Accord v6 hot soak fix

[jester1020]

I'm not sure about anyone on the forums, but I still have customers showing up with the hot soak problem. I'm sure that anyone who has ever dealt with this know exactly what I'm talking about. I have searched with google and have yet to find anyone that has posted my fix yet so I'll offer it up to everyone.

I actually tried several times to fix this issue on my wife's accord before I found this. At one point I even tried wrapping the fuel rails with the nasa gold heat reflective tape (sorry but I forget exactly what it's called), but nothing I tried worked. Then I got lucky and found the solution.

I have found more than one person complaining that the dealership ecu upgrade isn't permanent. I have heard of the ecu upgrade lasting between 10 months and 2 years. I have also heard of the diy FPR update. I have never had any success with the fpr update personally, but some people claim it works so I'm just offering it up as an alternative. I noticed that the fuel rails on the accord almost resemble a return less fuel system. The main fuel line enters the rear (closest to the fire wall) rail then a short jumper hose connects the 2 rails together. This allows the fuel to become hot and boil.

In this picture (2000 accord ex v6 stolen from Majestic's site) You can easily see what I'm talking about. The fuel return line is actually attached to the fuel block.

I noticed that the 2000 honda odyssey uses the same lower intake runners. Also the Ody has the more traditional "pass through" type fuel rail set up.

In this picture you can easily see that the main fuel feed enters the forward (farthest from the fire wall) fuel rail, at the end of that rail you can see the jumper hose, then the fuel return is right off the fpr on the rear fuel rail. Now just to be clear the price of this fix does vary quite a bit. Some customers are ok with getting everything needed from the junk yard (about $100 for everything at the local LKQ) and others of course want new parts (rails from lkq everything else from majestic) and that costs about $250-300 depending. Most recently I have seen aftermarket fuel rails on e-bay ($110) that will work like the Ody setup, but stock honda parts just seemed like an easier way to get the job done to me. Either way it is a lot less than the dealership price quote of $1100-2500. Also like I said before I have never had the problem come back after doing my fix.
Now please be aware that this is a pretty straight fwd fix but it isn't 100% a direct swap. Hoses and vac lines need to be reworked, but nothing I wouldn't trust a novice to do.

I'll be preforming this fix on a 2000 Accord sedan ex v6, and will post detailed pictures as soon as all the parts arrive from majestic honda. For now I'll list current money spent:
ody rails from the u-pull junkyard $28.00
numbers 8 & 9 from the ody picture above majestic honda $146.58 shipped
total thus far = $174.58
I am not going to include the prices of any misc parts (hose clamps etc) but will list them as I preform the fix.
**If anyone has questions or if I posted this in the wrong place please let me know.

 

[F23A1AT]

In for results, I've never heard of this problem though. GL!

 

[xi0utlawstarix]

http://www.6thgenaccord.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32974&highlight=heat+soak

 

[jester1020]

I had this accord come up spur of the moment and took some pics to log the fix.

To start you need to remove all the plastic covers and depressurize the fuel system.

with the covers removed and pressure gone, remove the intake tube. next remove the throttle body (I just remove the 2 nuts and 2 bolts *12mm and let it hang there) once that is done remove the nuts and bolts that hold the upper intake on (also 12mm)

**remove the sensor plug 2 vac lines and booster line from rear of the intake. Slowly lift the upper intake there will be one more hose attached by the ps pump. Remove that and set the upper intake aside. If you let the tb hang the studs will slide out easily.

You can see that this guy was a victim of my gold tape fix that didn't work a few years ago. I like to replace the injector o-ring's when I do this.

remove the 2 10mm nuts holding the fuel line onto the end of the rails. next remove the fuel line from the fuel block *21mm (i think) If your reusing the fpr go ahead and break it loose as well. There are 2 10mm nuts holding the fuel block to the head remove them and now you can easily remove the clamp holding the return line on.

Next remove the 8mm bolts holding the rails onto the lower intake. I unplug the injectors but you don't have to. Remove the rails and replace the o-ring's if your going to. **the rails will still have the fuel block attached.

Install the new rails after oiling the new o-ring's (so you don't cut them) reinstall the 4 8mm bolts that hold them in place and attach the hose fuel line by the ps pump.

Next install the new fuel block and vac hose bracket. The one I'm using for this car is from a 98 v6 coupe. You will notice that it isn't always a perfect fit. I use a 10mm nut and bolt to hold the 2 together then use one stud on the head to attach it.

from here just attach the fpr (with vac and return line) and hook up the fuel line to the fuel block and the line on the front rail.

Put the upper intake on reattach the hose by the ps pump and the 2 vac and booster hose plug in the sensor tighten all your bolts down reattach the tb. That's pretty much it, not a very time consuming job takes about an hour. I will tell you to check for leaks before you put all the plastic covers on.

Got a question let me know. I'll try to help. Oh and all the parts off the 98 accord plus o-rings a few feet of vac hose and some new clamps and a tb gasket was a total of $105.47 Not a bad price and well worth it to end the headache

 

[Mikey]

So total price was just shy of $300?

I cant say that Ive come across this problem as of yet. Have you noticed if it happens to higher mileage V6s or does it even get the lower mileage ones?

 

[jester1020]

well the one I wrote up was a junkyard only deal so the 105 price is it. the 300 price is for new parts from honda but i just got that stuff in today. Most of the complaints I get are from cars around the 200k mile mark. my wife's car had it at 185k and the one i should be doing tomorrow is at 220k but most of the time the car is new to that owner so it's some kind of twisted bonus prize when they buy it. I couldn't tell you how long for sure in most cases

 

[Flying Booyaka]

Thanks for this fix!

My car started having this trouble at around the 158k mark. Although it hasn't occurred in about a month.

 

[jaaydeezy]

I had this accord come up spur of the moment and took some pics to log the fix.

To start you need to remove all the plastic covers and depressurize the fuel system.

with the covers removed and pressure gone, remove the intake tube. next remove the throttle body (I just remove the 2 nuts and 2 bolts *12mm and let it hang there) once that is done remove the nuts and bolts that hold the upper intake on (also 12mm)

**remove the sensor plug 2 vac lines and booster line from rear of the intake. Slowly lift the upper intake there will be one more hose attached by the ps pump. Remove that and set the upper intake aside. If you let the tb hang the studs will slide out easily.

You can see that this guy was a victim of my gold tape fix that didn't work a few years ago. I like to replace the injector o-ring's when I do this.

remove the 2 10mm nuts holding the fuel line onto the end of the rails. next remove the fuel line from the fuel block *21mm (i think) If your reusing the fpr go ahead and break it loose as well. There are 2 10mm nuts holding the fuel block to the head remove them and now you can easily remove the clamp holding the return line on.

Next remove the 8mm bolts holding the rails onto the lower intake. I unplug the injectors but you don't have to. Remove the rails and replace the o-ring's if your going to. **the rails will still have the fuel block attached.

Install the new rails after oiling the new o-ring's (so you don't cut them) reinstall the 4 8mm bolts that hold them in place and attach the hose fuel line by the ps pump.

Next install the new fuel block and vac hose bracket. The one I'm using for this car is from a 98 v6 coupe. You will notice that it isn't always a perfect fit. I use a 10mm nut and bolt to hold the 2 together then use one stud on the head to attach it.

from here just attach the fpr (with vac and return line) and hook up the fuel line to the fuel block and the line on the front rail.

Put the upper intake on reattach the hose by the ps pump and the 2 vac and booster hose plug in the sensor tighten all your bolts down reattach the tb. That's pretty much it, not a very time consuming job takes about an hour. I will tell you to check for leaks before you put all the plastic covers on.

Got a question let me know. I'll try to help. Oh and all the parts off the 98 accord plus o-rings a few feet of vac hose and some new clamps and a tb gasket was a total of $105.47 Not a bad price and well worth it to end the headache

I was wondering if you could take a picture of the "fuel block". I've decided to go this route as well. How is it now ? Still no stalls since the fuel rail upgrade ? So do you keep the old fpr or completely gut the oem one and reattach the hoses to the new one which is on the new fuel rails correct ?

 

[SkylarkAlias]

I've recently become a 6GA owner and have been going through the same/similar issue...I consider myself pretty good with a wrench: following the advice of this forum (and a dozen Youtube videos) I have replaced/or had replaced by a local honda spe******t shop the: IAC (false sense of victory), battery (optima red top), distributor, rotor, plugs and wires, timing belt, water pump.

I recently watched a video claiming that the coolant temperature sensor could also be a fix. I don't see the relation but the person who posted the video made the claim. I have purchase one ($25@autozone) and I am awaiting a response from him on just how well it is working out for him. I realize that the FPR is probably my next/last resort but I have been trying to keep the cost down... Hopefully this coolant temp sensor does the trick, I hate playing with fuel!!!

Anyone else heard of this coolant temp sensor thing?

 

[cadreck]

Can you post a link to the video?
I'm planning to replace thermostat and flush the coolant. Perhaps it will result in better engine cooling and eliminate evaporation.
If this won't do then will go with odyssey swap.
Anyone can share experience with odyssey fix, if it is effective long term?