Originally Posted By: Adam_in_NH
I have a 2009 Honda Pilot I bought new and have maintained as per dealer recommendations, which is to use the on-board maintenance minder computer. At 80K miles the engine developed a tick in the valve train, which has since become louder. At almost 90K miles the dealer went to do a valve adjustment but instead told me that the engine has heavy sludge which caused premature wear of the camshafts, probably cylinder heads, and possibly lower end. They now recommend significant engine work, engine replacement, or vehicle replacement. I am troubled by the fact that my dealer insisted the Pilot would be fine running conventional oil as long as the 9K to 10K mile service intervals the maintenance minder ran before indicating an oil change was due. I spoke with Mobil who told me that the conventional Mobil Super oil the dealer was running had a 5000 mile rating and although this oil would continue to lubricate beyond its rating, the additives and detergents would begin to break down after that point. My conclusion is that the maintenance minder on this vehicle was operating in error by letting conventional oil run as long as it did, and the breakdown of the overused oil caused the accumulation of sludge over the lifetime of the engine. This seems obvious to me as I have always changed my oil at 5000 miles, yet the dealer service department said they, "Just don't know" what happened. My dealer's parts department told me that Honda started using synthetic-hybrid oils for their 2011 models. Can someone please tell me if my conclusion is correct, or if there is another solid reason for what might have happened here? Many Thanks!
Sorry to hear of your troubles, but you are much better off with posting this topic on piloteers.org or hondasuv.com, where people are more familiar with this vehicle and the issues associated with it. There may be a few people on this site who are very familiar with Pilots and even this engine family, but the rest of us are likely giving very general advice that may or may not be helpful when you are in need of a fast resolution. Best of luck!