I have a 2001 Honda CR-V. The check engine light came on, so I took it to the local Honda dealer. The read-out was that there were misfire codes on all 4 cylinders.
They looked at tsb from Honda, and concluded that the cylinder exhaust valve was too tight, and that it "receeded into the head. They adjusted the valve, and so far the light has not come back on. This say if it comes back on with the same codes, the cylinder head will need to be replaced for $4300.
My questions are:
How would the valve become too tight, or is this a manufacturing defect that just took 95K miles to show up?
Is there an alternative to cylinder head replacement if the problem recurs?
Does this price seem like it’s in the right ballpark?
This problem was caused by the idiotic factory recommendation of not checking valve lash (clearance) every 30k miles.
The lash should be inspected at the 1000 miles mark and every 30k miles afterwards; and yes I know “the factory” does not recommend this.
Honda, like other car makers, want their cars to be perceived as “maintenance free” so they extend the intervals on things like this to avoid irritating the car owner.
Generally, by the time a problem surfaces the car is out of warranty and the owner out of luck.
It’s not a manufacturing defect; it’s planned stupidity.
One has to wonder if more than one valve was tight and if tight valves were the case then you are not out of the woods yet. Tight exhaust valves mean burning of the valve seat and valve face to some degree and if this has occurred then readjusting the valves will not last.
The shop SHOULD have performed a compression test after adjusting the valves and should have written this down on the repair order.
You do NOT have to replace the cylinder head for this condition. The head can be removed and a full valve job performed on it at the machine shop. It’s still pricy, but not anywhere near 4300 bucks. Maybe 1000-1500 dollars depending.
Based on no compression test and a replace the head recommendation I would find another shop for this repair if needed.
If only one valve was tight then I might even question the original diagnosis a bit given that there were misfire codes on all cylinders.
Hope some of that helps you out anyway.
Thanks for the information. I did not feel good about the information I was getting, but don’t know enough to ask the right questions.
Did the TSB revise the valve adjustment interval?
Isn’t this situation similar to the 100,000 mile plug replacement interval, in regards to the claim that “I am maintaining the car as per the manufacture”
We wanted GM to pay for the stuck plug,should not Honda pay for the head damage?