So i just stopped by the delaership i work at ( took the summer off for school) ato wash my tsx. When i got there i noticed an 09 rl in the shop with the hood open and all torn apart. I talked to a few salesmen and they said that something is happening with i think the valve cover? somethingli ke that but anyway the whole casing for the valves is cracked! supposedly this is alreadyknown by acura and ours is the first of many that are going to have to be rebuilt.

Just thought id fill you guys in just in case any of you were thinking of getting one soon. and i apologize if this is already known.

 

This is similar to what happened with the first set of 1999/2000 Audi S4's with the 2.7L twin-turbo V6. The valve cover was magnesium (I believe) and the cracking caused delays and repairs.

The design was slightly modified and subsequent uses of the engine (in the S4 and A6) were pretty successful.

Chalk it up to "growing pains."

Not so sure about the 3.7L V6 in the 2009 RL - maybe the packaging is more compact and/or heat buildup is an issue compared with the MDX. Also I hope this doesn't affect the forthcoming TL SH-AWD w/ 3.7L V6...

 

Did it see itself in a mirror?

 

Engine problems are not really known with either the 05-08 or 09 RLs thus far. A single report from a single dealership does not mean there is a potential problem for all. I'm also not aware of significant issues with the J37 engine as employed in the MDX.

However, it is something to keep our eyes on.

 

well i think imo the true test with the j37 will be in the 4th gen TL's because they will have the majority of j37's sold because they're Acura's highest volume selling vehicle

 

they were made aware of this problem from acura.

 

thats what another guy said, hopefully they will be able to fix it before the TL comes out.

 

To: All Acura Service Managers/Advisors

From: Technical Research & Support Group

Re: Inspection Process: 2009 RL Lost Motion Spring Problem



Print this iN message and provide a copy to the Shop Foreman and all Service Advisors.



Background
American Honda (AHM) is investigating a concern with some 2009 RL Cylinder Head assemblies. In a few cases, the Lost Motion Spring, a part of the VTEC assembly, has broken, causing damage to the rocker Shaft Bridge. This creates a significant ticking noise in the Cylinder Head area (immediately under the valve cover). Most often this problem has occurred in the first 50 miles of the vehicle’s life.



To ensure vehicle quality -- effective immediately – we are asking your support to perform the following modified PDI drive, aimed at exercising the lost motion springs and identifying any problems before a new RL is delivered to the retail customer.



At the beginning of your normal 10 mile PDI test drive, perform the following steps:
Place the vehicle in S-mode and, using the paddle shifters, select 1st gear
In a SAFE manner and OBEYING ALL SPEED LIMITS, from a stop, accelerate at wide-open throttle to a safe, legal speed and then coast down
Repeat 9 more times (total ten accelerations and decelerations)
Proceed with your normal test drive, accruing a minimum of 10 miles
Check for noises. If you identify a concern, contact Techline.
If the above test drive does not identify a concern, this vehicle is acceptable for sale.



Action Required
Please begin this test drive procedure immediately and continue for the next 30 days. We appreciate your support regarding this activity, aiding us in quickly identifying any remaining vehicles with concerns and helping us to insure we are delivering to our customers the highest quality product possible. Please contact your District Parts and Service Manager with any questions.





Thank you,
(THIS IS A MEMO FROM AMERICAN HONDA TO DEALERSHIPS)

 

To: All Acura Service Managers/Advisors

From: Technical Research & Support Group

Re: Inspection Process: 2009 RL Lost Motion Spring Problem



Print this iN message and provide a copy to the Shop Foreman and all Service Advisors.



Background
American Honda (AHM) is investigating a concern with some 2009 RL Cylinder Head assemblies. In a few cases, the Lost Motion Spring, a part of the VTEC assembly, has broken, causing damage to the rocker Shaft Bridge. This creates a significant ticking noise in the Cylinder Head area (immediately under the valve cover). Most often this problem has occurred in the first 50 miles of the vehicle’s life.



To ensure vehicle quality -- effective immediately – we are asking your support to perform the following modified PDI drive, aimed at exercising the lost motion springs and identifying any problems before a new RL is delivered to the retail customer.



At the beginning of your normal 10 mile PDI test drive, perform the following steps:
Place the vehicle in S-mode and, using the paddle shifters, select 1st gear
In a SAFE manner and OBEYING ALL SPEED LIMITS, from a stop, accelerate at wide-open throttle to a safe, legal speed and then coast down
Repeat 9 more times (total ten accelerations and decelerations)
Proceed with your normal test drive, accruing a minimum of 10 miles
Check for noises. If you identify a concern, contact Techline.
If the above test drive does not identify a concern, this vehicle is acceptable for sale.



Action Required
Please begin this test drive procedure immediately and continue for the next 30 days. We appreciate your support regarding this activity, aiding us in quickly identifying any remaining vehicles with concerns and helping us to insure we are delivering to our customers the highest quality product possible. Please contact your District Parts and Service Manager with any questions.





Thank you,
(THIS IS A COPY OF AMERICAN HONDA E-MAIL TO US)

 

......and now it's confirmed.

Thankfully, Acura is taking responsibility very early. Good on them!

 

doesn't that process seem a bit harsh for a new engine with zero miles

 

I'm no brain surgeon , but doesn't that process seem a bit harsh for a new engine with zero miles

 

I'm with ya on that....kinda makes you want to do the first oil change when they come back from that kind of test drive. Just remember that it being done out of love, and sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind.

Thanks to Serviceadvisor for clarifying exactly what is going on.

 

and I was thinking of an '09..Now i really have to think twice!!

 

Better to do the procedure than to sell a potentially broken car. +1 on the early oil change on these cars based on the testing procedure.

 

damn...that was quick to having issue already on the RL

but it is good that AHM is addressing this issue before someone gets hurt...

 

When buying a first year model you take a risk.

 

I wonder if that is the exhaust side or the intake side. And was it just a bad batch of springs? It is kind of strange that it after 10 miles and 10 VTEC activations, it is OK. Sort of almost speaks to a manufacturing process flaw?

 

If my memory is correct, years ago Porsche road tested every 911 (if not every car they built) on the autobahn, at high speeds, before they sent the car out for delivery... I could be wrong but I imagine they still do this.

 

Sorry but WRONG,
the 3.7 is a thorougly tested engine because it ihas been in Acura's second best selling model for 2 years, the MDX. Which BTW has demonstrated the engine to be bullet proof!

 

Sorry but WRONG,

It isn't the same engine as the MDX with respect to the VTEC system, which according to that memo that Serviceadvisor has posted is where the current problem is arising.
(see below)


CYLINDER HEADS / VALVETRAIN Like other current-generation Acura V-6 engines, the RL powerplant uses single overhead camshaft (SOHC) cylinder heads. However, for 2009 the new RL's 3.7L engine employs an all-new, industry-leading VTEC® rollerized rocker arm design for both the intake and exhaust valves. The lightweight heads are made of pressure-cast, low-porosity aluminum. To further save weight and reduce parts count, the cylinder heads incorporate unique integrated exhaust port castings that allow the optimal positioning of a primary close-coupled catalytic converter on each cylinder bank. The result of this design is the reduction of exhaust emissions during cold start-up due to quicker catalytic converter "light off". Unique new camshafts are 25-percent lighter than the previous 3.5L camshafts they replace. Assembled from hollow tubular steel shafts with splined steel lobes and journals that are pressed in place, the 3.7L's camshaft design is a first for Acura. The 3.7L's intake port design has an optimized shape that contributes seven horsepower alone (relative to the old 3.5L design) to the RL's 300 horsepower total. Intake valve head diameter in the new engine is 36mm (an increase of 1mm), yet it weighs 13-percent less due to a reduction in material in the valve head. The exhaust valves measure 30mm in diameter, the same as in the previous 3.5L engine. To ensure positive sealing, a unique 3-layer shim-type head gasket is used. A single Aramid-fiber reinforced belt drives the overhead camshafts.VTEC® (VARIABLE TIMING AND LIFT ELECTRONIC CONTROL) Acura VTEC® (Variable Timing and Lift Electronic Control) is a major contributor to the new 3.7L engine's gains in horsepower and torque. The engine features the first ever application of VTEC® on a SOHC engine for both the intake and exhaust valves. The system operates the engine's 24 intake and exhaust valves in two distinct modes, so that the operation of the valves continually changes to optimize volumetric efficiency, combustion of the air/fuel mixture, and to increase exhaust flow.
At low engine rpm, the valves have lower lift and are open a shorter period of time. At high engine speeds where breathing is critical, the valves switch to a high-lift, long duration mode to deliver improved volumetric efficiency. The VTEC® changeover point occurs at 4,900 rpm and is undetectable to the driver. The RL uses a unique new multi-arm VTEC® rocker arm system that allows each of the valves to be controlled by its own low-speed cam lobe. The result is better air/fuel mixing in the cylinders that improves both combustion speed and combustion stability. When the engine reaches 4,900 rpm, the powertrain control module (PCM) triggers the opening of an electric spool valve that routes pressurized oil to small pistons within the VTEC® rocker arms. As a result, small pistons slide into position to lock together the rocker arms for a given cylinder, which then follow a single high-lift, long-duration cam lobe (increasing high rpm intake valve lift by 27.9-percent and exhaust valve lift by 10-percent). The intake and exhaust valve timing and duration are unique to the RL. The result of the new VTEC® system is more power and torque, improved emissions, and better fuel economy. Plus, the new VTEC® rocker arm assemblies offer twice the durability of the former design as well as offer roller arm tips to reduce operating friction.

 

"The result of the new VTEC® system is more power and torque, improved emissions, and better fuel economy." 22 EPA MPG HWY. G-d only knows what the mileage could have been.