I agree 100% with you, and that sounds like a good plan of attack.

 

Hey, thank you very much to all of you who took the time to reply! And I apologize for not coming back to reply sooner, but I have had some major personal issues and distractions to deal with, so I've just been trying to get through some tough times in my life and keep my sanity in the process. With that out of the way, I wanted to update my situation and also ask for some advice and information about how to proceed now.

Shortly after starting this thread, I did buy all new spark plugs and had them installed at the local Fletcher's Auto Shop, and they also installed my new power steering pump and changed my oil, but, unfortunately, this did not fix the engine misfire issues and did not get the Maint Req'd light to turn off. So, it seems like I need to buy a new EGR Valve and replace that; and to also install a new Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor (which I already have).

So, my questions are these:

1.) Where should I buy an EGR Valve? Amazon or eBay? Or some other online store? RockAuto? PartsGeek?
1a.) Or should I try taking off the EGR Valve and cleaning out the ports before buying a new EGR valve? If so, how easy/difficult is accessing and cleaning the ports?
2.) Is removing the old EGR Valve and installing the new one likely something that I can do myself? If so, is it difficult and/or time-consuming? Lots of tools needed?
3.) As for cleaning the EGR Ports, how difficult and time-consuming is that? And can you just buy new ports? Or is cleaning them the only practical option? If so, how to clean?
4.) Do I also need to buy an EGR Valve Gasket? Or will/should a gasket be included with a new EGR Valve?
5.) How hard would it be to replace the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor? And what tools are needed?
6.) Should I use some sort of fuel system cleaner (Seafoam?) in the meantime? Will that likely help? Or possibly hurt/damage something?

Sorry for asking so many questions, but trying to research stuff like this can be overwhelming to me and that's part of the reason I have been putting it off for so long. However, I now have a long commute to and from work - 76 miles each way, so 152 miles round tip, 4 days a week - and while (what I assume are) the misfires and really annoying sometimes, my car has struggled to fire up and start lately and has hesitated to come to a good/full idle for like 30 seconds or so, so it made me realize that I really need to start working on getting these repairs done ASAP. So if some of you with more knowledge on this stuff would reply and offer me some helpful advice and information, it would definitely be very much appreciated!

 

Replace the engine coolant temperature sensor first. See if that fixes the engine problems.

You do not have codes for the EGR, so do not replace it.

 

First off, thank you very much for the reply. As for the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor, could that alone be causing the engine misfires? According to the error codes on the paperwork from Auto Zone, four of my cylinders are having misfires.

And could the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor also be causing my car to run hot and overheat? Or, at least, could the sensor not working properly have caused my engine to run hot while driving at high speeds and that caused a leak somewhere? Because, in case I did not mention this on here, my old radiator got a crack in it and my car overheated, so I got a brand new radiator installed about 5-6 months ago and it worked nicely, as I had no overheating/heating-up issues at all for like 5-6 months, up until about 2-3 weeks ago, when my car overheated while driving home from work, and I ended up needing to opt over a gallon of anti-freeze/water to fill the radiator back up. I am thinking that I may have caused my engine to run at too high a temperature and that this caused a leak somewhere, as I have been leaving for work late and have been driving like 95-105 mph for 20-30 miles at a time. Including, hauling *** up some pretty steep hills while on my way to and from work, several times over the past few weeks, and I noticed my temperature gauge shooting up one day after hauling ***. And, now, it's basically gotten hot enough (temp. gauge maxing out) to where I've had to pull over and wait for it to cool down and out more water in the radiator. I have noticed that when I don't have to haul *** and drive 95-105 mph for extended periods of time that my engine temperature stays pretty reasonable. But, whenever I do haul *** for a while, it will overheat almost every time.

So, could the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor gauge be causing my car to overheat? Or could my thermostat possibly need to be replaced? Or, could both of these issues possibly/likely be causing my engine to run really hot and overheat? Or, do I likely have a leak somewhere that needs to be found and repaired (in a hose or somewhere on the new radiator)?

As for replacing this Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor, are you familiar with the process? If so, is it a fairly simple repair/replacement? Off the top of your head, do you know what tools may be needed? And about how easy/difficult and time-consuming it should be? I am just trying to get a basic idea of what to expect/anticipate, before considering attempting to remove the old Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor and installing the new one myself.

Also, the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor I bought, I got from eBay and it was only like $10 with free shipping. Is that too good a deal to be true? Did I likely buy a cheap POS part? Or is that reasonable and the sensor I bought likely good enough to work properly in my vehicle?

As usual, I am sorry for writing such a lengthy response. If you would reply again when you get a chance, I would really appreciate it. And I will try to make my replies shorter.

 

Your overheating is due to loss of coolant. Your cooling system can have an external leak, or you may have a blown head gasket. The coolant temperature sensor just tells the car's computer and the temperature gauge on the cluster the temperature.

I posted a video on how to change the sensor earlier. You just unplug the electrical connector to the sensor, use a socket to unscrew the sensor, then quickly screw in the new sensor. A cheap sensor should work better than a broken sensor.

The coolant loss is a different problem. You can rent a radiator pressure tester with a refundable deposit to locate where you are losing coolant. There are youtube videos on how to pressure test the radiator.

Overheating is not good for the engine. When your car overheats, turn on the heat full blast to help cool the engine. You still need to pull over and add coolant, but this will help cool the engine and possibly prevent warping the cylinder head and causing a head gasket leak.

 

Thank you very much for the reply! I have been worried that the overheating may have caused some serious damage to the engine (like a blown head gasket), but I'm really hoping that's not the case, as I don't know what I will be able to do get a different vehicle or a major repair paid for. And with a 76-mile commute each way, without a vehicle, I will be in a really tough position.

If the head gasket is blown, can the car still be driven for a while? Like, for several months and a few thousand miles? Or, without repairing it, is it likely something that will completely ruin the motor within a short period of time/driving distance? Apparently, it's not leaking water that drastically, as I can generally drive to and from work (150 miles round trip, averaging around 80 mph, and up some major hills) without overheating/needing to put water in the radiator, so I'm guessing that it's not the head gasket; but that's just an uneducated assumption, so I fully admit that I very well could be wrong.

I'm going to see if I can replace the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor today and hope that makes a significant difference. As you mentioned, though, this sensor just tells the computer and temperature gauge what the engine's temperature is, so does that mean that changing the Coolant Temperature Sensor won't/can't actually make a difference performance-wise? Could the Coolant Temperature Sensor even be causing the cylinder misfires that my engine has been experiencing? Or are the misfires being caused by something else?

As for removing and installing the Coolant Temperature Sensor, is it really as simple as you make it sound? It sounds like it's likely something that can be done in like 5-10 minutes with just the correct socket? However, I read a post somewhere else where a guy (with a 2000 EX Accord, I believe) stated that he needed to use something called a "universal wrench" to get the sensor removed, and that he had to remove the EGR Valve and some other stuff to get access to the Coolant Temperature Sensor. Should it not be that difficult? Or is the EX V6 possibly different than the LX V6?

Also, if the head gasket is blown, how major and expensive a repair is that? $250? $500? $1,000?

Btw, I will search through this thread and try to find the video you posted. Thanks for letting me know about that and for posting the video!

 

OK, I watched that video and that was great! If the Sensor removal and installation is going to be that quick and simple on my Accord, it's going to be way easier than I thought it was going to be. It looks I will need a 19MM wrench and about 2-3 minutes of time. Maybe, 4-5 minutes, being that I am a relative moron compared to the guy in the video.

I'm curious, do you think I should buy a new thermostat and replace it, too? Is it likely that the Coolant Temperature Sensor not working properly for the past several months (or the the extremely fast/hard driving that I've been doing in my car lately) has damaged the thermostat? Obviously, I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing that replacing the thermostat is a fairly easy and inexpensive task.

Also, while I'm doing this work, should I try to clean the EGR Ports? I think I found the EGR Valve and it looks like it's easily-accessible/removable, if it is easily-removable, are the ports then easy to get to and clean? Or are the ports not that simple to get access to?

Sorry for asking so many questions. I'm just trying to get things done while I have a day off work and the motivation to get out there and work on my car.

 

Thermostats are not too bad to replace. It just depends on the location.

You have to remove the intake manifold to get to the EGR ports, so it is a little bit involved. Clogged EGR ports will cause the car to stumble at 1800-2200 rpm, but not the overheating problem.

I'd stop by a parts store and get their radiator pressure tester as a loaner tool. You pay a deposit that gets refunded in full when you return the tool. You need to figure out where the coolant is leaking. There is an ericthecarguy video on youtube that shows you how to pressure test the radiator that will be helpful.

 

Thanks for replying again. I just got back from O'Reilly's Auto Parts and they let me borrow a 22MM wrench, so I just need to wait for my car to cool down and I'm going to try to install the new Coolant Temperature Sensor. Is doing this actually going to help the performance of my car in some way? Or does this just literally make the Check Engine light turn off? Is putting in the new Coolant Temp. Sensor possibly going to stop the misfires that my engine has been experiencing? Or are these misfires likely caused by something else entirely?

Basically, after installing the new Coolant Temperature Sensor, will I even possibly notice some sort of improvement/difference with the way my Accord runs??

As for cleaning the EGR Ports, I know that my list of error codes does not specifically list the code indicating to replace the EGR Valve or to clean the EGR Ports, but, for some reason, the EGR Valve was listed as a "Suggested Part" on the paper printout from Auto Zone. Is it realistic that Auto Zone would unnecessarily list this in an effort to try to sell a new EGR Valve to a customer/me? Or is it that the EGR Valve is genuinely likely in need of replacement, based on the collection of error codes and the information obtained from my car's computer?

Also, after seeing your comments about how dirty/clogged EGR Ports can cause the car to stumble at 1800-2200 RPM, I have to mention that my car does, indeed, have an annoying issue of something exactly like that when cruising at relatively low RPM. It's usually after I've been driving on the highway and going 75-95 MPH and I then hit a surface street that has a bunch of stoplights, and after slowing down and probably driving at around 50-60 MPH, it will repeatedly stutter/briefly hesitate, like it's losing compression for a split second. I don't know if maybe these are actually cylinder misfires? Or if it's the stumbling you are describing, which is caused by the clogged EGR Ports? But it happens regularly when I'm driving at around 50-60 MPH and in D4 with relatively low RPM.

By the way, since you mentioned that getting to and cleaning the EGR Ports is not exactly simple and convenient, is there any sort of fuel additive/system cleaner/cleanser that you would recommend I try putting in my system, to see if it might help to clean out the EGR Ports a little/help in some way?

As for the coolant system compression test, I will see what I can do to get that done. And my Maint Req'd light recently came back on as of last week, and I think that has been due to being overdue for an oil change, so I'm going to try to get my oil changed within the next few days. So, I was thinking that I could see if the shop (Fletcher's Auto in Arizona) where I get my oil changed could possibly do the coolant system compression test while they have my car to do the oil change. That way, I can get a better diagnosis about what the problem may be. If I don't get them to do it, though, I will try to rent/borrow the device and do it myself next week.

And as for the thermostat, if it's relatively cheap ($10-$20) and easy enough for me to replace myself, I will likely do that next week, too, just to try to get my cooling system healthier and stronger.

As always, thank you very much for taking the time top read and reply to my posts. I sincerely appreciate it!

 

The coolant temperature sensor is important, so replace it first.

Do not replace any egr components, because you do not have an egr code.