I don't know anything about the VTC, but I will take this moment to disagree with my very esteemed colleague woof. Oil is spec-ed to operate at an optimal weight at specific temperatures in specific applications. Using a "thicker oil" to solve problems like mechanical noise (VTC noise or valve train noise or your coffee bean grinder's noise) could be a mistake because it's based on a misunderstanding of how oil lubrication works. I suggest doing a tiny bit of homework on this just to satisfy yourself that you know what you are doing. The Bob the Oil Guy site is a great resource.

 

Was using any synthetic on sale. Oil change every 10k kms and xg7317 every 40k kms.

Because i would get the oil jugs (anywhere from 4.4 to 5 liters per jug depending on brand) i would always have leftover from the last oil change and i would mix the leftover with new stock..... So yea.... Mixing brands as well.

I used castrol edge, quaker state ultimate, pennzoil ultra, formula 1, and mobil 1. My dad religiously went for castrol gtx and would change every 3k kms on his vw fox (waaaay too early imho).

One thing i noticed is that formula 1 (motomaster) would always quiet down the engine and it was clearly thicker than the others despite the 0w20 rating. Mobil 1 and castrol were always the thinnest and quaker state seemed to be in the middle along with pennzoil. Just my subjective 2 cents.

I ran a couple of oil analyses and results indicated that i could have easily done 15k kms intervals..... Running the oil filter for 40k did not seem to cause any issues at all. And yes, castrol edge does have titanium in it lol.

Right now i am sticking with pennzoil ultra. Based on my research it's the best bang for your buck synthetic out there due to it being derived from natural gas. I would go for amsoil ss but i am not comfortable with a 40k kms oil change despite the fact that i tried it and had no issues on my mirage (yes, 40k kms oil change/would take me just about 1 yr to rake up that mileage). Happy motoring!

 

If you only buy 5 liter jugs(and Pennzoil which I also buy comes in 5 L jugs) then 2 jugs is 10.0 liters and since Honda specifies 3.3 liters for an oil change then 10 liters will give you exactly 3 oil changes, with a few drops left over. Works out very well

 

No where did I say I'm in favor of using thicker oil than what Honda specifies - I am NOT in favor of this - BUT if someone else believes in it and wants to do it then that's their decision and I'm not going to argue with them. And as far as Bob the Oil Guy's site is concerned, I've already spent enough time there reading the old posts on VTC problems and feel no need to spend more there.

 

The way I see it, the engine/valvetrain/VTC might not be the issue.
To me, the problem lies not in the oil but a combination of issues:

1) 3.3l oil capacity
2) direct injection

As a result, running an engine on long OCI's with these demands will lead to early breakdown of the oil.
The ONLY reason I can see that Honda suggests long OCI's, is because all other manufacturers offer that benefit.
Everyone knows that DI is hard on oil and if the FIT had a regular sized sump of at least 4liters this may not be an issue.

I'm planning to do shortened OCI's (5,000 kms/6 months at most...I do not trust nor care for the "maintenance minder" nor how it works).
We'll see if this helps to extend the lifespan of my VTC and engine in general.

 

Duly noted.

 

I'm considering going through with the VTC actuator replacement at the local dealership. I was quoted at about ~$1300 .. parts($279) and labour (4.5hr job) in Los Angeles, California.

Been considering taking it to a non-dealership mechanic but I'm iffy on their reliability verses Honda-backed mechanics, also iffy on their ability to order the appropriate revised part verses the old defective part. Wanted to add some information here since this thread seems to have a lot of good info.

Any opinion on my dealership vs non mechanic mindset here?

Actually, disregard my question. I did some more seaching and found a few guides on the repair job that I think give me enough confidence to do this myself. A dude walks through the repair on an older model Accord but I think the basic ideas are still true:

 

Hey p1co, please let me know how it goes for you. If it works as described, I will be right behind you. No way that I am paying a dealer over $1K for that. The best part is that my Fit is still clean.

 

Will do. Biggest hurdle right now is finding the part.

 

Why?
Local dealer had several on hand when I had mine done.

 

I guess for a reasonable price? The part is about $167 and the dealer wanted to charge me 279.

Edit: found a place online: https://www.hondapartsguys.com/oem-p...6t-143105r1013

 

i want to do this as well. my fear is opening it up and realizing i need a new chain as well lol.
i need to open it up for a valve job anyway so i guess ill check the chain then.

 

i agree that the oil life meter is garbage. i changed the oil when he meter said 50% was what it was at when i got the car and the valves were so damn loud and the oil looked so damn old.
after a fresh oil chnage the car sounded alot better. i plan to do oil at 3k miles like the older cars or every 4-5 months is mileage isnt met.

 

I was doing oil changes once a year but I've switched now to twice a year. The oil was getting pretty dirty towards the end. Since I'm retired my mileage is very low but the climate here is harsh, particularly the winters so twice a year makes sense for me. I totally ignore the silly oil life meter and do all my maintenance much more frequently than Honda's recommendations. Both oil and filters are extremely cheap so it just requires some of my time.

 

If you plan on keeping the car for any reasonable amount of time, then I'd recommend getting the chain replaced too.
In retrospect I should have offered to pay the additional fee to have the dealership replace it at the same time as the VTC change.
In my defense, they never mentioned anything, so I wasn't concerned about it.

 

You are replacing the timing chain? Hmm. Interesting.

 

I'm not, but if I were to do it over again I would.
That's why I suggest others do it since it stretches from the VTC failure.
Eventually the engine falls out of time far enough and and *booom* goes the engine.

 

I wonder if it's cheaper to buy a used engine, replace the vtc actuator and chain with it out and swap it in. Im seeing these engines on parts recycle sites for around 350. Parts are about 300 for chain and vtc. So for 650 and some fluids gaskets etc, could have a newer engine with a working vtc?
I just got a fit with 100k and now opened the can of worms. Not sure what the dealer would charge for a new chain and actuator but I'd imagine its close to 1500.

 

I am in Los Angeles too.
Trying to decide what to do about this repair?

>>Have you found a Honda Dealership that has a technician that can do the VTC actuator replacement?

My Los Angeles Honda dealership that I go to for maintenance says that over the past year they have lost a qualified technician to do this type of engine work due to Covid resignations. I called another Honda dealer in Torrance and they don't currently have a qualified technician for this repair either right now. Both told me they don't want to give this type of job to their other techs because for some of them it will be only a 1st or 2nd time handling it.

Here is the TSB Honda Published for the repair--it says it's a 3 hour job:

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...99108-5233.pdf

 

i cant seem to find a diy on how to replace the timing chain, once i get another backup car i plan to do the chain and actuator all at once.