starts and dies and s/b 00-024 hot soak

EX3V6

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Hi cl206 I bought a 2000 Accord EX recently and I have been driving it for 2 months in New Jersey with no issues up until two days ago. I faced the same engine stall issue and took me 10 mins to move the car. Same thing happened yesterday and it was not a hot day at all, in fact it had just started raining. I googled and could find most answers to replace FPR and ECU with some successful with just a main relay replacement. I also found the video you mentioned on coolant temperature sensor. I wanted to know what the fix is before I blindly go in swapping parts and spending money that I don't have.

Could you please update on the coolant temp sensor replacement?

Thank you!
 

james'99

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Hi cl206 I bought a 2000 Accord EX recently and I have been driving it for 2 months in New Jersey with no issues up until two days ago. I faced the same engine stall issue and took me 10 mins to move the car. Same thing happened yesterday and it was not a hot day at all, in fact it had just started raining. I googled and could find most answers to replace FPR and ECU with some successful with just a main relay replacement. I also found the video you mentioned on coolant temperature sensor. I wanted to know what the fix is before I blindly go in swapping parts and spending money that I don't have.

Could you please update on the coolant temp sensor replacement?

Thank you!

Main relay repair can be free. Did you happen to notice if your check engine light tested when you turned the key on and the car didn't start?

http://www.6thgenaccord.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1061463
 

cl206

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Update: NOT the ECT sensor. Did not fix it. Also I did replace the main relay a few years ago when this started happening and it also DID NOT fix this. Im thinking about Jester's fuel rail but for the time being I am just going to deal with it and take my time. This isn't my daily driver anymore so it isn't a big deal.

Had a exhaust issue recently when I backed into something and cracked the joints at the cat end and exhaust and that took some time to fix.

If I ever finally fix this (if ever) I will certainly update.
 

lothian

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Two things amaze me about the 2000 Honda Accord:

- Popularity
A disproportionately large number of '00 Accords remain on the road than any other year Accord. There has got to be a statistic somewhere on the Internet to back up my observation.

- "Heat Soak"
This seemingly stalwart vehicle is vexed by a stubborn gremlin: the so-called "heat soak" issue, that as of the date of this post, has no definitive resolution.

These two things seem contradictory. Why is this troublesome vehicle so tenacious among its more reliable incarnations? Yet you never see as many, say, '04 Accords on the road. I ask myself every time I see another '00 Accord: "Is that person suffering from the 'heat soak' issue?"

<plaintive sigh>

Anyway...
My 2000 Accord V6 (125k) suffers the EXACT problem with symptoms PRECISELY as described in the Honda TSB 00-024 "Heat Soak" advisory:
- engine won't start or hold idle after the car is driven to operating temp and then parked w/engine off for ~15mins;
- runs rough if gas pedal is held or after transmission is quickly shifted into gear; and,
- MIL will light with resultant misfire codes.
- Let the car cool down for ~10mins and it'll start and run fine.
- This problem recurs consistently and is easily induced.

Note: In most cases, the engine will perform without any symptoms for years. Another more subtle characteristic of the "heat soak" issue is that it tends to begin somewhat out of the blue, then recur intermittently; but once the problem begins, the car will always have it.

Seemingly plausible anecdotes on the Internet about suggested causes of this issue run the gamut:
- ethanol fuel vaporization;
- generally bad quality fuel;
- faulty fuel pressure regulator;
- fuel pressure regulator too small;
- returnless fuel rails;
- problem with main fuel relay solder joints;
- air trapped in coolant;
- overly tight I/E valves;
- EGR issue;
- leaky valve and/or head gaskets;
- bad plugs and/or ignition coils;
- bad coolant temperature sensor;
- blown fan fuse leading to overly hot engine compartment;
...and on and on and on.
(I've deliberately left the less plausible causes off the list.)

Given the anecdotal evidence of multiple, plausible causes and solutions, I have a hunch some part has simply gone bad, but I simply cannot identify the culprit. I'm suspicious that the entire issue may legitimately have more than one specific cause; and, that that cause is due to a specific part failure.. and not exclusively due to "boiling" ethanol-laden fuel.

It's been over 16 years and there is still no vetted recommended fix or fixes to this very common problem that affects this very popular car.
 
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lothian

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I bought a 2000 Accord EX recently and I have...the same engine stall issue. I also found the video you mentioned on coolant temperature sensor. I wanted to know what the fix is before I blindly go in swapping parts and spending money that I don't have.

Could you please update on the coolant temp sensor replacement?

Thank you!

A couple comments...

- 06161-P8C-A01 - "OEM Fuel Pressure Regulator Kit (w/PCM)"
This is the recommended fix described in the Honda TSB 00-024. The kit is expensive, starting at ~$535 online (as of the date of this post). However, it is not guaranteed to fix the problem. I've confirmed this (and you can also) by surveying dealership service managers and independent Honda repair shop techs. Best of all, there are anecdotal reports that the "FPR/ECU" change-out doesn't fix the problem permanently--supposedly, the hot soak gremlin returns after some random passage of months. Soooo, I have not installed this kit.

- 37870-PK2-015 - "Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor"
A video (http://tinyurl.com/hjr3kpu) purports one possible cause of the "heat soak" symptoms is a faulty ECT sensor. Since it seemed plausible (and relatively inexpensive at ~$35), I installed a new OEM ECT sensor (with subsequent coolant air-purge procedure). It had absolutely no effect whatsoever.
 
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zikada

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Okay, I've had my 2002 Honda Accord V6 since 09 and this problem began to happen in 2013. I've been trying to narrow down the solution to this problem for a very long time with no success. It doesn't look like many other people have found a lasting solution either.

I love this car, it is still my daily driver. I've learned to live with the "hot soak" symptoms over the past 3 years.

Firstly, this absolutely does not happen to my 2002 V6 from May to around the end of September. Once we get the "winter blend" gasoline here in NY then the problem immediately comes back.

Secondly, I've learned to either keep my car running if I'm going into a store very quickly or make sure that I'm not coming back to start my car for another 40 minutes for longer errands.

Point being, I don't think there really is a solution to this problem... and it sucks.
 

cl206

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Okay, I've had my 2002 Honda Accord V6 since 09 and this problem began to happen in 2013. I've been trying to narrow down the solution to this problem for a very long time with no success. It doesn't look like many other people have found a lasting solution either.

I love this car, it is still my daily driver. I've learned to live with the "hot soak" symptoms over the past 3 years.

Firstly, this absolutely does not happen to my 2002 V6 from May to around the end of September. Once we get the "winter blend" gasoline here in NY then the problem immediately comes back.

Secondly, I've learned to either keep my car running if I'm going into a store very quickly or make sure that I'm not coming back to start my car for another 40 minutes for longer errands.

Point being, I don't think there really is a solution to this problem... and it sucks.

Yep I just live with it. I PMed Jester about the rails but he never got back so Im not about to put more money into it without confirmation. It hasn't happened in a while so maybe it is the blend of fuel. Who knows.
 

zikada

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Yep I just live with it. I PMed Jester about the rails but he never got back so Im not about to put more money into it without confirmation. It hasn't happened in a while so maybe it is the blend of fuel. Who knows.

That is the only thing I've noticed over the past two years trying to diagnose this problem. This behavior was further affirmed this passing summer here in NY. From about May throughout the rest of the summer up until about the end of September I didn't have this issue once. Car would start every single time no matter how short the stops in between was. It also didn't matter how hot it was outside.

But as soon as October came rolling around, the problem immediately came back. It is especially noticeable on warm days in the fall where it's around 50-60 degrees outside. What I usually do if it happens is I lift the hood for a about 10 mins (hopefully when it isn't raining) and then close it and it starts right back up like nothing happened.
 

cl206

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This **** just happened again last night. I was leaving Costco after shopping for like 20-25 minutes. The irony was that the car just passed state inspection 10 minutes before lol. The place I went to did the inspection right away and I was in and out within 16 min. Awesome guys. Anyways when it did die, I didn't panic like I used too LOL. Just gave it a little gas and kept it revving around 1-1.5k for like a minute and off she goes.
 

zikada

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Just got through another summer without a single "heat soak"/"hot soak" issue.

Of course since it being fall and all here in NY and winter blend gasoline creeping back into the pumps I've had my first rough warm start of the season... With many more to come over this winter and spring to be sure.

This problem is definitely not unique to 98-00 models. The entire 6th gen is susceptible to this problem. I have a 2002 and it happens to my model.

It sucks because I love this car and I still use this vehicle as my daily driver with 176k miles on the dash and a daily commute of 60 miles a day at the very least. This car is still by all means reliable and the "heat soak"/"hot soak" issue can be lived with if you know what to do.

I've had someone told me to install heat sinks on the fuel rails. Does anyone think that's a viable option?

I've also been tell that doing 4-5 fuel pump primes by turning the acc on an off just prior to a start up will help with the vapor lock. Has anyone had success with that theory?

Also, lastly. Is there anything else that wears on the car that would not be bringing under the hood temperatures to the right place they need to be to avoid a "hot soak" situation?
 
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