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I have a 2006 Honda Pilot with 143k miles on it. Every once in a while when I start the car the engine feels like it’s about to stall but then kicks over right away. This problem used to only occur once in a blue moon, but recently it has been occurring more often. I recently had the spark plugs changed at the dealership in addition to new front brake pads and some fluid changes. I also had the battery and alternator tested out at Auto-zone and those both checked out OK. I do have a check engine light that goes on and off intermittently with a code of P0420 which the dealership identified as a bad catalytic converter, they assured me though that it wouldn’t necessarily affect the vehicles performance but that I may not get the same gas mileage as before and that I would only need to worry about that when it comes time for me to do emissions testing, at which point I probably will replace it. Anyways I’ve done a little bit of research and I’m starting to think that this may have something to do with the fuel pump wearing out or the fuel injectors being dirty and needing to be cleaned. However I did also have the fuel system cleaned out this past summer so I’m thinking that may not be the problem. But The throttle body could probably use a cleaning. What are your guys thoughts on this?
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You might be able to save yourself some money by cleaning your converter with soap and water. We’ve had people on this site with success doing that.
I agree the coolant leak should be addressed before you move and take it on a long trip.
Keep us posted on how things go with the battery.
As I said before, not many people seem to believe this, my 2000 4Runner had P0420 code, and I dropped the CAT with a thorough flushing clearing my problem. Of course make sure the substrate in the CAT is intact. New OEM CATs are very expensive! I also poured a bottle of Mr Gasket’s Cataclean. :woohoo:
You were right about the battery needing to be replaced. As I mentioned earlier the dealership did charge it when they replaced the alternator but recently I’ve been having some issues starting the car. Every once in a while it will crank but won’t start the first time, and then on the second attempt it will start right up. Anyways yesterday I went to auto zone to have my battery tested and sure enough it was down to 71%, so I know the battery is just flat wearing out and it’s time for a new one. Which is no surprise being that the battery I have in there is from AAA and they really don’t last all that long IMO.
I do plan to replace the battery hopefully within the next couple weeks. Another question I had was should I go with a duralast battery or an optima battery? I know that optima batteries are more expensive but can last a lot longer and have more cold cranking amps which was why I was considering getting one. what would you recommend?
As for the CAT I did try Scotty Kilmer’s trick of using a gallon of lacquer thinner at half a tank as well as some CAT cleaner that I got at an auto parts store. neither one worked. I suppose I could try the laundry detergent & water method, but I doubt it will work since the other two methods didn’t work. Plus the fasteners are rusted on pretty good and I would most likely have to replace those should I attempt to remove the CAT.
I am also wondering if the starter is going bad since I have heard that is a common problem with Hondas. I tried to access it today and was unsuccessful being that the bolts that mount the battery tray in place were on pretty tight and my hand tools just wouldn’t budge. May need to get an impact on those, which I don’t have at the moment. If I’m not mistaken the starter is located underneath the battery tray in my Pilot and I have to remove it to gain access.
Also my coolant level went down again, so I may have to replace the radiator a little sooner than I thought. Not really happy about it but it is what it is.
Just replacing your CAT with an after market brand is sometimes unsuccessful, cause the computer is looking for specific tolerances that only the OEM will give. Use an impact on the nuts, and get a look inside if the substrate is intact. Trust me, cleaning it this way is more profitable in saving $$. If the substrate is broken, that’s your problem! Best of luck. 😛
Glad you got the battery sorted out. Don’t assume you have a starter problem until you’ve done a little testing.
As for replacement, it’s very similar to this.
I will also add that the above poster is correct in that some aftermarket converters don’t work out, especially with Hondas. You may be better off cleaning yours if you can. As for the rusty bolts, this might be helpful.
This might also be helpful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tzQclY43IAh
Keep us updated.
Yep, I saw the location of it when the battery was being replaced. The starter is to the left of the battery tray in front of a couple radiator hoses. Also thank you for answering my question in the discussion this evening. The aftermarket I was considering getting is sold online by a place called FCP import. However, they do have a location about 45 minutes away from me in Milford, CT where I can go pick it up which I may very well do since I get my parents cars serviced up in Milford. The one that they sell is a denso radiator which I guess is practically identical to the oem and it’s about $194. The other one I saw was on rockauto.com for about $152. although the FCP one is a bit more I think I like the fact that I can pick it up at their location and from what I see it seems like a good quality radiator. Will keep you posted!
Denso is the company that makes the OE radiators BTW. You might consider that one. The one from Rockauto is probably also good, I just wanted to point that out.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Hey Eric, that starting issue came back again. though the car cranks perfectly fine it just doesn’t always kick over like it should. I had the fuel system cleaned so I don’t suppose it could be dirty fuel injectors. I’m wondering if it could mean the ignition coils are going bad. and from what I see it looks like Hondas don’t have a unique set up in that they don’t have a distributor w/rotor & cap. or at least I think that’s the case. I know it’s the same set up as that 6 cylinder Acura TL which you did the valve adjustment on. Anyways, I wanted to know if there’s any way to tell if these are going bad. I tried unscrewing them from the valve cover to have a look and of course the bolts were kind of hopelessly seized, I tried PB blaster but that didn’t work so I just left it alone because I didn’t want to strip them out. do you have any second thoughts?
To help your seized bolts:
Heat around the bolt with a propane torch (unless you have acetylene, but not all of us are that lucky). The other thing that often helps is to smack the center of the head (SQUARELY) with a hammer and this can often help loosen it up (i.e. impact style)
Also, the lacquer thinner doesn’t work. Why? It just doesn’t make chemical sense. Most lacquer thinners contain the compounds with ignition points near enough to octane. That means when the octane burns…so will the toluene, benzene, etc… in lacquer thinner. (It’s just chemistry :stick: )
The soapy water or lacquer thinner SOAK could work if you just have carbon build up on the converter. But if you have that kind of build up…you’ve got bigger problems.
Good luck with the bolts
[quote=”musiccity365″ post=96077]Hey Eric, that starting issue came back again. though the car cranks perfectly fine it just doesn’t always kick over like it should. I had the fuel system cleaned so I don’t suppose it could be dirty fuel injectors. I’m wondering if it could mean the ignition coils are going bad. and from what I see it looks like Hondas don’t have a unique set up in that they don’t have a distributor w/rotor & cap. or at least I think that’s the case. I know it’s the same set up as that 6 cylinder Acura TL which you did the valve adjustment on. Anyways, I wanted to know if there’s any way to tell if these are going bad. I tried unscrewing them from the valve cover to have a look and of course the bolts were kind of hopelessly seized, I tried PB blaster but that didn’t work so I just left it alone because I didn’t want to strip them out. do you have any second thoughts?[/quote]
You’re making assumptions, don’t do that. The valves would not cause it not to start. If they are seized as you say I suggest you leave them alone. You can make things SOOO much worse if you try to adjust them in that state. They get that way due to lack of oil changes. Once they pass that point, they are almost impossible to adjust. As I said in the video, it’s not critical to adjust them. In fact, Honda says only if they’re noisy. Once again, they will not cause a no start.
For the no start you have to find out what is missing during the no start, spark or fuel. You know the engine is sound because it does run. I think it’s more likely you’re having an issue with the ignition switch or immobilizer system. If the green key is flashing while you attempt to start, that means that the immobilizer is not allowing it to start. If that’s the case, it could be your key or some issue with the system. Unfortunately, that system is proprietary and can only be serviced at the dealer.
Good luck and keep us posted.
well I doubt it’s the immobilizer system because the vehicle does start up just kinda hiccups before it starts. I’m wondering if cleaning the fuel injectors would make a difference. Scotty Kilmer said that cleaning them would eliminate any carbon build up on the valves. as for adjusting them, they sound fine right now so I’m just gonna leave them alone. like you said it’s better not to make things more complicated. I do change my oil on a regular basis and have since we bought the car new in 2006, so I don’t suspect they are seized. I do also think it could have something to do with the ignition switch. I just had the fuel system cleaned last summer, not the injectors but the system. that didn’t resolve the issue so I’m not sure that cleaning the injectors will do so.
I am well aware of immobilizer systems being proprietary. LOL Scotty Kilmer vents about that all the time in his videos, saying it’s the bane of his existence as a mechanic. Unfortunately by law the only people who can work on those are dealerships and bonded locksmiths. fortunately I haven’t had problems with that yet and certainly hope I never do.
I seriously doubt the fuel system has anything to do with it. Therefore I don’t think cleaning the fuel injectors will have any effect.
so as it turns out we ended up getting a new radiator and a new catalytic converter for the Pilot today. long story short, I get a call from my brother who now has the car up at Uconn, ever since I got my new CR-V, and he says there’s a weird smell, at that point the car wasn’t overheating but people were flashing their lights at him (ok so my brother’s not the best driver in the world, but that’s another topic lol). anyways, so I told him since he was about 5 minutes away from his house that he should drive the car home and park it for the night, and then the next day my dad decided to take it to Honda and get it fixed. I told him I could’ve done it for a lot less than what Honda quoted him, but you know folks, they just don’t listen. But hey, at least now it’s fixed and I don’t have to worry about it anymore.
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