RKV

ok guys, my dumb check engine lights has been on forever, it has come along way to figure out what the hell is wrong with my car, and today, i just kno more about whats what inside my car, but not still so sure whats wrong. Funny thing is, the light initially came on, after filling up the gas, but sorry to say, "no, its not cuz i didnt tighten the gas cap enuff, i wish it was that simple, just mere coincedence". at first, i got scared, OH no, check engine light is on.,.. car is gonna break down, than after talkin to friends and a mechanice, i checked somethings. yes, i did install an intake recently, and maybe that was it, reset the computer, nope... the light came back on, thats not it, tightned gas cap, thats not it... earlier prognosis was bad cat by my mechanic, he used one of those computers, but it said bad catalytic system, inefficient something... (wtf, i dont kno anyone with a bad cat, and i kno like 100 people with aftermarket exhausts, my mechanic said dont worry, no harm to car, only u'll fail emissions test, luckily, i had just taken it months b4, i dont have to worry for another 2 years, so i didnt worry about the check light). Anyway, at first, the light came on and off, no performance or ride comfort difference(not YET!!!), then eventually, i noticed that when at high speeds on the highway, something felt different(2 K after the light came on).. friends were saying, y do u pump the accelerator? im like, ummm, "thinking in mind, shut up, i drive better than u".... even my gf who knows my car inside out, felt it was a tad bit weird. now, 10 K later... the light still turns on and off, but one day last week, it just came on, with the freakin maintenance light, as soon as they both came on... my car went bONKErs. right at about 60 K miles... coincedence? or does the maintenance light come on cuz something messed up? i kno that light just comes on cuz its 60 K...(thats my bet). anyway, right when that happened, u kno when ur in an automatic car, "people with manual, think hard"... and ur in neutral, and ur driving like 40 miles an hour, like ur girlfriend or friend in shotgun hits ur auto stick, and it turns into neutral or a lower gear, its making a "wooo wooo" noise, u kno what i mean? and its vibrating alot near our feet, like the floor of the car, i can especially feel it at my breaks. Now, whenever i push my car past 50 mph, ok, THAT IS NOT PUSHING it... just moving LOL. i hear that crap, especially when i let the RPM go back down, i hear this damn noise. first i was like WTF< my engine is gonna blow up, now im thinking crap, the cat has seriously died now... i took it back to my mechanic, but it was raining that day, so he couldnt drive it out(he refused at least) but after hearing my story he said the cat. now, i just freakin changed the b1 sensor (1 of 2 sensors on the cat for the 6th generation accord, i got the 2 door). guys, it was $250 including labor, he said 90% of cars its just sensor problem, not the cat.. but now its freakin worse. now he said i need to change the cat. what happened to 90% of cars, its only the O2 sensor gone bad? i changed the o2 a week b4 this madness happened with this "wooing noise". ok, so here is the question, did u kno the stock cats rum from $900-1200? WHAT THE HELL!!!!!!!!!!! not including labor which is 80-90 bucks. ok, so, CAN i get a aftermarket cheap cat, hey, 150-200 seems cheap now. which one will help me pass emissions 100%. i got a catback Apexi exhaust, and an AEM CAI. thats it. i took it today, to a more famous shop, i kno the guy there, and he said, could be fuel injectors, acceleration problems, or the cat. i told him, i Have not done the spark plugs(should have done it at 60 K, its now at 65 i think, but he said thats not it listening to my story), i said i havent done the radiator or the Coolant flush (thats not it he said, opps, supposed to do it at 45 K and 70, i missed that one, he said, thats not it), and then i said, maybe the timing belt (he said i dont think so), waterpump? he said no again.. beside 6th generation its done at 80-90 K... so guys, what is this crap? bend, leak in exhuast? i dont see any fluids under my car, except when my AC is blasting and its hot as crap outside after i parked. bad cat? seriously? man, people on this forum said if u have forced induction than u lose HP, i was like crap, now i dont care, i need this fixed... but funny thing is, on this months import tuner or sports compact car, or turbo, i swore i saw a car gain HP from the baseline (only 1.1 Hp tho), and that was the first thing put on? correct me if im wrong (probably am, what too much back pressure?)... anyway, am i gonna pass emissions with a carsound or random tech? and what website can i find this stuff(including aftermarket and Honda OEM cat), beside ebay... and please, dont tell me the only place i can find a stock cat is at a junkyard? and last question... do any of u think u kno the problem.. oh, and that more famous place i went to toda, they said, your mechanic should have a code, to kno EXACTLY what it is, that idiot doesnt kno, he's checked it 3 times on his comp, it only read, what i told u, bad cat system.. blah blah, but he said should be some codes with letter and numbers, i dont kno, those comps are all the same i think, so my local mechanic should kno, shouldnt he, he';s pretty good? btw, i changed my transmission oil early even, and always do oil changes on time with even the good stuff, not the cheaper ones... this crap feels like im losing HP at 60 mph, funny thing is, im always positive (u kno how u kno ur cars like the back of your hand, and notice even the smallest things)... well, i kno my car is faster 0-60, maybe cuz of the bad cat? but anyway, at 50-60, its starts to feel like i cant move the car, i got to hit the accelerator to push it past it, which it does easily... feels like its throbbing down there in the exhuast system... so guys, help out a bro, i do my best to answer your questions, tho im a newbie at cars.. sorry for the long story, i got to make a decision this week, i dont want to buy a cat for no reason. i just cant let my parents kno, whats up, they paid for the o2 sensor tho LOL... cuz their pissed enuff at my car hobby. so i cant afford to even do tha real diagnostic for $70, cuz that more famous place said they use the same EXACT computer, only difference is that they read the code that comes out, and do something manually, im just gonna trust my mechanic cuz he did the diagnostic for free for me, cuz i do everything there. im thining it is the cat now, even tho i didnt believe it for awhile, cuz this vibrating noise feels like its right where the stock header or cat is.

RKV

btw, since the last time it came on, with the maintenece light, it has nEVER came off yet... something is wrong

AccordVTEC

But that is one of the friggin longest posts I've ever read. After reading all that, I can't really remember what the problem was. LOL. I know one thing though, you're getting RIPPED paying 80-90 bucks for installation. Give me a cat and a 6-pack, and you've got urself an installed cat.

Every 15K miles, the check engine light comes on as a maintenance thing, but I don't know if that may be it. Here's what to try and do:
1) Have key in ignition "off"
2) Hold the odometer push button thing for about 25 seconds, and then while still holding it, start the car.
3) If it doesn't go off, try it again.

dantastic

umm... you can tell whats wrong with your car by "reading" the check engine light. just buy a $12 haynes manual, and it will tell you how to do it. there are like 2 dozen different sensors that could be malfunctioning, but the cel tells u which one it is

RKV

yea sorry again, for the abnormally long post, basically im asking from the symptoms of problems i described does any1 kno from personal experience what my problem may likely be... i kno, u cant tell, but even some insight would be helpful, and whether ALL high flow cats pass emission such as carsound or random tech. im leaning toward carsound, will that pass? and where can i find a HONDA OEM cat beside ebay or the junkyard.. actually, i couldnt even find a stock one on ebay... thanks guys for all the help

RKV

btw, does any1 have a stock CAT or aftermarket one i could buy?

daviid

just FYI, the is a federal mandate that manufactures have to warranty your emission control devices for 60,000 miles. but since you took so long, chances are you can still hop on the warranty are slim

Kingseth2

I have a 98 accord with 71,550 miles on it. At 65,000 my CAT needed to be replaced. Honda paid for it!. Honda certifies the CAT in the Accord up to 80,000 miles. Good Luck.

RKV

davidii and kingseth2, thanks man, yea, for 6th generation i just found out it was 8 years or 80,000 miles u can get honda to pay for many of the emissions things, like the 3 way cat, one problem, they dont pay for it, if they feel like i tampered or didnt properly take care of the car. i have an exhuast and CAI, so i think, I KNOW their gonna blame the problem on that, cuz i went there a few times when i still had my warranty. so kingseth2, when u got honda to replace urs, did u have any aftermarket stuff? so the real question is this guys: should i just take off my exhuast and rebuy a stock one(like ive seen them for $100-200) and put that on, and put on stock air filter and get the cat done? or should i just go straight ahead and buy a new hi flow cat from carsound? thats like $80-150 also. will i pass emissions tests guys with a high flow cat?

Kingseth2

Hi,

No I did not have any aftermarket items on my car. The only problem you might run into when replacing the exhuast and intake with NEW stock ones, is that the Honda dealership will probably notice that you have a brand new exhuast and intake. I am sure they have run into this situation before. They might call you out on the late swap, and recognize you replaced these parts inorder to qualify for warranty coverage on the Cat. Sorry if this sounds depressing but I am just trying to brain storm. Again, good luck.