(2003 Honda Accord Ex 4 dr/cyl) 105,000 miles

Couple years ago the car was broken into 2 seperate occasions Im aware of. After the 2nd time, I started having some electrical problems. I had a subwoofer and amp hooked up in the trunk, and the theives had all but one wire disconnected. There are still 5 CDs stuck in the changer.

1. No power to radio. No lights. No error code. Nothing.(Anti-Theft light blinking)
2. No lights to shifting - Park, Reverse etc. (Dashboard works fine)
3. Passenger window and lock do not operate. Must Lock manually.
4. BRAKE light is on. (Parking brake is not on) Manual says replace brake fluid, and if that doesnt work it is some sort of brake system failure, or the front pads are wearing. (will fully inspect within the next 2 days)
5. Moonroof will not fully open. "Vent" position is all that works.
6. The backseat ceiling light has been shorted. Slightly melted as well.
7. Trunk will not open with key. Must open with gas/trunk lever up front.
8. Replaced the belt, in an effort to eliminate a light, brief screaching noise during some start-ups. Did not stop the problem.
9. Also, is it bad that when I turn my temperature from hot to cold it makes a noise? I've always just thought it did that, but since I made a list, I'll include that as well. (Possibly connected to another issue??)

Engine wise, the car is great. Need an oil change, but that is it. Will do this week as well. Also have looked a little online for any recalls, and have found one that would explain why my headlights dont do much at night. Will have to contact dealership. My only concern with that is, I did not purchase directly from dealership and someone stated that they wont be held responsible, but I dont think that would matter.

Any suggestions? Advice? Fixes?
ALSO - borrowed a scanner from a friend, and it reads nothing is wrong. Checked all fuses, and they are fine.

NEED HELP

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results." -Einstein

 

Not even sure where to start......did I ever say I hate electrical issues.

First, check the brake fluid level.

From there, what fuses have you checked and in which fuse panel?

Next, I'd have to start with one issue at a time.......does the glove box light work? Working on gear position light.

 

YES. LOTS of problems. The glove box light is not on. I checked both fuse boxes, and everything seems to be fine.

Which also reminded me of my car adapters(I have 2), to plug in say a phone charger, within 6 months of owning the car both stopped working. Ive had an extension hooked directly to the battery to an adapter in order to have phone charger in emergencies.

Ive taken photos of the brake fluid for you to see. My manual says to replace every 9 years, which this year is number 9.

If you want pictures of anything, let me know. 2 mechanics suggested removing dashboard to check for shorts. A 3rd friend said to check the stereo wires. AND if I am supposed to have a trunk light in this model, that also does not work. If ever.

 

First (worry about safety things first), the brake fluid does not look low enough in the pic to set the light....however you do need to have it changed.....it should look like fresh cooking oil???, sorry best I have right now.

If you have time and a few basic tools we can walk you thru changing the brake fluid.

As for the electrical stuff, this is going to take some time with wire diagrams and trying to piece things together.....did I ever say I HATE ELECTRICAL issues.

So again we are going to have to work on one thing at a time, they may be related but we don't want to get confused by trying all at once.

This could get long so PLEASE add your car info (Year, trim, doors, engine and trans) to your signature so we don't have to go to the first post to know.

Also know that until tests are done I will assume fuses are bad....I know you said you checked them but when I asked which ones and where the answer.....well didn't answer that question, don't take that the wrong way....just like asking about the glove box light, either the bulb in the glove box is bad (along with several others) or the fuse is blown.

Do you have a test light....or better yet a volt meter?

 

Example of wire tracing.....in this pic the red arrow I drew is the "power" (12v) to the glove box light.......so the relay/control box should get 12v from the #4 15 amp under hood fuse box.....ground for the realy/control box should come from the MICU or the light switch.

Again....don't want to sound like an a@* hole......really want to help but things are not adding up in my tiny little head.

 

OKAY. SO. I ripped out (well, gently removed) all the old wiring throughout the car that had to do with the previous sound system. AFTER that i checked both fuse boxes, and found out the in-cabin fuses were jacked up. Everything was mixed and one was blown. After getting it straightened out, and purchasing a couple fuses, my radio is ALIVE! (I had a friend replace my serpentine belt, and he "supposedly" checked my fuses. Obviously he saw how jacked up they were and said they were fine, HA!) BUT I have one more problem, my CD player is non-functional. I still need to remove the block, unjam 5 CDs, and disconnect this AUX adapter that is the ONLY thing left over from that sound system install. The reason why I stopped at that was bc the wires are soldered together, and I want to cut and rewire properly. Im expecting at most, I will have to replace the CD block, but have reasearched how to fix that even.

The glove box light, after looking up in the manual, only turns on when the headlights are on, so i tested that and it does work.

I discovered while my dashboard was dismembered, that the accesory outlet was unplugged. Have plugged it back in and still no power. Fuse for that has been replaced. So Im thinking that I may need to replace a part or two.

The brake fluid is filthy. The manual has said that I should first replace the fluid and then go from there. The friend who replaced the belt said it could be a sensor that Ive spilt liquid on. Not too sure if thats the case. Visual inspection of the pads and rotors check out fine. I will be replacing that myself, and have another friend who can assist me. (Just waiting for the right weekend, being that last weekend I had to attend a funeral. And this week, Ive been on-call for jury duty.)

Update on the backseat overhead light; The actuall unit/part that you would plug into is in need of a quick solder or a full replacement. My soldering equipment is out of date and not getting hot enough. Will need to ask a friend, and if that doesnt work, I attempted to find the price of the part online, but was unable to find it.

Next thing Ive been looking into is the front passenger door lock, and window. I keep reading that before I replace any parts, that I should test them for power before hand. Im still hearing the clicking as if its trying to unlock/lock and the window is trying to function up/down, so im certain its not the motors or switches. 3 seperate articles we'll call them, have said that it was something as simple as the rubber track/seal that became bunched up or crinkled which is avoidable with a simple lubrication of silicone spray(which i already own). One more suggestion Ive found is that one small component of the door lock actuator, has broken etc., and can be glued back together. The price for an actuator is $12-$15 which is reasonable. So i feel like just replacing it is better than glue, which wont last forever im sure.

2003 HONDA ACCORD EX 4CYL(2.4) 4 DOOR SEDAN

 

FORGOT TO MENTION!

My brake fluid is coming out of the top of the reservior. Tried finding a replacement cap but will have to go through dealership. Which probably means expensive. Not sure if that makes any difference to BRAKE light staying on.

 

There's a liquid-level sensor in the brake fluid reservoir, check that. Earlier years it was a float attached to the cap, but I think 2003 it's down in the reservoir. That will set off the same warning lamp as if you have the handbrake set.

Cruddy fluid... Yes, fresh fluid would be a good thing. Fluid absorbs moisture from the air which makes it corrosive. Bleed the fluid every couple years. Sometimes it's convenient to do that in conjunction with installing new brake pads.

Common thing is you add fluid over the year(s) as the brake pads wear down. Then when you install new pads you have to press the caliper pistons back in to make room for the new pads, which pushes all the fluid back to the reservoir & overflows. But you didn't JUST install new pads, did you?

If the plastic reservoir is cracked & leaking, that might also mess up the sensor, IF(?) the sensor is some kind of sensor NOT a simple float. I don't remember what they did for that...

 

Does the "other" socket work? There is one in the dash and I'm pretty sure another in the arm rest.