That is a helpful piece of info about the part sites. I never thought to look there for diagrams.
OK so I never got aroung to removing the glove box and pulling back the carpet to acess the kickpanel where the TCM is located. However, I was checking the connections at the coil. I was able to disconnect the connection from the coil wire to the secondary winding terminal, I checked to make sure nothing looked amiss.I have attempted on two separate occasions todisconnectthe 4-P Connector, but I have been unsuccessfull. I spent about an hour trying yesterday and worked up a blister on my hand and got myself in a bad mood[:'(].
Anyways... ever since the first time I disconnected and re-connected the connection from coil to secondary winding terminal (about a week ago), I have not yet noticed the RPM fluctuations. I am almost wondering if I merely had a bad connection. I have attempted to reset the ECU a few times, but the CEL comes right back on within 3 seconds of starting the car. Ihave read before that I need to let the car warm up to normal before turning it off or giving it any gas to let the ECU "re-learn" what is going on. my question is:Should the CEL just pop right back on like it does? Or should it not come on until the engine becomes totally warmed up after i reset the ECU?

 

I'm kinda stretching here, since I've never owned a Honda V-6...

I guess ifthe CEL pops right back up, you haven't fixed the problem. What error is it showing? Both the same as before? Or maybe only the O2 sensor error comes back?

Wiring drawings in my Helm books show exactly where the tach signal comes from, but that's for my 4-cyl car... I gotta trust Desert about the tach signal coming from the coil in your V-6.

That one error seems to talk about the TCM having trouble seeing the tach signal. Since the tachometer acts up too, it makes sense the problem is common to both, namely the source of the signal.

The couple posts I made (elsewhere) about the ECU re-learning, those were basically talking about the idle-control system. I'm not aware of any kind of learning that's related to the tachometer signal.

 

I haven't re-checked the codes yet. I need to get down to AZ and see if it is still throwing the same 2 codes.I think I am probably just wishful thinking though. I bet I will still need to check the connections at the TCM like desert said. Iam just procrastinating! Thanks for the quick response!

 

Hey guys, newbie here.but I have some very good infofor you.

I have a 96 V-6 auto trans. EX accord having same problem. If I am not mistaken honda has a federal emmisions recall on this. I have the recall number at work, but I am home today. The other forums I have read bout this,states that most dealershave forgotten ordon't want to tell you about it, because its costly to honda, so yo have to bring in a little proof.The sites I was reading, customers came inhaving same complaint as me and you, and honda told them it would be X amount fo $$$. The customersaid it should be covered under the EPA recall. Most said the Honda service writer didn't know, couldn't find it, or was lieing. Butonce they told them to look under acertain recall #. Boom it was magiclly there. And in the sheet from Honda I have states that if thevechicle owner is having problems with ahonda dealer getting this fixed, call the regional office at a # andcomplaint will be solved withing 72 hours.

They will fix it, for 150,000 miles or 14 or 15 years. Honda settled w/ EPA over some emision problems. To my knowledge our complaint falls into the same catorgory. Honda will replace if needed, injectors, EGR valve, clean intake manifold, speed sensor, spugs, wires, distributor, cat. converter, and give you an oil change and many otherparts. My car was shooting a CEL and I reset it twice and it hasn't done it since. My car hasn't gave me a CELsince I figuredthis out. I found this out on a differant honda web site. Ieven have thehonda replacement sheet off of honda website at work.It tooka quiet of bit of searching for. If i am not mistaken it fits all-95 V-6 accords. 96 V-6 accords, and most honda's w/ v-6 engines up to 98 I think.

most people don't know about this is these forums, because it effects the V-6 engine. Since most of people on honda boards have 4cyl. Not to many know about this recall.

I got my 96-V6 w/ 94,000 miles on it. back in august. I bought it from my mother-in-law. needless to say all they did was oil changes apparently. I have had to replace both axels, did the timing belt, seals, water pump. Plugs, wires, cleaned my intake manifold. Just got through putting on a new A/C, condensor, drier, expansion valve, and front brakes. So now all I have to do is wait until, it shoots me another engine code and this thing should be ready for another 100,000 miles, I hope.

so start googling for it, and you will find it. Iam having some computer probelms, so i can't find it for you, but I know its out there. Good luck, I hope you have success.If I can remember, tomorrow, I will post the recall number.

 

its honda service bulletin 98-081 dated march 18, 2003
Google it and you will find a ton of info on it.

Go for 150,000 or 14 years.

I was wrong, honda has 45 days to resolve the customer's claim. starting from the date the customer first brings in vehicle with claiment.

I hope this helps.

 

Thanks for the info. I printed out the Service Bulletin after I googled it. Am I just supposed to bring this thing to any Honda dealer, show it to them, and tell them I want this done? Or do I have to find out the original Honda dealership from where the car was purchased?

 

i really don't have a clue, I haven't had the opportunity to deal with it yet. I don't think you would have to go to the original dealer though. I would think you would bring it in to the dealer, tell them the cars complaint, and I would ask them if it covered under the recall. But I would have a hard copy, with me to try and prove my case.

Let me know how it goes, I am just waiting for mine to shoot me another CEL, and I will take mine to a dealer here in Memphis, and see what happens. Mine started doing the RPM needle bouncing and studdering again today, but no CEL.

mine will do it for a day to a couple of days, then it will go away for a week or two then start over. I even had it do it for a trip to work. Stoped by Autozone, and bought me PVC valve, installed it there in the parking lot, and didn't do it again for a week. So I was thinking it was the PVC valve going bad. Then i found this service bulletin about a week later.

I only had my honda for about 9 months, it was doing this when I first bought it. But it was so infrequent, I wasn't going to take it to a shop, because I know it wouldn't do it for them. So I was just going to try and hunt this problem down myself. But now I setting back waiting, until a CEL comes on. I even thought about taking it there just to see if they will fix it even though my CEL isn't on.

good luck, let me know how it goes.

 

My problem now is the RPM needle bounce hasn't been there in weeks! I am going to try to get it by AZ to have the codes pulled again to see if it still shows the P0725 or if it is now just the O2 sensor code. I am wondering if I just had a bad connection at the coil.

 

My wife called me on my way to work this morning and said the car would not start. She finally got it started while I was on the phone with her, but I called her back &told her to go back home and I would pick her up because I'd rather have the car at home in the garage than stranded at her work. She said it would sit there and turn over and over but not start. She said on about the 6th attempt, it finally started. All of the electrical in the car was working fine (radio, etc..) while it was running. I didn't have time this morning to take a look at it cause I had to get her to work and I had to be at work myself.
The RPM fluctuations have not been happening hardly at all. I mean like the needle may bounce once or twice on a 1 hour drive but that's it.
It has been seeming like it takes longer to start though. I am used to the engine only "spinning" about 4 times then firing up. Recently it has seemed to take about 6 "spins" to fire up.
Does this sound like a faulty ignition coil?
Is there a good way to test if the coil itself is bad?
A while back deserthonda told me to check the connection at the TCM. I have not done that yet because I am unsure of my abilities to locate the correct wires to test (I only have a general idea of where the TCM is to begin with..I don't even know for sure.) I didn't think this test would tell me it the coil itself was bad.
Also FYI...the fuel filter was changed about 6 months ago.
Any help/suggestions will be appreciated!

 

Well...I thought I had extensively searched the forum on this topic before posting this thread, however I just found some more threads after I did a search on "ignition coil." It seems that the general concensus with 95-97 V6 owners has been to replace the coil. I, for one, am not the type that enjoys replacing parts before diagnosis. However, I have found two threadsdescribing the tach bounce problem identical to my own. In both cases, theowner replaced the coil and problem was solved.
I am at a dilemma now. Do I spend the $72 atAdvance Auto parts for a new coil? Or do I attempt more diagnosis and spend hours of time and possible frustration?