Another issue... the shifter has gotten stcuk in park and depressing the brake does not allow me to free it until after a dozen or so tries. I read other forums that said it is either the solinoid, brake switch or fuse. Where is the solinoid and which of these three should I check first?

There is a little slot on the shifter cover plate that looks like it has a cover or plug over it... is that where I stick a screwdriver to release the gear shifter until I can fix the problem?
thanks...

 

See this thread on replacing the brake light switch:

honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2826101

 

I know this thread is from a while ago, but I wanted to post a note for other Accord owners who may be having the same problem~ replacing the brake switch worked for me, thankfully! My '03 has 170k miles on it, and when I read the threads on here related to my issue and replacing the brake switch I decided it was worth a try. The part only cost me $12, and it was easy to install. All I had to do was unplug it and mount the new part. I didn't even have to remove any part of the dash. Thanks guys for sharing your knowledge. You saved me a lotta dough!