Need advice--unique issue with 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid

[Raptor1]

I have a 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid (LFA1 engine, not related to other Honda L-series) with ~250k miles. Long story short, I removed the head 30k miles ago, and I don't think I got the torque-angle bolts exactly right. It has a slow coolant leak from the transmission side of the engine, and when you remove the oil cap at idle, there's a ton of crankcase pressure blowing out of the fill hole. (There's no oil in coolant or vice versa.) This causes it to idle poorly, but it runs perfectly under load. Luckily it's a hybrid, so it doesn't idle much, but winter is coming and I have to idle it a lot when cold to reduce piston slap (this thing is getting really worn out!)

Revving the engine reduces this pressure as the PCV system does its work. The coolant leak also stops when it's under load (it doesn't leak at all on long road trips)

I know I'm having lubrication issues as I assume the high crankcase pressure causes weirdness at the bottom end. The engine has started idling rougher in the last 5k or so, but still runs perfect under load. It makes a lot of noise at idle, but it's hard to tell what is bottom end issues and what is other noise from the coolant burbling out from between the head and the block and other weird noises this thing makes.

I have switched from recommended 0W-20 to 5W-20 with no change. Should I add oil stabilizer to get the oil to stick to the bearings better? Should I switch to an even thicker oil? Any ideas to reduce crankcase pressure at idle?

I searched all over and can't find anything like this, but if anyone knows of a similar thread, please let me know. Thanks in advance

 

[zzyzzx]

Honestly, I'd be shopping for another car.

 

[DuckRyder]

1) Define "lubrication issues"
2) compression wet and dry
3) leak down if possible
4) is redoing the head not an option?

a Honda with 250K should not be worn out unless badly neglected.

 

[We're Metals]

There is alot of speculation here. Can you take it to a mechanic? You're trying to solve a bigger issue with the wrong approach.

 

[JavierH19]

After reading all that I say she sounds like the perfect candidate for the buy here pay here lot after they buy it from auction after the auction gets it from the dealer you traded it in to. Cause i think she suffered some damage and is getting worse and worse. Dump it while you still can.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

There is a good chance when you put things back together (with new gaskets I am sure) that you possibly had the wrong gasket or you oriented it wrong (easy to do) and that has possibly covered a small passage. The back pressure thing is very very strange , especially the fact that this started after you pulled some things apart and put things back in place. Not an insult at all. Please do not take it that way. Just a simple possibility for something I have been told about by even very seasoned , older mechanics. I have made a few gasket errors before when I was pulling wrenches - LONG AGO.

 

[GSCJR]

Honestly, I'd be shopping for another car.

+1

Sounds like a mess.

 

[Raptor1]

1) Define "lubrication issues"
2) compression wet and dry
3) leak down if possible
4) is redoing the head not an option?

a Honda with 250K should not be worn out unless badly neglected.

1) Occasionally it makes a chattering noise for a few seconds on startup that I'm assuming is bearing-related...this thing is making so many weird noises at different times it's hard to tell

2,3,4) This is looking less and less worth it, even if I fixed the engine, other little issues are piling up. Thanks for your time

And you're correct, the previous owner neglected it badly. Turns out "I took it to the dealer every 10k" meant "I took it to the dealer every 10k and told them to just change the oil and not touch anything else." Life lesson learned on my part! I may try to find the picture I took of the 190k mile air filter. I don't know how it was even running

 

[MrBaumTastic]

Not mad at you OP, but I'm curious, How is this related to PCMO? I've had a thread moved for less. I performed an oil change with some extra steps and I guess that's just not allowed in this thread so it was moved to maintenance and mechanical.

And which seems to me, like a better place to seek advice, regarding your issue. Changing grades didn't work, so why would stabilizers? Hint, they aren't going to fix your issue.

You really should consider taking it to a mechanic. This sub forum is for oil geeks showing off their stash of oil, measuring their dipsticks, and debating over approvals and specs of various oils I've certainly never heard of.

 

[Raptor1]

There is alot of speculation here. Can you take it to a mechanic? You're trying to solve a bigger issue with the wrong approach.

You're right, I haven't done enough diagnosis. Thanks for your time

 

[Raptor1]

After reading all that I say she sounds like the perfect candidate for the buy here pay here lot after they buy it from auction after the auction gets it from the dealer you traded it in to. Cause i think she suffered some damage and is getting worse and worse. Dump it while you still can.

Call me a sucker but I feel bad dumping it when I know it's on borrowed time...but I'm thinking about it!

 

[Raptor1]

There is a good chance when you put things back together (with new gaskets I am sure) that you possibly had the wrong gasket or you oriented it wrong (easy to do) and that has possibly covered a small passage. The back pressure thing is very very strange , especially the fact that this started after you pulled some things apart and put things back in place. Not an insult at all. Please do not take it that way. Just a simple possibility for something I have been told about by even very seasoned , older mechanics. I have made a few gasket errors before when I was pulling wrenches - LONG AGO.

I had to get it from the dealer so I hope it wasn't the wrong gasket! I'm thinking I messed up the torque angle bolts because it was very hard to line it all up. But if it dies before I can get rid of it, I might tear it apart just to figure out what the heck went wrong!

It is very very strange. I can only assume combustion gasses are getting into the crankcase somehow. But now that I think about it, it's weird that there's high pressure in the crankcase, and it's leaking coolant, but they aren't mixing!

 

[Raptor1]

Not mad at you OP, but I'm curious, How is this related to PCMO? I've had a thread moved for less. I performed an oil change with some extra steps and I guess that's just not allowed in this thread so it was moved to maintenance and mechanical.

And which seems to me, like a better place to seek advice, regarding your issue. Changing grades didn't work, so why would stabilizers? Hint, they aren't going to fix your issue.

You really should consider taking it to a mechanic. This sub forum is for oil geeks showing off their stash of oil, measuring their dipsticks, and debating over approvals and specs of various oils I've certainly never heard of.

I'm a part-time lurker who just made an account, sorry, I don't know the structure of things around here! I'm amazed this forum is still so active and will definitely be sticking around! Can I move the thread myself?

 

[MrBaumTastic]

I'm a part-time lurker who just made an account, sorry, I don't know the structure of things around here! I'm amazed this forum is still so active and will definitely be sticking around! Can I move the thread myself?

Don't be sorry, that first part wasn't for you. It's a free country, post where you want to. Obviously no one else feels the same way and you got some much better advice than me saying "take it to a mechanic", which I'm sure has crossed your mind.

If you are enough of a DIYer to take things apart to the extent you say, why not try inspecting your work? Check the torque values/order on the hardware, and ensure the gasket was properly installed? Like SammyChevelle said.

 

[Raptor1]

Don't be sorry, that first part wasn't for you. It's a free country, post where you want to. Obviously no one else feels the same way and you got some much better advice than me saying "take it to a mechanic", which I'm sure has crossed your mind.

If you are enough of a DIYer to take things apart to the extent you say, why not try inspecting your work? Check the torque values/order on the hardware, and ensure the gasket was properly installed? Like SammyChevelle said.

Well, unfortunately you can't check whether torque-to-yield head bolts are installed to spec because the spec is a degree of rotation, not a torque value, so I have no idea of their state. Adjusting them would probably make it worse! And at my skill level it's probably a 40-hour job to get it taken apart and put back together, and the gasket has a two month lead time, and on and on and on! So I wish I could. But thank you for your time, I will probably make a post in the other Forum because I do think this is a strange issue and I am curious as to what is going on

 

[Patman]

I'm a part-time lurker who just made an account, sorry, I don't know the structure of things around here! I'm amazed this forum is still so active and will definitely be sticking around! Can I move the thread myself?

I’ll move it to mechanical/maintenance for you

 

[Nick1994]

The crankcase pressure does that on 4 cylinder engines with the oil cap off. It’s just what they do.

 

[DuckRyder]

1) Occasionally it makes a chattering noise for a few seconds on startup that I'm assuming is bearing-related...this thing is making so many weird noises at different times it's hard to tell

2,3,4) This is looking less and less worth it, even if I fixed the engine, other little issues are piling up. Thanks for your time

And you're correct, the previous owner neglected it badly. Turns out "I took it to the dealer every 10k" meant "I took it to the dealer every 10k and told them to just change the oil and not touch anything else." Life lesson learned on my part! I may try to find the picture I took of the 190k mile air filter. I don't know how it was even running

1) Does this have anything similar to the troublesome tensioner on K series? (is it timing belt or a timing chain?)

2,3,4) Other issues not withstanding need to figure out where you're at, compression, leak down and maybe manual oil pressure test are in order. You might be able to "rent" the tools at one of the box stores.

If you are positive oil and coolant aren't mixing (any sigh of milkshake) you could try one of the various head gasket in a bottle, not that i'm a fan of them.

 

[SammyChevelleTypeS3]

The crankcase pressure does that on 4 cylinder engines with the oil cap off. It’s just what they do.

You know that is true. I wondered about that in the past a few times when I saw it. That does in fact happen on some really small engines. The op comments sound like it is quite a lot. He may not have noticed or realized how much it did blow out before his work on it was done. Could that mean the PCV lines and valves are kind of undersized for these high rev engines? I do not know if others , besides Honda 4 cyl engines even do the same.

 

[Raptor1]

The crankcase pressure does that on 4 cylinder engines with the oil cap off. It’s just what they do.

Do you mean on Honda 4 cylinder engines specifically? This is the first Honda I have owned but that seems like a really weird thing. I used to have a '98 Volvo with the 5 cylinder, and those things are notorious for PCV clogging. On those cars, if you put a glove over the oil fill at idle and it slowly inflates, that's enough pressure to blow the rear main seal after a while.

This is way more pressure than that, you can't even add oil at idle, or it will splash it into your face! So I assumed it was pretty bad! That Volvo engine is only 0.4 L more displacement

I definitely still have a problem, since it is leaking coolant at idle only when PCV pressure is highest, and it is definitely running worse than it was 10K ago. But if I ever run into another one of these cars I will definitely check the pressure at idle