Honda Accord Lights Issues

While the Honda Accord is a great all-around car, it can also be prone to many of the common issues that affect all automobiles. This includes lighting issues, as the Accord has plenty of them, each designed for a different function—which means plenty can go wrong if it’s not spotted in time, or simply due to constant use.

A prevalent issue in Honda Accords is a burned-out bulb. Headlights, taillights, or interior lights can stop working when their bulbs reach the end of their lifespan. To fix this, first identify the faulty bulb. Turn off the vehicle, ensure the lights are cool, and replace the burned-out bulb with a new one. It’s a straightforward fix that usually involves removing the light cover and swapping out the old bulb for a new one.

Another common problem is a malfunctioning headlight relay. This relay controls the power flow to the headlights, and if it’s faulty, the headlights may not work properly. Locate the headlight relay in the fuse box and replace it with a new one. This is a simple and cost-effective solution that can restore proper headlight function.

Lastly, electrical issues can cause lighting problems in Honda Accords. This could be due to a failing alternator or a weak battery. If the alternator isn’t charging the battery effectively, or if the battery is losing its charge, the lights may dim or flicker. Testing the battery and alternator with a voltmeter can diagnose this issue. If either is failing, they will need to be repaired or replaced to ensure the electrical system functions correctly.

Below you’ll find a list of common light issues with various generations of the Honda Accord. We won’t go too in depth, but we’ll provide enough information to give you a general grasp of each problem. This way, you can be more prepared to take care of your car and keep it running for a long time to come.

Honda Accord Lights Won’t Turn On/Off

In general, if the lights on a Honda Accord don’t turn off there are a number of possible causes. These can range from malfunctioning relays to burned out fuses to blown light bulbs to what-have-you. In turn, the severity of the problem depends on the cause and location of the light system.

The particulars of the problem will likely vary depending upon the specific light system in question—are they headlights, brake lights, dashboard lights, etc.—as well as the cause. Accurately diagnosing the problem is very helpful regardless. Even if you can’t fix it yourself, whatever information you glean can be very informative for the mechanic to which you bring the car.

Keep reading for detailed descriptions of specific light problems. We’ll go through headlights, low beams, fog lights, and interior lights, detailing the specific causes for individual problems with each.

Honda Accord Glove Box Light Stays On

In many models of the Honda Accord the glovebox light comes on when you turn the headlights on. This is standard and essentially unavoidable, but can be very annoying to some people. After all, who wants the distraction of a lightly glowing glovebox when you are driving at night? It can certainly be frustrating, especially for those for whom lighting at night makes a huge difference in vision quality.

In some models of the Honda Accord, the glovebox light will shut off on its own after ten minutes or so. In others, it will not. Refer to your specific model’s user manual to see whether it has this automatic cutoff switch. Alternatively, test your system by simply activating the glove box light and timing it for ten minutes to see if it shuts down on its own.

In many models, there is no toggle switch to turn it off and on. If it is a problem for you, the simplest solution would be to remove the bulb and simply drive without the glovebox light. You can replace the bulb at any time if it is needed. You can also have a dimming or cutoff switch installed by a mechanic, but this is significantly more expensive and time consuming.

Honda Accord Low Beam Not Working

Another problem that could occur is the failure of the low beams to operate. There are several possible causes for this. These include simply a blown bulb, a problem with an electrical relay for the light, or a problem with the high beam/low beam switch.

If the problem involves only one of the beams, the most likely culprit is the bulb. If it is a bulb, the fix is to simply replace bulb. Make sure that you get the right bulb specifically for your low beams, as it may be different from your actual headlights themselves.

Most other failures that involve both lights usually involve the high beam control switch or an internal relay of some sort. This is because the low beams and high beams are frequently, if not always, attached to the same relay system, so an issue with one will cause an issue with the other. As with a burned bulb, in the case of a failed switch or relay, replacing the respective part is generally recommended.

Honda Accord Fog Lights Won’t Turn On/Off

Your fog lights are extremely important if you frequently drive in low-light conditions. If the fog lights on a Honda Accord do not turn on, it may be a failing fog light switch that is the culprit. The fog light switch works just like other electrical switches and can fail and break in similar fashion. If rendered inoperable, it will keep the fog lights from turning on regardless of the condition of the bulbs.

Alternatively, if the fog lights don’t turn off, it’s possibly a blown fuse or a relay malfunctioning. Generally, if there’s an interruption in the relay process, say by a relay that’s been improperly grounded to pass along a signal, the signal from the interior switch to the bulbs is lost and the bulbs won’t turn on. This can mean a buildup of electricity, which can be dangerous.

These aren’t particularly serious issues, and can generally be repaired quickly by either adjusting or replacing the relay system. That being said, be careful if you’re attempting to fix it at home! Electrical shorts and damage mean you become an easy conductor; take proper precautions to make sure you aren’t shocked.

Honda Accord Rear Fog Light Not Working

As with the front fog lights, if the Honda Accord rear fog light is not working, the possible culprits are a burned-out bulb, a blown fuse, or a bad relay. The only real difference is the location, which might make replacing parts more difficult or cumbersome.

As before, if only one of the bulbs is out, it’s probably just the bulb. The good thing about this situation is that it probably won’t affect anything else in the electrical system. Replace the bulb with a new one and test it.
If it is a blown fuse, however, it keeps the electrical circuit from functioning, thereby preventing the bulbs from lighting. This is a protective measure to keep the circuit from overloading and causing more significant problems. As before, be very careful in replacing this yourself or take your car to a professional.
Like a blown fuse, a bad relay will also keep a fog light from coming on. Relays transfer power from the battery to the light; when they fail, the light doesn’t shine. Replace the relay to solve the issue.

If none of these solutions work, you may have a wider mechanical problem on your hands. Consider picking up diagnostic equipment or having your car’s systems and parts tested at your local auto shop. You may need to disassemble parts of the car for these diagnostics, so be prepared to spend time with it off the road.

Honda Accord Daytime Running Lights Not Working

Another problem that sometimes comes up with the Honda Accord is a failure of the daytime running lights to function. In some models, excess heat from the daytime running light LEDs has been known to damage the daytime running light lens. As a result of such damage, some of the daytime running light LEDs may not function, or simply may appear not to function.

There have been instances where such an occurrence happened within the first 10,000 miles on the car. That’s not good. And to add insult to injury, the design of the headlight necessitates replacing the entire assembly if this should happen. Again, not good.

Honda has extended warranties to deal with this problem, and that remains the best option to get it fixed. Take your Accord to a Honda dealership and see if they will swap the parts out for you. It’s worth noting that attempting to fix the lights yourself might void the warranty, so if you run into this problem, taking your car into a mechanic should be your first step.

Copyright protected article by Know My Auto and was first published on Mar 20, 2021. .

Honda Accord Dashboard Lights Not Working

The dashboard lights on the Honda Accord can also sometimes pose problems. If they start flickering, for example, that is usually an indicator of either a dying car battery (especially if you’re having issues with other light systems at the same time) or a failing alternator (which can mean your car is having trouble starting or won’t start at all). Either way, you should probably bring it to a mechanic.

Some common issues with dashboard lights are:

All of the lights on the dashboard are dark. This usually indicates that a fuse has been blown. The fix is usually just replacing the fuse. However, if it goes dark again, that may indicate that there is a more serious electrical issue that must be dealt with.
Only part of the dashboard goes dark. This usually means there are several lights that backlight the board and one or more (but not all) of those have blown. You’ll likely need to bring the car to a professional to get the problem fixed because accessing those lights is not easy, as it requires getting behind the dashboard itself, where there is very little room.
The dashboard lights have gone dim, but not dark. This may be the easiest fix; usually, the case is just that the dimmer switch has been erroneously set at the wrong level. Just turn it back up and you should be good.
The bulbs simply being burnt out or damaged. In this case, you’ll just need to replace the bulbs.
A malfunctioning headlight or multifunction switch. You will need to replace the switch, which can be more complicated than the bulbs, especially if you don’t have much mechanical experience.
A malfunctioning light sensor or relay. Again, this is a simple replacement job that requires fairly basic mechanical knowledge but is complicated by the need for electrical knowledge.
The daytime running light module may be damaged. This is a slightly more serious issue that should be dealt with by your mechanic.

Alternatively, and it may sound funny but it’s true, it’s possible that you have just turned on the headlights while driving during the day! That generally causes the dashboard lights to dim—again it’s an easy fix. Just turn the headlights off! Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone.

Honda Accord Dash Lights Stay On

Generally speaking, all the indicator lights on the dashboard signify that there is some problem that requires a mechanic’s attention. The various indicator lights have different meanings signifying different problems.

There are many lights on your Honda’s dashboard, but generally, they fall into a few categories:

System function indicators. These lights indicate that you have a system (such as the headlights, fog lights, low beams, all-wheel drive, or cruise control) functioning. If these stay on when the system is clearly off, you may just have a faulty connection.
Parked function indicators. These lights, like your system indicators, show that a system is functioning in your vehicle that should only function when parked. This can mean a door is open, seatbelts are unbuckled, or the parking brake is on. If these indicators are on while you are driving, pull over and assess the indicated system to see if it was left on or open by mistake.
System maintenance indicators. These are the lights that show a problem in your car’s function, such as your “check engine” light, oil change, tire pressure, and temperature indicators. If one of these lights is on, it means your car needs maintenance to run properly.
System failure indicators. These are serious problems, such as with your braking system or charging system. If you see one of these lights while driving, pull over immediately and assess your car. If you cannot fix it yourself or don’t have the tools with you, have your car towed to a mechanic. Don’t drive it yourself.

As a general rule, if any one of these lights stays on for no apparent reason, you really need a professional to look the car over. These lights are designed with your safety in mind, to give you an early warning when a part is in need of maintenance, so it’s important to keep an eye on them.

Checking Honda Accord Dashboard Light Codes Yourself

If you want to try to diagnose the issue yourself, then you are going to need a tool called an OBD reader. They can cost you anywhere from $30 for a basic model to $150 for more advanced tools. Simply plug the reader in, wait for it to give you the go-ahead, and then start the car.

The reader will show you the codes that are causing the lights to appear on the dashboard—this is the errors that your Accord is reporting to the car’s main computer. Take a picture of the code and the light before doing anything, that way you can see the code even if it disappears on you. Once you know what error code the car is reporting, you can start to diagnose the actual issue.

However, a dashboard light is often an indication that there is a serious issue with the car’s systems, and even if you know the code you should still take it into a qualified mechanic to repair. On the off chance it is a minor error, you can clear the code using the device and see if the dash light comes on again. If it does, then you need to take it to a mechanic all the same.

Honda Accord Headlights Not Working

Like any other car, Honda Accords sometimes have problems with their headlights. Such a problem can have a number of possible causes, ranging from the cheapest and easiest to fix in a few minutes to problems that may take your car off the road for a number of days.

The copyright owner of this article is Knowmyauto.com and was first published on Mar 20, 2021..

If the headlights on your Honda Accord aren’t working, it could be caused by:

All of the lights on the dashboard are dark. This usually indicates that a fuse has been blown. The fix is usually just replacing the fuse. However, if it goes dark again, that may indicate that there is a more serious electrical issue that must be dealt with.
Only part of the dashboard goes dark. This usually means there are several lights that backlight the board and one or more (but not all) of those have blown. You’ll likely need to bring the car to a professional to get the problem fixed because accessing those lights is not easy, as it requires getting behind the dashboard itself, where there is very little room.
The dashboard lights have gone dim, but not dark. This may be the easiest fix; usually, the case is just that the dimmer switch has been erroneously set at the wrong level. Just turn it back up and you should be good.
The bulbs simply being burnt out or damaged. In this case, you’ll just need to replace the bulbs.
A malfunctioning headlight or multifunction switch. You will need to replace the switch, which can be more complicated than the bulbs, especially if you don’t have much mechanical experience.
A malfunctioning light sensor or relay. Again, this is a simple replacement job that requires fairly basic mechanical knowledge but is complicated by the need for electrical knowledge.
The daytime running light module may be damaged. This is a slightly more serious issue that should be dealt with by your mechanic.

Lastly, of course, it could be a problem to do with a wire being shaken loose and grounding improperly, in which case you absolutely need to take it to a professional to do the electric work unless you really know what you are doing. There is a high hazard for danger when working on electrics.

Honda Accord Right Headlight Not Working

Of course, sometimes the headlight problems are singular; that is, only one headlight goes out. In such a situation, the most common issue is, again, a burned-out bulb. Your headlight bulbs won’t generally burn out together, meaning it’s more likely to be a one-sided problem. Simply replace the bulb and try the light again.

If it is not caused by a burned-out bulb, then the mostly likely causes include a fuse, a headlight relay, a headlight switch, a dimmer switch, or a wiring fault. Of these, the blown fuse is probably the easiest to fix. The headlight circuit should be detailed in the owner’s manual. Locate the main fuse and replace it with one of the same amperages.

If this doesn’t solve the issue, you may have an issue with the grounding wiring, which, as before, is better taken care of by a licensed electrician. If you have high intensity discharge (or HID) lights, you may also be facing a failure with another component attached to it. This is best taken care of by a mechanic as well, as it can be harder to diagnose and fix.

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KnowMyAuto is the sole owner of this article was published on Mar 20, 2021 and last updated on Dec 15, 2023 .