Latest update: CEL and VSA Off lights came back on - car in limp mode but made it home. Now out of limp mode and just CEL light.
Pulled the cam and crank sensors the local shop put in ( he couldnt be sure what he used but said they were probably Denso ) .
Cam sensor is Denso but says 179 02K22 which I couldnt find listed ( Rockauto says is Denso 1962005)
Crank sensor only says 2018180 and PBT-GF25 . No brand so I dont know what it is.
Im really stuck here as I cant clear up the codes or stay out of limp mode every once in a while.
I ordered a code reader but Im sure it is still the PO339.

Any ideas? Get new Cam and crank sensors ? Denso or pay $20-$25 more for OEM parts so Honda cant blame the sensors if I need to go back?
There is another cam sensor that wasnt bad and wasnt changed . It is on the rear which is where the VTC startup rattle is coming from. Could that be related?

Thnaks for any feedback or ideas.

Ethan

 

Pull the battery and have it tested, I know this is a reach but worth a look.

 

Thanks Poorman, I will. Its not new and come to think of it, cleaning the battery terminals is what seemed to start all of this. But Im not hopefull. It starts pretty fast and none of the shops thought it was a problem but..... you never know. ( I have an 05 CRV and in cold weather it cranks very slow- but no issues.)

Does anyone know- I bought an OEM CPS and will install my self - to replace the generic one installed by my local shop. Do I need to go back to Honda dealer to relearn it?

 

Ethan-

I have been having the same problem with my 2009 Accord EX 4-cylinder:
- Occasional limp mode
- Diagnostic codes P0339, P0302, P0303
- Malfunction Indicator Light comes on (flashes when in limp mode)

My Honda mechanic has replaced the crankshaft position sensor twice, and "relearned" the software.
I have been in several online Honda forums investigating this problem, and have found other owners
with same problem. In trying to find out the "common denominator" for us, it looks like we all have
installed rebuilt starters fairly recently. (Mine was installed last October, and had my first "P0339" code
three weeks later.) One of the Honda owners wrote on one of the other Honda forums:

"Problem is with the starter. If its worn out or aftermarket the cranking speed and pattern doesnt
match honda specs. See this problem all the time with aftermarket starters".

An Accord owner from San Francisco texted me that his "limp mode"/P0339 problem went away
when he installed an Honda OEM starter.

Any Honda mechanics in this forum have an opinion about a rebuilt starter being the source of the problem?

Thanks.
Ray

 

I have replaced plenty of 08-09 accords with aftermarkets with no issues. If you have changed your CKP and did a relearn I would check the battery and ground cable first. It could very well be your issue. Who knows maybe the starter you received was not within spec and is causing the issue.

 

Thanks Sean and Pianoman. I am currently up and running . About a week and 100 miles.

After the list of fixes above:
1-I put in a new battery (1 month old from my 2005 CRV) - no difference.
2- I cleared all codes again including a 83-1 ABS code that kept poping up and relearned the steering. Car ran worse and then got better.
Limp mode went away . I got another P0336 Crank sensor Circuit A code. But still not in limp mode
3- I went to my local tire/brake/battery shop that had a "honda guy". He said it was over his head because the voltage
was jumping all over the place ( I dont know what he was monitoring) . But he ended up replacing the first aftermarket Crank sensor with the Honda one i bought and changed the battery to a bigger series. Dont know if it needed the battery but if it keeps running , I dont care.
If I had to guess, I think the crank sensor went bad and the replacement was not a good one- out of spec. Mechanic blamed down level software from honda , Honda blamed the aftermarket Starter, and so on.

 

And my friends wonder why I don't want a new or newer car. With these new or newer cars today, the electrical system is taxed almost to the limit, and a bad sensor can create a whole host of problems. No thanks. I'll keep my old cars for as long as I can.