Major Engine failure

[Skippy]

A friend has had a major head bolt/stud failure in his 1yr old Merc C63 AMG engine. Another had an engine replaced ( when new) in his V8 previous model BMW M5 because of major damage following oil starvation. My impression is that these vehicles are highly stressed, especially for hot Oz conditions. Have any Primers had major engine failures in stock newish NSXs.

 

[sparky]

Unless they're tracking those cars I don't think you can attribute it to hot oz conditions... those cars are designed and extensively tested to work in all populated areas of the world, and to be frank oz cities are not the most stressing places by any measure (e.g. check out temps in bahrain, or arizona). More likely a manufacturing, assembly or repair flaw and they we're pushing the car hard and just got unlucky. Such failures would be the rare exception, not the rule. If you search out any car brand on the internet you'll find they all have failures...

that said, I'll suggest the NSX is amongst the more reliable

 

[Skippy]

Still would be interested if any Primer has heard of a newish NSX having a major engine failure. Both German cars were not tracked/flogged.

 

[Honcho]

The NSX cooling system was tested and developed in the Outback. I have never heard of a new NSX engine failing like that, even on the track.

 

[nsxtasy]

I have never heard of those items causing NSX engine failures. The only engine failures of NSXs I'm familiar with have two causes. One is when the harmonic balancer pulley comes apart and wears through the timing belt cover and jumps the timing; this can be prevented by replacing that pulley every 6-10 years and/or installing TitaniumDave's timing belt cover shield. The other is when there is an oil problem; the one case I know is someone who never (yes, never ) changed the oil, but checking the oil level occasionally is a good idea with any car, and frequently during any track use. Both these causes are exceedingly rare, but they can happen.

 

[BD]

According to Top Gear UK, Honda has never replaced a DOHC VTEC engines under warrantee. There are however, lots of blown engine due to force induction.

 

[sparky]

... Honda has never replaced a DOHC VTEC engines under warrantee.

that sounds like Honda don't honor their warranty, but I think you mean they've never had to replace one because none have failed ?

 

[bee_are_bee]

that sounds like Honda don't honor their warranty, but I think you mean they've never had to replace one because none have failed ?

Honda, in its history, has never had a failure if a VTEC mechanism. That's what I recall Clarkson saying

 

[BATMANs]

i just had something happen to my stock 3.0 engine with 120k miles.

Symptoms:

1. blue smoke from tail pipe
2. engine oil leaking from the drivers side (I haven't looked in the engine compartment)
3. idle drops down to 200-300RPMs and sometimes will go up to normal levels

all of my instrument panel readings are the same. no CEL went off, etc.

I was able to nurse the car home 10 miles and parked in the garage.

 

[BATMANs]

According to Top Gear UK, Honda has never replaced a DOHC VTEC engines under warrantee. The are however, lots of blown engine due to force induction.

Amen....

 

[docjohn]

about ten years ago I lost my first stock motor at pocono on track spun %5 bearing.I had a good relationship with my local dealer,they had a good relationship with the regional rep....I got a new shortblock on acura....they earned my loyalty.

 

[kookoo4nsx]

#1 Might not be the end of the world.
#2 Could be leaking spool valve gasket or cam plugs. Look at these first and move on to compression testing.
#3 Vacuum leak or a million other things.

i just had something happen to my stock 3.0 engine with 120k miles.

Symptoms:

1. blue smoke from tail pipe
2. engine oil leaking from the drivers side (I haven't looked in the engine compartment)
3. idle drops down to 200-300RPMs and sometimes will go up to normal levels

all of my instrument panel readings are the same. no CEL went off, etc.

I was able to nurse the car home 10 miles and parked in the garage.

 

[sahtt]

i just had something happen to my stock 3.0 engine with 120k miles.

Symptoms:

1. blue smoke from tail pipe
2. engine oil leaking from the drivers side (I haven't looked in the engine compartment)
3. idle drops down to 200-300RPMs and sometimes will go up to normal levels

all of my instrument panel readings are the same. no CEL went off, etc.

I was able to nurse the car home 10 miles and parked in the garage.

Compression/leak down test. If you've ever changed your plugs and can spare $20-$30 for the tool, you can test all six cylinders in about an hour.

 

[Track Addict]

Sorry to hear about your car BATMANs, but it sounds like it's time to tear it down and figure out what's going on. (I'm weird and think that sounds like fun)

Honda prides themselves on their ability to build outstanding engines (automotive, motorcycle, watercraft and even those really quiet generators). It doesn't surprise me that these C30s, B16s, D16s, K20s, F20s etc, etc, etc, hold up as well as they do making the numbers that they make. Honda knows their stuff! :wink:

Now if only Honda could build/buy a fuel sending unit that worked for a nickel!

 

[BATMANs]

What are the rear main seal failure symptoms?

 

[EAC]

What are the rear main seal failure symptoms?

Like our real main seal problems on rotaries, they just leak and cause a mess. It wouldn't effect the car running.

Why haven't you looked under there yet? I would have crawled under there immediately!

 

[BATMANs]

Like our real main seal problems on rotaries, they just leak and cause a mess. It wouldn't effect the car running.

Why haven't you looked under there yet? I would have crawled under there immediately!

After the smoke from the tail pipe I figured there's really no point in looking.

Plan for engine building.

 

[EAC]

After the smoke from the tail pipe I figured there's really no point in looking.

Plan for engine building.

BUT, you say there is oil on the ground now. If the oil on the ground, that would probably mean you knocked a hole in the block... which means you'd have some LOUD noises coming from that motor? Do you hear anything?

 

[BATMANs]

BUT, you say there is oil on the ground now. If the oil on the ground, that would probably mean you knocked a hole in the block... which means you'd have some LOUD noises coming from that motor? Do you hear anything?

There aren't any noises. No tapping clicking or any strange sound.

 

[EAC]

There aren't any noises. No tapping clicking or any strange sound.

Hmm, I guess you could have smoked a head gasket... and it's leaking oil fromt that.

 

[Mirroredshades]

Friend of mine blew two engines in his M3 before it hit 36k.



Even more amazing is that BMW replaced both of them under warranty

 

[BD]

that sounds like Honda don't honor their warranty, but I think you mean they've never had to replace one because none have failed ?

Keep in mind that we are talking about the DOHC VTEC, NOT the SOHC VTEC.

I had my AP1 S2k's engine block replaced eight years ago under warrantee but not due to failure, but oil starvation due to bad oil change.

There is no companies in the world pay more attention to engine building than Honda.

So as of this moment, they have a 100% reliable rate under warrantee. Also keep in mind that Honda offers a 100k miles power train warrantee in Europe.

 

[BD]

A friend has had a major head bolt/stud failure in his 1yr old Merc C63 AMG engine. Another had an engine replaced ( when new) in his V8 previous model BMW M5 because of major damage following oil starvation. My impression is that these vehicles are highly stressed, especially for hot Oz conditions. Have any Primers had major engine failures in stock newish NSXs.

BTW, my brother's E39 M5 had its variable valve timing system failed last year at 60k miles, he decided to trade that thing in instead of fixing it, the MB dealer only give him $10k for the entire car. Now he's got a E63, I can already hear him complaint about the engine failure in a year or two.

 

[sparky]

I blew two engines in my 2002 Boxster S before 32k km, both replaced by Porsche. It was tracked fairly regularly. So much for their claims it has an"integrated dry sump" !

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk

 

[scorp965]

The C63 engine is hand-assembled, IIRC, so perhaps there could be an assembly mistake which contributed to its failure. If the failure was due to stretching, that's a manufacturing defect, and not a flaw in the design. For a stud to fatigue, I doubt ambient temperature played much if any part in the failure.

Most NSX engine failures are on heavily-modified cars, often engines with forced induction and a flaw in the tuning or supporting modifications, which leads to an eventual failure. It's the nature of modifying cars, sometimes pushing the envelope of what's accepted, and in a few rare occasions as a result of a manufacturing defect.

If there is a defect in the car it will usually happen while the car is covered by warranty, it's rare for a defect to appear 7 years after a vehicle was assembled (assuming you're purchasing a 2005 NSX).