Hi,

I own a '99 Accord EX 4 Cyl with around 90k miles on it. She was running magnificently until today.

I noticed that the Engine sputters at higher rpms. It's almost like the entire Engine block jerks at equal intervals when I rev it up.

Is this a timing issue? Or plug issue? Can you please help me.

Thanks
indy49

 

Entire engine block jerks? Does that make the car shake? Do the RPM's fluctuate?

 

That's correct. The entire Engine block jerks... But I don't feel the car shake.

Sitting in the driver seat ... one more thing I noticed is that even though I press and hold the pedal without moving my foot (in neutral/parking)... the engine revs up and down (rpm fluctuates).

When I put it in drive.. I can feel the Car shake a bit and hear the Engine sputter at speeds over 40mph or so. It's similar to when a car is out of fuel and is about to stop.

 

OK. I took the car to a mechanic. It turns out that the plug connectors, caps and rotor are worn out. I was surprised coz they were replaced around 25000 miles ago. Also the mechanic said the spark plugs were not of good quality/ honda "standard". But they are working fine as of now.

1. Anyone know if they are supposed to wear out that fast?

2. What is the recommended spark plugs for a '99 accord. Is it better to replace the plugs too ?

3. Is it Easy / Kind of hard / Too hard to replace these by myself. I've not done much DIY type of work on my car. Except for replacing the headlight bulb once. :-)

Thanks for your help in advance.

-Indy49

 

The cap and rotor should last a long time. If you had the OEM plugs (the standard plug that is in there) than 30,000 miles those should be changed. You could try running platinum or iridium spark plugs which will last a lot longer. I also have a 99 Accord 4 Dr/ 4 Cyl. Replacing the plugs isn't that hard. You will need a spark plug socket and ratchet. And, also use some anti-seize (so, that way the next time you replace the plugs its easier to take the old plugs out).

Cap and rotor you don't need to get Honda parts necessarily. I used Autozone parts for the cap and rotor. Plugs you should get are NGK. Only run NGK plugs in the Accord. Those you can get at Advance Auto. I have heard Honda marks their prices up on parts. Cap and rotor might be a little challenging, so you could buy the cap and rotor and have your mechanic put those on (it helps if there are places where you can buy your parts and save some money in parts charges).

Also, sounds like you might want to use a fuel injector cleaner. But, first start off with the plugs, rotor, and cap. 90,000 miles might be a lot of wear and tear on your cap and rotor if you do a lot of city driving.

Hope this helps.

 

Accord4sroy beat me to the punch on that one. I second everything he said on it. NGK Plugs are great. I just changed the plugs on my wife's 95 V6 this past saturday. I don't even know the last time the plugs were changed, probably at least 60k ago. When I pulled the old plugs out, they were NGK and they still looked good.
Do you plan on starting to do work on your car yourself? If so, I would buy a Haynes repair manual. They really help on things like spark plugs and routine maintenance. You can normally get one at Auto Zone.

 

Thanks a lot accord4sroy and 00AccordLX5spd. Your input was very helpful.

I bought the parts and found a mechanic that would do the job for $40. I observed him replace all the parts. Hopefully next time around I'll give it a shot myself. BTW I've ordered my repair manual too. :-)

I've used the fuel injector cleaner too. Plan to use it every 2000 miles or so from now on.

Thanks Again,

This forum rocks....

Indy49.

 

What fuel injector cleaner did you use? I prefer Seafoaming a motor.

 

Also, I am going to go back to my stock plugs (because that's what my car called for). What's interesting is I had a 92 Camry, and that required platinum. And, I remember I got a tuneup at a Shell gas staton garage and they didn't put platinum in. So, about 6 months later I realized that my car needed platinums. Cars that require platinums really need them. You gotta love the Accords, (the NGK V Power plugs are awesome)! Going to buy those today!

 

Domost accords require platinums?