DanielleAlek

US base model, H22A4 engine.
So, as a mechanic, when I hear both a "ticking" noise that rises with acceleration, and I see blue smoke but only on acceleration, I'm not giving it a good prognosis.
I'm more of a Toyota/Lexus tech than a Honda tech, though, so I figured I'd ask you guys what you think. Maybe I can post a video of the sound it makes later.
I know these engines make a weird almost tick-like noise normally, but according to the owner, this noise is new and wasn't present when the car was purchased, so I'm inclined to believe it's an actual mechanical fault.

Basically, a friend brought in a car that's losing oil rapidly (over a quart since its last oil change), making a "ticking" noise that sounds an awful lot like piston slap but doesn't go away no matter how long the engine is on, idles pretty rough, and only seems to be burning oil on acceleration. No smoke from the tailpipe at idle, but the smoke starts when it accelerates. Fuel trims are all at 0, spark advance at 15 degrees, O2 sensor voltages are both at 1.275, and it has P0135 and P0141, which are both O2 sensor heater circuit codes. These readings were taken when the engine was warmed up, so the O2 sensors should have been already heated up. Do these engines stop updating fuel trims when they detect P0141? Why isn't it throwing P0420 if both sensors are giving the same voltage? Seems to me like the ECU isn't actually talking to the sensors, so it's throwing heater circuit codes. I'd usually expect to see something like P0134, though.
The rough idle and smoke could also be the engine running insanely rich, since the O2 sensors don't seem to be responsive. Maybe a mixture between running rich and the valves needing to be readjusted causing these issues?
We didn't have time to run a full diagnosis today. I warned her that driving it without doing so could be risking creating larger issues, but she had things she needed to do, so she had to go, anyways.

What're your thoughts? What should I be checking on these engines? I'd much rather rule out as many possibilities as I can through diagnostics, as opposed to doing a bunch of different jobs and seeing if anything fixes the problem, but I also realize that some of these can only be diagnosed by opening it up.
I'd like to be able to come back to her with an action plan, rather than just throw every diagnostic test at it and see which one sticks. Like I said before, more of a Toyota/Lexus tech, on one of those I'd immediately know which things to check and usually be able to find the issue fairly quickly. I'd like to be able to bring that same energy to the Honda rather than just running every generic test I can.
Thanks!

5th Gen SH auto

do you use autodata program, follow the excessive smoke guided diag which is basically testing cylinders for pressure and leaks, also another thing can be too much oil maybe she really over filled, also there is a odd timing setting procedure you need to do on these if not done exactly right you get smoke on acceleration like I did when i didn't get it perfectly right its in the manual i think but also in autodata under tuning and emissions as well i will copy and paste it

DanielleAlek

There's a few programs called AutoData. Are you referring to this one, or this one?

5th Gen SH auto

yeah i think its that solera one but i just use an old version called autodata 3.38 find it on torrents but like i said just follow that image info there if you dizzy lets you turn it you can get it running perfectly without smoke mine did it when i replaced the timing bet i just tried to do the timing normally like you would turn dizzy set it which it let me do but would smoke only when i set it using that exact method did it work without smoke, hey if you get time have a read of my post about strange spark pattern if you ever come across something like that on any car your input would be welcomed