Rep Power: 209

he is full of crap, and talking out of his rear end,

there is no way an aftermarket oil filter can cause the problems you are describing, i dont care what brand the filter is, no way in hell,

he is treating you like the "typical woman customer" thinking you will believe everything he tells you, absolute BS

 
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I was afraid of that, Mikey :/ Now I don't know what to do. If he didn't want me to pay $85 I would have insisted that he have it checked out anyway.

And actually, when I told my mechanic what the dealership said, he said, and I quote, "That's RETARDED!" LOL.

 
Rep Power: 209

i agree 100%

 
Rep Power: 518

Agree 100%

In fact, since I already run my mouth like I want my azz beat ....I would have said some loud, rude remarks about his ignorance, his heritage, and his mother..... And probably walked out.

I have been known to yell at salesmaggots "You ain't F'n bright, are you?!?!"
In front of many people.
Hasn't everyone wanted to do that at some point? Yes, I really have done it.



Wow. Just wow.

I have never seen an oil filter with just stenciled letters that said "OIL FILTER". Like this generic beer:




All the oil filters I remember ever seeing had brand names of some sort.


If you know who the person was, I would report this to the service director, general manager, or the dealer principal (owner) at that dealership... There is a big problem in that service department that needs addressed. A lying SOB is talking to his customers.

The person with their name on the sign out front SHOULD be the one that cares when real people have complaints about his business.....
but it all depends on their mentality too.
ALL of them are only salesmaggots, and many actually condone doing whatever it takes to get your money. Including straight up lying.

I KNOW that when a customer here has a legit complaint and they go right to the G.M., he comes unglued and heads roll.

Or just find a different dealer.

Find a mechanic you can trust, and stick with him.

Oh. Hell. No.
Every person with a Honda that gets oil changed at Walmart or JizzyLube would be having problems, and that just ain't happening.




I'm tempted to tell you to just have your mechanic put the VTEC valve on it, and get it over with.


By the way, most shops that "don't charge for diagnosis" just don't SHOW it to you. They really do get their money for it, you just don't see it.
If they really don't, it's because they know exactly what their "diagnosis" is worth.

Professionals charge a fee for every move they make.

 
Rep Power: 0

LOL, ezone, I probably should have but I really hate confrontation. So I just walked away before I did get upset and make scene. What I should have done was gone inside and asked another service advisor what he thought and if his opinion differed, I should have told him what the other said. In fact, I used to work for a big Acura dealership for years and I think I will give their service department a call and see what they say. I still know people there that I trust. If it wasn't 2 and a half hours away from where I live now, I would just take my car there. And you are exactly right about legitimate complaints, too. Heads would definitely roll there if someone was mistreated. Our GM might have been a bit brusque, but she did a great job. The problem with this dealership now is that the owner does not have the best reputation already and they are known in the area for shady dealings and messing people around. If they weren't the only Honda dealership within an hour's drive, I would NEVER use them for ANYTHING. I am going to get a second opinion from another Honda dealership and then ask the warranty group if it HAS to be a Honda dealership. Maybe another dealeship where I live would suffice.

Every person with a Honda that gets oil changed at Walmart or JizzyLube would be having problems, and that just ain't happening.

And actually, I said that to him and also said that I had had the car for nearly 2 years now, getting oil changes all the time, and am just having this problem. He looked at me like, you poor simple little thing, LOL, and said well sometimes it just takes a while to show up. That was when I said okay, I am a woman and know NOTHING about cars. But I am not stupid, I can put two and two together, and I need to just get out of here.

I am tempted, too :/ I really wish my mechanic would deal with my warranty (although again, I totally understand why he won't) because I trust him and he has never tried to be less than perfectly honest with me. It may come down to me just paying to fix it myself and then maybe selling the thing if oil consumption is still a problem.

Yeah I know what you're saying about the diagnosis cost. I don't mind paying people for their work. I just don't have another $85 to waste right now. We already know what's wrong with the car. I just need it on paper for the warranty co. And $85 seemed like a lot to me for "Well your engine light isn't on right now, so I have nothing to show the warranty company. And when I tell them that you aren't using an OEM oil filter, they will deny the claim."

 
Rep Power: 209

i think you should just forget about this warranty stuff for now, all this driving around and getting opinions here and there is costing you time and money, its more hassle then its worth,

i think you should just take ezones advice and pay to have the vtech sensor replaced, or if you can afford the extra money have the entire vtech assembly replaced, thats the code thats coming up, its most likely the problem,

its better than getting screwed over by a BSing service advisor,

just bite the bullet, you made a mistake for purchasing that warranty, so what, we all make mistakes in life, no big deal,

just take it to the mechanic you trust, tell him thats what you want done, and dont let him talk you out of it, it could be a cheap fix (relatively speaking) and well worth the gamble in my opinion,

dont let a bit of oil consumption deter you from keeping the car, it can still serve you well for many years, as long as you keep your eye on the oil level, check it once a week

 
Rep Power: 0

I think you are right, Mikey. I will call my regular mechanic today and see how much it will cost if I go that route.

I also just sent an email to a former coworker at the Acura dealership to see what he says. Just curious

 
Rep Power: 518

Probably wouldn't do you any good. Maggots stick together. Like the "code of blue" for dirty cops.

In service? Big plus for you no matter what department, at any rate. Use those connections.



Agreed, the car probably has a lot of life left in it as long as you can keep up with its needs. For the price of another car that will be as questionable as the one you already have now, you can buy a LOT of oil.




I'm at work, can't stay on here now....

 
Rep Power: 0

Yes ezone, I did some work for the service department at one time there, so I know the service manager and several of the advisors. I worked in the offices of several departments there. They don't have a high turnover, thank goodness. So, I did contact one that I trust and ask his opinion.

LOL!!! True, ezone. That's a lot of oil And I felt the same way. At first, I thought I am getting rid of this thing now. But then I realized that I don't trust any other car that I might buy to replace this one, either. Who knows what could be wrong with them, too? So like you and Mikey suggest, I am just going to check the oil constantly and make sure it has enough at all times. When the engine light comes back on, I am going to take it back to my regular mechanic and have him look at it again (he's never pulled the code, others have) and give me a price and just fix whatever's the matter.

 
Rep Power: 0

I heard back from the service advisor at Acura. He said the same that you all did. It's NOT the filter. He said he doesn't know why they would suggest that instead of doing an oil consumption test and checking the VTEC system. Of course we already knew that, but I wanted to make sure. He said I should just pay to find out what's wrong with it really, and not waste my time or extra money getting the runaround. If Acura wasn't almost three hours away from me, I would just take it to them and see if I could get the warranty to fix it. But since I really can't, I think once it starts acting up again, I will take it back to the mechanic that I trust and have been using and see what he can do. The engine light has stayed off for a week now, and it seems to be doing okay. But I know that probably won't last.

This is what he said in full:

The first thing to do, according to my techs, have an oil consumption test run on your car. The warranty company usually will not pay for this but if this leads to the problem that needs repairs, they will know what they need to replace for sure. That's the only way to find out unfortunately. It may cost you some money up front but at least they should be able to find out what is causing it. We are seeing some of the TSX's with some oil consumption issues and they have some procedures to fix those. The next time the check engine light (CEL) comes on, pull over, turn off the engine, and check the oil level immediately (only when safe to do so though). The CEL is coming on when there is insufficient oil in the engine. The VTEC works off of oil pressure and if there is not enough oil, the VTEC will not work properly if at all and this causes the CEL to come on.

 
Rep Power: 518

All well and good, but there are a couple points missed: Yes, one of the most common causes of the code is low oil level (we consider that "neglect" in most cases...the owner is responsible for keeping the oil full, not us).
BUT if the engine has sufficient oil when the CEL comes on with the VTEC code, then it isn't related to the oil level. It should be a problem within the VTEC system itself.

The consumption tests are done to accurately document the rate of consumption. If the consumption rate is found to be within acceptable limits, nothing will be resolved. Basically, you start with a fresh oil change at the dealer, then drive it. If it needs oil, THEY check and add. And document. This goes on for some period of time, to get an idea of the "bigger picture".

I haven't checked into what the actual acceptable rates are, but I think it is somewhere around 500-800 miles to a quart as acceptable. (It's an obscenely low number IIRC.)


You still have to check the oil periodically and add when necessary after this.

HTH

 
Rep Power: 0

Thanks, ezone. You are always helpful. I have done as you said. After I got my oil change a week or two ago, I have been documenting it with pictures ever since. And Carl did tell me to not add oil myself unless I absolutely have to-he also suggested that I go to the dealership and have them add so that it's documented. And I did tell him about the CEL coming on right after my complete oil change when it was full. He hasn't replied back yet, but I assume it will be the same as what you said. It's actually the VTEC itself. It's plain to see (even to me, LOL) that if there's a problem with full oil volume, then it's not oil pressure unless maybe it's a blocked oil passage? That possibility was on the p1259 code printout that I got from Autozone.

 
Rep Power: 518

That most likely would cause a consistent, repeatable problem.

It wouldn't be intermittent and random like what you have.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------




I know someone else posted pics of the VTEC valve on an engine elsewhere in the thread.....Here is a parts catalog pic and a link:






#9 is the VTEC valve assembly, gasket and all, complete.
This place will sell it to you for $147.
http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/...EAD+%28VTEC%29


I was suspecting the pressure switch to be the cause, the switch (#12) alone is $44 from that place.
Need the O-ring seal to go with that too...


Plus shipping, of course. UPS has to get their $ too.



You can also see what MSRP is for the parts on that site.
You can expect to pay that price or higher if someone else (a shop) obtains the parts.

 
Rep Power: 0

Oh thank you so much! I may need to do that, because on the way to work this morning, the engine light came on again. It's been about two weeks since my oil change, so SURELY it's not too low already. But, I am going to check it again just in case. But will I get an accurate reading? I just drove my car here to the office, and it's been sitting for about 30 minutes.

I will probably order the parts and have my regular mechanic do it like you suggest, because I just don't trust this dealership here and I feel like if I pay their diagnosis fee, I would be just throwing it away. And I CANNOT afford that right now. I just found out than an old silver filling of mine leaked and caused a cavity that was not visible and didn't cause me problems until now. Now I need a $1300 root canal and crown. I am broken, my car is broken, and now my bank account is broken LOL. But I guess that's just life. My point is, I need to be very careful with my money right now.

I just checked it and it's still full. It's a bit below the top dot.

 
Rep Power: 209

check the oil with your engine warm,

after you stop driving (engine fully warm) park on a level surface, turn the engine off and wait 2-3 mins, then check your oil,

just below the top dot is perfect

 
Rep Power: 0

Thanks, Mikey. Hopefully, it will stay that full for a while.

 
Rep Power: 0

Just thought i'd ofer a few facts that ive found for this code. I've seen the screen between the head and the vtec solenoid become clogged, especially on cars with dirty crankcases (dark oil). Vtec solenoids as with all solenoids generally tend to fail when hot and work fine when cold. Where's cupcake located, any of us could check these things??