Recently, I noticed my '05 Accord (with 95k) was "skipping" or "back-firing' through the exhaust. I brought it to my local Honda dealer, and asked if someone could take a ride with me to confirm the condition. The shop foreman went for a short ride with me and almost immediately confirmed what I was hearing/feeling. He said there was a definate "skip" in the engine, and mentioned that there was recently an "update" on spark plugs for that car/model. I purchased a set of Autolite Iridium spark plugs and had my local mechanic install them for me. The problem still exists, but seems to be less noticable. I'm averaging 26-27 mpg in the city with the A?C on most of the time. I'm wondering if there is a bad coil or if I shoud try a different set of plugs or different brand (NGK?). Anybody else having or had this issue? Any help is appreciated. Thanks

 

I haven't heard of any *updated* spark plugs. I would say your problem is too hard to 'diagnose' with a simple ride around. Send it to the dealer so they can hook it up and analyze the sensors on the engine. Doesn't have to be a Honda dealer, just a shop with diagnostic equipment. And, if you decide to use an independent shop, as much as that equipment costs, you'll probably have to find a shop that specializes in Hondas.

The only issue I've heard about with our cars are the catalytic converters seem to be the first major component failure point. Last I heard, our cars have three, and they cost about $1,200. There should be a thread here somewhere on this forum that someone discusses how much it cost them.

I'm at 95K and my car still runs perfectly. But I'm just waiting for the MIL light and code saying my cats are bad...

26-27 city MPG isn't bad at all. I generally see that with normal city driving. However, currently I drive at most 1 mile each trip and never over 25 MPH, so my city mileage has dropped to 18-22 MPG.

The stock plugs in this car are 105K mile iridium (NGK? Denso?), so at least you replaced with iridium. But I think I head the Autolites weren't as good as the stock plugs. However, that debate is almost as hot as the oil brand debate. I feel if it's the same specs (iridium for plugs, 5W-20 for oil) then the brand doesn't matter as much. Just buy a quality product. If you really want to go all out, a few others claim increased mileage and HP with Pulstar plugs. However, I'm always cautious to trust someone that says they can "feel" the increased HP. Seriously, without using something such as a dynanometer, an individual would have a hard time "feeling" a 5-10 HP increase on a 255 HP car. Same goes for fuel economy increases. Seeing a slight increase on 1-2 tanks, could be anything. Driving style, temperatures, fuel quality, etc. Seeing that increase consistently over multiple tanks, they may have a point.

But I digress...

Have your car checked out by a competent mechanic that'll truly troubleshoot your car. Not just make a guess while riding in the passenger seat.

 

I'm not saying a car has to be diagnosed to say what's wrong. A car with a flat tire is a car with a flat tire. No analyzing required. And I'm not saying a mechanic can't make a diagnosis just by doing a ride along. Afterall, they're making educated guesses based on their experience. I'm just saying a car has a lot of moving (and a lot of non-moving) pieces that have to work in unison to get the job done. It could be as simple as changing the spark plugs. But it could also be a serious engine problem. Or, anything in between. Have a competent mechanic check it out so you're not wasting money chasing symptoms and not addressing the root cause.