Hello everyone,

I have a 2001 Accord coupe EX-V6 with 93k miles. I have taken care of my car as best as possible (timely oil changes, tune up, etc). My Accord OBD has been giving me some problems lately. The ABS, TCS, and Brake lights have all lit up simultaneously. Not only that, but my dashboard light has completely stopped working. It use to flicker on and off randomly, but it has completely turned off now. I also have the check engine light (took it to auto zone for a scan - p0401 is what came up) and SRS (called Honda to schedule due to recall). But the ABS related and dashboard light problems seemed to happen concurrently around the same time. I have searched online and it seems like this is a common problem with Honda (cant really say if it is just my make and model or all across Honda automobiles).

My question(s): Honda wants to charge $80 just for a diagnostic run. However, reading up online has got me thinking that this is a common problem with Honda cars. If this really is a defective issue caused by Honda, is there anything I can do to get the fee waived and possibly have them at the least fix it for a reduced price (of course meaning whatever reason the lights came on is not of my doing)? I know this is a long shot because my warranty has been up since the dawn of man...
Second, I am planning on trading in my car in about a month. If they insist on charging me down to the last penny for everything, is it worth the price? Does having all the lights on/off greatly reduce the trade in value (more than what it would cost to fix)?
Third, can there be a chance there isn't anything mechanically wrong or damaged but the sensors are just off?

Note: All my maintenance the last 6-7 years has come from a family friend and not Honda. Will this make a difference in the way they quote me? The first 5 years were strictly Honda but I figured nothing would go wrong by that point and started getting service done elsewhere.

Thank you!

 

if its an electrical problem on the car i doubt they are going to waive anything. i am assuming you ahve chedk all fuses and battery connections and grounds to start with, from there it becomes a tracing game of wires and plugs and checking the gauge cluster etc...

 

All the trouble indicator lights being on will effect the value of your car. Have you tried disconnecting the battery to reset the codes? It might be worth $80 to lead you in the direction of a fix.