Hi,

I own a 2004 TSX. Last week the car wouldn't start and it turns out that I need a new engine. When the mechanic looked at the car he said there was no oil in it at all. This was on 2/4/10 and my last oil change was at the end of December 2009 so I am not really sure how this is possible. The car has always burned through oil pretty quickly but I am very good at maintaining it and every time I have taken it in for something the oil burning was discussed but I was never led to believe that it was a serious issue. My car only has 96,000miles on it and other than this issue it is in perfect condition. The day the car wouldn’t start there was no indication of a problem. Oil light was not on, engine light was not on, there were no funny smells or noises, it pretty much just stopped working. I am wondering if this is a common problem with this model/year? Luckily, I do have an extended warranty but the dealer is not sure if this damage will be covered since my maintenance is done by a mechanic outside of an Acura dealership. This all seems strange to me because like I said I have kept on top of the required maintenance for the car and I just don't see how this could happen.

 

sorry to hear about your troubles.

all i can say is... hope you kept all your receipts! as long as you can show a papertrail of some sort to prove that proper maintenance was done on a regular basis, the dealership should honor your warranty...

 

this happened to one of my buddies rsx.

sorta burned oil then boom , wouldnt start. everything seized because lack of oil.

the motor was dead. period. and he wanted to swap into something else. so we decided to muck around.

i know it sounds stupid and we were just messing around. we removed the valve cover and ended up tinkering and turning the crankshaft after putting some oil in pretending to "frankenstien" the motor and after a few beers and laughs and the valve cover back on . we cranked it pretending to " give it power to frankenstien" and it started! ITS ALIVE . it studdered a bit but at the end, it became our parts car!

anyways im going on and on.

hope everything works out for you!

 

Not common at all. The 04's seem to have more than their share of problems, but I don't think engine failure is one of them. And 96K miles in nothing for a Honda engine. The oil useage should have been a clue (my 05 has 115K miles on it and doesn't use a drop, same for my wife's 07 with over 80K on it). Hope you can make out on the warranty (the potential for a problem like this is why I always had the dealer do the maintenance while the warranties were in effect).

 

I agree-something is wrong if your car uses oil. I take my tsx to an acura dealer for all it's service. No problems with it after almost 98,000 miles.

 

when you do go to the stealership dont let them punk you around. stand firm that you want warranty done. they can't deny you

 

Before they go to the dealership and demand they should go back to the mechanic and demand from them. Why should the dealer correct what a outside mechanic did or did not do.

 

Sorry, but this is flat out wrong. Honda (Acura) can use any number of excuses to deny a claim like this (and they might be inclined to with the car being so close to the expiration of the warranty and the fact that it evidently was rarely if ever, serviced by Honda (Acura)). I've been trying to tell you guys for years that it is in your best interest to make friends with a local dealer. It may cost more, and it may be less convenient, but..... if you have an older car and/or you plan on keeping it for a while, it doesn't hurt pay it forward and grease the skid a little. This may seem unfair (especially at 22), but..... it's the way of the world kid. Unlike what it often appears many of your generation seem to think..... there actually is little in life that's free.

 

id say at a guess the last service the oil was not replaced. there is no way it could drink 5 liters of engine oil during a service

 

OMG, this same exact thing just happened to my 2004 TSX! No oil light, no check engine light, no overheating, smoking, smells. A vague rattling noise (thought it was a loose shield). Had been running the previous day. Towed to the dealer. Needs new engine, new catalytic converter, + at a cost of $10K to fix. They'll give me $1500 for it. Sheesh, this car is in pristine condition. Any advice?

 

Well, unless you can afford to just chock it up to experience, you're going to need to fix it. Perhaps you could find a smaller shop that would charge less to do it and you should be able to find a used engine without too much trouble (maybe check with the old guy that just totaled his 06. The engine might still be good. It's in Arizona though). He's got a thread going on it.

 

Just curious, and I apologize in that it doesn't help you in the least, but do you check your oil on a regular (like every other gas fill up) basis? I check mine about every 500-700 miles and occasionally do have to top off.

I'm just trying to determine if this is a problem that can be prevented by just checking your oil. I understand your frustration however that an oil light didn't come on.

 

agreed. EVEN with all the dummy lights and nannies, it is still a machine. Every one should be checking their oil from time to time.

 

Right. A very expensive lesson. I *never* check it and rely solely on the idiot lights. Even the tech at Acura says "I never check mine either".

 

I check my engine oil every time I fill my gas tank and I haven't had to add oil.I have an 04 TSX w/66k miles as my daily driver/grocery getting/baby shuttle.It rarely sees over 4k rpms. It really depends on how you drive. The 08 Si I used to own would only burn oil when driven hard(about a 1/2 to 1qt. on 1 race/track day).That car was purchased new and I sold it with less than 8k miles on it.

 

I check the oil, tire pressure, expecially before long trips. I have never had to add oil. I have had to add air to the tires.

 

update: My tsx is now due for an oil change and I just checked the oil. It is at the top hole-none has to be added.

 

Would be a good excuse to stuff a K23A1 engine into a TSX

 

+1