MSchu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmnjipYR570

As stated before... the issue was no issue at all


Modified by MSchu at 11:52 AM 8/8/2008

irvlev

I have been buying cars for 35 years. I have never had one that the headlights dimmed when I was going down the highway and the air conditioner kicked in. It is very distracting, and is very noticeable in a rural area. Try drive my 2008 Accord LX outside city lights and tell me that it is not a problem. I love the rest of the car, but I can't believe you can state it isn't an issue. When friends and relatives ask what is wrong with the car, they can't believe it when I tell them Honda says this is normal. I will not drive this on rural roads at night if I need the air or defroster. I will probably have to take the advice of you experts and trade it in, but the resale is less than it should be because of the dimming lights issue. Checking with dealers of other makes of cars, it is already widely known in the industry. My neighbor has a 2007 Accord 4-cylinder that does not have this problem. I don't want to insult anyone, but at the same time, I do not think it is appropriate when someone tells me 2 + 2 equals 3. I don't understand how refusing to acknowledge a problem makes it not a problem. No car buyer wants to purposely find faults with their new purchase. I just wish someone from Honda would admit that it is not normal for headlights to be a problem. I want to be proud of my purchase, but it is a defect. It is easy to tell me to get rid of the car if I'm not satisfied, but I'm the one out of the money. It makes for an expensive solution to rectify a defect I have not had in any other car. If you tell me not to drive in rural areas at night I can't avoid this as I live in a rural area.

sky52

funny how all the car i have own as soon as the AC or the fans kick in, it will dim...this is to do with the voltage regulator in the alternator. There is a split second delay when the voltage regulator detecs that there is a higher current draw from the battery and the AC/ fans are working and to where it allows more juices from the alternator.

The yellow top fixed the problem because it has a higher amp/hour capacities than any conventional battery out there, and the yellow top is also design to handle a huge current draw as well. Thats why optima says that the yellow top is good for sound system competition

MSchu

the personal issue for I4 owners was solved... buy a better battery.

irvlev

So you're saying Honda is selling cars with too small a battery to perform like it should. So why should I buy a new battery for a brand new car under warranty? If it would have been done right the first time it wouldn't be a problem. But you say there isn't any problem, but that I should buy a new battery. Maybe Honda should have made a normal operating battery optional equipment so the consumer would know in advance that the battery supplied was too small to operate properly. As far as all cars dimming when the alternator comes under load, nothing I have bought since 1970 compares with the performance of the Honda headlights. Even cars loaded with stereo amps and speakers plus boxes don't dim down anywhere near the Accord. I wish I would have been told that I should buy a new battery right off the lot. First time I have bought a new car that needs a different battery before it's driven.

MSchu

Once again... your assuming its a problem, it is not

irvlev

I am not assuming it's a problem. I own the car. It is a problem if you are driving the car. I don't care what you call it, but it is obvious to see that you are only going to deny something that is fact. I've been reading your posts for quite a while, and you seem to enjoy refuting the facts. Call it what it is or isn't, the car's headlights are a problem or defect. No other car on the market behaves in this way. Keep talking in circles to deflect the truth. You even said to buy a new battery. To deny the truth is to lose repeat and future customers. The internet and word of mouth is a powerful thing. Everyone in my family and community that has seen my car driven at night will not buy a Honda Accord. Too bad, too, because the rest of the car is very sound.

BLKFLSH

So get an Optima yellow top battery. If you can afford an 08 Accord, you can afford to put an Optima battery in it. Do you want to solve the problem, or just complain the rest of your life? The stock batteries are not the best, but it's an easy part to change. Maybe even you can do it.

MSchu

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by irvlev &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I am not assuming it's a problem. I own the car. It is a problem if you are driving the car. I don't care what you call it, but it is obvious to see that you are only going to deny something that is fact. I've been reading your posts for quite a while, and you seem to enjoy refuting the facts. Call it what it is or isn't, the car's headlights are a problem or defect. No other car on the market behaves in this way. Keep talking in circles to deflect the truth. You even said to buy a new battery. To deny the truth is to lose repeat and future customers. The internet and word of mouth is a powerful thing. Everyone in my family and community that has seen my car driven at night will not buy a Honda Accord. Too bad, too, because the rest of the car is very sound.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Show me a single post where I refute the existence of a dimming? if you can not... then your entire statement is erroneous. why are you attempting to bait me into some wacky bargument about a non existing issue with false accusations? you failed.

MSchu

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BLKFLSH &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">So get an Optima yellow top battery. If you can afford an 08 Accord, you can afford to put an Optima battery in it. Do you want to solve the problem, or just complain the rest of your life? The stock batteries are not the best, but it's an easy part to change. Maybe even you can do it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

it doesn't even need to be an optima... it just needs to be a battery with more capacity... of my, the end of the world for these nuts

MSchu

last word; 35 years of buying cars huh? I know you want to make a public apology.. go ahead and make my day

irvlev

Public apology for telling the truth! Hardly. There is not much sense in arguing with an expert that hasn't driven <U>my</U> car. And yes, I have been buying cars for 35 years. How about an apology for trying to bait me? The eight year old article made for great reading. My lights don't dim when I use the turn signals or the brakes. Make my day. How original. Last word and last post - Bye.

George Knighton

What I have been wondering, ever since this great dimming headlight debate started, is if it is possible that some cars were delivered with batteries that were less than 100% to specifications.

I think that it's possible that a driver with a properly performing battery might simply notice a brief moment and be grateful he's getting that one extra mpg, and a driver with a poorly performing battery might wonder where the road has gone.

I dunno. I do not think that Honda would get so aggressive with that one extra mpg that they would deliberately inconvenience drivers to the extent that some people seem to feel inconvenienced, so I cannot help wondering if we don't have a few substandard batteries in the 2008 cars.

MSchu

I am sure that is what has occurred GK and I have been saying so/arguing from the beginning. this "low battery"point is even debatable now as Honda has begun to distribute these printouts for owners... THIS IS COMPLETELY NORMAL OPERATION. Was it Honda, or was it the dealer?

Who knows, what is known is that it is a normal operation, it is not a safety issue, and the only folks that it seems to bother are those that are a bit emotionally unstable from the stand point that they are severally impaired to engage in logic and need satisfaction whatever it takes.

I find that these owners are those that feel entitled and have a narcissistic qualities to there debatable topics/issues

George Knighton

Oh, goodness. LOL.... I don't think I'd have gone all <u>that</u> far! :-)

Don't all dealers also do state inspections? It seems to me that the headlight dimming is easy to duplicate at any time because it is under the same, exact set of circumstances for everybody, everywhere, every time.

All you'd have to do is put the lumen rating machine in front of the lights (everybody has these if they do state inspections, because they have to aim the lights and check the colour and brightness).

Then turn on the AC and radio.

If the lumen fall below Honda's arbitrarily designated limit, then put the new battery in.

Seems like an easy, cheap solution, to me.

Even the highest volume dealers aren't going to mind the five minutes it takes to check the operation.

They'll be able to quantify the difficulty, if it is a difficulty, or report to the owner that it is within Honda's specifications.

I'm not campaigning for this, but it seems to me that it's an easy thing for the dealer to check for the 2008 owner who's worried or bothered.

I mean, who knows? Maybe there really are a few cars out there with batteries that cannot take the load, and the lumen rating drops farther than Honda would want to consider safe.

MSchu

I couldn't agree more, it's such a simple issue, but these owners have blown it way out of proportion. I frequent many many boards in support for my habit and to support my knowledge for this mod Job... to the owner they exhibit this elitist quality GK, it really is truly amazing the mentality that has begun to infiltrate our love for Honda. Perhaps we don't see it as much on this board because we keep the reigns on and the NEWER models are disproportionally represented on HT but I tell you, visit some other boards in the 08 section and it really is very ugly... Hence my firm hold on the sub forum.

if there is a REAL issue, lets see if we can fix it together, but if you come in here and spew fourth things like "Honda knows of the problem and they are covering it up" then I have to say something.

NEVER, and I mean never have I had a company so proactive in helping solve issues with products they sell as Honda is with theirs

johnnydelcampo

bumpp

sky52

big deal....if u cant live with the facto that halogen bulb will dim when the ac or fan kicks in, get an HID, way brighter less current and wattage draw from the battery, or do what i do, buy a VW diesel battery and stick it in.

wellinghurst

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by irvlev &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> but the resale is less than it should be because of the dimming lights issue.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Wrong. If a dealer tells you that they are just trying to take advantage of you. I know, I wholesale cars for a living. I sell these cars all the time and it hasn't come up once. They are moving just like any other 4cyl car right now-fast and furious and for good money.

CWOLFF

it happens with the AC off also, and the bulleting that was posted is for the year 2000. This is a 2008 car and even Honda custmer serivce says that they have no such thing out for the 2008 model.

People don't come here to start problems. i came to this site to see if more people had the same thing going on.

MSchu

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CWOLFF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">it happens with the AC off also, and the bulleting that was posted is for the year 2000. This is a 2008 car and even Honda custmer serivce says that they have no such thing out for the 2008 model.

People don't come here to start problems. i came to this site to see if more people had the same thing going on.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

it's widely accepted the I4 headlights dim... it is NOT an issue whether or not it happens en mass or whether or not folks feel they are alone. The Bullentin is still effective for this years accords with simulars features.

CWOLFF

not according to HMC customer service.

MSchu

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CWOLFF &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">not according to HMC customer service. </TD></TR></TABLE>


so hearsay is now acceptable as fact?
The handout above is being giving to accord I4 owners directly at the dealers when the car is being brought in for clarification on this NON ISSUE by the owner

UA6 BALLER STATUS

I gotta agree with irvlev on this one, Honda should take care of this problem, I'd say it should be a recall.

CWOLFF

yes i know it is, i got one. But after i seen the date on it i called Honda and they told me that there was NO such service bulletin out for the 2008 Accord.

So i think i will believe Honda.