2000 Honda Accord Ex Coup V6, 165K miles

Issue: After the car has been running for awhile, and is good and hot, then parked and shut off ... it does not like to restart and stay started from about 7 minutes to 25 minutes.

If it is restarted within just a few minutes, no problem.

If it is restarted after 25 minutes or so, no problem.

If I want to force the car to start and stay started during the sweet spot of about 7-25 minutes, I can lay on the accelerator hard, put my foot on the break, and throw it into gear - if I can get it going, it will stay going. BUT, during this process it is thready, wanting to stop, and throws a lot of misfire codes.

Also, preceding this condition, there idle rpm is oscillating. When I hear this, I know that the restart will be a problem. This RPM oscillation is so big that if I am in stopped traffic, I will turn off the A/C to take the edge off the low portion of the RPM oscillation which gets so low it feels like the car would like to stall.

This problem has been recurring for years, reproduceable, but no mechanic has been able to find and fix the problem.

Any ideas?

Thanks, Cathy

 

I'd suggest starting over with the diagnosis.

Are you planning on doing to testing, and what equipment do you have?

You said this has been happening consistently for years. Do you remember any work done on the car right before this problem happened?

 

Issue possibly similar to this Honda service bulletin:

Honda TSB 00-024

 

Nothing was done to the car prior to the start of this issue. Since then a lot has been done to effect a fix, all to no avail. I am not the one doing the diagnostics. Nothing shows up in the diagnositcs at the shops. This has to be observed, and then all of the ideas that have been tried have not been the problem. Have done a tune up, replaced idle aiar control valve and throttle body gasket twice, have replaced condenser fan assembly, etc. The problem continues unabated.

 

I have seen the TSB 00-024, thank you. I will discuss this with the new shop I'm meeting with in the morning.

Honda previously told me, given that we are in Florida, that the TSB did not apply.

But it does describe the restart problem exactly though no mention of the idle oscillation that precedes it. Oddly, the problem did not occur for the first 80K miles or so.

 

Seriously? If anything, the warmer southern states is where the issue will be more pronounced.

By the way, when you say "Honda told you" are you saying you have a letter from Honda, or are you saying someone from your dealership (a franchise and not Honda per-se) told you that?

 

By the way, when you say "Honda told you" are you saying you have a letter from Honda, or are you saying someone from your dealership (a franchise and not Honda per-se) told you that?

Honda dealership service rep after having my car there for diagnostics...

 

So what that means is "Honda" didn't tell you anything; said another way, some flunky from a dealership told you cars in Florida don't exhibit the issue. If I were in your shoes I'd march back in there and if they give you the same line, ask them to show you in writing in published Honda documentation.