If you changed your timing chain after getting the P0341 CEL code have you looked at the chain and guides? Have 04 auto with 130k. Car is a daily driver and not driven very hard. My guides showed very little to no wear. Tensioner fully extended. Chain looked ok too, no gouges or other obvious abnormal wear patterns. Oil was changed every 4/5k miles using 5/30 Mobil 1. No evidence of sludge or vanrish anywhere. My thoughts are that the chain is undersized or incorrectly designed and/or manufactured. Other posts have commented on a possible oil starvation issue but the guides would then show some wear which are absent on mine. Thoughts? Has there been a change with the later K24's? Has Honda tried to save a buck and a few ounces?

 

Chumley:

several questions:

1) Are you the original owner of the car?

2) Did you have any oil consumption between oil changes every 5000 miles? If so, how much did you need to add between oil changes?

3) Did you ever check the oil dipstick between oil changes? If so, did the oil level ever go below the low mark on the dispstick?

 

Why did the chain get changed? That's the last on the list of things to do for that fault, were all the other possible issues eliminated first?

 

Did you read I've changed my chain either. With the same code. Chain just jumped through some gear tooths when I tried to start my car. It happened at 183.000 miles.

 

To Miamicarfan: Yes I am the original owner. Oil consumption was approx 1/2 qt between changes and oil never went below the low mark on dipstick. I have used Mobil i exclusively after second oil change to allow for break in period. Chain diagnosed by a knowledgeable shop. Seems like the chain just stretched beyond tensioners ability to correct. Went to another shop and dealer before deciding on the shop that did the work. Dealer would do full diagnosis and repair until problem solved charging me all the way with no maximum estimate. Another shop I went to who hold themselves out as Honda specialists wanted to change the engine with a rebuilt or used motor citing oil sludge as a cause - without looking at the car first. Beware. I was told once that a good mechanic isn't expensive he's priceless. These days it's very hard to find one you can trust to do the right job the first time at a fair price.

 

Agree that extended tensioner is a concern...but several other VTEC parts are more likely error causes. Simply changing chain and tensioners without checking the other functions is a crap shoot.

Chum is right on the mechanic front...and his stealership should be ashamed as the diagnostic for that code is pretty simple and very clear...

 

Not really. I got the P0341 this week driving home from work. Only 60k miles on the car. Took it into a trusted mechanic the very next day. Told him to check the timing chain and make sure the tensioner was not at it's limits. Told me it would cost $100 to remove valve cover. Told him to do it. He called me back a few hours later and told me that the tensioner was at it's maximum limit and the chain was still slack - timing belt was stretched. He did the job for $834 before tax. Dealer wanted $1910 for the same work.

Others have had this error with as few as 45k miles.

IMO, it's not unwise to treat the P0341 code on the Acura TSX as something that needs immediate attention. There are other posts online where it was not dealt with and engine damage was the ultimate result. The vast majority of the postings for P0341 for the Acura TSX report stretched timing chain as the root cause. Many indicate they wasted a lot of timing replacing sensors, actuators, etc. before ultimately replacing the chain.

I run Mobil 1 5W/30 in the engine. I usually go 5-6k between oil changes. It has on occasion gotten down to the lower oil mark on the dipstick (for some reason 2004's burn oil). Going forward, I intend to check the oil monthly and keep the oil as close to the full mark as possible.