Originally Posted by YeuEmMaiMai

OK, Since we don't have any sticky faqs about accords other than the swap for the 5spd, I thought I would start a FAQ on the 6th gen V6 cars using information from various sources.

6th gen covers years 1998 through 2002

These are the american cars as the ones for Japan and Europe are built on the same platform but have totally different looks and options. V6 Accords are not available in Europe or Japan and as far as I know you can get them only in the Americas and Taiwan

1. What are the models offered? To the best of my knowledge they are as follows:

Sedan comes in DX, LX, LX-V6, EX EX-V6, Accord V6, and the occasional SE

Coupe comes in LX, LX-V6, EX, EX-V6, Accord V6 and the occasional SE

2. What are the engines and trannies offered?

DX: 135HP 2.3L non V-Tec motor.
SE, EX and LX: 150HP 2.3L SOHC V-Tec I4.
LX-V6 and EX-V6: 200HP 3.0L SOHC V-Tec.

All 4Cyl cars: manual standard and auto optional.
All V6 cars: 4spd automatic.

The SE was basically an indication that the 6th gen accord was in it's last year and was in a nut shell an Accord with all of the popular options installed

3. What's this I hear about the 6th gen trannies being crap?

Well to be honest they are at the same level of quality as the rest of the car. The two main problems are as follows:

a. Differential bearing failure- usually indicated by the axle seals leaking
b. 2nd gear clutch pack failure- usually indicated by lack of second gear, excessive slipping in other gears, car redlines before shifting, delayed shifting (car hold current gear way longer than it should.

Honda states that the failure rate is somewhere around 2% but in reality it is most likely more like 5-8%

4. Why are the auto trannies so weak and what can be done to fix them?

The problems with the 6th gen trannies is twofold:

a. Differental bearings were made from substandard parts
b. 2nd gear clutch pack does not receive proper lubrication

To fix them you really have only 2 choices, rebuild or replace transmission. There is a company out there that has a 6th gen that they guarantee will handle 500 crank HP and will easily outlast the Honda one. Just search on Dr Evil and you will find what you are looking for. Current price on DR Evil trans is $4000 (transmission only) + refundable $500 core.

5. I heard that there is a extended warranty on the automatic?

For all 2000-2001 cars the warranty is 7yr/100K on the trans. 2002 models are exempt from the extended coveratge as Honda states that the problem is taken care of.

For those of us who have a 1998 or 1998 accord V6, you will need to have maint records in hand before you call Honda of America and they will consider it on a case by case basis. It usually breaks down like this (based upon the responses of various V6 owners)

Low milage cars: Honda usually pays 100% for the repair

Medium milage cars: Honda usually splits 50/50 or you pay for labor and they pay for parts.

High Milage cars (excess of 100K) you are on your own.

It is also highly recommended that you put a transmission cooler on your car to prolong the life of the trans and at a minimum change the fluid every year or 30K. I drive about 12K in 1 year and I change my fluid once a year.

6. Tell me about the V6!

Unlike the previous V6 this baby is all aluminum with steel cylander liners and cranks out an impressive 200HP on 87 Octane. As my frinds have stated "Once you drive a honda V6 you will never go back to a 4cylander" (well if you want a smooth quiet ride) It is a 24V SOHC design with V-Tec- with a catch.

The V-Tec in this motor is different than most others as it commonly refered to Economy V-Tec. When the engine operates at low RPMs only 1 intake valve is effectively being used (the second one opens just enough to prevent fuel from pooling above the valve). Once you reach the point where V-Tec engages (approximately 3500RPM) the second intake valve is locked to the first one and you get the full performance of the engine. The down side to this is that you loose low to mid range torque but you get excellent fuel economy in return.

7. Do I need premium fuel for the V6?

No, matter of fact, using premium fuel will result in a loss of power and lower fuel economy. If you doubt this, please refer to the Car and Driver's November 01 issue for HP and accelleration charts for a accord LX-V6. Car and driver could not put their finger on it but in the end it has to do with the lack of a knock sensor and conservative timing on the motor.

8. What is this immobilizer thing in my car?

The immobilizer prevents the car from being started unless the proper coded key is inserted into the ignition. This prevents most theives from starting the car, however it does nothing to prevent them from towing or striping it. Also, if the theif wants the car bad enough and has access to the approperiate software, they can program the car with another key....and a laptop or similar device.

9. What OEM accessories can I add to my car?

See this site for instructions http://www.handaccessories.com . They have a lot of the OEM stuff such as splash guards, OEM fogs, side trim, etc. Use instructions at your own risk.... they are out of certain things so my guess is supply is limited...for example you can no longer get the "LX-V6" emblems from them. Getting OEM stuff and installing it yourself is a lot cheaper than buying it from a dealer and having them install it. ALL true Honda accessories will come with everything you need to install the unit, including the required wire harness and switches if applicable. If you see true OEM parts cheaper than what the big site sell them for, make sure that they are not splitting out the kit and selling each part separately. What good is it if they sell the alarm for $188 and then force you to buy the harness for $100?

10. What is the difference between a USDM car built here in the US and one built in Japan?

As far as I can tell nothing since they are built from the same pool of parts. and they all seem to suffer from the same problems overall (EGR, Trans, Alternator, Ignition Lock, etc). They only built the cars in japan when the US facility could not keep up with demand.

11. I just bought my 6th gen accord, where can I go to check for recalls?

The two best places are owner link located here https://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/...honda or take your car to your local honda dealer and have them run your VIN and inspect the VIN on the engine (recalls are center punched over certain VIN numbers to indicate that they have been performed) to make sure all applicable (if there are any) have been done.

12. How do I pull my engine codes if I do not have a scanner tool?

Do one of the following:

a. Go to Autozone and have them read your codes (it's free)
or
b. See the instructions below

WARNING!!!: USE AT YOUR OWN RISK AS SHORTING THE WRONG PINS WILL RESULT IN DAMAGED ECU.

a. Find the Data Link Connector (DLC) located under the instrument panel in the driver's side. It is bolted to the kick panel and is gray in color on the 1998 models.
b. Jump terminals 8 and 13 by connecting them with a wire/cable.

...............________
...._____|________|_____
.../|1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8|\
../.|==============...|.\
./..|9.10.11.12.13.14.15.16.|...\
/----------------------------------- \
DATA LINK CONNECTOR (DLC)

c. Turn the ignition key to ON and observe the "CHECK ENGINE" light. It will flash the trouble codes. For example: 2
long flashes, pause and then 3 short flashes = 23 = P0325 = Knock sensor circuit fault (4 cyl only).
One short flash = 1. One long flash = 10. If there is no trouble codes, the light will not flash.

Flashes.....Code(s)............................... ..........Description
1...............P0131,P0132....................... .........Primary heated O2 sensor circuit low/high voltage
3...............P0107,P0108....................... .........Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) sensor circuit low/high voltage
4.............. P0335,P0336.................................Cranks haft position sensor
5.............. P1128,P1129.................................Map sensor circuit low/high voltage
6...............P0117,P0118....................... .........Electronic Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor circuit low/high input
7...............P0122,P0123,P1121,P1122........... Throttle position sensor (TPS) circuit low/high input
8...............P1359,P1361,P1362................. ....CKP/TDC sensor 1
9...............P1381,P1382....................... .........CYP Sensor
10.............P0112,P0113........................ ........Intake Air Temperature (IAT) sensor circuit low/high input
12.............P1491,P1498........................ ........EGR valve
13.............P1106,P1107,P1108.................. ...Barometric pressure sensor
14.............P0505,P1519........................ .........IAC valve
17.............P0500.............................. ..............VSS fault
20.............P1297,P1298........................ .........Electric Load Detector (ELD)
21.............P1253.............................. ..............VTEC
22.............P1257,P1258,P1259.................. ....VTEC
23.............P0325.............................. ..............Knock sensor
41.............P0135,P1166,P1167.................. ....Primary heated O2 sensor
45.............P0171,P0172........................ .........System adaptive fuel too lean/rich
48.............P1162.............................. ..............Primary heated O2 sensor
58.............P1366,P1367........................ .........TDC sensor 2
61.............P0133,P1149,P1163,64,65............ Primary heated O2 sensor
63.............P0137,38,39........................ ...........Secondary heated O2 sensor
65.............P0141.............................. ...............Secondary heated O2 sensor
67.............P0420.............................. ...............Catalyst system efficiency below threshold
70.............P0715,20,25,30,40,53,58,63......... .Automatic transaxle malfunction
71.............P0300,P0301........................ ..........Random/Cylinder 1 misfire
72.............P0302.............................. ...............Cylinder 2 misfire
73.............P0303.............................. ...............Cylinder 3 misfire
74.............P0304.............................. ...............Cylinder 4 misfire
75.............P0305.............................. ...............Cylinder 5 misfire
76.............P0306.............................. ...............Cylinder 6 misfire
80.............P0401.............................. ...............EGR insufficient flow
86.............P0116.............................. ...............Electronic Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor range/performance
90.............P1456,P1457........................ ..........EVAP control system leak
91.............P0452,P0453........................ ..........EVAP fuel tank pressure sensor low/high input

The following codes will not flash since they require a code scanner:

P1607-PCM internal circuit failure
P1705,06,38,39,53,68,73,91-Automatic transaxle failure

HOW TO CLEAR TROUBLE CODES (after you fix the problem)
a. Remove ignition key
b. Locate fuse panel on passenger's side
c. Remove fuse no. 13 10 seconds, and then place it back in.

13. When should I change my timing belt?

Under normal circumstances, every 105K (all engines). For severe conditions every 60K (all engines)

14. Why do people think Accords are slow- Even the 6cyl ones?

If you compare the weight and power of a 6th gen Accord to lets say a Ford Taurus of the same vintage, you will see that they pretty much weigh the same. the problem is that both the 4cyl and V6 lack low end torque and as a result are a little slow off of the line. The V6 however takes off like a rocket once you get to 40 and will smoke a taurus in the 1/4 mile (for some years there is nearly a 2 sec and a half of difference) and even the mightly SHO would be given a run for it's money.

Year..Make................0/60...1/4 mile
1989 Ford Taurus SHO 6.6 - 15.2
1991 Ford Taurus SHO 7.7 - 16.2
1992 Ford Taurus SHO 7.5 - 15.4
1995 Ford Taurus SHO 7.7 - 15.8

1998 Honda Accord LX-V6 7.3 to 7.8 - 15.5 to 16.5 (depends upon who tested the car)
1999 Honda Accord Coupe LX-V6 7.4 - 15.8

The new 7th gen 6 speeds get there in well under 15 sec
2004 Honda Accord EX Coupe V-6 6 Speed 5.9 - 14.5

GM's offerings in the same category do not fare any better either.......so the question has to be asked exactly how is the Accord slow compared to it's competition?

The difference between the Accord and the American competitors is low end torque. While the American cars feel peppy around town due to lots of low end torque, the advantage is lost when you are looking for power at FWY speeds which is where the V6 and 4cyl Accords come alive.

15. OK, so the accord really isn't that slow.....but I want to make it FASTER!

There are seveal options.

a. 3.5L swap using the accord intake,fuel injectors and heads. This will put you above the Comptech supercharger with about 260hp. This will give you slightly more low end but due to the intake valve size, it's still pretty limited. This is by far the easiest and cheapest swap as all that is required is the short block.

b. Forced induction via Supercharger or Turbo.

c. The bottle (NOS)

d. frankenstine motor built from various honda V6 parts as almost all of the J series motors use the same block and mounting points.

The major problems you will run into with the accord is the lack of the ECU's ablity to adapt to the new setup (lack of knock sensor) and the weakness of the auto trans (see above for solutions). The fastest 6th gen Accord happens to the the 1998 LX-V6 coupe since it is not loaded down with a lot of extras like moon roof and leather seats. In each year the LX-V6 is still the fastest but they are not as fast as the 1998 model due to the increased weight thanks to the addition of traction control, expansion of the abs system, etc.


16. OK I know about the timing belt already how about the rest of the scheduled maint on the car?

First look in the owner's manual and if that is not available, you can use owner's link, Google, your dealer, haynes or chilton's manual, etc.


17. What should I keep in my trunk in case of emergency (besides what already comes with the car)?

My list is as follows:

1. blanket
2. jumper cables
3. flash light
4. small shovel
5. small plastic tote (to keep the blanket and smaller items from flaping around)
6. road flares and emegergency triangle(s)
7. 2 ton hydraulic jack
8. 1 bottle of oil, PS fluid, ATF, 1 gal of water, and 1 gal of premixed antifreze

I would not recommend a fix-a-flat type of stuff as tire change companies will charge you up the rear to clean that stuff off of your rims and the service tire will suffice on a rear wheel. If you have a flat on the front, I would move the rear tire fron that side to the front and place the service tire on the rear. This will prevent you from toasting your brakes if you ever have to panic stop and give you better control over the car if you have to swerve out of the way.

18. What are the common problems with the V6 accord (besides the trans)?

a. EGR port clogging- If your car is less than 8 years old and has less than 80K on it, this can be fixed under recall by replacing the EGR valve and enlarging the EGR port on the Intake maifold(only if your car has a CEL related to EGR Valve). When this happens your CEL will come on with a stored code of 12 for EGR. At first, the car will seem to drive fine but if left untreated, your gas milage and performance will suffer. If you have more than 80K on your car, the dealer may or may not fix it free. I was lucky and got mine fixed for free at 89.XXX K

b. Wheel clicks when turning and it's not your CV joints. Apply some caliper grease between your wheel and rotor after you clean off the mating surfaces.

c. Ignition switch wears prematurely and kills engine intermittently. Have Honda run your VIN and preform recall if needed.

d. Safety Interlock does not allow you to remove your key when in park or key can be removed when not in park. Have Honda run your VIN and perform recall if needed

e. Sunroof squeaks. Go visit your local honda dealer and get some anti-squeak tape and apply to sunroof opening along the edges that make contact with the glass panel.

f. SRS throws codes related to sensors for occupants. There is a recall on this and the Honda dealer should take care of this free of charge.

19. How do I get max speed in 4th gear? WARNING DO AT YOUR OWN RISK

First off the ECU will lock you out of 2nd at anything above 60mph and lock you out of 3rd at anything above 90mph(lockout means it will no longer downshift even if you place the selector into the gear you want). So how do you get max speed in 4th you ask? Simple at any speed below 90 put shifter into third and take car to redline, wait for torque converter to lock up and go to redline again. Once you hit redline again (apprioximately 116mph- usually indicated by 120-122 on speedo) and then shift to 4th. You will have enough torque to get to max speed in 4th at that point. My friend's husband tried this in her 99 Accord coupe and he got the speedo to 140+

20. So now that I am done speeding, how to I get max fuel ecomony?

Simple, let the car shift at about 1500 to 2000 on the tach when in the city. Doing this I get an average of 24 with 65/35% city/hwy driving. Also it doesn't hurt to keep it under 75 on the HWY either.

21. Will my radio / CD player play MPS or recorded CDs?

The short answer: NO

The longer answer: MP3s? NOPE. However, the Accord's CD player may or may not play CD-R based CDs. To ensure best results, do the following:

a. Use a quality media such as Verbatim, TDK, etc.
b. Use a slowe burn rate (IE if your writer can rip them at 52X, use 24x)
c. Ensure that you have the "verify data" option checked to verify data was written correctly.
d. Use the standard CD format only and not the Text CD format available for newer CDs

I have had excellent results with this player and my burned CD collection. I have noticed that this player skips more than the factory unit in my '94 LX but it may just be due to the slightly steeper mounting angle in the dash.

22. Oh Crap, my CD jammed the player!

Do not use stick on labels as they will cause the transport to jam. If you must have a label, invest in a LightScribe or similar drive to "burn" the label into the top of the CD.

23. Why do my lights flicker when I change gears or use an accessory?

Install a good quality ground wire kit. I will get my kit from V6 Performance once their minimum buyer list is meet. It will solve this problem of improper grounding.

24. Why is it that the 6th gen cars have so many problems?

I really don't know but as I understand it, Honda had "assistance" from GM with the design of the transmission, The V6 alt comes from Delphi, The instrument cluster comes from Ford, etc. It seems like a lot the 6th gen parts come from American suppliers versus Japanese ones. This could have something to do with it. The 6th Gen Accord is said to be 97% USDM content....Even with all of it's problems, it is by far a more trouble free car than what Ford or GM offeres in the same class.

25. How do I get assistance with my car?

To their credit , Honda seems to address most of the problems fairly well through HOA as long as you are reasonable with them.

26. Why does my Check Engine light come on after I install some high wattage blue bulbs?

Since the early 90's the Accord has had a "Electrical Load Detector". When you install a higher wattage bulb, they are typically 85W to 110W versus the 55W stock bulbs. The ELD will detect that there is an improper load on the electrical system and therefore throw out a CEL. Before you say "well my car isn't affected", rest assured it does happen. Both of my friends have accord V6 coupes (1999 and 2000 respectively) and both are EX and both throw codes when you install the 110W bulbs. My car a 1998 LX-V6 does not throw a code and neither did my friends 2001 EX with a 4 cylander. Verified with several honda dealers in the Chicago and St Paul/Minneapolis area.

27. I want to swap a 6speed in what is the best route?

I would say the best route is the Acura CL 6 speed swap. This will require messing around with your ECU and replacing your VSS, lockout, and reverse switches with those from the manual car. There is a lot of wiring involved and it would not do this unless you are an experienced mechanic.

28. I don't like my thin steering wheel because it is too thin but I don't want to change it to the acura one. What can I do?

The simplest thing is to buy the Honda leather steering wheel cover for the EX model and install it yourself. It is well worth the $45 and takes about 30-60mins to install. I got one and I like it very much. Make sure that you pull the string tightly as instructed and you can really pull on it. It really makes the wheel feel a lot better and it is warmer on those cold days.

29. How do I reset the Main't required light?

This is easy, hold down the trip reset button and turn the car to the ON position while continuing to hold the reset button for 2 more seconds and then release the button. The light should then go out. If 2 seconds does not work repeat prcedure holding the button down for a longer period of time. This procedure is the same for the 7th gen (2003-Present at the time of this FAQ) cars as well.

30. Anyone got a list of common problems and fixes?

Here you go....click on the following link and it will take you to all of the most common problems and how to fix them.

http://www.bwimports.org/forum...t=900


the above link leads you here:

http://www.98exl.com/tsb.php pick 6th or 7th gen


Modified by YeuEmMaiMai at 3:34 PM 3/21/2006

Originally Posted by ;28245058

your DLC pinout is incorrect... I followed it and now my car wont start. See Pics as proof. any ideas what might have happened? just a warning to others who might follow the diagram.

your pinout....



the plug...