98 accord ex/auto -- check engine light

Hi all,

Maybe you can help me. Few days ago my car started accelerating more with
less push and I thought it was due to the cold weather. A day or so later,
the check engine light came on. Now I'm thinking it's probably a bad o2
sensor or I need a new catalytic converter. I'd like to fix it myself if
possible. I've limited experience in car repair (oil change, spark plug
change, etc. ) and I'll appreciate any help to find the culprit. Also, I'd
like to know how to read the scan codes without the ODBII reader.

Btw, I read that it could be the gas gap and after 3 or so trips the light
goes off, but I've done more than 3 trips since then and it's still on. So
that leads me to belief it's something to do with the exhaust system.

TIA!

--Viktor

 

how many miles/km's?

Have you changed the fuel filter? Is the air filter clean? Original EGR
valve? Are all of your hoses still connected tightly?

Keith
'99 EX-L V6

 

I hope you mean gas line anti freeze in the gas tank. If you added prestone
rad antifreeze to your gas tank yes you would have a problem.
Mike

 

Haven't done any maintanance since september besides changing the oil once.
I've got 98K miles on it(I bought it at 72K and don't know what's been done
before that). The fuel filter hasn't been changed since I've had it. The EGR
probably hasn't been changed. I've tightened some of the hoses back in
september but not all of them.

I've also noticed that the temperature gauge used to go closer to the middle
before and for the past week or so it's been a 1/8th below the middle, maybe
a little more. I don't know if it's just me or if the temperature has really
dropped. It's only while it's warming up, it's all the time. By the way,
I've been driving the car on highway since september and prior to that I
didn't drive it as often.

If anyone has seen something like this please help.

Thanks!

--Viktor

 

By the way, this winter I didn't put any anti-freeze in my tank to keep the
accumulated water drops in there from freezing. Could that be causing any
problem?

--Viktor

 

Mike, yes, gas line anti-freeze. But even if it was prestone antifreeze it
wouldn't matter since I didn't put it. And my question was if not putting
any anti-freeze could be the cause for the engine light being on.

I usually don't wait for the engine to warm up completely but this morning I
did. And the idle dropped almost to 500revs and the car started jumping a
little. Usually it stays between 750 and 1000revs and the warming up is
smooth. Once I turn from parking to D4 and hold the brakes, it comes up to
normal @ 1000revs.

Any ideas?

Btw, I check the air filter. It was pretty clean. A few small tidbits from
dry leaves and I cleaned that up but nothing serious. I saw some bits from
leaves actually got past the air filter somehow and were in the filter box
right before the intake tube. If those leaves get into the intake, what
could happen?

--Viktor