Just a reminder for those who haven't seen the various threads that I have found searching the forums. Yesterday, I experienced the blown plug from cylinder #5. It completely blew out/burned the coil-pack and stripped the head threads. I am very, very lucky the time that this happened as I'm only 400 miles away from exceeding my 6yr/70k warranty and Acura is stating they will cover the entire thing

I too had heard an engine tick, which I didn't find any louder than usual, and from what I gathered was just "ticking like a Honda" as in a valve tick. I didn't every notice any other problems with mileage, performance, etc. There were no signs that I noticed prior to the issue. Was doing about 65, steady cruising on the way to work yesterday when the car began missing and loosing power, which felt almost like I was running out of fuel. Had a very bad egg/sulfur smell. The car basically rolled to stop, idled horribly until stalling completely.

I wasn't even aware of this potentially catastrophic problem until I started searching for it once the dealer explained the issue.

[edit] and when i say engine tick, this wasn't something that was just heard prior to the incident. the car had a mild engine tick every since i bought it about 12,000 miles ago. Again, i had no signs of any "impending doom" [/edit]

 

This makes me want to line the spark plug threads with a stronger alternative

 

thank you, I might need to check all my plug out and tighten if needed.

 

Thanks for the thread. Glad to hear Acura is covering it. This is another "check your plugs" thread which means I'll be checking mine today :P . The difference is, these repetitive threads are helpful, unlike some.....

 

So, can somebody explain what we should be looking for to prevent this from happening?

Thanks!

 

i literally took 2 seconds to check #5 last night.

allen key + ratchet + socket.

noises are misleading.
if you are concerned, check them.

 

is it always number 5 that pops open?

 

I had this happen to my (also #5) about a year ago (maybe more). I had an extended warranty when I bought the car and it covered it.

 

it would be wise to check all of them.

I only checked 4 and 5 as they were the easiest to get to without removing anything other than the clip, coil pack, then took an ratchet and extension and checked if they were tight.
both were. and I didnt feel the need to check others.

 

I did my plugs over the weekend and found #5 lose. Lucky i checked it before it was to late.

 

brb checking my plugs

 

It doesn't take long to check them...JUST DO IT! Take your time so you don't drop any tools in the engine bay especially when doing the back plugs.

 

this should help those looking for cylinder 5

 

checked my front plugs today, but had a quick question.

how do you guys keep the socket from disconnecting from the ratchet extension?? every time i reach down in there with the extension, i confirm the plugs are tight but then the socket disconnects and it takes me 20 min longer trying to get it out

 

^ that socket must not have a ridge that clicks in. My craftsman all have that so its harder to pull off.

 

Thanks for the reminder. This was the first time I've checked mine and they were good!

 

I figured I would inform everyone of the list of items that Acura replaced as part of this warranty repair. I had another thread regarding a "while you're in there list" and someone was asking for specifics.

The tech notes are as follows, verbatim:
"Verified Cylinder 5 Coil/Spark plug broken. Plug threads broke into cylinder head causing excessive scaring to cylinder and additional metal shavings found in oil pan. Replaced both head assemblies and Block. Adjusted both head valves, 6 plugs and #5 coil to resolve. Test drove to verify fix. Operation normal at this time."

Here is the Part List - Warranty Replaced
Part Number Description Quantity
10002-RDB-A00 GENERAL ASSY., CYLINDER BLOCK 1
10004-RDB-A10 GENERAL ASSY., FR. CYLINDER HEAD 1
10005-RDB-A00 GENERAL ASSY., RR. CYLINDER HEAD (DOT) 1
12030-RYE-A01 GASKET SET, HEAD COVER 2
91213-RKG-003 OIL SEAL (39X53X8) (NOK) 2
12251-RJA-004 GASKET, CYLINDER HEAD 2
30520-RCA-S01 COIL, PLUG HOLE 1
9807B-5617W SPARK PLUG (IZFR6K-11) (NGK) 6
90005-PAA-A01 BOLT-WASHER (12X163) 8
18115-RCA-A01 GASKET, EX. CHAMBER 2
19412-P8A-A02 GASKET, RR. WATER PASSAGE (NIPPON LEAKLESS) 1
17105-RCJ-A01 GASKET, IN. MANIFOLD 1
17055-RCA-A01 GASKET, FR. INJECTOR BASE 1
17050-RDV-J00 BASE, FR. INJECTOR 1
19411-P8A-A03 GASKET, FR. WATER PASSAGE (NIPPON LEAKLESS) 1
90005-PAA-A01 BOLT-WASHER (12X163) 1
08200-9008A FLUID (ATF-DW1) - 1 Quart 3
90471-PX4-000 WASHER, DRAIN PLUG (18MM) 1
14520-RCA-A01 TENSIONER, TIMING BELT AUTO 1
List Price Total: $7,716.04 (FYI)


Non-Warranty Items

12ACZ PERFORM ACURA 28 POINT INSPECTION CHECKLIST 1
14400-RCA-A01 BELT, TIMING (197YU20 VE-501) (UNITTA) 1
50280-SDA-A01 RUBBER, R. FR. SUB-FRAME MIDDLE MOUNTING 1
50285-SDA-A01 RUBBER, L. FR. SUB-FRAME MIDDLE MOUNTING 1
31500-SD4-100M BATTERY ASSY. (24F/550AMP) 1
31500-SD4-100M CORE RETURN 1

MOBIL15W20 MOBILE 1 FULL SYNTHETIC OIL & FILTER CHANGE 5

 

Congratulations on your new engine! Nice

 

Was it a rest rebuilt block and head or used?

 

this paranoid me and i went to check it out.. everything is ok here

but good thing dealer decided to do right with the majority of the replacements

 

It's an original factory powertrain warranty repair. These are new OEM items.

 

I lube it with Dielectic grease. Pops off easily

 

Did they say why they replaced both heads when only the #5 blew out?

 

Manufacturing tolerance, spoke to an Acura tech in the past about it. This problem has existed since 7th gen v6 Accord days, but not the 6th gen Accord. My #5 plug on my 07 Accord popped out at 88k miles and I only knew because I was swapping out the long life Iridium with Iridium power plugs. Check that thing every 30k miles. Do not go according to the 105k mile service schedule on the spark plugs.

 

Aren't the plugs 105K for the first set then 60K thereafter?

 

I think once they saw the debris/shavings all the way down to the oil pan it was determined that the whole thing needed to be done. I see what you're asking bu I wasn't going to question them giving me a completely new top end vs only half. I'm guessing the inspection of the heads may have either found debris that could have made its way to other cylinders and or a tolerance type thing? Again, I wasn't going to complain.

 

Not sure if it was just a coincidence but my #5 plug on my 99 accord v6 popped out at a little over 200K a few years ago. For some crazy reason however, the threads in the head were still there and I just needed to pop in a new plug! (Well I went ahead and replaced all 6 at the same time. That gen didn't have coilpacks.

 

Yesterday, at about 69,500 miles, my '08 TL-S engine (3.5L) experienced a spark plug blow out. There were no prior symptoms; not even the ticking sound. I drove immediately to the local Honda dealer.

I bought this car in 2010 at CarMax with about 8,500 miles on it. I was no aware of an extended warranty option. Certainly not from CarMax, but would that have even been available as the second owner.

I'll talk with the service agent today about how extensive the damage is ...and the cost. In reading about this, it sounds like a blown spark plug in Honda V6 engines isn't a rare event. What recourse, if any, do I have with Honda?

 

Which plug was it?

You need to protect yourself from being scammed by the service dept. It's quite possible that all you'll need is a helicoil, new plug and new coil. Since this is on your dime, make sure they don't charge you unnecessarily.

As far as recourse, file a complaint with Acura Client Services. It won't do any good, but it adds to their numerous complaints already received for this same issue. Good luck!!

 

This makes me nervous, and that pdf posted by Mau is gone. Anyone able to describe what to do to check this a little better?

 

kurt you just retorque all the spark plugs. i do this every 10k miles or so just to be sure. put some dielectric grease on your spark plug socket so the socket doesn't get stuck in the hole.

it takes about 30 min at the very worst if you have to "fish" out your socket each time haha

 

The service guy says it was the #4 cylinder. That's the center one on the front head, right? This information is in conversation on the phone with the service guy. I haven't seen the car since leaving it at the dealer. Yes, he said a helicoil was needed, but they have to pull the head to check for any damage to the cylinder wall. The electrode was missing.

He estimated $2,000 to do that much and, if no damage, put it back together. He will know more today. I understand there is a lot to pulling a head, especially with overhead cams, but it still seems high.

I only drove the car about 5-7 miles after the blow out, but the damage could be there and worse ...like metal in the oil. I'll ask about that.

It always seems to be something you don't expect. I do much of my own maintenance on this car. If I had heard the ticking sound, I would've looked into it. There was nothing. I wish I'd known about this even 2-3 days ago. It would've saved me so much grief.

<rant>
It feels like Honda should have some culpability in this. The potential damage from something this simple should have warranted a letter to all Acura owners, I think, not just a TSB to the dealers. It may not warrant a recall, but it's not something normal maintenance would catch. I've owned 4 Hondas (two Accord EX V6 models and two CR-Vs for wife) and 2 Acuras (both TLs). Four of those have been from this dealership, including the first Acura as a certified used car. I have two Honda motorcycles -- Goldwing and VFR -- no problem with their spark plugs. I am even on my second Honda lawnmower -- the first lasted 25 years. Suddenly, all the Honda engineering magic is gone. The karma is surely gone for this vehicle. I really liked this '08 TL-S. I'll be selling it now. I'll probably buy a Ford instead.
</rant>

 

Not wanting to make fun of you, but it's funny that you mention Ford when most of the spark plug blowouts I've heard in my life concerned Ford Triton engines.

There's no warranty from any manufacturer that a spark plug blowout wouldn't happen. If it's properly torqued, technically it shouldn't happen, but like everything in life it can happen even though everything should be fine.

As you said, it's hard to diagnose without ticking.

 

Been ticking for couple weeks now, checked plug #5 and sure enough loose, took it out by hand!

Luckily caught it in time, no damage. Tightened it and good to go. Original plugs were all tight, this is one that I replaced a few thousand miles ago, I did all 6. I torqued them all to spec.

 

The #4 cylinder is front left as you are facing the front bumper. Why can't they just scope the cylinder first? If the coil was missing, it's probably laying on the road somewhere, not in your cylinder.

Really, if it were me, I'd just scope the cylinder and blow/vacuum out any small debris that may or may not even be in the cylinder. Then helicoil (~$200-$300) and new plug/coil. Done.

I wouldn't put anything on the plug threads except for anti-sieze...

What spec did you use? If you used anti-sieze, it's 13 ft-lbs. If you didn't use anti-sieze, it's 18-20 ft-lbs...

 

So are we saying that just the #5 plug comes loose and somehow it explodes and can cause plug shavings to go inside the engine... Seems like the only thing that would happen is loss of compression.. I wouldn't think it would "blow up".. haha

 

I just saw a video on youtube for the replacement of these spark plugs and those plugs are buried deep into the engine! like 3 or 4 inches down from the top of the valve cover. And you can't really see them. haha

 

I put it in the socket not the threads haha. Thread gets anti seize and the dielectric grease goes in the socket so the socket slips off after torquing and doesn't get stuck in the plug hole

 

do you read these threads at all?

 

anti seize is not necessary at all "anti-seize compound can act as a lubricant altering torque values up to 20 percent, increasing the risk of spark plug thread breakage." -taken straight from NGK website.