AzAssassin

Picture of error codes for my 2000 Accord LX V6


Hello, y'all! I have a 2000 Honda Accord LX V6 3.0L with around 235,000 miles on it and it needs some mechanical work done on it ASAP, so I would really appreciate some information and suggestions.

I have quite a commute currently, 76 miles each way to and from work, so I drive a little over 600 miles just driving to and from work 4 days a week. I had the codes pulled at Auto Zone a few weeks ago and my Accord is apparently having frequent issues with misfires, so I'm thinking that I likely need to replace my spark plugs and, possibly, the coils/wires, right away. So, I was hoping to get some advice/suggestions/links for where to buy spark plugs and coils, and also try to get an idea of what it should realistically cost to have them installed on my vehicle?

As for my power steering pump, I just ordered a new pump from eBay that should be here within the next day or two, so I also wanted to ask what the labor to install that should likely cost? Or, is installing a new power steering pump something that I may be able to do myself? I don't have many tools, nor am I particularly mechanically experienced or inclined, but I was thinking that it may be a fairly straightforward and relatively simple job to do. And I was quoted about $90 to have the power steering pump installed by a local mechanic shop, so I would really like to avoid that cost and save myself $90, if I can likely install it myself. However, if it's likely a smart decision to have the work done by a shop, I'll plan on having it done professionally and spending the $90.

I should mention that I was also quoted around $90 to replace/install the new spark plugs and coils by the same shop; so it would be around $180 total to do that work and install the new power steering pump. I also spoke to a guy who does side work and he said that he would charge me $150 to do the work, which should take him 3-5 hours, but having him do the work would be something of an inconvenience for me, so I'm most likely going to be OK with paying $30 more to have it done by the local mechanic shop (Fletcher's Tire and Auto).

As far as what parts to buy, could someone recommend which spark plugs and coils I should try to get for my 2000 Accord LX V6 3.0L? I'm mostly concerned with cost, so I'd really like to try to get suggestions on relatively affordable parts that some of y'all would recommend for my vehicle. And if someone would recommend where I should try to buy spark plugs and coils, that'd be great.

I have Amazon Prime, so I could order online from Amazon and get the items with their 2-day shipping. As for the town where I live, it's a pretty small town in Arizona (Payson) and we don't have many auto parts store options. However, we do have an Auto Zone, an O'Reilly Auto Parts, a CarQuest, and Walmart as potential options.

Btw, I just called the local O'Reilly Auto Parts store in town and they have some spark plugs for $3 each that the guy said are decent plugs. Or, they have ACDelco Platinum plugs for $7 each. Would it be worth it to pay the extra $4 per plug to get the ACDelco Platinum plugs?

The guy at O'Reilly also said that it may not be necessary to buy new coils, so that I should just buy new spark plugs for now and see if that helps. So, I think that's the route I'll go with for now and see if getting new spark plugs installed makes a significant difference.

Btw again, I just called Fletcher's Auto Shop (where I plan on having the work done) and the guy said it should take about 30 minutes to replace the spark plugs, so $45 for labor. He also said to specifically get either NGK or Denso plugs and that they should be around the same $3-$7 price range. Does this seem like good advice for spark plugs?

And one more question. The error codes also showed an issue with the temperature sensor/gauge, and I bought a new one from eBay a few weeks back, but I lost it somewhere in the mess in the back seat of my car, so I basically forgot about it. Now that I'm hopefully actually going to be getting some work done, I'd like to also try to get the new temperature sensor installed. So, 1.) Is installing a new temperature sensor something that I should/might be able to do myself? And, 2.) If not, how much should I expect this to cost at a mechanic shop? 3.) Could this be why the temperature gauge in my car frequently stops registering? And, 4.) Could there be any other issues being caused by the temperature sensor needing to be replaced?

I apologize for the lengthy post. If someone has some helpful information and advice, some replies would definitely be genuinely appreciated. And thanks in advance to anyone who tries to help me with these questions!



And I'm not sure if I'm doing it properly, but if this image displays for y'all to see, this is a picture of the error codes report that I got from Auto Zone a few months back (about 17,000 miles ago).

Evidently, I forgot to mention/neglected to notice that the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) Valve also needs to be replaced and that all of my car's EGR ports should be cleaned. A quick glance at the first few Google search results shows that an EGR Valve will likely cost around $50? And I also must ask, is this EGR Valve something that I can likely remove and install myself? And if not, does anyone have an idea of time/cost for this replacement?

As always, helpful replies would be appreciated!

user456101

With Honda's you should only use NGK or Nippon denso plugs. Plugs are cheap if you do them yourself. Get the same plugs the car came with. Copper plugs last a couple of years. Platinum tipped plugs last about twice as long and Iridium tipped plugs last over 100,000 miles. My advice is never pay someone to change your spark plugs. It is just too easy to do yourself so long as you do it when the engine is cold and you use a light touch (13 lb-ft torque) when tightening the new plugs down. Once you've done it once you will never pay someone to do it for you. The coils and the distributor for that matter, are the same. But, before you start buying and swapping out parts you really should watch some Youtube videos on troubleshooting misfire problems from guys like Scotty Kilmer and Ericthecarguy, and ChrisFix. You can reset the codes by taking the negative terminal off the battery and leaving it off for a few seconds and then putting it back on. If there is a cylinder that doesn't have a misfire swap (not switch, swap) the coils and see if the problem moves to that cylinder. That would indicate the coil that was moved was good and the one that is now on that cylinder is bad. If nothing changes then neither of the coils has a problem. Next try moving the fuel injectors. Again, watch some videos on how to do this. Same thing. If the good cylinder is now bad then the fuel injector that was just installed in it is bad. Hondas have lots of problems with the fuel injectors failing. You can try cleaning them or you can get rebuilt ones at AutoZone for about $40 each, I think. It could also be the distributor. If it is all of the cylinders then I would suspect the distributor. Again, if you have the time, I would watch some YouTube videos to help you troubleshoot the problem. For the steering pump it is something you can do yourself if you have the tools, but you might try Scotty Kilmer's trick of trying to make your current one work by taking some power steering fluid out of the reservoir and putting in some Transtune, and moving the steering wheel back and forth a bunch. The six cylinder Accords also had a problem with the EGR clogging up and causing problems. Both Scotty and Ericthecarguy have videos on fixing that.

user456101

You can subscribe to alldatadiy.com for about $30 for a year and get all of the repair and maintenance information that exists on your car. The videos I mentioned may not/do not have the exact way to do it on your exact car, but the alldatadiy.com instructions are specific to your exact car. It will probably pay for itself many times over.

holmesnmanny

It's very unlikely you need any coils. First clean out the egr ports and replace the engine coolant temperature sensor and the spark plugs. Make sure to set the gap correctly. Then clear the codes and run it. Check for codes.