So my local unauthorized Honda/Acura repair facility informed me today that the o-ring behind the cam tension pully is seeping, and it's a major repair to replace. Then also two broken motor mounts. So that got done, over $900. Then he went into other o-ring failures on the Honda V6, which is the oil pump o-ring, which requires removal of the oil pan. Then the other o-ring at the back of the engine, which requires removal of the tranny. MY TL is an 06 with 79K on the clock. All this came as quite a shock to me, not to mention expensive even in a private garage. He said it wasn't a matter of if, but when these o-rings would fail. Has anyone else experienced these failures??

Ken

 

Guy is not wrong, but greatly exaggerating the severity & time of the seals going out. The main seal doesn't usually start dripping until +150K miles and then again it's dripping and not actually pouring oil everywhere.

Regarding the other seals, all taken care of during the 105K timing belt job.

The motor mounts aren't terribly expensive or difficult to do, but they are indeed prone to failure and longevity varies on the driving conditions and style.

Personally would have waited for the seals and did just the motor mounts... or get the TB done at that point... You might want to revise how much you trust your mechanic and if he isn't using the scare tactics a bit hard on you.

 

Unfortunately I think some if not all of what you say may be true. I did the timing belt at 60K. I asked him today why they didn't do the tensioner at that time, he said it wasn't leaking and inferred they didn't know at the time it was prone to failure. Hmmm... So...there's another theory out there that synthetic oil is more prone to seepage and leaks than dino oil. I'm not trying to start an oil thread here, but I've read that on motorcycle forums. So the oil change was due, and I do my own, so I went back with Penz hi mileage oil. I may drive this car until I see a drip in the garage floor...then make a decision.

 

Seeping or not, it doesn't matter if the seals aren't good. You're only delaying the inevitable.

I say not doing the seals on the TB job is a very stupid oversight from their part. Seals and o-rings are cheap, whenever you have easy access to them, change them! Always worth it.

 

You need a new mechanic that's not trying to gouge your wallet.

"I didn't know" is the wrong answer for a professional.

 

Meh... 194K and no leaks here. I didn't replace any seals at 105K and I don't plan to at 210K unless I see signs of leakage.

Me thinks you mechanic is out to make some dough off of you and he did...because you let him.

What is a cam tension pulley? I have no idea what the OP is referring to.

 

Sorry, timing belt tension pulley and mount were replaced along with sealing o-ring. And I agree that this should have been done 19K ago when I had the TB replaced.

But my original question was, are these o-ring failures mentioned earlier inherent with the Honda V-6 engine?

Ken

 

Yes, as a pro Honda/Acura dealership tech I see the oil pump o-ring seals and rear main housing o-ring leak often. Very common. Severity depends on age and mileage and I've seen them leak at 60k, and some that don't until 150k. Saying the oil pump should have been fixed when the timing belt was off is half right. It would have been cheaper, but still requires another 3-4 hours to do the job properly. Once the lower timing cover is off it's easy to see the oil leak of the failed o-ring. That was most likely missed, or the mechanic thought it was from the tensioner itself. Tensioners leak and can cover the oil pump leak. The two leak into the same area.

My advice, take it to a acura or honda dealer, have them do a free inspection and ask to see the underside of the car to get an idea of how bad it really is. Once they leak, they don't stop, so start preparing to spend some cash.

 

o-ring failures are indeed inherent... like most engines though. There's a reason they're replaceable and cheap parts. Like I said, if you get the chance, replace them.

prove_it: Exactly. It would have been cheaper and if it was leaking before but not noticed it's a bad oversight.

 

At present there are no apparently leaks visible. Maybe the guy did use scare tactics, but the garage specializes in Honda/Acura, and has a very good reputation in the Dallas market.

Viton o-rings withstand a life of being exposed to petroleum products. I know this from dealing with an epic o-ring failure on my BMW motorcycle. Apparently Honda didn't get the memo.

Ken

 

So prove_it...Do you see many broken motor mounts on these TL's??

Ken