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2018 RLX Sport Hybrid throws a rod and needs a new engine??
WARNING..... LONG POST!! I had a different type of failure the other day. I was driving to work in my 2018 RLX Sport Hybrid when I noticed a ticking noise coming from my engine. Two days prior I had my oil changed at a Honda dealership in town because my schedule didn't give me the time to schedule a service appointment with Acura. My codes were B126 on my maintenance minder. They took care of it and told me that no issues were spotted during the courtesy inspection. Anyway, as I continued my commute I noticed that the ticking sound was getting noticably louder, and before I could turn down my stereo to pay closer attention to the noise I heard a pop, and I immediately saw a plume of smoke coming from the back of my car. I pulled over to see what happened. At that time the noise coming from the engine was really loud when I pressed on the gas, and when I got out of the car to inspect the source of the smoke I noticed a significant amount of oil coming from behind the wheel well of the passenger side. I called AAA requesting to have it towed to the Honda dealership that did my oil change, convinced that the damage was caused by a botched oil change, only to get there and find out that the oil leak came from a thrown rod that literally punctured my engine block! The service manager told me that in order to have it repaired that I would need to have it moved to the Acura dealership. They needed to replace the engine and the associated. Cost for that repair according to their estimate would be around 8 thousand! They said that I would most likely be required to pay one thousand to get it repaired. They had a Honda representative look at it and after reviewing my service history they determined that my car was a good candidate for a "good will replacement", and because Acura uses the same criteria that they use to make that kind of determination that once they do their inspection of the car that they should be able to come to the same conclusion. They were right, but their cost estimate was way off! Acura told me that the repair would cost me 13.5k and I would be required to pay 2500 to get it taken care of. I'm currently riding in a 2023 Acura RDX loaner while they wait for the parts (on backorder for an undetermined amount of time). Has this happened to anyone else on the forum? If so, what was your outcome? Honda told me that the engine used for the RLX was known to throw rods and that there were several instances of it happening. I have never heard of this issue. My car has 77k miles and was running fine with no major issues prior to this happening.
Thank you for the heads up. I also have an 18 RLX Sport Hybrid with +37,000 miles (purchased in 2019 CPO w/ 7200 miles). Love the vehicle; but, I always worry about long-term issues since my CPO powertrain warranty will expire in this year. Really leaning hard toward replacing my RLX in the next 2-3 years "IF" Acura gets back into the hybrid/PHEV game with the next 4th Gen RDX. I don't want to jump ship to something from Lexus or Mazda with hybrid/PHEV powertrains; but, I will if there isn't another choice by then. I can imagine it taking months and getting extremely expensive waiting on MDX/RLX Sport Hybrid replacement parts as more time passes.
I think low oil can cause it to tick and then throw a rod. Hopefully the real mechanics on the forum can advise, but I think based on timing the Honda dealer maybe screwed something up and is trying to weasel out of liability.
Similar situation to the OP, my 2016 RLX SH-AWD (bought new in 2017 - now with 62K on the odometer) developed a knocking noise last Friday. I scheduled service with Buerkle Acura and drove it very little until the appointment yesterday. I was hoping it was noisy valves, or a broken exhaust hanger, but was informed by the technician last night that there are metal shavings in the oil pan and it is most likely a connecting rod bearing failure. Luckily, I have the 8 year/120k Acura Care extended warranty so there should be minimal cost to me (fingers crossed). All maintenance has been performed at this dealership, and the service department knows I don't abuse my vehicle - I don't even let them run the car through their car wash (micro scratches). Will keep this group updated on what else Acura finds out and what they do to repair my car. Meanwhile, I am driving a 2024 MDX SH-AWD Advance for a loaner, which although nice and has a lot of features, is surprisingly not as quiet as my 8 year old RLX (wind & road noise are horrible).
UPDATE: Just got the call from service advisor - connecting rod bearing #5 is spun - recommending a short block replacement. Waiting to hear back from Acura Care for the approval. Still no answer to what caused this failure to happen. Two good things, 1) the engine didn't seize and 2) my extended warranty is still good till April of 2025. I did speak with the service manager, and asked if it might be less expensive/easier to just replace the engine with a new one, and he responded "there are no new RLX engines available"....not very comforting, and he could be mistaken. Will keep the group updated on the progress and eventual outcome.
Last edited by Krlesch; 05-02-2024 at 01:32 PM.
Reason: added photos
UPDATE: So I received the following email from the Acura dealership this morning:
"Good morning, Karl, The inspector came out, took pictures and then contacted Acura. Acura called me and asked if we would rather do a long block. I went and talked to the tech he said yes to the long block I then called Aura back and they ok'd the long block but wanted me to source out a used one. I told them this is unacceptable and that my customer went out of his way to purchase Acura Care to avoid used and aftermarket parts. So, they said to do the short block and to send the heads to a machine shop to have them pressure tested and machined. The tech working on your vehicle is at Acura training today and tomorrow. I have time pulled for him to pull the heads on Thursday. So, I hope to have your heads pulled and at the shop Friday morning. I will let you know Friday how the heads looked when the tech has them pulled but I am sure I won't have them back from the shop until mid-next week. If you have any questions don't hesitate to call, text or email anytime. Thanks for your patience."
I am super happy that the service advisor advocated on my behalf and refused the used engine option. Getting a new short block and having the heads cleaned and machined is "almost" as good as it gets compared to a new long block. I will ask for the spark plugs to be replaced as long as they have the engine disassembled, and I will inquire about a valve adjustment when they reassemble the engine (I assume that they would need to perform this but want to be sure). More to come.....
What is so different with the RLX 3.5L compared to the MDX/RDX/TLX 3.5L or Honda 3.5L? Did they determine it was from a faulty part, lubrication issue, extra hp/tq of the 310hp/272tq, etc...
I'm curious to know that as well. I never got an explanation as to what caused my issue with my car. I need to request copies of the paperwork from my repair to see what they actually did to my car. So many concerns......and I'm not sure if the replacement engine has a warranty because the paperwork they gave me didn't specify it. I signed a thick stack of papers prior to picking it up, but they only gave me a 2 sheet summary of the bill. The representative said that my engine was replaced with a new one, but after reading these posts I want to see it in writing ✍️
I will be heading to the dealership after work to see if I can get the root cause from the service department - besides I need to retrieve a few things from the car since they are going to keep it for a while.
I spoke with the Service Manager yesterday and didn't get any additional information on the cause of the bearing failure. His attitude was pleasant, but I got the feeling that he just wants to get my car fixed as soon as possible (it is taking up one of the service bays). When I pressed him for a root cause, he said he really couldn't say why it failed - "sometimes they just fail". After that we talked about replacing the spark plugs, which he quoted the astronomic price of $359.96 for all six plugs (no labor cost). I asked if I could source the plugs myself, and he agreed and gave me the part number (12290-R9P-A01 which is an NGK DILZKR7B11G). BTW - I found these NGK plugs on Amazon for 93.99 for all six plugs (plus free shipping). I also asked about the break-in period for the new short block, and if they would use non-synthetic oil when the engine got reassembled, and he said no break-in period required as the short block is broken-in at the factory.
MRGOLD - I'm no mechanic, but it seems that the only difference(s) between the 3.5L engine used in so many Acura/Honda vehicles is 1) the presence/absence of VCM & VTEC (intake, exhaust or both), 2) higher/lower compression ratio and 3) horsepower rating. The bore and stroke are identical (89 mm × 93 mm) Honda J engine - Wikipedia
No issues. She rides as if nothing ever happened to her. Smooth throttle response, seamless gear changing, smooth transitions between EV mode and engine modes. No complains at all. I still feel the need to get a copy of the paperwork they had me sign on the day I got my car back. I feel like there may be some important information there that I need to see.
UPDATE: The heads were pressure tested and machined, and there was no damage, so they are now headed back to the dealership. The new short block and gaskets have arrived, and the technician is scheduled to work on reassembling the engine on the 23rd of May. With any luck I should have the car back prior to Memorial Day.
UPDATE: Got a call from my service advisor...they were mistaken when they said that the new short block has arrived. Now I am being told that the new short block "should" be released by Acura on June 29th (fingers crossed). On top of that, they need me to bring the 2024 MDX SHAWD Advance loaner in, and they said they will put me in a different loaner (TBD). This just keeps getting better and better. No explanation on how they could be mistaken about the engine being on-premises, no guarantee on the late-June release date, but at least they are willing to keep providing me with a loaner (for now). The service advisor "thinks" that the big recall is the reason for the delay (probably is) - I did ask her "aren't all of the J35Yx short blocks the same, and she said all except the RLX - of course. She said that the factories are pumping out replacement engines as fast as they can, which is probably why inventories are so low at the local dealerships. To be continued...
UPDATE: The short block arrived early last Tuesday, and work has begun putting my RLX back together. The service advisor thinks I may be able to pick the car up this coming Monday or at the latest Tuesday. If I get any new photos I'll be sure to post them.
UPDATE: I finally have my car back! Engine is running great (like cidvanski stated - like nothing ever happened to it). Had to reset some settings, due to the battery being removed for a long period of time. I have attached a screen shot of the total "bill" - very happy I purchased the Acuracare extended warranty when I bought the vehicle. The line item "Motors by Gosh" is the charge for sending the heads out for inspection, pressure testing and milling. Let's hope this is my Final Update for this unfortunate event. Have a great summer everyone
I'm glad it all worked out for you! Your bill looks a lot different from the one I got, but maybe we had different issues in relation to the actual damage that was done to the engine. Having your ride back is all that matters. I may post a copy of the bill I received from my repair for comparison, only because my curiosity has gotten the best of me.
This was the invoice I received from my "good will repair". I was charged 2700 for my portion, but the total bill exceeded 27k! I feel that it was money well spent, cause I love my car!
I have a 2016 and tonight on my way home I began to hear a ticking sound. I can’t hear it at idle, but when you rev it up a little it sounds like lifter noise on the head closest to the firewall.
2016 with 81,000 miles. I checked the oil level and it’s not low.
I’m hoping for noisy valves, but I can’t find anyone with a replicated sound.
04-16-2024, 06:54 AM
