wisertime

My 2005 Accord EX 6-cyl 6 speed manual trans engine light came on today while on the highway (after driving and stopping for a while, then back on hwy). I checked the gas cap per the owner manual and filled up after the light came on...no problem there. I have had some trouble with the car turning over after days of sitting idle. Its not a quick start like normal. I've had the battery checked twice at Advance auto and its putting out enough amps (still original battery). I thought for sure the battery was at the end of its life, but both times it checked out strong.

Any thoughts what it could be? I get the oil changed routinely, though I recently moved and have not been to a local dealership yet (my old one was great and took care of a lot of warranty work for me..transmission 3rd gear fix and trim work). I thought it could be bad gas, but it ran fine til the end of the tank.

I read something about valve clearance or catalytic on one of these forums doing a search, but I don't know anything about that. The auto store guy thought I could have a bad ground or something (just guesssing) in regards to the starting problem. The alternator and starter checked out ok on the diagnostic too.

Thanks in advance. I am very curious if the two issues are related. I've had the starting issue for a few weeks prior to today (engine check light).

vectorvtec73

Hey bud,

If it's the original, change the battery. I've worked at an Advance Auto Parts store and although most of the times the machines tested very well, there were always some oddities and once in a while it doesn't necessarily read incorrectly, your car my need to draw more power than the battery can provide. I, personally, would start there if the battery's still 5 years old.

As for the check engine light... I'd see if it still comes on after changing the battery. Do you notice any loss of power(aka, does she have the same haul-@$$ she had before)?

Good luck bud.

wisertime

Thanks for the quick response. The car runs fine. I just happened to notice the check engine light as I was driving. Still hauls ***. I read it can go away after a few days. I thought about changing the battery anyways, but twice tested ok. Again very surprising. In my experience batteries die on their expiration month like clockwork, so I was being proactive. Chalked it up to Honda giving good quality. I did let my car sit idle for about 3 weeks in July and prior to that gave my appliance delivery truck a jump (which in hindsight might have been a bad idea). That is when I noticed the problem.

vectorvtec73

Well it's very nice to know it's still got power, that rules out a lot of potential issues. I would replace the battery even though it tests okay. I've seen 5 year batteries die in 3 years, and I've seen 3 year batteries last 7 years. From what I've seen, it largely depends on what climate you're driving in and what kind of battery is in there.

I will add that your style Honda will start noticeably slowly when it's cold out. I have an 03, and even though it's an I4 5 speed, I believe(may be wrong) they have similar starters. It is my experience that they do start slower than most cars, I've got a brand new battery in mine and when it's below 40 or so, it will be a bit sluggish on the first couple turns. Once it kicks on though, it's fine.

Good luck!

wisertime

Well its been 90 F plus most of the summer, so that's not an issue. Maybe slow doesn't quite describe it accurately either. It just doesn't want to turn over easily and if I don't drive for a few days, its much worse (like a dying battery).

I wouldn't think the engine light would come on because of the battery though (or am I wrong?).

vectorvtec73

Yeah you're not wrong about that. If it is related, there might be a sensor on the battery voltage that might trip the sensor, and even if you're driving it might detect low battery voltage. I have no idea about that part though.

Make sure none of the accessories are hanging. Meaning, make sure the dome lights aren't staying on. Do you have an aftermarket alarm on it? I've seen quite a few of those that randomly drain batteries after a while. Do you have an aftermarket cd deck or amp? Try unplugging those from the system and see if it still starts slowly.

wisertime

Everything is stock. No aftermarket accessories.

vectorvtec73

In that case if none of the accessories are hanging(still check dome lights, trunk light, hell if there's a light under the hood, check that too!), you might want to try a new battery.

Canuck99

Ask your dealer about TSB's on this , I believe they updated the fuel pressure regulator for this issue on all V-6 Accords early on...I am 99% positive.

wisertime

Went back to Advance today. Test said Cylinders 1 and 5 are randomly misfiring. Not too bad I guess. Is replacing plugs something I should have done professionally?

Canuck99

Spark plugs are not to hard seems you did things ok pull them out and check the gap. Sometimes I have seen leaking injectors as well , they will give you missfires and rich cylinders on start up

redbull-1

Ask your Honda dealer regarding your issues.

There was a Fuse Box Replacement technical service bulletin (tsb) #05-014 which can cause starting and/or stalling problems.

Additionally, there was another tsb # 07-020 regarding fuel pump relay.

There was a tsb #08-022 regarding cylinders 1 and 5 random misfire, which the dealer would do a software update.

wisertime

Great information! Thanks...this applies to 2005?

redbull-1

Yes, and the V6.