Hi guys,

lately, i've noticed some things with my 2000 Honda Accord V6 sedan, and i'm not sure if i should be worried. please let me know if any of you have experienced any of the things i describe:

1) a slight 'clicking' sound from the engine bay when accelerating
2) when the car is on, i sometimes hear what sounds like a cricket under my hood...not sure what is causing it.
3) i recently noticed that my handling got a lot looser...any idea why this may be?

I dont know if any of the above 3 are related (im guessing not).

i'd appreciate any ideas...thanks.

 

You need your valves adjusted, possibly a new alternator, and new struts in that order. Anything else?

 

actually, i just changed alternator over thxgiving cuz the first one crapped out, and i have suspension techniques front and rear sway bars (same as struts? if not, how do i know if struts arent good anymore?), and as for having valves adjusted, will it hurt my car if i wait until june/july to do so? thanks.

 

Well you need to define the noise better then.

No offense, but how have you modified your suspension but you don't know what struts are? That's the first thing most people change to improve handling, and it is probably the biggest determinant alongside tires and spring rate/ride height.

Getting your valves adjusted is a tune up thing and won't really hurt your engine (namely your valves, springs and rocker arms), it just won't give optimal performance and smoothness. My valves need to be adjusted too, I'm waiting until it gets warmer so I can try it myself.

 

Hi 98Accord,

No offense taken I like cars, but i'll be the first to admit that I don't know as much as I should. I appreciate any help that I can get. Can you post up a link to struts you would recommend to help me better suspension? Thanks.

 

Well it depends on what you want. I chose to go with CL Type-S shocks (you can get the same ones from the TL Type-S), which offer a a slightly stiffer ride and improved handling but don’t give up the ride comfort and feel that I need (I drive 120 highway miles a day, so all out handling isn’t near the top of my list). Aftermarket shocks are known to blow out anywhere from 5,000 miles to 50,000 miles after purchase, so I wanted to make sure that I got OEM Honda quality in the product. If you want to go for better handling, there are many threads on this topic. JSchmid and people like him know a lot more about it than I do, I tend to keep my area of expertise to maintenance related stuff

 

Stick with name brand stuff that have good warranties. I have Koni adjustables, lifetime warranty, they are sweet, but a bit more firm than the stock shocks, but if you are looking for handling, get these.

Also consider Tokico Illuminas and Bilstien's.

Edit...I just re-read the thread...if you still have stock springs, look into some performance springs. A sport drop like Eibach Prokit, H&R sports, etc will get rid of some body roll and bring the wheel gap down to a respectable level.

 

Look for user LordAccord. He has an awesome writeup on FAQs for struts and springs in his signature. You will learn from it.

 

thanks all, i'll definitely look into all your suggestions!

here's a new one to add to the list of worries, lol:

so on a typical day, i'll leave work around 5pm, start my car and start driving home. I have 5 miles of local traffic, about 12 miles of freeway traffic and another 3 miles of local before I get home. the trip usually takes me about 45min-1hr. On my last stretch of local traffic going home, i'll come to a full stop at the stop light. then, when i begin to accelerate, i'll hear a scraping sound from somewhere under my car (i think), towards the front. Now this only happens at low speeds of around 10-20mph (unless it happens at higher speeds also and my engine drowns out the noise), and it only happens after my car has been driven for a lil while.

i've noticed this for a few months now (4-6 months), and it hasnt caused any problems I can tell, but it does cause me concern. I thought it could be my transmission, but i'm not sure. throughout this period i've done oil changes and I believe a 60K tune up. No one from the shops have ever mentioned anything to me about it.

do you guys have any idea what this might be?

 

I have a feeling it's your torque converter locking. Do a simple test: accelerate to a speed between 30 and 50 MPH. Hold your speed, and then lightly tap on the gas pedal repeatedly, just enough to unlock the torque converter. If this causes your car to jump and it feels really rough, then your TC is bad. There is a TSB for this so if you have low miles you might get consideration. It should be smooth and you should just feel a slight acceleration/hesitation.

When was the last tranny fluid change? Did you use genuine Honda fluid?