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Rough Idle on 2012 Accord V-6 / query

2K views 11 replies 4 participants last post by  HorseTrainer 
#1 ·
Greetings All !

I am the proud owner of a 2012 Accord V-6. After putting a tad bit over 129K Miles since new about 2 months ago, a small leaf managed to make its way under the engine air cleaner and while I was flying down the highway, the car engine stuttered and then it simply died. I could not start the car. After it had been towed to the Honda Dealer, they broke the news to me by handing me the leaf (and the Fram air cleaner that I had installed backwards the day before), and suggested that I find the right way to install the after-market air cleaner.

Yes, I had egg on my face but I was pleased that it wasn't something worse.

About a week later I was sitting in my car as it idled in a parking lot and with my hands on the steering wheel, I could not only hear but I could feel the idle drop and then come back up. Over the weeks since, the idle drops and bounces back and there is no code thrown and there is no beat or repetitive sound to the occurrence of the idle drop. It simply continues, daily. The heater is not 'on', nor is the A/C. I took the car back to the Honda Dealer and He/She told me that there was no code thrown and they could not detect any change in the idle. They asked me what I suggested they do.........LOL. I have just lived with it but yesterday, I stopped in at the Dealer again and bounced my continuing idle situation off another Rep. He then told me that they had a 'New and exciting product', which turned out to be some kind of technique (which wasn't mentioned by the flashy offer), where both the engine Fuel Injectors and the Cylinder head valves were cleaned while the engine ran. He said that if I had never done this that it was high time I did it. He said they were running a Special on it, where I could have it done for (Trumpets Sound!) $189.00 !!!

In that very second, my mind flashed back to about 10 years earlier, when every time I would take my wife's car into Subaru for an oil change, they insisted on pouring a can of Fuel Injector cleaner into the gas tank at a bargain price of $50.00.

I realize that it is unreasonable to ask this board's members to throw in their suspicions but I really need some help as to what everyone theorizes my idle problem might be. I realize the car is 10 years old but it only has 129K miles on it and I had the complete chain/belt/water-pump done at 95K miles. It is also a garage queen.I know it should run and whinny at least to 201K if not 300K! She has power to spare and she's had all oil/filter changes right at 5K.

Would some one please be kind enough to remind me that Greed is the word of this year and that YES, the dealer is going to shellac me really good by jacking me for $189.00, once the Wizard drives my car behind the curtain........... ?

Thanks in advance to everyone who ponders this for a bit. I really do appreciate it.

Happy New Year to all.

Best regards,
Horse

.
 
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#2 ·
Check the air intake hose for cracks. It's quite common for this to happen on the J series. The cracks can be somewhat hidden so you may need to remove the hose or at the very least expand the accordion to see them.
 
#6 ·
Also, with the V6, if you choose to replace the PCV, be careful, as the PCV valves on the J series are infamous for becoming very brittle and the plastic often breaks when you try to remove it, leaving part of the valve stuck inside the valve cover. It's not the end of the world and there are ways to get it out fairly easily, but it's a headache you should try to avoid.
 
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#5 ·
I'd also say that, while throttle body/cylinder head cleaning packages are sometimes gimmicky (like that one seems to sound) and sometimes aren't. My dealer did it while I got my valve adjustment and sparks done, but that was a traditional engine-off cleaning. Other dealers use non-factory approved methods that I'd be a little wary of.
 
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