I originally posted this on 8th...thought I'd transfer it over.


Ok, so two weeks ago yesterday I had a gig with my band at Bar A in Belmar, NJ. It was a really nice Saturday, so I decided to fully detail my car before the trip.

Here's how she looked before I left for the 1 hr and 45 minute trip:




Pretty fresh IMO...

'08 Si with 87,xxx miles on it

ANYWAY... So I go on my way. I was enjoying the drive, just cruising with the windows down. I was about 15 miles from my destination, in the fast lane of a 6 lane stretch on the Garden State Parkway, when my car starts misfiring really badly without warning (no CEL). I get over to the shoulder as safely as possible and shut the car off.

(So before anyone asks what I did to it, the answer is nothing. I was just cruising, a couple cars behind a state cop doing 70mph for nearly 20 minutes, so I wasn't beating on it. In fact I think had only briefly blipped Vtec once when entering the highway, because I was trying to see how good my gas mileage would be.)

I pull into the shoulder, put the hazards on and turn the car off. I pop the hood, and go take a look. This is what I saw



The coil had broken off from its mounting point and busted up through the spark plug cover. So obviously, I wasn't driving the car any further.

So I call AAA, and since I was on the parkway, they had to send the "Parkway Towing Service". I didn't even think to ask them for a flatbed (cuz I'm lowered) until they were already on the way. So the guy gets there with a tow truck, not a flatbed...damn. I had to deadlift the front of the car for his tow truck arm to fit under the tow hooks. We got it on there with about a half inch between the oil pan and the arm. I'm not even that low, IDK what you people on coilovers do lol.

Since this guy wasn't AAA, he couldn't tow me the 80 miles home. He offered to either; (1) tow me the rest of the way to my gig...or (2) tow me a 1/2 mile down the road off the exit, so that I could call AAA from there to come get me...?!?! F That! Tow me to my gig.

So I get towed to Bar A, push my car into a spot and go play my gig...it was great...kicked *** lol.

Here's the clearance with my car on the truck...the tow hooks of my car literally sitting on the tow arms:




When I was done with my gig, I called AAA and made sure to ask for a flatbed this time. I felt bad for the guy that came to get me because he said he was due to go off call in fifteen minutes. Now he had to drive me over 2 hours (his GPS, slow-*** flatbed estimate) home, and then 2 hours back, in the middle of the night. Luckily, he was cool and we BS'd the whole time. We got to my house around 2 am and dropped my car, and I tipped him $30 bucks. Thank god for AAA plus because the route he took was just within the 100 miles...97 miles lol.

The next day, I took the car apart and this is what I found.



Coil-toast
Spark plug-toast
Threads in head-toast

GREAT!

So, after reading horror stories about Honda Care denying warranty claims, I decide I'm gonna try to fix it myself. I determine I need either a new head or a helicoil. Since I'm no baller, helicoil was the first route. I went and ordered a new coil and bought a helicoil kit. I get home, and notice that it's pretty much impossible to install a helicoil in this head without taking the head off. The spark plug tubes (which are pressed in) are too long to properly get the tools in there. I tried every trick I could to get the tube out, but it was really pressed in there.

So, take the head off...right? WRONG...ELL AYY ZEE WHY! I thought about all of the money I'd have to spend just in taking the head off and replacing it (new head gasket and all the other seals, new oil and filter...had just changed my oil, new coolant, etc.). That'd all be worthless if a helicoil wasn't the safe answer.

So I decided to gamble and send my car off on a tow truck for the third time in less than a week. I say "gamble" because I have an intake, header and exhaust on my car, even though I wasn't beating on my car.



Off to Honda on Wednesday 5/4!!

I decided to leave all my parts on, and hope the ECU would prove I had done nothing to cause the damage.

The car was at Sussex Honda for one day when the service manager (J.R.)called to get my approval for removing the head, $420 of labor. In the event Honda Care wouldn't honor my warranty, I needed to acknowledge that I'd pay that $420...eeek!

The following Wednesday, I hadn't heard anything, so I called J.R. and he said he was waiting on Honda Care to determine what they were going to do. He did mention that Honda recommend an entirely new head. Oh dear god I hope they warranty it J.R. said he'd call them and try to get the ball rolling.

I guess whatever he said worked because the next day he called and gave me the best news I had heard in a long time. Honda was covering a completely brand new head, gasket/seal kit, as well as an oil change and coolant system flush since the fluids had to be drained to do the job. That news made my week...my year lol. He said the parts should be to the dealer on Monday, and the car should be ready for pickup by mid-week.

I can't wait...I miss my car sooooo much lol.

Sorry for making this a novel, just figured I'd tell the whole story.

Has this happened to anyone else? I've heard of the spark plugs threads in Ford V8s being crappy, but never really in a Honda. Any idea why this would happen?

Thank God for AAA plus and Extended Warranty.


***UPDATE***

So I got my car back yesterday afternoon.

First driving impressions are pretty good. I took it pretty easy, blipped Vtec a couple times but nothing aggressive. In all honesty, I think the motor "feels" tighter than it ever has, but that could just be in my head. It has needed a valve adjustment for a little while.

We will see how it goes over the next week. I am overall pretty happy with the service from Sussex Honda. J.R. (the service manager) was very helpful and kept me up to date pretty well. I'd recommend anyone talk to him if you're getting service done on your Honda in NNJ.

I popped the hood, and I was a little disappointed. My intake cover (a second one that I bought because the original was ruined in a failed paint attempt) has a bunch of scratches and grease on it. The nut for the negative battery terminal was tightened all the way but the terminal wasn't tight. The terminal moves freely. Wasn't like that before. They didn't replace the spark plug cover, I can seeeez my coils. And they obviously lost some nuts/bolts because one of the spark plug cover crown nuts (black ones) is holding my intake cover on (where the chrome crown nut should be) and there is only one of the stud coil bolts...the stud bolt that holds the coil in but also extends up to hold down the spark plug cover. Yeah there is only one of those, and three normal bolts now. They didn't clean it up at all. There's dirt and grease everywhere, Hondabond from the valve cover all down the head. Just an overall sloppy job, but I guess I can't expect much more after I was handed a page and a half receipt of warranty work.

I don't know if you can see it, but it's pretty grimey. Note wrong bolts/missing cover:



Also noticed they somehow chipped the paint off of my resevoir cap:


These next two pictures make it all okay:



I can overlook all that stuff for now, as long as the important stuff was done correctly. The rest will be addressed when the car goes back to the dealer to have the tensioner/idler pulley replaced under warranty. They are just waiting for parts now, so soon my car won't sound supercharged anymore...lol.

 

nice...you had extended powertrain warranty?

 

Yes...soooooo glad I bought it!

 

what did they say was the cause? I have 54,xxx on my 08 si. I was thinking of changing the spark plugs and boots soon but if there is an issue I want to address it 1st.

 

You know...I meant to ask but it honestly slipped my mind. My mother was in the hospital so I have a lot going on. I'll ask when I bring it back for pullies this week.
I don't think you have anything to worry about. I think (and hope) it was a freak occurence.

And mostly all the newer cars (including the SIs) have individual coil packs for each cylinder. It's not a distributor/spark plug wire/boot/spark plug setup anymore. Changing your spark plugs is fine, but you don't need to worry about anything else unless you're having a problem.

 

I haven't had my coils off yet but I know fords have boots you can change on the coils(they can crack over time) im not a fan of leaving my plugs in the head for that long. what's going on with the pulley?

 

These coils are pretty nice. I know the problem you speak of with Ford coils, and the Honda ones are much better quality. I believe the first recommended change for the plugs in the Si is 80k, but it's definitely up to you.

The pulley/tensioner is whining, making my car sound supercharged...I wish! Honda is replacing it under warranty as soon as I can get the car there.

 

lucky guy !!!!

 

Sounds like they never even told Honda Care that you modified the car....because they probably would have instantly denied it if they knew.

I think I'll start saving for a new car now. It's a little concerning all of these significant problems I along with numerous other people have been experiencing. And hearing of an engine head that decides to self-destruct in the middle of a casual drive doesn't help much either.

 

Idk for sure, but I highly doubt they replaced a head without sending a field inspector out to survey the initial damage. Usually that's how warranties work.. But again, idk for sure inthis case

 

congrats on getting it warrantied!...i think you're very lucky they did it.

 

As far as why the job looks sloppy? Techs are paid flat rate and warranty work doesn't pay well at all. It sucks for the tech cause they have to do the job in a hurry and take shortcuts, and it sucks for the customer since the job is sloppy. The only one who benefits is the dealer. It's not right, but that's just the way it is.

That said I think knowing how this stuff works they treated you pretty fairly though. Being courteous and polite with the service manager or adviser goes a long way too.

 

man good to hear they honored the warranty. It may look a little sloppy but better than paying everything. Time to clean that baby up and make it shine.

 

This happened to my EP3 and I never did get a clear explanation from anyone on its cause. I helicoiled the head, got a new coil and plugs, and its been running fine for several years now.

 

Even if that is how it work that **** wouldn't fly with me one bit! The car came with all the bolts and covers... I expect to get it the same way!

I had the dealership wash my car twice because the guy got grease on the fender... In the end, you are paying for a warranty and it's for this purpose.

 

Woww you guys do serious driving! My dads 06 Si has 64k miles and my 02 Si has 54k! Not saying its a bad thing but damn lol. Good to see you got a new head. I dont even want to know what a new head costs