Timing Chain Stretch - minor engine damage
12-11-2009, 10:43 AM
#43
still plays with cars
04-29-2010, 11:58 AM
#44
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My 04 TSX
Three days ago my 04 TSX's engine died only 60,000 miles. 
I am a girl and not mechanically inclined at all, but I had regular maintanance and oil changes. Three days ago I started my car to go to work, all it would do was sputter and kept dying. I have never had any problems with it. I called a tow truck and had it towed to a local mechanic. He looked at it all day and couldn't figure out what was wrong with it so I had it towed to the Acura dealership. They immediately called me, I could hear my car in the background sounding horrible. (it was loud and knocking) finally I was told it died. They took two day to get back to me and said I needed an engine. Something about the timing chain. So now $5K I'm getting a new engine. :-( I had always liked my TSX and wanted to get a new one, but know I'm not so sure.
My husband has a BMW 2000 with 140K on it NO PROBLEMS with his.
I am a girl and not mechanically inclined at all, but I had regular maintanance and oil changes. Three days ago I started my car to go to work, all it would do was sputter and kept dying. I have never had any problems with it. I called a tow truck and had it towed to a local mechanic. He looked at it all day and couldn't figure out what was wrong with it so I had it towed to the Acura dealership. They immediately called me, I could hear my car in the background sounding horrible. (it was loud and knocking) finally I was told it died. They took two day to get back to me and said I needed an engine. Something about the timing chain. So now $5K I'm getting a new engine. :-( I had always liked my TSX and wanted to get a new one, but know I'm not so sure.My husband has a BMW 2000 with 140K on it NO PROBLEMS with his.
04-29-2010, 03:33 PM
#45
Three days ago my 04 TSX's engine died only 60,000 miles. I am a girl and not mechanically inclined at all, but I had regular maintanance and oil changes. Three days ago I started my car to go to work, all it would do was sputter and kept dying. I have never had any problems with it. I called a tow truck and had it towed to a local mechanic. He looked at it all day and couldn't figure out what was wrong with it so I had it towed to the Acura dealership. They immediately called me, I could hear my car in the background sounding horrible. (it was loud and knocking) finally I was told it died. They took two day to get back to me and said I needed an engine. Something about the timing chain. So now $5K I'm getting a new engine. :-( I had always liked my TSX and wanted to get a new one, but know I'm not so sure.
My husband has a BMW 2000 with 140K on it NO PROBLEMS with his.
I am a girl and not mechanically inclined at all, but I had regular maintanance and oil changes. Three days ago I started my car to go to work, all it would do was sputter and kept dying. I have never had any problems with it. I called a tow truck and had it towed to a local mechanic. He looked at it all day and couldn't figure out what was wrong with it so I had it towed to the Acura dealership. They immediately called me, I could hear my car in the background sounding horrible. (it was loud and knocking) finally I was told it died. They took two day to get back to me and said I needed an engine. Something about the timing chain. So now $5K I'm getting a new engine. :-( I had always liked my TSX and wanted to get a new one, but know I'm not so sure.My husband has a BMW 2000 with 140K on it NO PROBLEMS with his.
04-29-2010, 03:45 PM
#46
Senior Moderator
Three days ago my 04 TSX's engine died only 60,000 miles. I am a girl and not mechanically inclined at all, but I had regular maintanance and oil changes. Three days ago I started my car to go to work, all it would do was sputter and kept dying. I have never had any problems with it. I called a tow truck and had it towed to a local mechanic. He looked at it all day and couldn't figure out what was wrong with it so I had it towed to the Acura dealership. They immediately called me, I could hear my car in the background sounding horrible. (it was loud and knocking) finally I was told it died. They took two day to get back to me and said I needed an engine. Something about the timing chain. So now $5K I'm getting a new engine. :-( I had always liked my TSX and wanted to get a new one, but know I'm not so sure.
My husband has a BMW 2000 with 140K on it NO PROBLEMS with his.
I am a girl and not mechanically inclined at all, but I had regular maintanance and oil changes. Three days ago I started my car to go to work, all it would do was sputter and kept dying. I have never had any problems with it. I called a tow truck and had it towed to a local mechanic. He looked at it all day and couldn't figure out what was wrong with it so I had it towed to the Acura dealership. They immediately called me, I could hear my car in the background sounding horrible. (it was loud and knocking) finally I was told it died. They took two day to get back to me and said I needed an engine. Something about the timing chain. So now $5K I'm getting a new engine. :-( I had always liked my TSX and wanted to get a new one, but know I'm not so sure.My husband has a BMW 2000 with 140K on it NO PROBLEMS with his.
04-29-2010, 05:02 PM
#47
it's a car-drive it
Three days ago my 04 TSX's engine died only 60,000 miles. I am a girl and not mechanically inclined at all, but I had regular maintanance and oil changes. Three days ago I started my car to go to work, all it would do was sputter and kept dying. I have never had any problems with it. I called a tow truck and had it towed to a local mechanic. He looked at it all day and couldn't figure out what was wrong with it so I had it towed to the Acura dealership. They immediately called me, I could hear my car in the background sounding horrible. (it was loud and knocking) finally I was told it died. They took two day to get back to me and said I needed an engine. Something about the timing chain. So now $5K I'm getting a new engine. :-( I had always liked my TSX and wanted to get a new one, but know I'm not so sure.
My husband has a BMW 2000 with 140K on it NO PROBLEMS with his.
I am a girl and not mechanically inclined at all, but I had regular maintanance and oil changes. Three days ago I started my car to go to work, all it would do was sputter and kept dying. I have never had any problems with it. I called a tow truck and had it towed to a local mechanic. He looked at it all day and couldn't figure out what was wrong with it so I had it towed to the Acura dealership. They immediately called me, I could hear my car in the background sounding horrible. (it was loud and knocking) finally I was told it died. They took two day to get back to me and said I needed an engine. Something about the timing chain. So now $5K I'm getting a new engine. :-( I had always liked my TSX and wanted to get a new one, but know I'm not so sure.My husband has a BMW 2000 with 140K on it NO PROBLEMS with his.
04-29-2010, 05:24 PM
#48
Three days ago my 04 TSX's engine died only 60,000 miles. I am a girl and not mechanically inclined at all, but I had regular maintanance and oil changes. Three days ago I started my car to go to work, all it would do was sputter and kept dying. I have never had any problems with it. I called a tow truck and had it towed to a local mechanic. He looked at it all day and couldn't figure out what was wrong with it so I had it towed to the Acura dealership. They immediately called me, I could hear my car in the background sounding horrible. (it was loud and knocking) finally I was told it died. They took two day to get back to me and said I needed an engine. Something about the timing chain. So now $5K I'm getting a new engine. :-( I had always liked my TSX and wanted to get a new one, but know I'm not so sure.
My husband has a BMW 2000 with 140K on it NO PROBLEMS with his.
I am a girl and not mechanically inclined at all, but I had regular maintanance and oil changes. Three days ago I started my car to go to work, all it would do was sputter and kept dying. I have never had any problems with it. I called a tow truck and had it towed to a local mechanic. He looked at it all day and couldn't figure out what was wrong with it so I had it towed to the Acura dealership. They immediately called me, I could hear my car in the background sounding horrible. (it was loud and knocking) finally I was told it died. They took two day to get back to me and said I needed an engine. Something about the timing chain. So now $5K I'm getting a new engine. :-( I had always liked my TSX and wanted to get a new one, but know I'm not so sure.My husband has a BMW 2000 with 140K on it NO PROBLEMS with his.
skyblue8,
I have several questions:
1) How long have you owned the 2004 TSX. Are you the original owner? If not, how long ago did you get it and how many miles did it have?
2) Did you ever personally check the oil in your car? Was it ever low on oil?
3) Who performed the regular maintenance? Was it the dealer or an independent shop?
4) Do you live in the United States or in Canada?
05-01-2010, 05:33 AM
#49
still plays with cars
12-31-2010, 01:15 AM
#50
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My '04 kicked the bucket XMas Eve morning (yea, great timing). Heading in to the office it started fine and then stalled at the 1st light... Hmm, OK, started it back up quickly in neutral because the light changed to green, reached another red light, as soon as less than 1,500 rpms, stalled again...
Sadest part was I had brought it to the dealership a few weeks before, explaining that I had unusually high oil consumption (adding a quart every 1k mi), and many people referenced on forums (mostly this one) that the cam shaft sensor error (bank a, slot 1) and oil consumption often had to do with the timing chain, and asked them to check. They told me the chains don't go and it would just be gunk build up and to do a degunker on the next oil change. Well, I felt better about that until x-mas eve morning.
Well, my office happens to be next to AutoZone, so I got a fuel system cleaner, gunk remover, and synthetic oil additive to help the engine further, and made my way to get an oil change (amazed they were open and I had fun ducking through parking lots to not stop and let my car get down to idle.) Well, they didn't have time to do a thorough review because they were closing early, so I got the car home and left it there over the holiday weekend.
When I came back I tried resetting the ECU and cleaning the sensor, tried starting, and had to start with the gassing a bit, otherwise it would stall, and it was worse, stalled below 2,500-3k rpms. Called the dealer that I went to previously about the problem, and they said "We don't do timing chains." I'm thinking, WTF do you mean you don't do timing chains, it's an Acura, and you're most likely the biggest dealer around... and how could you tell me a few weeks before it wasn't a big deal if you had no clue about timing chains to begin with...
Had it towed to a dealer further away, mainly because I was fed up with the one I went to previously, and they said it was the chain, and the engine needs to be replaced, as it's now smoking a lot since they were diagnosing.
I'm calling Acura to make a huge complaint about dealer #1, since this could have been prevented and a 5th of the cost. Though I'm out of warranty, so I doubt they'll care.
U.S., 101k mi, Mobil1 changed at 6k intervals but again had to add a quart every 1k or so, Warning lights Check Engine, (!), and SRS. A few others referenced these same lights coming on in unison. Cam Shaft Sensor was replaced twice. 1st complaint to dealer about oil and sensor, about 2 years ago. Also car idle fluctuated (when warm) from 1,200 to 2,000 when stopped for that same amount of time.
Sadest part was I had brought it to the dealership a few weeks before, explaining that I had unusually high oil consumption (adding a quart every 1k mi), and many people referenced on forums (mostly this one) that the cam shaft sensor error (bank a, slot 1) and oil consumption often had to do with the timing chain, and asked them to check. They told me the chains don't go and it would just be gunk build up and to do a degunker on the next oil change. Well, I felt better about that until x-mas eve morning.
Well, my office happens to be next to AutoZone, so I got a fuel system cleaner, gunk remover, and synthetic oil additive to help the engine further, and made my way to get an oil change (amazed they were open and I had fun ducking through parking lots to not stop and let my car get down to idle.) Well, they didn't have time to do a thorough review because they were closing early, so I got the car home and left it there over the holiday weekend.
When I came back I tried resetting the ECU and cleaning the sensor, tried starting, and had to start with the gassing a bit, otherwise it would stall, and it was worse, stalled below 2,500-3k rpms. Called the dealer that I went to previously about the problem, and they said "We don't do timing chains." I'm thinking, WTF do you mean you don't do timing chains, it's an Acura, and you're most likely the biggest dealer around... and how could you tell me a few weeks before it wasn't a big deal if you had no clue about timing chains to begin with...
Had it towed to a dealer further away, mainly because I was fed up with the one I went to previously, and they said it was the chain, and the engine needs to be replaced, as it's now smoking a lot since they were diagnosing.
I'm calling Acura to make a huge complaint about dealer #1, since this could have been prevented and a 5th of the cost. Though I'm out of warranty, so I doubt they'll care.
U.S., 101k mi, Mobil1 changed at 6k intervals but again had to add a quart every 1k or so, Warning lights Check Engine, (!), and SRS. A few others referenced these same lights coming on in unison. Cam Shaft Sensor was replaced twice. 1st complaint to dealer about oil and sensor, about 2 years ago. Also car idle fluctuated (when warm) from 1,200 to 2,000 when stopped for that same amount of time.
12-31-2010, 11:09 AM
#51
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such an interesting, yet demoralizing article. This article is scary for 04 owners like my self. My car consistently burns oil and was low on oil for a number of miles. Is there a way to check the timing chain and possiblely prevent this problem. If so what to look for and do? Although I have the mechaincal resources to do this fix cheap, it is one one maintanence/fix I am unwilling to commit to!!
01-24-2011, 11:12 PM
#52
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Ugh I am going through this right now. My engine warning light came on after a recent bout of burning oil rapidly. Took it to my mechanic friend at honda who did a valve adjustment and various repairs to the brakes. Long story short tells me because I've run low on oil (I change it every 5K miles but it has run low a few times) that my chain has stretched and needs to be replaced. Can't promise me when it will go but I need to have it replaced. I have 172K trouble free miles on my TSX. Yes, I drive a lot! I'm not the original owner but have had no mechanical problems at all until now. I really want to get 300K miles out of this car so I think I'll suck it up and have it replaced next month. Though right now after reading this article I'm not sure I should wait. ugh
01-25-2011, 02:38 PM
#53
lads and ladies i cant be certain but in my opinion timing chain trouble is down to poor quality oil and not draining oil properly from the sump at service intervalls. at 250,000 miles trouble free i put this down to 5/7.5k proper oil changes ie let the oil drain all day and a genuine oil filter. lots of mechanics suck the oil out very very bad in my opinion, my choice of oil has been shell ultra 5w/40
01-28-2011, 03:03 PM
#54
lads and ladies i cant be certain but in my opinion timing chain trouble is down to poor quality oil and not draining oil properly from the sump at service intervalls. at 250,000 miles trouble free i put this down to 5/7.5k proper oil changes ie let the oil drain all day and a genuine oil filter. lots of mechanics suck the oil out very very bad in my opinion, my choice of oil has been shell ultra 5w/40
01-28-2011, 05:04 PM
#55
There can be numerous reasons for the chain to stretch that our out of our control and are speculation. The tensioner is there to keep the chain tight.
For those who have unfortunately had to replace this item, did you ever inspect the chain tensioner before the chain jumped teeth? If you did, how far out was the piston extended?
Maybe a periodic inspection of the tensioner could prevent valve damage (aka really expensive repair) vs just an expensive repair to replace the chain for other TSX owners?
I'll check mine next weekend and post a picture.
For those who have unfortunately had to replace this item, did you ever inspect the chain tensioner before the chain jumped teeth? If you did, how far out was the piston extended?
Maybe a periodic inspection of the tensioner could prevent valve damage (aka really expensive repair) vs just an expensive repair to replace the chain for other TSX owners?
I'll check mine next weekend and post a picture.
08-02-2011, 07:20 PM
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I have an 04 TSX. Would not start one morning. New battery. No lights. Got it started by holding down gas pedal but it wouldnt stay running and even then it was unstable. CEL light pops up spitting out camshaft sensor bank 1. Towed it out of pocket to 3 repair shops. All said it jumped gears. Chain itself looks great. No real slack. Guides are in place. TDC way off mark. All reccomend new motor. No symptoms pre-failure. 151,000 miles. Babied. Oil changes every month. These motors arent exactly cheap otherwise Id just bite the bullet. Im stuck. Timing kit, rebuild or replacement engine.
11-26-2011, 04:36 PM
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Just got back from Florida had to buy a new car, my 05 Honda accord 4 cyl jumped a tooth or two and died on Thanksgiving at the hotel. Lucky for us it didn't die in rural Tennessee.The idle was rough right before it happened the stealer says "he never saw that before" Hmm.. Parts were not available and time was an issue so we traded it in for a new Civic. They said it could be over $1600 or worse. If you own any V-tech 2.4 get the chain checked now!
11-26-2011, 08:02 PM
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Mine too maybe?
I have an 05 A/t with 107k miles bought used and i have been hearing a rattle from my engine with acceleration. And when i put it in park and have someone rev it with my head next to the passenger front tire i hear an odd rattle with rpm deceleration from that side of the engine. Could this be the timing chain issue?
11-29-2011, 11:54 PM
#60
Intermediate
Repair Shop Recommendation (Austin, TX)
I recently got the P0341 code as well and the dealership informed I would need the timing chain and tensioner replaced. Can anyone recommend me to a local repair shop in Austin, TX? I would like to avoid the high dealership costs if possible especially since I'm on a tight budget.
Thank you in advance for your response and assistance!!!
Thank you in advance for your response and assistance!!!
01-24-2020, 06:56 PM
#61
Rebirth of a 12 year old post.
Alright, before you all flame me, or kill me for posting this here, please realize I have worked on many cars in the years, and maintain my vehicle well. I am merely posting here to help any and all owners of a 2.4L timing chain motor.
This problem started at 54k miles and 4 years, 5 months of ownership.
I got an oil change, filled up the gas, then I got a trouble code the next day. Performed the obvious, code P0341 CMP sensor out of range.
So, I checked the oil, good oil, but decided to change it myself (from the oil change place) again just to be sure. oil checked out fine with no clumps or discoloration. checked the sensors, nothing looked damaged.
So... went and got it diagnosed, since money doesn't go on trees, I told them what I know, and asked them to find what they can in about an hour. They informed me that most likely the problem was arising from bad CMP sensors ( on the driver side of the motor 2 sensors $85 ea) so I replaced them. After I replaced the sensors, the problem came back, but instead of the code going away when the engine warmed up, the code stayed on no matter what. Got the local honda shop to reset (reteach) the CMP phase to the ECU did not help. the fix for making the problem worse was to put the old sensors back in. then the code went away when the vehicle warmed up.
Since temp seemed to be an issue, I went and talked to more people. Seems that temperature would be a possible electrical/or mechanical problem in my experiences. Of course, it could also be a cold emissions program problem with the car/ecu. Pulled the valve cover head off, inspected the reluctor wheels for the intake and exhaust hot and cold, no noticable difference in the distance to the sensors. Inspected th VTC actuator and tested in the car (apply 60psi to the actuator in the port and it will 'unlock') Whil I was in there, inspected the chain tension that I could see and it had no play.
Put everything back together, and still had the code. decided to go ahead and order more parts based on results. replaced the VTC strainer assy, the VTC oil actuator, and the VTEC strainer since help sources suggested that if all else is good, it's probably something with the oil delivery system to the VTC system. After all that was replaced, the code went away for about 2 weeks.
2 months after the initial code, $300 in labor(Troubleshooting etc), $450 in parts later the code returns. Last resort is the timing chain/tensioner/guides.
Went to the dealership, and blah blah.... service guy says it's probably a sensor, told him i replaced, he says probably oil delivery... whooptee not that. then he tells me that if that doesn't fix it the root cause is usually a stretched chain because I missed an oil change so it wears out the guides and worn out guides cause excessive wear on the chain. Of course, I did all my own oil changes at 5k miles with full synthetic oil, and never went more than .5 quart low (engine burnoff)
Soooo... went to order the parts again $370. Parts arrived the next day and the d**n car wouldn't start. So we pushed the car into the garage, and got to work. Sure enough, the chain was so stretched that you could have removed 4 links from the chain just to make it the same length. Also found that the intake cam had skipped 4 teeth and the exhaust had skipped 7. Tensioner was fully exteneded and the teflon guides were in good shape.
Soo the rebuild details. there are lots of different length bolts on the cover, so keep them in order. the crank is a major PITA to get off. You will need to buy a specialty crank holder socket it is a reverse 40mm socket with an offset for the breaker. I used the A arm to hold the crank breaker, and had to remove the front bumper so we could pull on the crank bolt breaker without an extension (broke 2 1/2" drive extensions removing it and a 500ft/lb impact gun just makes noise) estimated ~1000ft/lbs of torque on the bolt by the way. the only other problem is you will need a torx bit to remove the tensioner arm guide for the chain. Only took about 8 hours total for rebuild. the chain has off colored links to ensure that the chain is placed right. Also be very careful when removing the old gasket material as your oil pan is open below.
Parts replaced after all was done: CMP exhaust and intake sensors(replaced again after the work), VTC solenoid replaced, VTC strainer replaced, Valve cover gasket replaced, VTC cam actuator replaced, Chain replaced, tensioner replaced, Both teflon guides replaced. Checked the oil pump and chain. Both were good and functioning properly.
The aftermath: Cylinder 2 has a pretty good leak to thru the exhaust valves (probably tapped the piston) and has lost 15% compression. Cylinder 1 lost 10% compression. The buttometer tells me that the car is running okay, just lost maybe 10HP, as it can still pull me back into the seat nicely, but you can hear the valves against the walls in the drive thru.
The lesson: The one thing I should have checked was the access port on the timing chain cover. It is about an inch above the crank just to the rear of the car. 3 10mm bolts and some hondabond hold it on. This will give you access to the tensioner assy, and tell you how much the chain is stretched. a new one is only pushed out about 1/2 of an inch and a fully extended one is about 2.5inches give or take.
I checked with a buddy that works for acura and they would have most likely followed the same troubleshooting for that code and the bill would have been over 3grand. Just a warning, I would check that tensioner at least every 25k miles since you just have to remove the tire, it's non invasive, and it can save you a ton of heartache and trouble.
Timeline: the code started in early September at 54k miles, and the damage occurred Mid november at 56k miles. so from first warning, it took less than 2k miles and about 2 months to damage the engine. No other codes came up during the entire time. My next saving is for a valve job..... sigh.
Good luck to everyone else and I hope you don't ever have this problem. I have some serious issues with a car that stretches timing chains this quickly when my previous 4 hondas wen't 100k plus on a mere belt while still looking good after all that...
This problem started at 54k miles and 4 years, 5 months of ownership.
I got an oil change, filled up the gas, then I got a trouble code the next day. Performed the obvious, code P0341 CMP sensor out of range.
So, I checked the oil, good oil, but decided to change it myself (from the oil change place) again just to be sure. oil checked out fine with no clumps or discoloration. checked the sensors, nothing looked damaged.
So... went and got it diagnosed, since money doesn't go on trees, I told them what I know, and asked them to find what they can in about an hour. They informed me that most likely the problem was arising from bad CMP sensors ( on the driver side of the motor 2 sensors $85 ea) so I replaced them. After I replaced the sensors, the problem came back, but instead of the code going away when the engine warmed up, the code stayed on no matter what. Got the local honda shop to reset (reteach) the CMP phase to the ECU did not help. the fix for making the problem worse was to put the old sensors back in. then the code went away when the vehicle warmed up.
Since temp seemed to be an issue, I went and talked to more people. Seems that temperature would be a possible electrical/or mechanical problem in my experiences. Of course, it could also be a cold emissions program problem with the car/ecu. Pulled the valve cover head off, inspected the reluctor wheels for the intake and exhaust hot and cold, no noticable difference in the distance to the sensors. Inspected th VTC actuator and tested in the car (apply 60psi to the actuator in the port and it will 'unlock') Whil I was in there, inspected the chain tension that I could see and it had no play.
Put everything back together, and still had the code. decided to go ahead and order more parts based on results. replaced the VTC strainer assy, the VTC oil actuator, and the VTEC strainer since help sources suggested that if all else is good, it's probably something with the oil delivery system to the VTC system. After all that was replaced, the code went away for about 2 weeks.
2 months after the initial code, $300 in labor(Troubleshooting etc), $450 in parts later the code returns. Last resort is the timing chain/tensioner/guides.
Went to the dealership, and blah blah.... service guy says it's probably a sensor, told him i replaced, he says probably oil delivery... whooptee not that. then he tells me that if that doesn't fix it the root cause is usually a stretched chain because I missed an oil change so it wears out the guides and worn out guides cause excessive wear on the chain. Of course, I did all my own oil changes at 5k miles with full synthetic oil, and never went more than .5 quart low (engine burnoff)
Soooo... went to order the parts again $370. Parts arrived the next day and the d**n car wouldn't start. So we pushed the car into the garage, and got to work. Sure enough, the chain was so stretched that you could have removed 4 links from the chain just to make it the same length. Also found that the intake cam had skipped 4 teeth and the exhaust had skipped 7. Tensioner was fully exteneded and the teflon guides were in good shape.
Soo the rebuild details. there are lots of different length bolts on the cover, so keep them in order. the crank is a major PITA to get off. You will need to buy a specialty crank holder socket it is a reverse 40mm socket with an offset for the breaker. I used the A arm to hold the crank breaker, and had to remove the front bumper so we could pull on the crank bolt breaker without an extension (broke 2 1/2" drive extensions removing it and a 500ft/lb impact gun just makes noise) estimated ~1000ft/lbs of torque on the bolt by the way. the only other problem is you will need a torx bit to remove the tensioner arm guide for the chain. Only took about 8 hours total for rebuild. the chain has off colored links to ensure that the chain is placed right. Also be very careful when removing the old gasket material as your oil pan is open below.
Parts replaced after all was done: CMP exhaust and intake sensors(replaced again after the work), VTC solenoid replaced, VTC strainer replaced, Valve cover gasket replaced, VTC cam actuator replaced, Chain replaced, tensioner replaced, Both teflon guides replaced. Checked the oil pump and chain. Both were good and functioning properly.
The aftermath: Cylinder 2 has a pretty good leak to thru the exhaust valves (probably tapped the piston) and has lost 15% compression. Cylinder 1 lost 10% compression. The buttometer tells me that the car is running okay, just lost maybe 10HP, as it can still pull me back into the seat nicely, but you can hear the valves against the walls in the drive thru.
The lesson: The one thing I should have checked was the access port on the timing chain cover. It is about an inch above the crank just to the rear of the car. 3 10mm bolts and some hondabond hold it on. This will give you access to the tensioner assy, and tell you how much the chain is stretched. a new one is only pushed out about 1/2 of an inch and a fully extended one is about 2.5inches give or take.
I checked with a buddy that works for acura and they would have most likely followed the same troubleshooting for that code and the bill would have been over 3grand. Just a warning, I would check that tensioner at least every 25k miles since you just have to remove the tire, it's non invasive, and it can save you a ton of heartache and trouble.
Timeline: the code started in early September at 54k miles, and the damage occurred Mid november at 56k miles. so from first warning, it took less than 2k miles and about 2 months to damage the engine. No other codes came up during the entire time. My next saving is for a valve job..... sigh.
Good luck to everyone else and I hope you don't ever have this problem. I have some serious issues with a car that stretches timing chains this quickly when my previous 4 hondas wen't 100k plus on a mere belt while still looking good after all that...
04-10-2020, 03:15 PM
#62
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Join Date: Apr 2020
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Totally agree about Hondas on a downhill, those mid 90s Hondas will run with no oil and beat all to hell and keep going. I use a local mechanic, low cost , is very fair on troubleshooting, often gives me free or at cost parts, He only works on hondas and Acura's 30+ years, so he probably knows more than most dealerships, he said dont buy Honda or acura from 2007 -2012.....But same issue Timing chain sound on my 2009 TSX. Some people say lighter oil some say heavier, will keep it from happening again. I really feel like heavier oil would give you better pressure I mean I got 5 20 synthetic in it. That stuff is like 0 20 traditional in viscosity , synthetic is thinner. But I swear its where honda went from 5 -30 to thinner oil, is why the pressure is an issue. But several guys i know who are enthusiast said its all caused by the VTC Oil Sensor. So I would say oil weight may have something to do with it. I bought my car it had thicker and traditional in it, and it barely made the sound, soon as I went to synthetic its got worse and last longer, so I would say oil pressure is a factor and oil weight may help that, most I talked to said thicker oil. But Ill take it to that specialist I mentioned above, he is a straight shooter, always cost less than quoted, has performed on side road repair for only 30 an hour, I get free used parts on occasion, he doesnt charge labor for things like belt replacement if he has to take them off for another repair, He is way fair, not once did he have a troubleshooting needed, he knew the problem soon as I told him the symptoms on any of my Hondas. He has worked on every Honda and Acura I have owned (9) from 1995 till present. If only all mechanics where like him. I mean never had a repair what didnt fix the issue and as stated he never troubleshot, he new issue up front, but i guess if thats all you do then you know your stuff. Never even used the computer link on my stuff, didnt need to , knew the problem and fix already. Im sure he will say yeah its common and give the price, and he only uses Genuine Honda parts, unless you tell him you want generic, but he will advise not too. My 1994 accord EX got less issues. But I dont see it blowing up or breaking a timing chain.
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tman570
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