Ok so most of you guys are 100x smarter than me with 10000x more experience working on cars than me. So I was hoping someone could answer my idiotic question.

First off, I have an 04 Accord EX 2.4l ivtec with 60,000 miles.

Now the problem at hand. My check engine light has been on for a couple months now and I went to autozone to get the code checked and it turns out there is a misfire on cylinder 2. So I figured either the spark plug is bad or the wires are. I bought some spark plugs thinking they would be more likely to go bad than the wires. I popped the hood, took off the plastic cover with "iVTEC" written on it and then got stuck. I couldn't find the wires to the spark plugs to save my life and finally, after leaning into the engine compartment for a couple of hours, realized they were right in front of my face the whole time. As I'm sure you guys know, the spark plug wires are all together on some kind of bar thingy. Anyways, I can't figure out how to get the bar thingy off so I can get to the spark plugs to replace them.

That's what I desperately need someone's help with. How do I get to my spark plugs to change them?

Thanks in advance for all your help.

 

I'm not sure on the 04's but in the 6th gens it is easy....and on most cars I've seen it's the same setup.

There's the valve cover with the spark plug wires going down into it. Inside the chamber is the spark plug. Go buy a spark plug socket if you don't have one. Attach to the end of a socket wrench and unscrew the plug.

If you're not sure how to get the spark plug wire out, you just pull on the cap that sits on the valve cover.

Or maybe there is a cover in the middle of your valve cover? Is that what you're talking about? I think it's just screwed in. BUT if you don't know what you're doing, go take it somwhere to get it done.

 

The 7th-gen has no spark plug wires. It has a mini coil on top of each spark plug.

Look on top of the valve cover (the silver metal part, not the black plastic shroud in front). There's a silver plastic cover on top (part #5). Take that off.


Now underneath THAT cover, there's 4 black coils (#1 in the next picture). One sits on top of each spark plug. There's probably some kind of bolt/bracket holding them down, and the wiring to each coil isn't big & fat like spark plug wires.


I have a sneaky hunch that the 'bar thingy' you're talking about is the fuel rail and what's underneath that are the fuel injectors.

 

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Yeah, it's easy on the 6th gen (and the older cars I had) I swear I could teach my wife to change the spark plugs on my '99 LX (she's not the mechanical type).

But the times, they are a changing.

For the original poster - spend $14 or so on a Haynes manual, Autozone carreis them. It'll tell you all the basic stuff that you would ever need to do. Or, if you want to get more information, spend $70 or so on a Helms manual. Just think of it as an investment - you can buy either, use them, then sell them on ebay whenever you eventually sell your car.

 

If you have the owner's manual, the directions for changing spark plugs is in there. In my 03 manual, it's on page 289 (maintenance section). No need for the service manual for something this simple. Good luck.