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Matell
03-08-2005, 08:34 PM
Today as I was about 15km from work I had a rather unsettling fright. I saw thin white/grey smoke billowing out from behind my car in the rear view mirror. I was doing about just a wee bit over the speed limit at the time:D, and not long after seeing it I could smell burning oil even when the air-con was in recirc.

Not a good look for a Euro!. I first thought maybe the DC Header had failed and it was raw exhaust, however that didn't add up for many reasons, the engine still felt good temp was fine, and no indications of failing oil pressure. So fearing a fire (OMG I only thought that happened to American Cars!!!!.....namely Saturn’s ;)) I pulled over and had a look.

Without the forward airflow there was a fair bit of smoke coming from under the bonnet and under the car. Looked underneath and the cat converter (no lower heat shield) was smoking like a chimney! The underside of the car was also covered in very clear clean and new smelling oil...only one thing that could be.... manual transmission fluid. I immediately thought they mustn't have reinstalled one of the filler/drain plugs 3 weeks or 2800km ago when I had the MT fluid changed during my 40,000km service (I have it done every 10K km). So nothing I could do about it at the time, so I drove to work much slower so the cat wouldn't be as hot and the amount of smoke reduced.....or that could've also indicated I had almost no fluid left :(. When I pulled out of the car park at work there was a polka dot cover of oil almost the size of the footprint of my car!:thumbdwn:

I then took it to Blue Ribbon Motors (Honda Dealer and Service Centre) and they diagnosed it as two closure plugs that had come loose on the transmission housing near the clutch cable engagement fingers. The removed them, put sealant on them (Loctite hopefully) and topped up the transmission. All done under warranty no questions asked (I don't even get it serviced there) and the gave me a lift to work and picked me up again. A big :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:to them!. Best of all no mention was made of my mods, and they cleaned everything up including the pretty blue Cusco brace. I think they want my 50,000km service :p

So in the end a tentatively happy outcome. My main concern is that I wouldn't have thought those closure plugs would've been touched since manufacture and assembly in Japan!. This is something I wasn't expecting from Honda. But if the transmission craps out soon I might be able to blame it on that and have them install a new clutch, flywheel and DC5R LSD!!!! yeeeheeeee....Who am I kidding.....I could be selling her soon.:(

EuroAccord13
03-08-2005, 08:44 PM
Gosh .. .. .. That must have been a fright for ya! Good to hear the blokes at Blue Ribbon Motors fixed it up for you...

Why are you thinking of selling?

Matell
03-08-2005, 08:49 PM
Yeah I'm glad work happens to be 5 mins away from a Honda dealer...and it's out in the inbred hick country as well! lol Who would've thought it ;)

Pending a visa I may be moving to San Francisco to work :)

EuroAccord13
03-08-2005, 08:56 PM
I see I see... mmmm...

I was attempting to change the tranny fluid but I think I better hit the books again to be sure .... My friend lent me his bible of Automotive Mechanics Textbook by Ed May...

On top of that, I'm trying to secure the Accord Euro Workshop Manual *GRINS* through some undiclosed means :D.....

Hey, if you sell your car, I put my hand up for the G Sensor! My broke!

Matell
03-08-2005, 09:00 PM
Yeah? Broken G-Sensor hmm bit odd!.

Trying to save $800AUD on the manuals? hehe good on you! Always best to make good use of who you know ;). I know I would if I could. The price is the only thing stopping me from acquiring them.

I haven't looked in the owners manual, but isn't changing the MT fluid also detailed in that?

baboo
04-08-2005, 08:33 AM
Matt,

Was the incident came down to human error (when you did the service @ 40,000km) or mechanical fault (Quality control problem)?

mmmm Blue Ribbon Motors, they sounded like a friendly bunch! worth a visit I say!

You are selling your car too? I'm still considering to keep or sell mine.

Suntzu
04-08-2005, 10:11 AM
My 6 sp box has dont 3000km and since new it rattles on the downshift. I reckon something was loose on mine since factory, so im not surprised to hear this story. Bit dissapointing really for a honda.

Matell
04-08-2005, 10:53 AM
Matt,

Was the incident came down to human error (when you did the service @ 40,000km) or mechanical fault (Quality control problem)?

mmmm Blue Ribbon Motors, they sounded like a friendly bunch! worth a visit I say!

You are selling your car too? I'm still considering to keep or sell mine.

Not sure what it could be attributed to. I'd need to look into what they do exactly to replace the oil to find out. Wish I had a service manual. It's looking like a possible quality issue.

Yeah Blue Ribbon is out of the way for most, but as I work so close I probably should give them a try.

Have fun putting your car back to stock ;) lol

aaronng
04-08-2005, 12:34 PM
Not sure what it could be attributed to. I'd need to look into what they do exactly to replace the oil to find out. Wish I had a service manual. It's looking like a possible quality issue.

Yeah Blue Ribbon is out of the way for most, but as I work so close I probably should give them a try.

Have fun putting your car back to stock ;) lol
Not sure about the Euro, but with the 1993 Accord, it's just a drain plug and fill port affair. Easier than engine oil (except that you have to take your wheel off to access that drain plug. I suspect quality issue, but just with your car, since yours is the first I've heard of with plugs coming loose. The only other tranny failure was with the gears destroying themselves in the US.

aaronng
04-08-2005, 12:36 PM
My 6 sp box has dont 3000km and since new it rattles on the downshift. I reckon something was loose on mine since factory, so im not surprised to hear this story. Bit dissapointing really for a honda.
Is it possible for your to record the sound of the rattles? Probably using an mp3 player or a pda. I would like to hear what it is like, as I don't notice it in my Euro.

PNR888
04-08-2005, 05:36 PM
Matell:
good to know that your Euro didn't suffer too much of irreversible damage.
Blue Ribbon Honda at Ipswich has good reputation about their car price and service... so you wont go wrong there..

Mat and Baboo:
When are you selling your cars?? what's your excuse Baboo??
we should have another Brisbane Cruise before you both disappear from Euro forum.

baboo
04-08-2005, 08:29 PM
The reason for selling mine is to stop spending money on the thing....LOL

All the mods has got me in deep trouble with the missus.

But have manage to talk my way out to keep the Euro!! woohoo~

Matell
04-08-2005, 08:50 PM
Thanks, I don't really think there was any damage at all as a result, but it's to early to tell.

I will still be in the Euro community for a while yet. I haven't received an official and frim offer, or more importantly had the visa process commenced. So I won't be selling up soon (within the next month) but it might be before the end of the year.

Baboo's reason is damn good. These things can be a black hole for money and everything else in life!:D

Another cruise would be a certainty.

I'll have to ask them tomorrow if the mechanic can mark up the offending "plug" on a printed version of this:
http://www.acuraparts247.com/sunnyside/jsp/prddisplay.jsp?inputstate=5&catcgry1=TSX&catcgry2=2005&catcgry3=4DR+TSX&catcgry4=KA6MT&catcgry5=MT++++++TRANSMISSION+CASE&ListAll=All&vinsrch=no

Chris_F
04-08-2005, 09:02 PM
baboo - you've put so much money and effort into your car - it would have been a shame to see you sell it, likewise with your car Matell - i was hoping you'd be one of the first with hondata - you had/have some mean plans for that car.

Matell
04-08-2005, 09:08 PM
baboo - you've put so much money and effort into your car - it would have been a shame to see you sell it, likewise with your car Matell - i was hoping you'd be one of the first with hondata - you had/have some mean plans for that car.

I'm still planning on Hondata. :) As long as it's released in time I'll blow my money on it for a few thousand km's worth of fun! Nothings final yet!:wave: