Honda made a mistake or is it suppose to be that way RWG

[AR]

So I was washing "the underdog" when I noticed that water was getting into the engine bay thru the RWG ( rear window garnish ), I assumed that it was due to me removing the engine cover in anticipation of getting my NA2-R cover .

So I decided to make an "Ersatz" engine cover a la Gruppe M by removing a similar area to the one that is covered in mesh on the NSX-R one. Out came the pliers, angle grinder, jigsaw and the all important goggles and dust mask. I cut out the oulined, removed all the ribs and post and smoothed the inside. Also rounded the edge. I should have wore more suitable clothes than shorts and a vest as by the time I finished I was itching like a possesed man. Once finished wash, blow dry ( the cover, not me as I am bald ) and detailed, I installed it. I decided to wash the car again as some dust had flown out of the garage/workshop and black ( roof )is a tell tale color for dirt.

Can you believe that the water keeps on coming in! The posts were the RWG attaches to the engine bay are not covered by the engine cover!

Everytime one watches the car, the rear bank valve cover gets wet! WTF Honda? Was this designed for ventilation, or as an engineered fault?

Sorry about the rant.
Cheers,

Ary

__________________
1993 NSX 3.0 5 MT on a diet!
1994 NSX-R Sold 04/07
1999 NSX 3.2 Coupe

 

[ak]

Ventilation.

 

[KooLaid]

yep +1

 

[AR]

So the water gets in and we hope the gaskets hold up.

 

[EK4 hatchback]

Mine get wet all the time with car wash. So i have to dry it everytime after wash.....

 

[larrynsx]

I usually put a plastic table / dinning mat on inside the engine bay right on top of the rear bank valve cover when I do the car wash. I works and it never get wet.

 

[KooLaid]

So the water gets in and we hope the gaskets hold up.

Its not like the engine is submerged.

 

[Juice]

What is the threat here?? The engine is allowed to get wet. It is an exposed component designed to withstand the elements. If not, it would have been completely enclosed. How do you think a detailer cleans an engine bay? By dry cleaning it?

 

[s14_tat]

What is the threat here?? The engine is allowed to get wet. It is an exposed component designed to withstand the elements. If not, it would have been completely enclosed. How do you think a detailer cleans an engine bay? By dry cleaning it?

The problem is that is if the gasket on the rear bank doesn't hold up, your going to have misfiring problems when the coilpacks gets wet. I'm petrified to drive in the in rain as it has screwed up my car once already.

 

[amgnsx]

eversince day 1. everytime i wash the car i place a rag over the valve cover to prevent any water entering the sparkplugs area :smile:

i have seen some post here where their car missifires and found that the contact points are rusted.

 

[Jin1976]

Can't do anything about the engine getting wet everytime I wash the car. I think that is why Honda have the valve covers have wrinkle on them probably to avoid waterspots forming as I have on my smoothly painted ones. Another problem I have with water especially driving during the rain is the belt splashing under the glass hatch just above the alternator and steam forming due the removal of the engine cover. I have misfire before but can easily fixed by putting on new valve gaskets.

 

[KooLaid]

I just run my motor for a while after I wash my car to evaporate off water that's on the motor with the hatch open. Helps out alot.

 

[nsx1]

I regularly hose down my engine compartment to keep it looking good. No problems yet.

 

[Khiladi1020]

Wow, I didnt' know all this. Good post as its something I will look out for as I continue my quest of NSX ownership. nsx1, when you regularly hose down your engine, are there any components you cover up?

 

[Peter Mills]

Wow, I didnt' know all this. Good post as its something I will look out for as I continue my quest of NSX ownership. nsx1, when you regularly hose down your engine, are there any components you cover up?

I wash my engine once a year. I use simple green and a garden hose. Nothing needs to be covered. You guys have got to get a life about water and the NSX. Your car will not rust. Drive the car....enjoy it.
97K plus miles and tracked at least 20 times a year.

 

[nsxtasy]

Honda didn't make a mistake. You did, when you removed the engine cover that Honda designed to keep a snug fit around the hatch. :tongue:

 

[AR]

I wash my engine once a year. I use simple green and a garden hose. Nothing needs to be covered. You guys have got to get a life about water and the NSX. Your car will not rust. Drive the car....enjoy it.
97K plus miles and tracked at least 20 times a year.

AFAIK Simple green and Aluminiun are not a good choice.

In our nice British weather I guess that there is no other option but to get it wet!

Cheers,

AR

 

[AR]

Honda didn't make a mistake. You did, when you removed the engine cover that Honda designed to keep a snug fit around the hatch. :tongue:

FYI The cover still allows as much water to get in there.

Cheers,

AR

 

[nsx1]

nsx1, when you regularly hose down your engine, are there any components you cover up?

No.

 

[DRBROOKSZ]

I Have Only Washed My Car 3-4 Times In 3 Years-- I Use The Detail Spray All The Time [4times A Week] It Stays Beautiful All The Time, I Avoid Water To Save Rubber Discoloration And Hardening---lance

 

[KooLaid]

I spray lightly, soap up certain spots with a soapy brush or sponge. Spray it off. I just avoid the alternator and the fuse box. Wipe off some stuff, run the engine to get it nice and toasty. Park it away. Or I just wipe down with a wet rag.

 

[s14_tat]

I wash my engine once a year. I use simple green and a garden hose. Nothing needs to be covered. You guys have got to get a life about water and the NSX. Your car will not rust. Drive the car....enjoy it.
97K plus miles and tracked at least 20 times a year.

As I have stated before, some people don't have problems with the car, some do. I happen to be part of the second group. Drove the car in a huge thunderstorm and the car ran like crap for the whole day, misfires and everything. I double checked my sparkplug cover gasket, and upon closer inspection, there is a giant gap there between the coil plug cover and the valvecover. This appears to be designed into it for some reason. The area with the gap has no gasket over it, and even a new gasket will not cover up that void.

 

[UnhuZ]

Honda actually DID a design error... and the consequences costed me $3000 to fix.

Probably Honda assumed that all owners wouldn't drive arround in the rain...but the rain is not the problem...with the car moving, the water don't get down the RWG...the rear glass stays dry (at least mine) even at very slow speeds.

Washing the car is the problem.... tons of water go down the RWG... fall in the rear cylinder head... the gasket for the coil cover is no chalenge for the water and the coils get soaked and over time they rust bad...water go down to the spark pug and fills up to the top...to the coil bottom...

This cause the misfire....and with the misfire we get burnt valves...that's what i was granted with... in the rear cylinder head, the first cylinder at the timming belt side had the 4 valves burnt....the other 5 cylinders were like new, after 87500mls.

with this i started to investigate.... the affected cylinder had the rustier coil.... the water finds a canal in the valve cover between the timingbelt part and the first cylinder...even with the coil cover gasket in its place, the water runs through there to the inside...

so...this appened a month after i bought the car...now, after 25000mls and amost 2 years, the car is running like new...why?? because i covered the rear cylinder head with a plastic to keep the water out of the coils... after every wash, when i removed the plastic it would come soaked...now i don't use the plastic anymore... i isolated each coil with rubber...water now can be all over, it won't affect anything...

so, as i said above.... HONDA DID IN FACT A CONCEPTION ERROR....

 

[s14_tat]

Also to add on top of what Uhuz stated. The engine cover does not stop the water from going down the rear garnish molding. The rubber seal from the engine cover is only used to cushion the rear hatch from hitting the metal. The rear garnish molding vents below that rubber seal. That is why after a long drive you will see heat waves radiating from the rear garnish molding even with the engine cover on.

AR99NSX can agree with me after he installed his mesh engine cover.

 

[amgnsx]

Honda actually DID a design error... and the consequences costed me $3000 to fix.

Probably Honda assumed that all owners wouldn't drive arround in the rain...but the rain is not the problem...with the car moving, the water don't get down the RWG...the rear glass stays dry (at least mine) even at very slow speeds.

Washing the car is the problem.... tons of water go down the RWG... fall in the rear cylinder head... the gasket for the coil cover is no chalenge for the water and the coils get soaked and over time they rust bad...water go down to the spark pug and fills up to the top...to the coil bottom...

This cause the misfire....and with the misfire we get burnt valves...that's what i was granted with... in the rear cylinder head, the first cylinder at the timming belt side had the 4 valves burnt....the other 5 cylinders were like new, after 87500mls.

with this i started to investigate.... the affected cylinder had the rustier coil.... the water finds a canal in the valve cover between the timingbelt part and the first cylinder...even with the coil cover gasket in its place, the water runs through there to the inside...

so...this appened a month after i bought the car...now, after 25000mls and amost 2 years, the car is running like new...why?? because i covered the rear cylinder head with a plastic to keep the water out of the coils... after every wash, when i removed the plastic it would come soaked...now i don't use the plastic anymore... i isolated each coil with rubber...water now can be all over, it won't affect anything...

so, as i said above.... HONDA DID IN FACT A CONCEPTION ERROR....

thank you :biggrin:
i said the same thing above.
but your is much nicer and detailed and sorry that it cost u $3k.

well there u have it everyone cover the valves when washing or pay :smile: .