help! MAP sensor Accord Lxi

[honda]

Hi,

I am so exasperated I can't even tell you. My engine error code tells me I have a MAP sensor problem. This error came on after an absolutely awful mechanic worked on my car (it didn't have the error before he worked on the car).

Anyway, so I found a place that sells automotive parts, it seemed reliable from their website, I purchased the part, and it arrived. I took it to a mechanic, and after a little while, he came back and told me that it wasn't the right part for the car.

So I tried to contact the place that sold me the part today (saturday) haven't heard back from them yet.

I then decided to check some other places that sell this part, and what they are selling is the same darn thing as what I have. Is the mechanic I went to today lying? (Is it really the correct part?) Here's the link for a picture of the part

http://www.autopartsworld.com/1987_honda_accord-lxi-3dr-f-i_map-sensor_parts.html

He said the correct map sensor has three wires coming off it, and an opening for where the vacuum line connects. He said the MAP sensor was inside this little screwed shut compartment near where the fusesbox? is under the hood (front passenger side), and he couldn't take it out to show me because it was way in there (true? I don't know).

Now the thing is, I don't know if I believe any mechanics anymore. A couple of weeks ago I had another mechanic do some other minor work on the car, he said he checked the voltage on the map sensor, but he was pointing to a sensor on the other side of the car.

Where is the MAP sensor on a 1987 Honda Accord Lxi 3-door, what does the correct map sensor look like (is the one on the above site correct), and if the one I have is correct, can I replace it myself? I thought this mechanic was honest, but now I really don't know.

[Pico]

it's located inside the vacuum box
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v337/picopop/fe1653-1.jpg

[A18A]

what did the mechanic do to your car?

[honda]

Thanks for your replies.

Picopop, what you have looks something like what the mechanic described. Can you take a look at the link in my previous post and tell me which sensor that is? That's what was sold to me as the MAP sensor for a 1987 Accord Lxi sensor. It looks a little like what you have, but it doesn't have the wires and plug like yours does, and there's a plastic piece sticking off one side. What I have looks exactly like the picture on the link I included. It is quite a bit different than what you show a picture of.

A18A, which mechanic are you asking about? The one who looked at the MAP sensor, or the one who worked on my car the first time that caused the MAP sensor to go bad?

[A18A]

the one that caused the map sensor to go bad

[Pico]

I'm not too sure what sensor that is in the picture. Maybe one of the other members can tell what it is.

[honda]

He replaced a freeze plug on the car (nowhere near the map sensor as far as I know). They were in there all around the intake manifold, had to disconnect a lot of stuff, worked with vacuum lines etc. They were sloppy, and seemed dishonest, malicious even possibly.

[honda]

Picopop,

Is the picture you show an original Honda MAP sensor? The one I have is by an OEM manufacturer.

[honda]

I thought I read somewhere that a MAP sensor code can also be caused by vacuum problems (or the wires to the sensor?) Is there anything I can try to check myself to see if it really is the sensor that needs to be replaced, and not something coming off the sensor or vacuum?

[AccordB20A]

what code is it? 3 flashes or 5??

5 flashes means the pipes off
3 flashes means its unplugged/the sensors fucked

[AccordB20A]

Make sure the black box is all plugged in, And that pipe 21 that comes out of the box goes straight onto the intake where it can get vacuum.

[honda]

I'm looking at this sensor some more, and now I see that the plastic piece sticking off the side is probably where the vacuum line connects (the opening was covered with a plastic cap), but it is in a different location than the one you show.

But the electrical plug on the side is quite different. Is there any kind of adapter I could get that would mesh the three prong straight plug my sensor has with the kind of plug with wires you show in your picture? Secondly, since the plastic piece sticking off the side is in a different location than what it should be, is the location where the sensor is located a tight location spacewise, or would it accomodate a plastic piece an extra half inch sticking out not in the right location? Is it something that a novice like me could install (if it fit, and had the right plug)?

[honda]

It is five flashes. Pipe's off? Which pipe do you mean? Is there a diagram or manual online that I could look at to understand this?

[MessyHonda]

my car would not run without the map sensor...i tired to take it off. and it would just kill my car.

[coope]

just check all your vacum lines running from the black box and make sure there on thats all very simple its not your map sensor i promise he must have just knocked off a line

[honda]

Ok, thanks. I'll check the vacuum lines. Are they going to all be accessible on top of the car (by looking under the hood), or are would I have to check underneath the car also?

[AccordB20A]

one of the pipes that comes out of the black box should have a 21 printed on it in white. Follow it... should go onto a metal tube, along to the other side of the intake manifold and up onto the throttlebody.

[honda]

Ok, I can understand that. Thanks : )

[honda]

Hey, so this is interesting.

AccordB20A,

I looked at the pipes coming out of the black box. There are seven all in a bunch bundled together with a rigid plastic tie that holds them in place. Three black pipes connect to little metal connection pipes in front on some part (I don't know what this part's called), and four connect to little connection pipes in back of this part. The three in front are 15, 12?, and 23. There is a little white plastic marker where the pipes attach that has numbers that say 15, (12?) and 23. The white plastic tab numbers match the numbers printed on the black rubber pipes for the top two front ones (15 and 12). The bottom one (location #23) I can't read any numbers on that black rubber pipe, but it is a thicker fatter pipe than the others).

The white plastic tabs for the metal pipes in the back say (going top to bottom) 21, 19, 24 and one more that either isn't labelled or I can't read it. Here's where I noticed that the top pipe (location #21) has black rubber pipe#3 connecting to it. The other end of black rubber pipe #3 connects to a valve that says PCV on it. Going down, location #19 has black rubber pipe #21 connecting to it, location #24 has black rubber pipe #19 connecting to it, and the last unnumbered location has black rubber pipe #24 connecting to it (they're all moved down one since pipe #3 is connecting to where it says #21).

There's also a black rubber pipe #16 that connects to some other valve? behind the black casing where you add oil, and then black rubber pipe #18 (thick) that goes into the fuel-injection system, and black rubber pipe #17 (thin) that also goes into the fuel-injection system.

So is this right? Where is black rubber pipe #3 really supposed to connect (right now it is going into the #21 slot).

So this is good, I may have found the problem, BUT when I followed pipe #17 to the place where it attaches to the fuel-injection system, the metal attachment to which #17 connects to snapped off so right now #17 is disconnected. The only thing I could think of was to try to get a thin metal pipe that fits inside the metal pipe that snapped and connect the two that way. What is pipe #17 for, does anyone know?

[AccordB20A]

Looks like whoever decided to pull off all the vacuum lines really cacked that up.

it should work when u make pipe 21 go from the box to its proper location.

i have no idea what this #17 hose is. its too wet outlide to go and look. Where does it go to?

[honda]

AccordB20A,

#17 goes to the casing that says PGM-FI written on top of it (the fuel injection system or the engine?).

Ok, if I do connect #21 to the correct location, where is #3 supposed to connect to? How did you know about the function of#21, can I read about than online?

If you can see where #17 is when it's nicer out, I would appreciate it a lot. You seem to know quite a bit about these vehicles.

[honda]

Well, I figured out where #3 goes to, and reconnected #21, #19, #24, and #3 correctly. There is a vacuum hose diagram on the car itself.

Tried to attach #17 with glue, it didn't work. So it is still disconnected. I can't see about getting some kind of pipe to connect them until tomorrow. #17 connects into a large plastic pipe that connects to the engine or whatever it is that says PGM-FI written on top of it in large letters. It could be that the little metal pipe that snapped is part of the large plastic pipe, or that it pokes through an aperture in the large plastic pipe I'm not sure.

I drove the car about six miles to see how it ran now. At first the check engine light was off, and remained off for about five miles. Then, it came back on, probably because #17 is still disconnected, but I'm not sure. I checked for engine codes, and now this is a little strange, there aren't any codes. There isn't the MAP sensor code, so #21 being connected properly seems to have helped that. But if the check engine light comes on, shouldn't there be some kind of a code?

[Krusty55]

Honda,

If you go to your local Auto Parts store and ask to see their assortment of windshield washer hose connectors (little plastic fittings), you will find one that will fit the rubber hose and friction fit into the hole where it broke off (at least it did on mine). You probably need to nip the tip off the fitting and you might need a dab of glue or maybe a drill, but it's an easy fix (compared to sorting out the hoses:confused:).

Krusty55

[frantik]

did you pay $315 or whatever it was for that sensor? :nervous:

[LX-incredible]

That sensor looks like one from a 4g... 17 just looks like a vent for the EGR solenoid. Does it connect to the plastic intake pipe right before the throttle body?

http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/2668/1988supplement62se321mu2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)