Hello, y'all! I have a 2000 Honda Accord LX V6 3.0L with around 235,000 miles on it and it needs some mechanical work done on it ASAP, so I would really appreciate some information and suggestions.

I have quite a commute currently, 76 miles each way to and from work, so I drive a little over 600 miles just driving to and from work 4 days a week. I had the codes pulled at Auto Zone a few weeks ago and my Accord is apparently having frequent issues with misfires, so I'm thinking that I likely need to replace my spark plugs and, possibly, the coils/wires, right away. So, I was hoping to get some advice/suggestions/links for where to buy spark plugs and coils, and also try to get an idea of what it should realistically cost to have them installed on my vehicle?

As for my power steering pump, I just ordered a new pump from eBay that should be here within the next day or two, so I also wanted to ask what the labor to install that should likely cost? Or, is installing a new power steering pump something that I may be able to do myself? I don't have many tools, nor am I particularly mechanically experienced or inclined, but I was thinking that it may be a fairly straightforward and relatively simple job to do. And I was quoted about $90 to have the power steering pump installed by a local mechanic shop, so I would really like to avoid that cost and save myself $90, if I can likely install it myself. However, if it's likely a smart decision to have the work done by a shop, I'll plan on having it done professionally and spending the $90.

I should mention that I was also quoted around $90 to replace/install the new spark plugs and coils by the same shop; so it would be around $180 total to do that work and install the new power steering pump. I also spoke to a guy who does side work and he said that he would charge me $150 to do the work, which should take him 3-5 hours, but having him do the work would be something of an inconvenience for me, so I'm most likely going to be OK with paying $30 more to have it done by the local mechanic shop (Fletcher's Tire and Auto).

As far as what parts to buy, could someone recommend which spark plugs and coils I should try to get for my 2000 Accord LX V6 3.0L? I'm mostly concerned with cost, so I'd really like to try to get suggestions on relatively affordable parts that some of y'all would recommend for my vehicle. And if someone would recommend where I should try to buy spark plugs and coils, that'd be great.

I have Amazon Prime, so I could order online from Amazon and get the items with their 2-day shipping. As for the town where I live, it's a pretty small town in Arizona (Payson) and we don't have many auto parts store options. However, we do have an Auto Zone, an O'Reilly Auto Parts, a CarQuest, and Walmart as potential options.

Btw, I just called the local O'Reilly Auto Parts store in town and they have some spark plugs for $3 each that the guy said are decent plugs. Or, they have ACDelco Platinum plugs for $7 each. Would it be worth it to pay the extra $4 per plug to get the ACDelco Platinum plugs?

The guy at O'Reilly also said that it may not be necessary to buy new coils, so that I should just buy new spark plugs for now and see if that helps. So, I think that's the route I'll go with for now and see if getting new spark plugs installed makes a significant difference.

Btw again, I just called Fletcher's Auto Shop (where I plan on having the work done) and the guy said it should take about 30 minutes to replace the spark plugs, so $45 for labor. He also said to specifically get either NGK or Denso plugs and that they should be around the same $3-$7 price range. Does this seem like good advice for spark plugs?

And one more question. The error codes also showed an issue with the temperature sensor/gauge, and I bought a new one from eBay a few weeks back, but I lost it somewhere in the mess in the back seat of my car, so I basically forgot about it. Now that I'm hopefully actually going to be getting some work done, I'd like to also try to get the new temperature sensor installed. So, 1.) Is installing a new temperature sensor something that I should/might be able to do myself? And, 2.) If not, how much should I expect this to cost at a mechanic shop? 3.) Could this be why the temperature gauge in my car frequently stops registering? And, 4.) Could there be any other issues being caused by the temperature sensor needing to be replaced?

I apologize for the lengthy post. If someone has some helpful information and advice, some replies would definitely be genuinely appreciated. And thanks in advance to anyone who tries to help me with these questions!

 

I'm not sure if I'm doing this properly, but if this image displays for y'all to see, this is a picture of the error codes report that I got from Auto Zone a few months back (and about 17,000 miles ago).

Evidently, I forgot to mention/neglected to notice that the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) Valve also needs to be replaced and that all of my car's EGR ports should be cleaned. A quick glance at the first few Google search results shows that an EGR will likely cost around $50? And I also must ask, is this EGR Valve something that I can likely remove and install myself? And if not, does anyone have an idea of time/cost for this replacement?

As always, helpful replies would be appreciated!

 

I'm going to ask the tough question first. Since your car has 235K on it, has the timing belt been replaced? If so, how long ago?
That said, go with the NGK platinum plugs.

I'm not sure if you could do the EGR valve yourself, in that the port might need to be cleaned to eliminate the code, as the port getting clogged is more common than the valve going bad. Ask your mechanic what he thinks about that.

The coils shouldn't need replacing, but if the timing is off, the injections of spark will be off (can cause a misfire code).

From reading here on the site, the power steering pump can be a PIA to change. Keep in mind it uses ONLY Honda power steering fluid.

As for the temp sensor, it depends on which sensor you're replacing, and where it's located. You might want to talk with your mechanic on it too.
I hope this helps.

 

For spark plugs, go with NGK PZFR5F-11. That is what is recommended for your vehicle. I do not deviate from what plug Honda used in designing the engine. I'd replace the spark plugs if they are due for replacement.

I do not see an EGR code in your list, so I would not replace the valve or clean the ports.

The code for the engine coolant temperature sensor can mean the sensor, the wiring, or possible the PCM (engine computer) is bad. Replacing the sensor is simple.

Here is a video on replacing that sensor. The 2 wires going to the sensor should be green with black stripe, red with white stripe.

 

First off, thank you very much for replying and for the suggestions! As for the timing belt, I've had the car for two years as of this month, and I honestly don't recall whether or not the person I bought it from had gotten it replaced. I hadn't even thought about the timing belt, but now that you mentioned it, I seem to recall that it may have been replaced by the previous owner. I honestly don't know for sure, though. And I haven't had that done myself

Is there a way to check - or, maybe, get an idea - if the timing belt is fairly new/had been replaced? And if I were to need to get the timing belt replaced, do you have an idea of the cost for that part and repair?

As for the EGR valve issue, it looks like I can get that part for around $50, which is something that I can try to get within the next week or two. And I didn't research it thoroughly, but I did read some comments about someone who stated that a mechanic shop had wanted to charge like $300 to install it, but that they were able to do it their self in like 10 minutes. I realize that may not have been on the exact same vehicle that I have, or that they may have the proper tools and experience working on cars, but I'm hoping that it may be something that I could do myself. If not, though, I'm hoping that the Fletcher's Auto Shop that I'm going to will do it for a fair and reasonable price.

It seems as though they charge about $90 per hour for labor, do you think this is reasonable? And I would think that replacing the EGR valve shouldn't take more than 30 minutes, so I'd hope that it wouldn't cost more than $45 or so for the work.

As for cleaning the EGR ports, that is specifically mentioned at the top of the page of the error codes report from Auto Zone. It states to "Replace Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Valve and Clean All EGR Ports." Do you think that I should try to just have the EGR Ports cleaned first, before buying an EGR Valve? Or would it likely be better/more practical to have the ports cleaned and the EGR Valve replaced at the same time?

As for the plugs, I will definitely plan on getting some NGK Platinums Spark Plugs. If I'm not mistaken, when I called O'Reilly Auto Parts again last night, they checked and told me that they have those plugs (not sure of exact model, though) for $3.50 each. And I might be able to get them for like $1.00-$1.50 cheaper by ordering them from Amazon or RockAuto, but I'm not that concerned about saving $6-$9, when I can conveniently buy them from a local store and be able to make sure that I get the specific plugs that I need, and also be able to return them, if needed.

And as for the power steering pump, I figured that replacing it may be something that would be difficult to do myself, so it looks like I'm going to just pay the $90 for that to be done by Fletcher's.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply and offer me the advice and suggestions. I really appreciate it!


First off, thank you very much for replying and for the suggestions and the YouTube link!

As for the EGR code, that is specifically mentioned at the top of the page of the error codes report from Auto Zone. If you look at the first thing listed, it states to "Replace Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Valve and Clean All EGR Ports." And under 'Suggested Parts' just below the Error Codes, it lists the EGR Valve. The post above yours mentions that the EGR Ports needing to be cleaned is actually a more-common issue than needing to replace the EGR Valve is. So, like I asked him, do you think that I should try to just have the EGR Ports cleaned first, before buying an EGR Valve? Or would it likely be better/more practical to have the ports cleaned and the EGR Valve replaced at the same time?

And thanks for posting the YouTube link! If replacing the Temperature Sensor is a simple job, as you suggest it is, as long as I have the necessary tools, or can borrow them, I will be glad to try that myself. As for the other two possible issues with regards to the engine coolant temperature sensor that you mentioned, the wiring and the PCM, do you know how I could find out if those to parts need to be replaced? Is there a specific wiring plug that generally goes bad and needs to be replaced? And as for the PCM, is that an expensive part/job?


By the way, I'm sorry for asking so many questions. I don't mean to be annoying; I'm just trying to get the necessary information, and also to make it easier for those of you who reply to be able to offer helpful replies! :-)

And thanks again to both of you for taking the time to reply!!

 

You do not have a code for the EGR valve, so do not replace it. Cleaning the EGR ports is not a bad idea, but you also don't have the code for low EGR flow.

Right now you should address only the codes listed. Replacing working parts is asking for trouble, because aftermarket parts may not work properly. You risk wasting money.

I think replacing the engine coolant temperature sensor and the spark plugs are the first two steps you should take. This may fix all your engine codes.

Labor for parts is not done by the time it takes for the mechanic to do the work. There is a book with the number of hours each job takes on a vehicle. A power steering pump may take a mechanic 10 minutes, but the labor rate in the book may be 1 hour.

Why are you replacing the power steering pump?

 

Me, I'd clean the ports first, and see if I still have a code. If you, then change the EGR valve. The last thing you want to do, is replace the valve, only for it to still have a code, and have to pull the valve back off and clean the port. On my wife's car, I had to pull part of the intake off to get to the crap that was plugging the port. That took the most time, as swapping the valve out was like a 15 minute job (it was on a 4 cylinder).
You could always do both at the same time as well, since you have to pull the valve off to get to the ports.
I'd get the valve thru the zone or somebody like them that's local. Spark plugs I'd order up thru amazon or Rock Auto (that's where I've been getting mine).
I'd probably let the mechanic do the pump, and probably the sensor too, just because it might be hard to reach. I've found that at times, there's a lot of room between the engine and the firewall, and at other times there's not enough. It's when there's not enough room that you wish that the manufacturer had put the part in a more easily accessed place on the engine (I feel that way about the IAC valve on 4 cylinder engines, as it's right next to the fire wall, and you can just barely reach the hoses under it).

There's no visual check for the timing belt. It's either just been replaced, or it might be ok for a while, and need to be replaced. If you can, contact the PO and see if he knows when it was last done. They're supposed to be replaced every 60 to 70K miles.

 

I'm going to repeat this one more time. There are no codes listed for the EGR, so don't mess with it right now.

You only have misfires and engine coolant temperature sensor codes. Address them first.

 

The OP mentioned in his 2nd post that it needed to have been done at 218K (had thrown a code), and the car now has 235K. It was throwing a code back then, and might be a "stored" code now. Or do you think replacing the plugs will get rid of an EGR code?

 

The picture of the readout is at 218k miles and only says to replace the EGR valve and clean the port. I just don't see the low flow or EGR lift sensor code. I think autozone is making that recommendation to sell an egr valve based on misfire codes.

I think that his engine coolant temperature sensor code is the first thing to address. The best way to test is to measure the change in voltage from the sensor while it is plugged in. I'm not sure if the original poster has the experience/confidence to do this test. He already has a new sensor, and I think that it is reasonable to replace the sensor based on his code.

The spark plugs are 2nd, because they are a maintenance item and there are misfire codes. I'm not sure if the original poster knows when the spark plugs were last replaced. I do not think that coils should be replaced, because his engine would no run if 4 of the 6 coils were out.

After those two items are replaced, then the codes should be cleared and then he can have any new codes read.