999-1009
2. ALWAYS let them know that it's a known problem and there's a bulletin out on the matter
3. Make a little stink about diagnostic fees even if you don't succeed its worth the try, however, if you're not successful I believe Honda will reimburse you.
4. You may even want to wait for Honda to get back to you with their verdict before going into the dealer, as you can see in my case they didn't even required any diagnosis after all was said and done.

OK so I'll let you guys know what happens after next Tuesday.

Good news. Happy ending. As a follow-up to my post of 5/18/06, I'm happy to report that Honda America took care of everything. Full replacement of the radio done yesterday at no charge. All it took was patience and persistence. Call backs take a while, but they do call back. Initial call to a full and satisfactory resolution took one month. It helps to be calm, remind them that you are a long standing Honda customer (I buy new every 24-30 months) and keep a record of your calls. The Honda rep was very courteous and efficient. Needless to say, I for one, am a satisfied customer.

Hey I just called honda 1800-999-1009 and they told me there's a recall on the door lock which is causing your problem so just call the dealership and tell them too call for a recall and give them your vin... it will show up

I Am A Car Stereo Teck With 20= Years Of Experience. There Is A Internal Fuse In This Radio Part That Causes The Lights To Go Out On The Units With The 6 Disc Changers. It Is Labeled F1 On The Circuit Board. (hard To Find But Near The Large Heat Sink On The Side Of Unit)
Hope This Helps

Ok it is me again from 4 posts above, this is my final update. I missed my Tuesday appointment with Honda and just showed up yesterday (Wed) and they somewhat reluctantly said that they will take care of the car without an appointment but I'll have to leave it for the day. So I did and they shuttled me back to work. Around 3PM I received a call informing me that the car is ready and to schedule a pickup time for the shuttle, however, I opted to have my mom drop me there. I got there and went to the service advisor for my keys and asked him if he transferred the CDs that were in the old system to the new one, which he affirmed. I then went to where my car was parked an noticed that Honda had given it a complimentary wash sparkling clean. Went inside the car, turned on the ignition and notice there was "light". There were minor scuffs on the unit from installation but that's OK, also he messed up the order of the CDs that I had in the player. They weren't music, rather lectures and proper order was important, but this too was a minor issue. In reality I'm thankful to God that everything went so smoothly and I also commend Honda on their fast and appropriate handling of the situation. I hope you guys have similar success, peace-out!!

Here is the actual service bulletin:
1
Service Bulletin
2004 American Honda Motor Co. Inc. – All Rights Reserved
ATB 27062-27387 (0407)

1 of 2
CUSTOMER INFORMATION:
The information in this bulletin is intended for use only by skilled technicians who have the proper tools, equipment,
And training to correctly and safely maintain your vehicle. These procedures should not be attempted by “do-it-yourselfers,” and you should not assume this bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle has the condition described. To determine whether this information applies, contact an authorized Honda automobile dealer.


July 9, 2004
04-027

Applies To:
See VEHICLES AFFECTED

Audio-HVAC Display Module Is Dim or Dark
(Supersedes 04-027, dated June 15, 2004)

SYMPTOM
The audio display and controls (knobs, buttons, bars)
Of the audio-HVAC display module are dim or are dark.

PROBABLE CAUSE
Faulty audio unit.

VEHICLES AFFECTED
NOTE: Affected vehicles do not have the navigation
System.

2003 Accord (except DX models and LX L4
Models): ALL
2004 Accord EX and EX-L 2-door L4:
From VIN 1HGCM7... 4A000001 through
1HGCM7... 4A015326
2004 Accord EX and LX 2-door V6:
From VIN 1HGCM8... 4A000001 through
1HGCM8... 4A014719
2004 Accord EX and EX-L 4-door L4:
From VIN 1HGCM5... 4A000001 through
1HGCM5... 4A079049
From VIN JHMCM5... 4C000001 through
JHMCM5... 4C032880
2004 Accord EX and LX 4-door V6:
From VIN 1HGCM6... 4A000001 through
1HGCM6... 4A057650

CORRECTIVE ACTION
Replace the audio unit. Refer to S/B 98-019, Audio Unit
In-Warranty Exchange/Out-of-Warranty Repair.
If a customer calls ahead to schedule an appointment,
And the vehicle is in the affected VIN range, order the
Remanufactured audio unit right away so it is available
When the customer comes in.

PARTS INFORMATION
Order the appropriate remanufactured audio unit.
NOTE: The audio unit is listed as a Tuner Assembly in
The Interactive Network (iN) Parts Catalog. This unit is
Both a tuner and a 6-disc CD changer.

2003 Accord
EX and EX-L 2-door L4:
P/N 39175-SDN-A11RM, H/C 7422066
EX 2-door V6 with A/T:
P/N 39175-SDN-A11RM, H/C 7422066
EX 2-door V6 with M/T:
P/N 39175-SDN-A61RM, H/C 7422132
EX and EX-L 4-door L4:
P/N 39175-SDA-A11RM, H/C 7256266
EX and LX 4-door V6:
P/N 39175-SDA-A11RM, H/C 7256266
LX 2-door V6:
P/N 39175-SDN-A11RM, H/C 7422066
2004 Accord
EX 2-door L4:
P/N 39175-SDN-A11RM, H/C 7422066
EX-L 2-door L4:
P/N 39175-SDN-L11RM, H/C 7656200
EX 2-door V6 with A/T:
P/N 39175-SDN-L11RM, H/C 7656200
EX 2-door V6 with M/T:
P/N 39175-SDN-L61RM, H/C 7654890
EX 4-door L4:
P/N 39175-SDA-A11RM, H/C 7256266
EX-L 4-door L4:
P/N 39175-SDA-L11RM, H/C 7654643
EX 4-door V6:
P/N 39175-SDA-L11RM, H/C 7654643
LX 2-door V6:
P/N 39175-SDN-A11RM, H/C 7422066
LX 4-door V6:
P/N 39175-SDA-A11RM, H/C 7256266
________________________________________
Page 2
2 of 2
04-027

WARRANTY CLAIM INFORMATION
In warranty: The normal warranty applies.
Operation Number: 010149
Flat Rate Time:
0.5 hour
Failed Part:
Use the RM part number (from the
Repair order) without the RM.
Example: 39175-SDN-A11
Defect Code:
03214
Symptom Code:
03272
Skill Level:
Repair Technician

Out of warranty: Any repair performed after warranty
Expiration may be eligible for goodwill consideration by
The District Parts and Service Manager or your Zone
Office. You must request consideration, and get a
Decision, before starting work.

REPAIR PROCEDURE
1. Go to S/B 98-019, Audio Unit In-Warranty
Exchange/Out-of-Warranty Repair, for guidance on
How to get the remanufactured audio unit.
2. If you can read the audio display, write down your
Customer's radio station presets.
3. Remove the audio-HVAC display module (see page
22-289 of the 2003–04 Accord Service Manual). (In
ISIS, use the keyword DIS MOD, and select Audio-
HVAC Display Module Removal/Installation from
The list.)
4. Remove the faulty audio unit from the audio-HVAC
Display module (see page 22-290). (In ISIS, use the
Keyword DIS PAN, and select Audio-HVAC
Display Panel Removal/Installation from the list.)
5. Transfer the left and right brackets from the faulty
Audio unit to the remanufactured audio unit. If the
Remanufactured unit has a shipping cover and
Shipping screws, make sure you transfer them to
The faulty unit being returned.
6. Install the remanufactured audio unit in the audio-
HVAC display module. Then reinstall the audio-
HVAC display module.
7. Enter the anti-theft code for the new audio unit.
Enter your customer's radio station presets if you
Recorded them in step 2.
8. Make sure all of the functions of the audio unit and
HVAC work properly.
9. Replace the sticker on your customer's anti-theft
Radio identification card with one of the new stickers
That show the anti-theft code. Apply the other
Sticker that shows the anti-theft code onto the
Vehicle history file copy of the repair order.
10. Remove all old serial number stickers from the side
Of the glove box or inside the center console. Then
Apply the new sticker that shows only the serial
Number to the side of the glove box.
11. Return the faulty audio unit to the parts
Department. Refer to S/B 98-019 for parts return
Instructions.

Thank you everyone for posting to this thread! I found it very helpful and therefore wanted to be sure I replied as well to inform everyone of my experience with my 2003 Accord with 45,025 miles.

On the day I first noticed the backlight on my radio not working, I Googled “Accord radio light” and this was the first thread that appeared. After reading several of the responses, I called American Honda (800.999.1009) and told them of the problem, of the many email threads on the internet discussing the known problem and the service bulletin. The person taking the call immediately acknowledged the problem and said he would assign a case number and a representative would be calling me within 48 hours. In passing, I said Honda must be very unhappy with the manufacturer of the radio. He replied that “Alpine” ends up paying for it. (Not sure if this was based on fact or just his opinion.)

The case manager called on the second day and asked if I had it diagnosed. I said not because it just happened and that I had immediately searched the internet and found numerous threads about this known problem and I did not want to pay for a diagnosis that is so obvious. She said that I would still need to have it diagnosed, and it can be done by just asking the service manager to look at the display. She also said to let her know the day I was going to bring it in so she could talk to the service manager. I called the dealership and after a brief discussion about the diagnosis fee, they said I could bring it in and the service manager would look at it without a fee. I brought it in that afternoon, the service manager looked at it for 5 seconds and agreed it was the problem in the service bulletin. He then called American Honda, spoke to my case manager and the approval was given to replace it for FREE as a Good Will replacement.

On a different problem, but similar situation/outcome. When I had 41,000 miles (just 5,000 miles and 2 months out of warrantee) my transmission started failing. Again I Googled and found that Honda and Acura were having problems with their transmissions slipping. I told the case manager at that time about it being just out of warranty and the fact our family had purchased 7 New Honda's since 1985. I'm not sure if that fact did it or the fact it was just out of warranty, but the Good Willed the replacement for FREE after a diagnosis by the dealership and also covered the diagnosis fee as well. This had made me extremely happy since I was told by the service manager it would cost me approximately $5,000 to replace by the dealership and would come with a 3-year warranty. I assume it would have been significantly cheaper at a transmission shop and perhaps a 6-month or 1-year warranty, but it got resolved before I had a chance to look into that route.

Bottom line, I am still a vary happy Honda owner! They standby their product!

Thanks everyone for participating in this thread!

I called American Honda and was immediately assigned a case number. Took the car to the dealer and wasn't even charged for the diagnosis (Beaverton Honda). Got a green light from AH the next day. Apparently, everything will be covered. Will let you know in a week when the radio is in.

Thanks for all the great info from everyone,

I had the dark display on a 2003 2-Dr EX

I called Honda, they gave me a hard time about getting it covered (not under warranty). Would'nt even give a case number.

I followed the instructions on fixing it myself someone posted above. I took lots of pictures, I will probably put a website together that details what I did to fix it.

Basically I replaced resistor R797 with a bridge of solder, and all is well again. Cost me $20 (Cheap solder tool at walmart) and 2 hours, saved the hassle of the dealing with the dealer and honda.

I will never buy annother vehicle with radio and climate control built into the same unit... normally I would have just purchased an aftermarket radio.

Hello, I have 96 Civic coupe EX and Im having the same problem as the 03' honda accords, radio controls, center console and dashboard light go out when I turn on my headlights. Has anyone heard civics having this issue?

My 2003 Honda Accord EX has a problem with the backlighting on the radio and the ac controls. All the lights have gone out, but everything else on it seems to work still. I have looked for a blown fuse but could not find one. Any suggestions?
There is a transistor burnt out. It will cost 300.00 to fix at the dealer or 1.50 to buy the transistor and do it yourself. Total time hour.

Thanks for advice. Unfortunatelly I am in Canada and have to deal with Honda Canada. They were not satisfied with diagnostic that my dealership did (probably because they did it for free and visualy) and to open the case they require me to do full diagnostic ($95 + tax) and after that they would consider doing something for me.

I am not sure what they do during "diagnostic" and what the result of diagnostic would tell them what is wrong. I will try to get that info from the dealership. For me it is obvious just looking at the unit. Everything works normally except it doesn't have light, so to see information on the display I now use battery lamp. Not convinient but at least it is cheaper.

They know that it is a transistor gone and it is known issue. The Radio is made by Panasonic and will cost $300.00 to fix at the dealer. The transistor cost $1.50.

Just wanted to give an update on the repair. The radio (refurbished?) came in after 14 days and it took the dealer a mere 1 hour to put it in. Now I can tell time while driving again. :D Again, zero cost from my end.

My '03 Accord's (53,000 miles) radio display went dark in the middle of June. I called my longtime dealership to inquire about the problem, and was told they were well aware of the problem, but it would be a $600 repair. I said no thanks, I can live with it. That was before I drove the car at night and had zero backlights on my air conditioning unit as well. I did a little surfing, found this forum and another one that had the tech bulletin link, and promptly called American Honda.

I had a good experience with their representative, especially after I mentioned that I had had a Civic for nine years, love my Accord, and that my parents have a 98 Accord. He did not, however, offer a case number. When I asked for one, he said that he doesn't usually volunteer them because they're so long. I told him that they can't be any longer than the VIN # that I had to give him. After I got the case number, he told me to go to my dealership to have them visually diagnose the problem.

My dealership took all of 2 seconds to look at my display and agree that it was a faulty unit. I think they were surprised that I had a copy of the Tech Bulletin, a case #, and print screens of this forum thread. They ordered the part that day, and it was installed a week later. I was there for less than an hour and had zero costs. All in all, my experience was a good one, and I didn't have to spend $600 to fix a poorly designed radio unit. American Honda even called a few days later to make sure I had been taken care of.

I live in Canada and had the same issue with my 2003 Honda Accord radio (no backlighting). The warranty had expired by six months and 20,000 km.

I returned to the dealership where I bought the car, showed the service manager the Honda Service Bulletin 04-027, and said that I wish the unit to be repaired under Honda's "goodwill consideration" as stated in the bulletin.

After some humming and hahing, he approved the replacement of the radio, charging me only 1-hour labour ($100).

No Display 2003 Accord EX

I have the same issue. My car has 87k on it but I have only had it for 3 years. I am furious at this point. I have made the appointment with the dealer. They of course stated it is not a big problem. However, prior to going there, I am going to call American Honda especially after reading these posts. Can anyone tell me how their experience was with American Honda or any advice they can len me? I would do it myself if easy enough but I do not want to do any additional damage.

I parked my 2003 (with 37,000 miles) the other night and all was well. Got back in the car a few hours later and radio/AC lights were out but everything still works. THANK YOU to all who have shared information here. You have saved me hours of frustation and probably money too. Isn't the internet great? I've printed the advice and service bulletin posted on this thread. I will call Honda on Monday.

I had the same problem w/ my 03 EX. My local service dept told me this was common w/ that model & the entire radio unit had to be replaced. They told me it would cost about $400 w/labor & gave me a number to call American Honda (800-999-1009) about the problem. They said some people had luck getting the units replaced at no cost. When I called American Honda, they were extremely helpful & easy to deal with. They opened a case & within a week they arranged for me to have a new 'free' unit replacement w/ out any arugument (I was expecting one) or out of pocket expense. That was earlier this yr & I've had no problems since then.

Hi people
I have Honda accord 2003 Japanese model, car is amazing but there is one thing I hate about it... its navigation screen is in Japanese... can any one help me and tell me how can I change the language to english.

For those in Canada, and beyond their warranty, Honda Canada Customer Relations will begin by telling you "tough luck". However, similar to some other contributors to this thread, I reminded the service rep of the fact that I was a long time Honda customer (who also does all the service work at my original dealer) and that because it was faulty wiring, rather than general wear and tear, Honda needed to take ownership of the issue. After all, there should have been a recall. The rep put me on hold, contacted my dealership, and came back on the line with an offer of a 50% discount. Curiously, this took only 2 minutes, which struck me as odd after the initial response was "there was nothing they could do".

I accepted the offer because of their willingness to meet me half way, and clearly not a lot of more favourable options, but at the same time am left wondering why Honda would risk alienating this many Honda owners over an issue relating to quality. Isn't that their trademark and the reason that 95% of us bought Hondas in the first place? Isn't that reputation worth protecting in age where they are head to head with Toyota and Hyundai is getting larger and larger in their rear view mirrors? There must be a smarter guy than I at Honda with an answer to that, I surely don't.

Regarding the 2003 Honda Accord radio ---

One day you turn the ignition on and all functions of the radio are dead plus the display doesn't light up, though if you look closely you'll see the faintest trace of the display.

This happened to me and I went back to my dealer where I was told there was a defect built into the radio and a replacement would cost $800. My warranty had expired a year earlier and I was three thousand miles over the mileage component of the warranty.

My service person said on the basis of my low mileage and that it was Honda's fault, they would comp the radio -- which they did. The radio was rebuilt -- probably one of the defective ones with the defect fixed. My dealer was Kramer Honda, Santa Monica CA.

So my suggestion is to push the dealer, explain that other dealers are comping the replacement and see if Honda will do the right thing and comp a new radio for you.

PS: My EX is almost four years old and NOTHING has gone wrong with it so far except for the radio.

Michael

I have a 2004 Accord Coupe EX. As so many of those before, my backlight went out on my radio screen at 36,000 (When my warentee expires). :mad: Had I known it was not just a fuse problem, I would have taken it right then. But now I have 38,700 miles. I took it to the dealership and they said I would have to replace the entire radio, which costs around a GRAND with labor and other charges!! :eek:
They suggested I call the customer service number in the manual and tell them how few miles I have on my car and they may "good will" the replacement radio, which I did yesterday and have a case number out. Obviously this is an ongoing problem that they do not intend to fix. I encourage everyone to call and demand Honda pay at least half, if not full.

I was told about 2 years ago that this was a recall, and my radio was replaced. Guess what? Now, it is out of warranty and my display went out for the 2nd time. I'm taking it in today, we'll see what they say. They should relpace it. A radio display should last for more than 2 years!

Thanks to mystified and hypo I too fixed my CD dim light problem
Just to summarize the problem is a resistor bearing the number R797 on the surface of the circuit board. It is a little black box next to the heat sink.

Here is how to remove your CD player in two different versions. They helped me remove my cd player.

One has pictures but you really need to read both as some of the steps involve pulling on things till the stupid clips let go. The ones that seemed hardest to me was removing the top cover on the dash and the "faceplate" of the cd but both came off with no damage and went back on easily.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/561772/3

http://www.cdplayerrepair.com/Remtips/accord_rem.htm

After removing the cd player from the brackets attached to the "faceplate" part, the bottom plate is taken off by the obvious screws and removing all of the screws in the heat sink.. following mystifieds original procedure

"Open the bottom by first taking off the heatsink and some screws. Pry the bottom off carefully and remove the circuit board. Unplug the ribbon cable and look at the Parts side of the board. Located very near the heatsink is a resistor labeled something like R727 (sorry not exact) You can't miss it... it is black and located between two other parts that appear similar."

As pointed out by hypo and I can confirm the number of the resistor is R797.

I removed the resistor from the board and soldered a small wire across the holes where the resistor was. Probably easier would just be to just cut or crush the resistor and solder a short wire between the two resulting wires in the board which were previously leads on the resistor. Anyway assuming you have some ski8lls at soldering you will solve this problem and putting it all back together is easy.

Works like a charm

Resistors always fail as an open circuit. There is no need to crush or remove the original resistor. Just bypass it!

BHAYNE is correct. However due to the small size and cramped quarters crushing or cutting the resistor will lead to two small studs which may be easier to solder to. Any of these suggestions will result in a fix as long as the burnt out resistor is bypassed with a wire.

Repaired mine in early May of this year. Bent a short piece of solid copper telephone wire into a horseshoe and tinned it with solder. Placed it over the defective resister and heated it with a low wattage iron until it stuck. Still working!

It is very tight quarters, as noted above.

Buying a new SUV today, and it's not a Pilot!

I just purchased a 2003 Honda Accord and yep, you guessed it, the backlighting went out on the radio/ac controls. Has there been any progress on dealing with Honda about this issue?

I'm glad I found this thread, as I've spent the last week looking for the burnt out fuse. I have a 2003 Accord V6 and the display went out, but all else works fine. I just called the Honda number (800-999-1009) and played dumb. The person I talked to said that it was very strange, but it wasn't on any recall list. She also wanted to make sure I understood that I would have to pay for any fixes to the problem. I'm going to call back and point out all the people here with this problem and point her to her own Service Bulletin (04-027).

One good thing that came out of my calls to Honda was the survey form I received asking me to rate my experience. I tried to be kind as possible with my responses but made it clear that I would not buy another Honda due to the way they have handled this radio defect.

Honda should be able to get the radio manufacturer to cover the cost of a full blown recall, because as the months go by, it's increasingly apparent that more and more of these radios are failing, and that's just based on people who post on sites like this. Image how many people just pay the dealer to replace the radio.

I took in my car to our Honda dealership, and again my car is now out of warranty, they said no problem, this is a common problem and they fixed it again free of charge. Maybe you have to get to the right dealership.

I have had the same experience with my 2004 Honda Accord. One morning the lighting display from the climate control and the stereo disappeared. I was out of warranty (67,000 kms) and contacted my local dealership to ask about the repair.

I told the service representative I would be asking Honda to pay for the repair as part of their goodwill program. The dealership service representative gave me the number for Honda Canada. I contacted Honda Canada and explained the information bulletin on this website. Honda Canada spoke to my dealership and called the next day to say that a new radio would be sent to the dealership and that I would only be responsible to pay for one hour of labour which I thought was a pretty fair deal.

Good luck to all others. Let's hope that the defective radio problem has been solved!

I just purchased an 03 accord and the backlighting wasn't working. With the help of the information I got here, I got my Case number from Honda, then took to a dealer. They looked it up, called someone (I guess Honda) and said, no problem - free of charge - new radio will be in in 3 or 4 days. **Great way to start with a dealer and Honda's great reputation**

My 2003 Accord had the same defect. (The stereo/AC console display was very dim). My dad followed the instructions below and he got it to work! Thank you for the detailed instructions. Taking the console apart at the beginning was tricky. Here are detailed instructions with photos about how to remove the stereo:

iAudiophile.NET: Article / iAudio your Honda Accord 2003 (http://www.iaudiophile.net/content.php?article.35)

One thing we noticed that was different that was the top center console piece (where the AC vents are) needed to be moved outwards (towards the back of the card) before lifting upwards.

Also, YOU NEED YOUR STEREO CODE! When you reconnect your stereo it will display "code" when you try to turn on the radio. Its a 5 digit number. If you dont have it, you can get it from a dealership if you provide the serial number from the back of the stereo. We lucked out and found it written in pen inside the owners manual. I have heard of this before- so check the front/back of the manual and also sections concering the auto theft system or the stereo.

Thanks again everyone for sharing the information!


Does anyone have the Honda America phone number? I have just had my backlight go out at 50,100 miles. I would appreciate any assistance I could get. I also had the condenser problem but didn't find this awesome site until now. Than you all for posting your issues. I love the web, wee never would have figured out this was an issue globally in the old days. This is my 4th Honda and it seems the "American Honda" has deteriorated in quality. I am calling the dealer today to try and get this all started toward the path of correction. I will post the results. Thanks again and that 800 number would be appreciated.

The # to American Honda is 1-800-999-1009. It's a BAD deal when I know the number by heart. As posted before, I've had several problems with my car. The exhaust, the radio backlights, the windshield wipers freeze for no reason in heavy rain & now at 78,000 miles, my transmission has gone out - violently while driving down the road.

My car was part of the transmission recall, but a 'kit' was done to 'solve' the problem. Well, I don't think the problem is solved. My car is now at the local dealership awaiting the new transmission. Since, I am over my mileage warranty, I again called American Honda about the thousands of $$$ this was going to cost me. They have agreed under 'good-will' to cover 1/2 the cost plus my rental fees while the replacement is being installed.

Unfortunately, after a few hours of research, I've found that this is a wide spread problem and even the replacements have to be replaced. I will be selling my car as soon as it is road ready again.

If you plan to buy or keep a 03 Honda Accord EX V6 Coupe YOU NEED the extended warranty.

Hi guys,

Thought I would chime in here as well after reading everyone's posts.

I live in Toronto and drive a 2003 Honda Accord Coupe EX-V6 6-speed. My car is out of warranty for the radio (38 months/68,000 km) and one day the backlight went out as well.

I phoned my nearest Honda dealership (other than the one I purchased my car from since I moved out of that city) and asked them for advice/recommendations on the radio issue. I explained to them as nicely as possible that I was surprised something like this had happened and asked what the likelihood of Honda Canada covering the costs. I made no mention of the bulletin or anything.

The service rep took down my information and dealt with Honda Canada himself and a few days later, I got a call telling me the part is in. Honda Canada will cover the radio and I just pay the $99 labour charge. Definitely better than paying the exorbant $800 amount.

Hi guys,

Thought I would chime in here as well after reading everyone's posts.

I live in Toronto and drive a 2003 Honda Accord Coupe EX-V6 6-speed. My car is out of warranty for the radio (38 months/68,000 km) and one day the backlight went out as well.

I phoned my nearest Honda dealership (other than the one I purchased my car from since I moved out of that city) and asked them for advice/recommendations on the radio issue. I explained to them as nicely as possible that I was surprised something like this had happened and asked what the likelihood of Honda Canada covering the costs. I made no mention of the bulletin or anything.

The service rep took down my information and dealt with Honda Canada himself and a few days later, I got a call telling me the part is in. Honda Canada will cover the radio and I just pay the $99 labour charge. Definitely better than paying the exorbant $800 amount.

Hi Everyone, I;ve had this problem for couple months and had no luck previously dealing with Honda Canada, after seeing several of you with success, I decided to call them again. This time I had a very nice customer relations rep, I didn't even mention the bulletin and he already offered to contact my dealership and replace my radio unit free of charge. I asked him if I had to pay labour charge and he said $0. :p Can't wait to go into the dealership next week, and remind them that they tried to make me pay $1000 to replace the unit last time!

My radio light went out in my 2003 Accord, and my husband found this site. I was really mad that a problem like this could go ignored by HONDA. First I filled as many recall request as I could find, meanwhile not being able to afford the $700. Ever or the x number weeks without a car, no public transport here! I really was annoyed so I called the Honda Corp. What a surprise when they called me back a week later, and told me that they would cover the cost of the parts, and would have the dealer order the radio before doing the work. I would still have to pay for installation but that was only $90with tax!

You could try to get your money back... call the corportation!

Like so many folks on here, my Audio-HVAC display module has gone dim on my '03 Accord. I've taken all of the great advice from here ;) called Honda of America and they say the unit should be replaced at no cost if my dealer diagnoses the problem correctly (one look and they'll know the problem.) My appointment is on Oct. 4, 2006 with Dean Honda of Pittsburgh, so I'll repost here with any news. The phone rep at American Honda was pleasant and willingly offered the case number when I asked. She did say that there may be a cost from the dealer to diagnose the problem, so we'll see if they charge me. It's posted on here in many places, but here is the info again... Call American Honda at 800-999-1009. If you want to read the service bulletin, I found it on Google by typing "Service Bulletin 04-027." You'll be able to download the two page document in PDF and print it for reference. It spells it out pretty clearly - that there is a problem with the Audio-HVAC unit. Good luck everyone, and thanks to all who stormed this path first!

I have 2003 accord and I just got this problem. Does any one know if there is a recall on the radio or do I have to pay an arm and a leg from the dealer??

I have 2003 accord and I just got this problem. Does any one know if there is a recall on the radio or do I have to pay an arm and a leg from the dealer???

Try the process used by others in this thread...

I have an '04 Accord LX-V6 that just lost power to the radio, then the power came back, radio worked but had no display. Found this thread & it has been very useful!

I just got off the phone with American Honda (see previous threads for phone #) and got a case number assigned with no hassle.

Am awaiting the case officer to call back & hopefully get my repair...

My 2003 Honda Accord EX has a problem with the backlighting on the radio and the ac controls. All the lights have gone out, but everything else on it seems to work still. I have looked for a blown fuse but could not find one. Any suggestions?
Did you manage to get the problem fixed?

FYI,
Just called Honda. There is no recall. In fact, they do not recall anything unless it is for safety, more or less.
If this is not under warranty, you're pretty much out of luck. However, you can call their customer service hotline and complain, and get assigned a case #. They "may" try to help you out.
Good luck. My display went out today and I'm probably going to have to spend $1k to get a new stereo.

For those who are wondering, I don't believe shorting/jumping the resistor will cause any problems. If you really know your thing, open a digikey catalog, and try to find a good replacement part. I would suggest buying a surface mount fuse instead with correct spacing and a value somewhere around 3 amps. It wasn't my car, so I took out the part and soldered a wire in it's place! That resistor will not be a problem anymore! Hey! IT IS WHAT I DO!

I would like to thank mystifield88 and hypo for the instructions on how to fix this problem. It took only two hours and wasn't difficult even for a software engineer like me. Here are my notes and photos that may help you.

To get to the radio out follow the instructions on Eric's (http://www.cardomain.com/ride/561772/3) blog. Note that the lower part of the face plate is fastened with three clips that are very tight. At one moment I thought that it is going to break so tight it was. I suggest you find these clips with your fingers and push them out with a screwdriver.

I removed a dozen of tiny bolts all around the radio and got to the circuit board.

http://images19.fotki.com/v36/photos/2/270663/4175621/IMG_0804-vi.jpg

The resistor is on the left side of the board close to the heat sink. It located between two black elements and marked as R797.

http://images17.fotki.com/v28/photos/2/270663/4175621/IMG_0801-vi.jpg


The space is very tight. I wasn't able to remove the heat sink and it was difficult to solder this resistor out even with a small soldering gun from RadioShack. I found a spec (http://codedradio.info/manuals/panasonic/cq-eh9160a.pdf) for this resistor on the Internet. It supposed to be 2.2 kOhm but when I took it out it t was 20 mega Ohm. I wanted to replace it with a regular size resistor but was afraid to touch elements that are near by. So I decided to short it with a piece of wire.

http://images16.fotki.com/v30/photos/2/270663/4175621/IMG_0807-vi.jpg

I put everything back and it worked! I am so happy :) I found this board.

If you need help with your radio in the Boston area feel free to contact me.

With best regards,
Kirill

All Honda owners, this site has definitely helped me out so I'm here to help you out.
FYI: There are two service bulletins out on the Honda radio. What had happened was that the company that manufactured the radio for Honda manufactured a faulty radio. A turn out there was a huge production of these faulty radios. There are no fuses to be swapped but to simply replace the radio is the "best" fix for this problem. I understand that there are other ways to fix this but I'm telling you now, HONDA OF AMERICA has a service bulletin on the radio problem, so why bother yourself. If you contact them at (800) 999-1009 you too can get this fixed at NO CHARGE! The fix is much more professional than if you were to tear into it yourself. One more thing, if your dealership has to tear into your radio to figure it out, then you shouldn't be taking it to that particular Honda dealership. My Honda service dealership diagnosed it right when he turned the car on. If they tell you that they have to take the radio out, tell to shove it. Get the service bulletin from HONDA OF AMERICA before you take it in. Overall, this radio should be fixed for free, I mean you pay nothing, not even labor.

I hope this has helped,

Honda in Hawaii
Mahalo and Aloha

All Honda owners, this site has definitely helped me out so I'm here to help you out.
FYI: There are two service bulletins out on the Honda radio. What had happened was that the company that manufactured the radio for Honda manufactured a faulty radio. A turn out there was a huge production of these faulty radios. There are no fuses to be swapped but to simply replace the radio is the "best" fix for this problem. I understand that there are other ways to fix this but I'm telling you now, HONDA OF AMERICA has a service bulletin on the radio problem, so why bother yourself. If you contact them at (800) 999-1009 you too can get this fixed at NO CHARGE! The fix is much more professional than if you were to tear into it yourself. One more thing, if your dealership has to tear into your radio to figure it out, then you shouldn't be taking it to that particular Honda dealership. My Honda service dealership diagnosed it right when he turned the car on. If they tell you that they have to take the radio out, tell them to shove it. Get the service bulletin from HONDA OF AMERICA before you take it in. Overall, this radio should be fixed for free, I mean you pay nothing, not even labor.

I hope this has helped,

Honda in Hawaii
Mahalo and Aloha

:) I had the same problem with the backlighting for my A/C and radio controls, so I used the information and advice I found here and the dealer replaced the radio for FREE! First, I called Honda America and opened a claim. The representative told me that I might have to pay for the replacement since I have 50,000 miles on my car. I told her that other Accord owners with similar mileage were receiving free replacement. She changed her tune and told me to call Honda American back if the dealership wouldn't do anything.

When I arrived at the dealership, I handed the service advisor the Technical Service Bulletin (http://www.driveaccord.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=673) with my case number written across the top. That was Monday morning and on Thursday they replaced it for FREE. I didn't even have to pay the labor charge.

If anyone gives you push back, just remind them that you know many Accord owners are having the same problem and other dealers are replacing the faulty units under goodwill consideration.

I want to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all the posts here. I too just had the same problem with my 03 Accord EX (83,500mi). I went to the internet thinking I just had not changed the right fuse, when I found this message thread! WHAT A LIFESAVER!! I first called my local dealer and even gave him the service bulletin. He was rather negative at first saying I wasn't under warranty anymore,. then since I did have extended warranty (not Hondacare), the unit would have to be taken out and sent in for repair, leaving me with no heater controls all that time... # 1 - I wasn't thrilled to be without heater controls at this time of year! And #2 - if the units were so faulty, I just wouldn't quite trust a 'repair' job!! Sooooo then I called the 1-800 Honda number yesterday!! They got back to me today and said they would goodwill the replacement and even called the dealer and let him know!! Interesting that the dealer never mentions the calling Honda option!! Thanks again for everyone posting about this problem and letting us know about the cost free solution!! Hopefully in a couple of weeks, my Accord will be all fixed!!

I live in Canada, and I tried twice to get a dealership to fix my radio for free (goodwill consideration) but failed both times. I even presented the service bulletin, and explained that many people online have been claiming that their radios have been repaired for free.

Thanks to this forum, I was able to fix it myself. It's a really really tight area to work in, and after 1 hour of trying to do the job properly I discarded my plan to solder a wire properly (parallel) over the resistor. The easiest thing I could do was to fold a copper wire into a tight rectangle that just fits snugly over the faulty resistor. It’s not pretty, but it doesn’t move at all, and most importantly my display work fine now.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to this discussion. :D

Daniel
Mississauga, Ontario

The area is very tight to work in which is why I found it easiest to crush the resistor and then solder a jumper between the remaining two leads of the resistor.

Honda will replace it for free, don't let a bad dealer scam you into paying.

Same thing happened to me at 59,000 miles & out of warranty

I called honda service # from their website, and they opened a case # for me. They asked me to go to a dealer for checkup, and to call back if I'm not happy with their solution.

The honda dealer I went to was very nice, they told me most likely Honda will fix it for free. I just got the call today that everything's all set to go, the new stereo is in, and I don't have to pay a thing! I will be dropping off my car on Friday.

I have to say that the service from both Honda Corp & the dealership has been great!

Dealership: automall honda in Fremont, CA

I had the backlight problem described in 04-027. This is how I got it taken care of.

1) Called Honda America and told the rep about the problem and service bulletin. The rep said there was nothing he can do and that I would just have to take the car to a dealer for repair if I wanted it fixed. I hung up.
2) Called Honda America right back and told the new rep (Liz) about the problem and service bulletin. Rep opened a case, gave me the #, and told me to call her back when I had taken it to a dealer for diagnostics. She said the dealer might charge for this.
3) Next day. Took it to a dealer (Brown Honda in Charlottesville, Va) and told them I had a case # from Honda America. He asked for it and on the work order put that the claim started with Honda America.
4) Same day as (3). Returned call to Rep Liz. She asked what dealer I took it to and told me to call back after I picked the car up and received a diagnosis.
5) Same day. Received a call from the dealer saying that Honda America approved them to do the work for free and that I could pick my car up. He also said he would call back when the replacement part was in so I knew when to bring the car in.
6) Picked car up
7) Next day, Rep Liz called and said that Honda America and the dealer had authorized the work under a goodwill something to try to get me to be a future honda customer and a Brown Honda customer in particular.
8) Two weeks later I still hadn't heard from the dealer so I called them. They had received the part "a while back" and had been waiting for me to bring the car in. Thanks for calling, jerks.
9) Two days later I took the car in in the morning and picked it up in the afternoon. It was fixed and everything was free.

Fixed it thanks to folks on this board!

Props to mystified88 for the original diagnosis and verification of the fix. Thanks also to KirillS and espedid for the very helpful pics.

My story is the display backlight died suddenly on a 2003 Accord 4-door LX V6 w/ 45K miles. I read here about getting the dealership to request Honda perform a goodwill out-of-warranty repair. I called Honda America and they weren't completely helpful. They pretty much simply opened a case to track my satisfaction on how the dealership takes care of this situation.

Next call to the dealership resulted in a 7:15am appt for a quick "while I wait" diagnosis for ~$135 which is outrageous considering they'll look in the car, hear the radio, and say "you're right, the backlight is dead". What made things worse is I got to the dealership at 7:05am just to find out their real service techs don't come in till 8am. Why they scheduled me at 7:15am for a quick diagnosis is beyond me... The only good news is the person who booked this appt had heard of at least a dozen of these radio display defects and their best suggestion is the closer the car is to standard warranty expiration, the more likely Honda America would do most or all of the repair for free, but YMMV.

At that moment, I found out our (new to me) car was still covered under HondaCare extended warranty, so Honda wouldn't be performing any type of goodwill fix. Another factoid is there's a special provision in our particular HondaCare warranty stating if we don't use the warranty during the term, all initial warranty costs are refunded in full. For the above reasons, I decided to tackle the repair myself.

I'd only recommend radio removal for folks w/ prior experience since pulling a dash apart w/o damage isn't for everyone. Soldering skills are required here as well.

Here's what it looks like if you really want to pursue this path.

http://www.bmwdiy.info/pics/Accord/dash.jpg

And next, here's the jumper soldered over R797.

http://www.bmwdiy.info/pics/Accord/fix.jpg

Some things to note:
-Having the radio code during reinstall is a must. Before asking a dealership, check your car manual. We had it on a sticker showing a 5 digit number and radio S/N, plus the salesperson wrote it on the back page.
-There are numerous clips that will be a PITA to remove. Use care and patience.
-When removing the cigarette lighter/ashtray/coinholder carrier, try to lift straight up since there are two clips towards the front.
-To remove the center storage console, it needs to be pulled straight out towards the back of the car w/ the console door closed to clear the bottom "V" of the radio/climate controls.
-The air vent cover panel has 3 clips at the very front. 2 come loose via the side prying, but the center one may be difficult to release so don't yank too hard.
-As someone mentioned, the 3 clips on the bottom of the radio/climate controls aren't very fun. Again, you're pulling straight towards the back of the car. Use a screwdriver to pry a bit if you can feel the clips and do so w/o damage.
-The soldering job is in tight quarters so I unsoldered the heatsink/rectifier alignment plate and removed it temporarily (notice my picture), which made access tons easier.
-I jumpered it w/ single strand speaker wire core which worked fine. Just be sure it can't touch the heatsink components or anything else following re-assembly.

Good luck to those who get Honda to cover some/all of the costs, or decided to fix it on their own.

Shame on Honda for handling this manufacturing defect on a case-by-case basis, which gives us owners very little consistency to work off of and makes us feel "lucky" if they happen to compensate for some or all of their mistake. :( The good news is boards like these let us share good info and take some of these matters in our own hands. :D

That's nuts that you actually let honda do that to you, even after all the success stories on this site. There are people w/over 80K Miles and they even got it fixed for free. Plus there was a link to the service bulletin w/the vehicle vin#'s that were affected. Wow, I guess if you got the skills to do it yourself, kudos on you!

that's nuts that you actually let honda do that to you, even after all the success stories on this site. There are people w/over 80K Miles and they even got it fixed for free. Plus there was a link to the service bulletin w/the vehicle vin#'s that were affected. Wow, I guess if you got the skills to do it yourself, kudos on ya!

Tell you the truth, I was motivated by $$$. If we don't use or tap into the HondaCare warranty at all on this car, we get a full refund of the ~$1450 original warranty cost. So I'm banking on nothing major breaking on this car in the next 2yrs, otherwise, my car electronics work will have been for nothing. :)

Besides the warranty refund, I wasn't looking fwd to the major to minor hassle of getting the local dealership to have Honda do a goodwill repair, or pushing slightly harder to get the diagnosis fee covered as well. They told me they always charge the diagnosis because sometimes Honda America won't cover that for some odd reason.

Wanted to let you know of my good experience with Honda. Using this site's advice, I called Honda America and described the radio/dashboard light problem I had on my 2003 Accord [59,000 mi] and mentioned the Service Bulletin that covered this problem. The Honda America rep was a little short with me and wanted me to know that the Service Bulletin was an internal Honda document - something that really didn't pertain to my inquiry. Said I would have to see my Honda dealer to get the problem diagnosed and resolved. Thought this was the start of a run around, but did ask him to open a Case Number, which he did.

Well, didn't have a chance to visit my Honda dealer that week. But wouldn't you know it, the dealer called me to see what the problem was and to set up a service appointment. The service rep thought they could probably get it fixed through Honda "good will". Turns out my car is not in the VIN range for the Service Bulletin. But they removed the radio assembly, reinstalled it, and voilà, everything works fine [no charge for diagnosis]. So for now, I'm happy with my Honda dealer - Community Honda in Orland Park, IL.

Referred to a phon enumber that got the problem solved.

Excellent Thanks a lot Mr. Mystified88

I too have the same radio problem (2003 Accord EX) - but Honda dealer in Canada says Honda CA will only warranty until 100k KMs. (We're at 107k - they quoted us $300CA)Instead of phoning Honda CA to complain, I too followed the instructions and repaired it myself.
It was successful, however it would have been nicer to know where the snaps were when the instructions said 'gently remove panel'. After a bit of searching online, I found http://www.handaaccessories.com/accord/03-AUDIOATTACH.pdf which is a little more descriptive about the snap locations. I though I was going to break my wife's panels - especially the shifter cover! Then she'd be mad at both Honda and myself. All is fine now.

First thanks to all before with information on this problem.

My 2003 accord ex with 55000 miles lost its backlight last night.

I googled this board and found many useful replies.

I called my dealer (Sunnyside Honda, Middleburg Hts. OH)and left a message, they got back to me in two hours and said it was covered under warranty at no cost to me and wanted to know if I could bring the car in tomorrow at 3:30 pm. I have made an appointment for Fri afternoon.

Thanks again for all who have blazed the trail!:)

Update. I took my 2003 Honda Accord EX in for the repair. My dealer said Honda has extended the warranty on this problem to 100,000 miles/7 years.

To fix the backlight they replaced a circuit board in the radio (p/n 855422) which on the dealers paper work cost $68. They had listed 0.8 hours of labor for $46 for a total cost billed to Honda of about $114. Not too much to pay to keep customers happy!:)

Hey guys.to all the people with your 03+ accord radio wiring problem.honda just came out with new waranty for your radio that applies to your original or extendet waranty,witch means:you don't have to pay for fixing your radio if it doesn't light up.just take it to your dealer and tell them to fix it! that's all..

:D
I had the same issue with my 2003 Honda Accord, I called the 1-800-999-1009 and mentioned the #04-027 bulletin, they asked what Honda Dealership I will be going to.
I told them Avondale Honda in Arizona.
Avondale Honda Service Rep call me with in 48 hours to set up an appointment. I took
The car in and the bad board was replaced at no cost to me.

Thanks to everyone on this blog for all of the information.;)

I'm located in Boucherville, Quebec. Called the local dealership and they refused to replace the radio. They wanted to charge me 800$. Called up Honda Canada, took my VIN, told me that my car was covered under this service bulletin. The dealership that refused to repair at first called me back for an replacement appointment at no cost.

It's done and it works - thanks to this forum I'm 800$ richer.

Honda de Boucherville is the dealership that got their hands twisted by Honda Canada to replace at no cost.

:)

This problem just happened to my 2003 Accord EX V6 with 51000 miles on it. I called my local dealer in Durham, NC USA and they replaced some circuit board in the radio for free the next day, with no appointment needed! Problem solved, ZERO hassle.

Honda is aware of this problem, the warranty for this problem is now 7 years/100k miles (according to Honda America Customer Service). Call the dealer, they should replace/fix for FREE.

I just got my honda back from the dealer with the same issue. They replaced my head unit with a new one. I did not have to pay anything, They told me that honda was taking care of them. They told me that there had not been enough to have a recall but they fixed it, gave me a new radio. Just an FYI...

My light went out about 18 months ago, right after the warranty expired. I went through all the hurdles of calling American Honda, then never got around to bringing it in for service. Brought it in finally today, and the dealership told me that the warranty had been extended on this part and would be replaced free of charge. Also, they no longer need to replace the entire system, just the card (which has been re-designed to prevent this issue).

I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but glad to see Honda did the right thing...

I have had the same issue with my Honda. I called 1-800-999-1009 and mentioned the #04-027 bulletin and they asked what dealership I wanted to take it too. I had to get an estimate from the dealer and Honda is paying for the new circuit board. I have to pay $95.00 for labor.

During the same conversation with Honda I mentioned my transmission is starting to slip in 3rd or 4th gear. Since I have 112K miles on the car I figured I was on my own, but Honda agreed to pay for all parts and labor relating to the transmission.

That's why I didn't fight very hard for the $95.00.

I have the same problem, my car is over 40 K miles and of course out of warranty.
Thank you to the people that started and then have provided input in this thread. I was so worried that I would have to spend a lot of money and keep go through hell to get the issue fixed. I just called the American Honda as sugessted in the beining of the hread by a few pepole and they right away told me that problem is covered as an extended warranty till 100 K miles or 10 yrs. So I can take it to any dealership and can get it fixed free of cost. HONDA IS GOOD. THANK yOU again everybody, I'm so relieved.. HAIL GOOGLE

It worked!

I would like to thank mystifield88 and hypo for the instructions on how to fix this problem. It took only two hours and wasn't difficult even for a software engineer like me. Here are my notes and photos that may help you.

With best regards,
Kirill

Thanks Kirill! My wife's radio display is now working again thanks to you and mystifield and hypo! They say a picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, your pictures were worth a thousand bucks! Her display went out when she had about 95,000 miles, but I didn't find out about the extended warranty until after she'd gone over 100,000. We have a very early '03, bought in Oct, 2002, manufactured in Japan. The radio serial # is one of the first thousand and was manufactured in June, 2002.

Let me tell you my story about this problem.

I recently bought an 03 Accord off eBay. Got a great deal from a respected dealership and everything was great... EXCEPT the knobs and controls on the AC panel would not light up when my lights were on. The radio would light up and display just fine, and I could even see the green status lights that indicated whether the AC was on or not, but the back-lighting for the words on the controls and knobs would not work.

I googled the problem and found this topic. I saw that Honda was covering this up to 7 years / 100k miles, so I immediately printed off service bulletin 04-027 and went armed with it to my local dealership.

That was my first mistake. I should have contacted corporate Honda first.

The dealership took it in for a diagnostic and told me my problem was unrelated to service bulletin 04-027 because my radio display was working fine. I was told that the car's aftermarket alarm system may have caused the problem and that possibly there was a surge or spike that caused all of the backlights to short out. I would have to pay over $100 for them to replace the light bulbs, and it wasn't even guaranteed that this would work.

So, it was at this point I called corporate Honda. After describing my problem to them, they told me I should be covered and to go back to the dealership. I took the car back, and the dealership said the same thing. Then corporate Honda told me that since the dealership is their "eyes and ears", they must go by the dealership's diagnostic.

Fortunately, I know a guy who has a lot of clout at this particular dealership. He talked to their service department and they agreed to replace the radio circuit board for free even though they said this was not the problem. Wouldn't you know it... when I picked up the car, the backlighting was WORKING!

If I didn't have hookups at the dealership, I would have been screwed out of this free repair. I plan on calling corporate Honda to explain to them what all happened. Although I can't really blame the dealership so much as the exact wording on the service bulletin for the symptom is:

The audio display and controls (knobs, buttons, bars) of the audio-HVAC display module are dim or dark.

Well, my audio display definitely WASN'T dark. I could see the radio LCD just fine... everything ELSE was dark, and replacing the radio circuit board DEFINITELY fixed the problem.

I am going to contact corporate Honda so hopefully they will clarify this on their service bulletin.

If your Accord is having problems like described here, but your actual radio LCD is NOT dark, don't give up. You should be covered under this service bulletin!

This might just help, I do work for Honda Manufacturing, Anyway my 2003 did the same thing, I also realise that there is a service bullentin on this also. However when my car did this I was told it was just a matter of pushing a button. It worked. When the radio is off push the CD/AUX button for about 10 seconds and the lights go out, Do the same thing and the light comes back on. Give it a try.

This might just help, I do work for Honda Manufacturing, Anyways my 2003 did the same thing, I also realise that there is a service bullentin on this also. However when my car did this I was told it was just a matter of pushing a button. It worked. When the radio is off push the CD/AUX button for about 10 seconds and the lights go out, Do the same thing and the light comes back on. Give it a try.

Um... no offense but if it were just a matter of pushing a button, honda would not be doing a $700 repair for free. What you are describing is unrelated the issue described here.

This might just help, I do work for Honda Manufacturing, Anyways my 2003 did the same thing, I also realise that there is a service bullentin on this also. However when my car did this I was told it was just a matter of pushing a button. It worked. When the radio is off push the CD/AUX button for about 10 seconds and the lights go out, Do the same thing and the light comes back on. Give it a try.
Hi, I just ried that and id di not work. Are you sure there isn't something else that you did?

My 2003 Honda Accord EX has a problem with the backlighting on the radio and the ac controls. All the lights have gone out, but everything else on it seems to work still. I have looked for a blown fuse but could not find one. Any suggestions?


I just brought my car back to the dealer today... 2003 Honda Accord EX Coupe. Same problem. It's a know problem. The circuit board is blown. They are fixing it at no cost under the regular original warranty (which I thought had expired). Bring it into a Honda Dealer or call them. First time I didn't have to fight with them about service. They've fixed my horn twice on that car... and my black vinyl window stripping after I complained and complained.

Now if only they had an audio aux jack fix so I can hook up my iPod.

Good luck

I have a Honda Accord EXL 2003 with 45000KM. I bought the car in November 2002. The backlight on my car went out a couple of weeks ago. When I ran through this blog, I was very disappointed with Honda because I don't have any extended warranty.

But, I just called my dealer and he said the warranty on this part was extended by Honda and he gave me an appointment to change the face plate (or may be the radio completely) on November 19th.

So, call your dealer and they should set it up.

Thanks for the diagram on removing the radio.I was just looking for one and hoping some one would have found one and shared it.Thanks

My 2003 Honda Accord EX has a problem with the backlighting on the radio and the ac controls. All the lights have gone out, but everything else on it seems to work still. I have looked for a blown fuse but could not find one. Any suggestions?
Thank you all for your informative posts. My 2003 Accord lost it's back-lights for radio/cd unit a week ago (under 45,000 miles). I did a back and forth phone conversation with the dealer as I read your experiences. Never did I have to call Honda America, I'm impressed with the dealer's service department and how efficient they are. The service bulletin referred to "04-027" is dated July 9, 2004 but a newer one was issued after they realized how to pinpoint the design flaw. Now only a chip/board (okay I'm not technical people) needs to be replaced. Yes, Honda did extend the warranty coverage for this so many out there only need phone their dealer armed with the 04-027 # but be aware that they use to replace your unit with a REFURBISHED unit. Now, you just get a new chip/board (okay - whatever) installed.
Thank you all for your advise!

My 2003 Honda Accord EX has a problem with the backlighting on the radio and the ac controls. All the lights have gone out, but everything else on it seems to work still. I have looked for a blown fuse but could not find one. Any suggestions?
I have the same problem. Honda USA sent me a notice extending the warr. On radio to seven yrs. The only problem they limited to 100k miles. Guess what they want to charge me $800 to fix the problem because I have over 100k. I am going to discuss this with Honda. They knew they had a problem but had an out on the mileage. This disturbs me that Honda will not take care of their customer. Hopefully they will take care of me.

Email me with any other comments [email protected]

Has anyone with a 2003 LX had this problem and gotten it solved by Honda America?

My 2003 Honda Accord EX has a problem with the backlighting on the radio and the ac controls. All the lights have gone out, but everything else on it seems to work still. I have looked for a blown fuse but could not find one. Any suggestions?
Can someone please help! I have a 2004 Honda Accord that does not fall under the VIN range that is on the bulletin. American Honda is not willing to help since I am the second owner. What can I do?

I have a 2003 LX with this problem. Calling Honda of America, I was told that my LX (non-V6) was not covered under the service bulletin. However, I inquired that I wanted to open a case on this. After ''talking to his supervisor'' I was told that the service bulletin had just been updated today to show all 03 models fell under this category. I know this is probably incorrect, and that they finally gave in. So now I have a case number and should get this resolved shortly! Keep pressing until they give in.

I own a 2003 Honda Accord EX and have the dark display problem as discussed in this forum. I just called Honda America at 1-800-999-1009. I cited the 04-027 service bulletin and this forum. They told me the issue has an updated service bulletin as of Feb 2008. The warranty has been extended for 7yrs or 105,000 miles. Just take the car in and have the issue diagnosed. The Honda dealer of your choice will diagnose the problem and replace the radio free of charge. I will update further when I have the radio replaced at the dealer.

Yes, I got the same response about three weeks ago when I called American Honda. I took it to my local dealer who is replacing it free of labor and parts. However, they did need to send the radio to American Honda to get fixed. I was told it would take between 5 and 90 days!! I am still waiting, day 30 and counting...

I thought I would update my experience for "jwillterp" and others. I did take my Honda in to the dealer (Pohanka Honda in Fredericksburg, VA). They diagnosed the problem and replaced the radio. The process took about 1 1/2 hours. No questions and no charge. My 2003 Honda has 69,000 miles.

My 2003 Honda Accord EX has a problem with the backlighting on the radio and the ac controls. All the lights have gone out, but everything else on it seems to work still. I have looked for a blown fuse but could not find one. Any suggestions?
I'm an electronics engineering Friday 21 march 2008; I was repairing a display problem of a Honda accura 2004 the Radio, clock an air-conditioning lights was not working. I was a little bit afraid because so far I now the new radio's have a pin code, so I've to work on the radio without disconnect the power but let I make it shorter at the begin of the main-print board close to the big transistors is a small (little) black fuse 2.3A, I've solder a new one and the lights works again. The fuse is between a diode and a transistor. I was looking on the internet and I saw that lot of people with Honda cars have the same problem. The best thing is to let a technician repair it for you.

Just this morning as got in my car, I noticed that the radio/CD/clock display is dead. The radio works. It looks like the LCD backlight is dead. The lights behind the climate control buttons are fine.

I still have close to year/11000 miles of my 3 year / 36000 miles warranty left. This problem is covered by the warranty, I assume. Has anyone had difficulty getting this fixed under this warranty?

Thanks,

Baskaran
I just had mine repaired under a recall. Good up until 100,000 miles. Yes, You read it right.

I found a recall for this problem online. Google honda radio recall. Good up to 100,000 miles. Strictly a lighting problem. Not a CD repair.

Go to your Honda Dealer service department and have them type your VIN into their computer. It will list all of the recalls and a "C" will be beside the recall # if your vehicle has had the work done.

I would like to thank mystifield88 and hypo for the instructions on how to fix this problem. It took only two hours and wasn't difficult even for a software engineer like me. Here are my notes and photos that may help you.

To get to the radio out follow the instructions on Eric's (http://www.cardomain.com/ride/561772/3) blog. Note that the lower part of the face plate is fastened with three clips that are very tight. At one moment I thought that it is going to break so tight it was. I suggest you find these clips with your fingers and push them out with a screwdriver.

I removed a dozen of tiny bolts all around the radio and got to the circuit board.

http://images19.fotki.com/v36/photos/2/270663/4175621/IMG_0804-vi.jpg

The resistor is on the left side of the board close to the heat sink. It located between two black elements and marked as R797.

http://images17.fotki.com/v28/photos/2/270663/4175621/IMG_0801-vi.jpg


The space is very tight. I wasn't able to remove the heat sink and it was difficult to solder this resistor out even with a small soldering gun from RadioShack. I found a spec (http://codedradio.info/manuals/panasonic/cq-eh9160a.pdf) for this resistor on the Internet. It supposed to be 2.2 kOhm but when I took it out it t was 20 mega Ohm. I wanted to replace it with a regular size resistor but was afraid to touch elements that are near by. So I decided to short it with a piece of wire.

http://images16.fotki.com/v30/photos/2/270663/4175621/IMG_0807-vi.jpg

I put everything back and it worked! I am so happy :) I found this board.

If you need help with your radio in the Boston area feel free to contact me.

With best regards,
Kirill

I wanted to let you all know that I have gotten this problem fixed as well, however, we DID replace the resistor with a 2.2K ohm 1/4watt resistor (upping the wattage to prevent overload again) and it DID NOT work. We then cut the resistor off and did what everyone else did, just jumped the resistor with a bead of solder.

I also wanted to make note, the reference to the Panasonic radio PDF (quoted above), I believe, is incorrect. The resistor says 2.3 on it, the PDF shows R797 as a 2.2, and when replacing it with a 2.2 it does not work.

Thanks to those who posted the necessary information to fix this issue.

Also, I could not get Honda America to do anything for me on this issue. My car has 112k miles and the extended warranty ran out at 100 or 105k and they are very strict on extending extended warranties. My quote from my local dealership was $165 for a new board with installation, which would have been my next option if this solder jumper wouldn't have worked.

My 1993 Civic OEM radio's station backlight also was not working. I too suspected that one of the resistors was faulty. The discussion here helped me confirm it. Thanks especially to mystified88 but also hypo, firstandlasthonda, kyrills, vietsb, gprentice and bassichonda96 for their input. I used an ordinary staple (as in what you find in the stapler of your home office) as a jumper. My writeup appears at honda.lioness - Radio Light (http://honda.lioness.googlepages.com/radiolight) .

Also, I could not get Honda America to do anything for me on this issue. My car has 112k miles and the extended warranty ran out at 100 or 105k and they are very strict on extending extended warranties. My quote from my local dealership was $165 for a new board with installation, which would have been my next option if this solder jumper wouldn't have worked.[/QUOTE]

I finally got my 03 Accord fixed today and it cost $108 for my Honda dealer to replace the circuit board in the radio. I just turned 106K miles and you're right, they did not fix it under warranty even though I had called Am. Honda twice and had gotten a case # on the problem. All of this took 6 weeks to accomplish... not very efficient service IMO.

bassichonda96 wrote: "I wanted to let you all know that I have gotten this problem fixed as well, however, we DID replace the resistor with a 2.2K ohm 1/4watt resistor (upping the wattage to prevent overload again) and it DID NOT work... I also wanted to make note, the reference to the Panasonic radio PDF (quoted above), I believe, is incorrect. The resistor says 2.3 on it, the PDF shows R797 as a 2.2 [Kohm], and when replacing it with a 2.2 [Kohm] it does not work."

I was evaluating the numbers for my 93 Civic's radio station lighting circuit. I think its resistor is rated at 3.3 ohms (not Kohms). From my calculations, 3.3 ohms would pass the common sense test. I wonder if there was a typ-o in the design steps for the 2003 etc. Accord radio. Perhaps the correct resistance for the R797 resistor was meant to be 2.2 ohms (not 2200 ohms)? Here's my chatter on the subject that I put up at my site:

---
The R902 resistor in my 93 Civic's OEM radio has what looks like two orange bands and two gold bands, so I think it is rated at 3.3 ohms. See the resistor color coding chart at Electronic color code - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistor_code). This passes the common sense test as well: With everything working correctly and at normal operating temperatures, a current of about 0.1 amp should get to the lamp, and so the voltage drop across the resistor would be about 0.33 volts. Thus the voltage to the lamp would still be very close to 8 volts.

I am hoping the 12 volt-rated lamp will be fine with no resistor and seeing 8 volts across it. The one caveat is that the R902 resistor's purpose probably is to minimize current to the lamp at startup. At startup the lamp filament is cold, and so its resistance is much lower. I found one site that suggested its cold resistance would be as much as a factor of 20 less than its hot resistance. Its hot resistance should be about 120 ohms (= 12 volts/0.1 amp). If its cold resistance is 1/20th of this, then its cold resistance is about 6 ohms. I estimate the design startup current should be about 0.9 amp ( = 8/9.3 ). Without the resistor, the startup current is about 1.3 amp ( = 8/6 ), or around 50% higher than the design startup current. Worst case, I expect the bulb, with the jumper instead of the resistor, to burn out sooner.

Hi,
I am having a horrible experience with my 03 Accord EX-L. The lights went out on my Radio. But since I had received the extended warranty notice, I took it in to my local dealer (Hudson Honda, NJ).

They changed the PCB as per the service notice at no charge. But after that the whole thing worked for a couple of hours. Then the In-dash 6 CD changer went dead. I can still play the radio, but does not respond to any CD commands.

I took it back to the dealership. They claim they did not touch the CD player and therefore are not responsible for the breakdown of the player. I was on the phone for hours with both the dealership and Honda America. HA claims (after multiple times of putting me on hold), that they had no choice but to stand behind the dealership and their diagnosis.

The dealership wants to charge me $800 for putting in a new radio. I am very frustrated with the whole experience and feel very let down by Honda. I have always stood behind this brand, and was going to lease a new Accord, but after this I think I won't go ahead with this. Extremely Disappointing!

I have a 2004 Honda Accord Coupe EX V-6, and my radio/CD/HVAC display went dark yesterday. The functions work but I can't see anything like the radio stations, clock, temperature, CD's, etc.

After much searching (including this site) I was able to come up with the updated Service Bulletin for this problem, which occurs in both 2003 and 2004 Honda Accord models. The problem is in the printed circuit board, which must be replaced. The warranty has been extended to 7 yrs and 105,000 miles. See link below to Service Bulletin 04-027, update dated February 5, 2008:

http://www.justanswer.com/uploads/thebesthonda/2009-01-27_012508_03_accord.pdf

Now I need to go to the local dealer and request service--let's see how that goes!

Just called American Honda... I was told they could do nothing to help me and the responsibility to get the dark audio display module repaired was completely mine. Very disappointing to say the least. I bought the 2004 Accord EX-V6 new at a dealership thinking it was good choice for someone who puts about 35K miles per year on a vehicle commuting to and from work (140 mile round trip daily). I was wrong. I replaced the transmission after 170K at my expense even though Honda new they had a crap tranny in it. The driver side door lock malfunctions to a point where the door cannot be unlocked (manually or electronically) unless you put the window down and pull on the exterior door lever a few times (a major pain in the butt if its raining or snowing). The light on the driver side heated seat switch has gone out. Now I have to deal with a crap circuit board inside the stereo. It appears that what used to be uncompromising quality for Honda has turned into "make a car that can survive the warranty period" and lets help our dealers make some more money with "out of warranty" repairs. Its just plain disappointing. This is the kind of service I would expect from no-one...

Just called American Honda... I was told they could do nothing to help me and the responsibility to get the dark audio display module repaired was completely mine. Very disappointing to say the least. I bought the 2004 Accord EX-V6 new at a dealership thinking it was good choice for someone who puts about 35K miles per year on a vehicle commuting to and from work (140 mile round trip daily). I was wrong. I replaced the transmission after 170K at my expense even though Honda new they had a crap tranny in it. The driver side door lock malfunctions to a point where the door cannot be unlocked (manually or electronically) unless you put the window down and pull on the exterior door lever a few times (a major pain in the butt if its raining or snowing). The light on the driver side heated seat switch has gone out. Now I have to deal with a crap circuit board inside the stereo. It appears that what used to be uncompromising quality for Honda has turned into "make a car that can survive the warranty period" and lets help our dealers make some more money with "out of warranty" repairs. Its just plain disappointing. This is the kind of service I would expect from no-one...

Does anyone know if I can just replace the printed circuit board and fix my problem. I managed to find one and thought this would be an easy way (and much cheaper) to fix the problem. Just not sure what this entails.

Awesome advice everyone. It is August 04, 2009 and I just purchased an Accord EX Coupe pre-owned a couple weeks ago. After reading all the posts, I was able to call Honda and get a case number. I am taking the car in on Friday and since the warranty on this issue was extended for 7 years (which apparently ends this November) I am still eligible. I would have tried to get this fixed on my own? Now if I could just figure out why my keyless entry works on everything except the passenger door (intermittently) then this would be a perfect car!

Awesome advice everyone. It is August 04, 2009 and I just purchased an Accord EX Coupe pre-owned a couple weeks ago. After reading all the posts, I was able to call Honda and get a case number. I am taking the car in on Friday and since the warranty on this issue was extended for 7 years (which apparently ends this November) I am still eligible. I would have tried to get this fixed on my own? Now if I could just figure out why my keyless entry works on everything except the passenger door (intermittently) then this would be a perfect car!

Last Wednesday the backlights went out on the radio system/HVAC console in my 2003 Honda Accord V6 EX. By Saturday, the radio also went dead.
Called Honda corporate today to be told I'm beyond the extended warranty they offered (a bulletin I never received) and they won't help.
The service manager at my dealership said the backlight issue was the defective circuit board and the fact that the radio went out right after that is very suspicious. The best he said he can do is to send the entire radio unit out to be fixed at a flatrate of $250, including the circuit board issue. I think Honda should at least pay the $150+ it would alone cost to fix the circuit board. If it's all related, they should pay the whole fix. It shouldn't matter that the car is 15,000 outside the extended radio warranty. A bad radio is a bad radio and they knew about it early on.
Has anyone else had their radio go dead soonafter the display went black?
I'm not done with Honda on this issue. But, I may be done with Hondas in the future. This is the third one I've owned, but I don't think I'll sink my money into one again.

My 2003 Accord LX's backlight went dark last night! I searched the web and found this site and after reading the posts here felt a little relief and decided to call Honda today.
The agent that I talked to flatly refused to take care of the problem and said that it is my responsibility. I told about the service bulletin, this website to no avail! I asked he if I could talk to her supervisor and after keeping me on hold for 10 minutes, told me that her supervisor is also of the same view and that they cannot do anything. I asked her to open a case, which she also refused to. She said since my accord's millage is 87000 and that my trim level is LX, they cannot do anything!
I plan on calling them again and see if I can get someone more reasonable! Anyone has a different/better approach? Thanks in advance! I'm having doubts on Honda now...

I have an '04 EXL Coupe with 29k miles on it. My radio display just went out today. I researched online and found the most recent 04-027 to be dated Feb 5 2008 and my VIN is outside of the range. I also noticed that the VIN range had increased at least on my make and model. I have a call in to my dealer's service manager and am awating a response. Does anyone know if there is a more recent TSB out there?

Just want to add my experience with the Radio (actually the 6 CD changer radio) "going dark" on my 2003 Accord Ex (133,000 miles). Three days ago (Friday) my display went dim, then several hours later went out completely (shining a flashlight into the display I was able to see the graphics / alphanumerics). Searching the Internet I came across this web page and read for a few hours.

I called my local dealer and explained the situation along with the bulletin on this issue. She was very nice, put me on hold for a few minutes then told me there is nothing they can do for me because of the high mileage. Tried a few angles to get them to help me out, but they wouldn't budge. I did not call Honda America, because I figured it was a lost cause with my mileage.

I printed out the pages for how to take out the radio and how to modify the radio. Took me about an hour to get to the point where the radio was sitting on the bench. Took me another 20 minutes to figure out how to get the radio apart. Getting to R797 is a challenge! I couldn't even get the VOM probes on it to measure the resistance. I threw caution to the wind, fired up the soldering iron, and attempted to unsolder the resistor. Was able to get the easy side up, then with a little effort, got the other side up. I tined a (very) small piece of wire (14 gauge) and successfully soldered it in place of the resistor.

With some effort I got the radio put back together (trying to figure out which screws go where). With some skepticism I connected the cables back up to the radio to give a quick test before putting my dash board back together again. My biggest fear is that the entire radio/cd player would not work. I turned the radio on and...


IT WORKED! Display nice and bright (as advertised). Car put back together and I'm back in action. Many thanks to all that posted instructions and pictures; it helped immensely!

My 2003 Honda Accord EX has a problem with the backlighting on the radio and the ac controls. All the lights have gone out, but everything else on it seems to work still. I have looked for a blown fuse but could not find one. Any suggestions?...

Thanks mystified88 your solution was the exact thing I was looking for. My 03 Accord was a salvaged title. The back light went out about 3 days ago. I called my local Honda dealer and they said the service had already been done on my VIN before so they won't do it again unless American Honda approved it. I called AH and they told me the same thing that it exceeds 7 years/150k miles warranty clause and they wouldn't cover it. They refused to acknowledge that it's the same problem, if they replaced it before they should have replaced it with a fixed model of the radio, not the same model with the same damn problem. I have a friend that works at a shop that might be able to replace it for me if he can't Im definitely going to open it up and fix it myself since its in my line of work anyway I Just don't have a lot of time to do it myself right now unless I have to. (the information I got here was so useful I had to register and post my case and my thanks)

I also forgot to mention my mom's 07 accord had the same problem and had to get it replaced as well. Now that I know there are pictures I'm definitely scouring back to find them, and fix her old unit just in case the replacement goes out again.

My 2005 Honda has had a problem with the radio. It started with the backlight, then started coming on during the middle of the night, (key not in the ignition) or sometimes just opening the car door would cause the radio to come on by itself. Honda says it's the radio which needs to be replaced at a cost of $500 for just the radio.

Unfortunately, my car is long out of warranty so I'll replace the radio before it again drains my battery.

I just finished reading all that has been posted about the 2003 Honda lighting problem problem. My radio light and center console light just went out two days ago. Of course the fuses were good, so I called the Honda dealership. It turns out there is a service bullenton on that problem. Even though the warranty is out, the dealership or Honda will fix the problem if your car is less that 7 years old or has less than 107,000 miles. The dealership I used is Honda of Slidell and they are GREAT to deal with. People are very nice.

I had the same problem. My wife told me the radio light just went out.
I found a warrantee extension from Spring 2007. It covers 2003-2004 Accord audio unit display to 7 years or 100,000 miles. My car will be 7 years old in 3 weeks. My wife is going to the dealer tomorrow.
I states; if the audio display becomes dark or dim, or if the HVAC buttons do not illuminate when the headlights are on, take your vechicle to any Honda dealer for inspection. If the dealer finds a problem to be the audio unit display, and your vechicle is within the extended warratee time/mileage limits they will replace the printed circuit board (PCB) inside the audio unit, free of charge. Please plan to leave your vechicle at the dealer for half a day to allow flexibility in scheduling.
I called the dealer before I found this warrantee extension and they said they called the factory to perhaps split the cost of the repair and the factory refused. I got lucky as I save everything. My wife thinks I'm nuts.

12/17/09 Called Honda (800-900-1009) and quoted Service Bulletin 04-027. She told me that my 2003 Honda Accord LX V4 4-door DOES NOT qualify for a goodwill repair. They've modified the original SB from 2004 three times... and now mine is no longer covered. I'm ticked! I even paid for an extended warranty, which just expired, but not even that would cover it-- she said only the original 3 yr warranty would cover this or the SB-- but mine is EXCLUDED! Doubt I'll ever buy a Honda again considering how UNHELPFUL they were with this.

Liberte: Thanks for posting the latest 04-027 Service Bulletin. I have a 2004 EX four cyl sedan, and the radio and heating lights went out last night. After unsuccessfully searching for a blown fuse, I googled the problem and found this forum. My Accord only has 59,000 miles, so I am hoping my local dealer will fix it for free. Will post later with the outcome. If it turns out to be bad news, I will attempt the resistor fix described in this thread, because there's no freaking way I'm paying $700 to fix this.

I got lucky. My local dealership is honoring the service bulletin, and fixing my radio at no charge. The latest bulletin extends coverage for this particular problem to 7 years or 100,000 miles. I never thought much about the Honda factory radio, but now realize that it's nearly impossible to substitute a 2nd party radio due to the design of the dash and how it's integrated. That's probably why a class action suit was filed and won against this issue.

I am the second owner of my car and in check the history, Honda replace the radio before I purchased it... Now 2.5 years later the new radio and HVAC buttons will not illuminate at night. The display is fine. So for you guys that got Honda to replace your radio, be on the lookut for the proble to come back again in a about two years. Honda was not help to me as I am out of warranty 135,000. Any suggestion on what resistor to replace to make the HVAC and radio buttons light up again at night?

You can buy the printed circuit for the radio from honda for $99 canadian from local honda dealer... takes 15 minutes to change once radio is removed... part is usually in stock

Thank mystified88 and Hypo for fixing information. I am the un-lucky one on this problem. I am the original owner of my 2003 Accord v6. The radio light went dim last weekend, after 7 years and 2 months, 150,000 miles. So I am out of the ext warranty. I called Honda USA and went to my local dealer. They would not standby their product. Although they know it is a defect from Honda design/manufacture, Honda does not want to fix it. I am sure there are a lot of 03/04 accords out there will have this problem soon or later.
Now I have no choice nut fix it by myself. I know many owner jump the R171 on the radio board. I am wondering how it goes after so many years of the fix. Has it been good since about 2005?

Same problem with my '03 Accord. Called Honda American, 1-800-999-1009, on Nov. 15, 2010 and was told it is too late and Honda would give no help in fixing the problem. Any suggestions? John N. in Brentwood, Tennessee

To all the previous writers on this board - YOU ROCK! An independent dealer lead me to this site and after reading the responses regarding the Honda Accord radio back light circuit board issue, I was able to get the board replaced at no cost including diagnostics. For all out there it is not a fuse so don't waste your time. Call your dealer and if they are uncooperative regardless of mileage, explain to them nicely that you are going to open a ticket with American Honda. Believe me when I say they will start to back track and try to assist you anyway they can. 1st they told me I was out of warranty (72,000 + miles), then once the American Honda ticket was mentioned the tune they were singing changed in a hurry. Head the words of all that have written before me.