Do You Actually Need To Do Anything Special To Maintain A Vtec Engine?

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Honda ain't kidding erstwhile it says that its proprietary VTEC exertion was benignant of a wake-up telephone to a caller breed of enthusiasts, impervious that mini engines tin rustle nan doors disconnected your modular V6 aliases V8-powered musculus car. Honda's adaptable valve timing and assistance physics power (VTEC) made its commercialized Japanese debut successful nan B16A for nan 1989 Honda Integra XSi and made waves successful 1991 for nan Acura NSX and its 270-horsepower 3.0-liter C30A VTEC V6, a car that we erstwhile said made each different sports car and supercar moot.

Then, nan Prelude VTEC arrived connected U.S. shores successful 1993, and each hellhole collapsed loose. It brought pinch it nan 190-horsepower H22A1 DOHC four-banger pinch VTEC connected nan intake and exhaust cams, kickstarting nan "VTEC conscionable kicked in, yo!" catchphrase. VTEC engines person undergone galore iterations since then, but nan exertion remains legendary for its rock-solid durability and reliability. Early VTEC models, chiefly nan D, B, H, and F-Series, were reliable to nan halfway if near banal and fixed nan basal love. Meanwhile, nan K-Series (K20 and K24) remains arguably nan champion four-cylinder motor connected nan planet, and astir Honda VTEC motors tin past upwards of 200,000 miles pinch timely maintenance.

With that said, VTEC engines are nary different from state engines successful a Ford, Chevy, Toyota, Mazda, aliases immoderate different marque successful position of maintenance. Sure, VTEC motors tin withstand maltreatment and incessant revving without batting an eyelash, but they don't require thing typical to tally everlastingly isolated from periodic lipid changes, valve clearance adjustments, early leak detection, and nan like.

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Besides adhering to Honda's attraction requirements, insisting connected Honda-approved genuine fluids erstwhile changing nan lipid aliases replenishing different liquids will spell a agelong measurement toward extending nan life of your VTEC motor and nan full car successful general. The centrifugal lipid value is peculiarly important for VTEC engines — infrequent lipid changes tin messiness up nan VTEC solenoid successful early models aliases destruct nan all-important VTC actuator successful K-series VTEC motors, resulting successful awful grinding noises connected acold starts and nan inability to move betwixt cam profiles, rendering VTEC useless erstwhile you're gunning it.

What's more, utilizing nan incorrect lipid whitethorn lead to accrued friction, early wear, and sludge formation, nan second of which tin easy termination nan VTEC solenoids and actuators successful your Honda engine. Pay typical attraction to your VTEC engine's lipid level — Honda says a VTEC conveyance tin devour arsenic overmuch arsenic a quart of lipid each 1,200 to 1,600 miles, particularly older VTEC engines that consistently strengthen high-speed, high-revving driving conditions. Oil starvation will termination immoderate engine, VTEC aliases not.

For guidance, modern VTEC engines, including nan i-VTEC pinch VTC and VTEC Turbo (L15B7 series), require 5W-40 aliases 0W-20 genuine semi-synthetic Honda oils. The 1.5-liter turbo VTEC successful immoderate Civics and CR-Vs, successful particular, may acquisition motor knocks and low-speed pre-ignition if not fixed nan due lipid and predominant lipid changes.

Meanwhile, diesel Hondas request Honda Green Diesel Oil, while hybrids should beryllium moving connected nary little than Honda Hybrid Petrol Engine Oil. Confused? Don't be. Your Honda owner's manual has each nan juicy bits connected nan type of oil, lipid alteration intervals, and different attraction items to support your VTEC motor moving for illustration new.