Hi all

I have a 1998 Civic VTI-S here in the Uk which has the B18C4 vtec engine. I believe this is basically a downtuned version of the B18C5 found in the Integra type R.

Anyway; I have noticed ( at only 85k miles) the engine is a little noisy. I assumed that the engine was probably in need of some valve clearance adjustment and that would do the tick. However; I have noticed, particularly when using the throttle that there is a constant plume of smoke from the exhaust. I was horrified to find that after an oil change a few weeks ago I now have nothing reading on my dipstick - it took aobut a litre of oil to get a reading back on it!

Now quite concerned; I did a compression test. Three of the four spark plugs came out looking browny/white which is normal, but one was as black as the ace of spades! Now; this isn't an oily black, just black like when you have a very rich fuel mixture. The compression test yielded 200psi on three cylinders and 150psi on the end nearest the distributor. Oddly enough, this wasn't the cylinder which housed the blackened plug.

I am now rather confused! Is is possible to have a sticking VTEC lifter on one cylinder, hence that one cylinder is vtec'ing all the time -thus richer and blackening the plug? Or could the head gasket be blowing slightly on one end of the engine causing compression loss on the end cylinder and a slight oil seepage into the adjacent cylinder? Or could all teh valve stem seals be shot, and particularly bad on the one cylinder causing oil to leak down from the valve gear?

My dad has described an old trick to me of squirting a little oil into each of the bores and doing a compression test to see if the pressure improves and hopfully rule out the rings as being at fault. However, I am reluctant to try this as I might worsen the effect of having burnt oil entering the catalytic converter and I could really do without the cost of a new one right now!

Any advice from anyone would be greatly appreciated as I'd like to be sure whats going on before I got stripping the head off etc.

Many thanks all

Steve

 

take off ur oil cap and see if the oil looks like chocolate milk.

 

Hi mate

Oil is fine, no water getting into it. Coolant in the rad also seems nice and clean.

 

Unfortunately mine is in a similar siuation. When I had about 80k miles it started having the same problems as yours.

Problems I've had with mine leaving the problem to over 100k miles:

I have had to have the head rebuilt due to a damaged valve.

Catalytic Converter went out.

I had new valves and seals intalled and all tolerances checked, which leaves the pistion rings...sorry

 

ya im starting to notice smoke on decel now, after summit im going to do a compression and leak down test and see whats up. i feel like it might be valve seals, but im not too sure.

 

throw a set of rings in it, and while the head is off you might as well do some valve seals.