Why Honda Civic Engines FAIL

[@dylanhines6756]

This motor is bulletproof. My 2010 Civic has almost 400,000 miles on it. And I just drove it from Orlando to North Georgia a few days ago. She's a beast!. Super fun to drive too. With proper maintenance these things can run forever. It's been the most reliable car I've ever had in my life so far.

[@speedkar99]

The earlier ones cracked like this

[@dylanhines6756]

@@speedkar99 yea im thankful that mine is still kicking. I do my best to keep up on all the maintenance. I adore my honda

[@Nourrights_psalm118.8]

fucking starter is trash unless you dont let ur wife start it ever lol

[@ur5484]

Did you have to change the timing chain?

[@audiemuniz6445]

Wao! 400k I'm got 2010 civic 1.8 and I worry to almost get to 300k.amazing I'm trying to keep in good shape w oil change and Marvel oil.

[@fritsified5952]

About the i-VTEC on this engine; the middle lobe is actually the 'normal' lobe which is used on the full rev range. The other 2 lobes for the intake change the engine into a Atkinson cycle engine if certain conditions are met. Beautiful engine as long as they don't crack. I've had the Euro version, the R18A2 which don't have that issue. Otherwise same engine. Drove it up to 300.000km, mechanically a very quiet engine, no oil usage, good mileage and felt quite torquey for its size.

[@djhrjeiwhri]

True about the vtec implementation on r series!

[@LazySniper]

I was just going to say this. The R engine along with older L engines, the center lobe is the regular lobe and the outers are Atkinson lobes in the R. In the early L engines, the center lobe disengaged and seals off the cylinders creating an engine brake effect. Also why these engines run like absolute poo when they don't have enough engine pressure.

[@tylhunt]

The outer lobes are the "normal" lobes. The center lobe is the Atkinson cycle lobe. That's why it has the longer duration.

[@tylhunt]

@@LazySniper Can you name me 1 L series engine that operates the way you describe?

[@LazySniper]

@@tylhunt LDA-MF5 dsi found in first gen hybrids. But what does a Honda tech know.

[@chrisfreemesser5707]

Love the simplicity of that engine...aside from the casting fault it's designed to be durable and last a long time. As for head bolts saw a tip on another channel...turn the block 90 degrees so you're pushing the breaker bar downwards to loosen the bolts, that way your engine stand isn't moving around

[@averyalexander2303]

Yeah, other than the block cracking and turning the engine into unrepairable scrap metal, it's great!🤣But in all seriousness I agree, a lot of the ones that didn't crack have lasted a very long time with good efficiency and minimal maintenance. Even the automatic transmissions for those engines are normally very trouble free, which isn't a given for Honda.

[@whoguy4231]

If it weren't for the weak block, that engine design is as elegant as you can get! Thank You Speedkar for the valuable teardown.

[@sekkusupisutoruzu]

Its just the early ones, anything past 2010 is a tank.

[@lawlaw9176]

@@sekkusupisutoruzu 9th gen with this 1.8 is the tankiest car model in the world

[@Acrobat031]

hi I am interesst to buy a 2010 Civic with this engine. Does 2010 models 8gen (EU) also have that problem? @@sekkusupisutoruzu

[@borncomatose]

​@@sekkusupisutoruzuagreed. I have a 2012 civic coupe with 241k miles and all it has is an air bag light and some sort of slight evap leak

[@miscbits6399]

a good demonstration not just of a design flaw, but why regular oil changes are critical

[@speedkar99]

Agree

[@kelvinxu3058]

i am totally with you

[@arapaimagold8088]

And also periodic coolant change

[@hondaservicecenter]

Or why buying a OEM oil filter is best idea you could have

[@AmericanThunder]

@@hondaservicecenter Fram makes the oem honda filters. In the various in-depth testing, fram has very low performance compared to filters such as wix or k&n. I run either napa gold or K&N on my 2006 civic with synthetic oil, it has 219k miles, still going good. I always ran Wix/Napa gold filters on my Cummins diesel Bronco and that is running nicely with 410k miles on it. lol Decent filters.

[@BogdanDuceac]

I have this engine on '16 civic EU version. I change the oil under 10.000 km and it's quite a pleasure to drive it on the street, it's comfy on long roads and it does not disappoint on acceleration. Thank you for the teardown :) BIG Like !

[@pliedtka]

Great preventive measure to avoid ring problems: 8-10k synthetic oil change interval should make the engine last. No more than 12k km, please. I'm telling you, there's no such pleasure like taking the engine apart because it burns oil and discovering the owner read up somewhere that he can use Long Life oil and skip on oil changes. Idiots, especially when it comes to Hondas. The 2.4L are known for having problems with baked rings. We even had Acura that our costumer bought, with the 2.4L still on warranty - 90k km, we drained 2.5L of oil instead of 4L+. The Honda dealership changed the rings under warranty with not much arguing.

[@BogdanDuceac]

I use original Honda oil 0W 20. And don't want to go over 10k km with the changes:) thanks for the advice.

[@Fisico87]

​@@pliedtka i bought a used 2010 8 gen civic with r18 engine in 2018. 54,000 km mileage and the engine has burned up to 3L of oil in 1000km. it was unbelievable and i have never seen that before. I was sure the piston rings were absolutely coked, so I used several engine cleaner in short intervals. the dirty that came out was crazy. everyone who changed oil on diesel engines know, how dirty engine oil could be. but i ve never experienced that an a gasoline engine. the EGR valve was also complete dead and changed it. It's also important to use a heat-resistant oil. r18 engine has problems with the oil temperature, especially after higher speeds. The previous owners changed the oil according to Honda specifications all 20,000 km is far too long. but the previous owners of my car topped everything. they used very cheap 10w40 oil. at least according to the oil paperlabel that i found. a lot gen 8 drivers do that with cheap 5w30 oil and are surprised about the high oil consumption. plus on top, they drive short ways whats also a nightmare is for this engine. its a no go. so it is absolute right what you say. i use a extreme heat resistent fully synthetic 0w40 oil, that produces high oil pressure on operating temperature. more than the most other X-W40 oils i know in europe, in combination with liqui moly ceratec. full throttle on the german autobahn is no problem and the oil level is stable. the engine is now very smooth. r18 engines can be very reliable, if you use quality oil with short intervals. sorry for my bad english

[@groundcontrol6876]

@@Fisico87 Why use 0w40 when it calls for 0w20? At least my 14' Civic does. Also, how often do you use the Liqui Moly Ceratec, and why? I've actually used it on old beaters of friends and family that have noisy heads even after valve adjustment and it quiets them down noticeably!

[@Fisico87]

@@groundcontrol6876 because I have a Gen 8 with the RA18A2. this type is optimized for 5w30 oils. the gen 9 has the RA18Z1 and is optimized for 0w20 oils. I use the ROWE 0W40 Synth RS, a high-quality synthetic oil from Germany. the base oil is a PAO oil and the additive package is very, very good. Yes, I am reducing fuel efficiency, but I prefer wear protection over fuel efficiency. Why do I use LM Ceratec? it enormously reduces internal friction and saves fuel. exactly this amount of fuel that I also need with the 0w40 oil compared to the 5w30. as a result, I offer the engine a very strong overall protection against wear. the greatly reduced effect of the engine brake alone proves the benefits of LM ceratec. my honda mechanic who adjusts the valves is happy with the condition. no matter how i drive my civic, the engine takes no oil, so i think i am doing it right.

[@MeanBlueSpider]

This video must've been from earlier in the year. Green grass and the neighbor's mower suggest that Ontario could be having an unseasonably warm winter. Great video, as always. Keep 'em coming!

[@zee9276]

we got this engine up until 10th generation civic, the r18, I had the 8th gen. never had any problems nor heard anyone having them... the mechanics didn't even complain about them other than the exhaust manifold which could be a pain in the butt sometimes because the sensor in it could break or go haywire and cause fuel efficiency problems but the car would still run. otherwise a great little reliable engine. mine did not have any problems though

[@XxNoBunSeedsxX]

Would that sensor be the oxygen sensor?

[@zee9276]

@@XxNoBunSeedsxX yes

[@PistonAvatarGuy]

Several family members have had Civics with these engines, they've all been great.

[@sharifsircar]

I have went through everything on mine, even adjusted valves, my fuel trims are still at -5 to -12, no error codes either. makes me wonder if it is the sensor, the top sensor aint cheap either

[@averyalexander2303]

@@sharifsircar As long as there are no codes and the engine runs well with good gas mileage, don't worry about it. That's still well within a normal range and the whole reason we have fuel trim is to correct for minor variances like that. The fuel trim is never going to stay at exactly 0 for very long.

[@matticus6339]

Had a 2008 Wife drove until 180K miles until it got totaled in a wreck. I changed engine oil and filter every 5,000 miles and it was flawless, I adjusted the valve lash one time, One hell of a good engine there Honda built. Thankfully our 2008 didn't crack.

[@stevenweiss2148]

You had a 2008 wife? Did you trade her in for a new 2019?

[@joshverdoorn7375]

Hondas last a very long time

[@tigerseye73]

This engine is very clean inside. Someone was keeping up with oil changes.

[@speedkar99]

It was amazing except the oil rings

[@SonicShoTT]

@@speedkar99 can you tear down a PSA Ew10 2.0 engine ?

[@polymetric2614]

@@speedkar99 any idea what caused the oil rings to get so gummed up?

[@hondaservicecenter]

@@polymetric2614 turning car off immedietaly after doing 100 on highway

[@paulwright6121]

Great video. It's odd that in the UK we don't have that problem with the blocks cracking. That makes the UK engine extremely reliable.

[@speedkar99]

Yes it was a casting defect that affected certain regions

[@goblinphreak2132]

@@speedkar99 can you prove that? like an official honda statement? I have heard a lot of bullshit over the years. My favorite is "subaru ring lands are weak" which is actually factually incorrect. It most always comes down to user error. In the case of the subaru ring lands, they complain about cylinder 4. But when you look at the oil pathway, the 3 other cylinders, even the turbo, gets oil BEFORE the 4th cylinder. So when assholes drive their subaru like they stole it, but ignore checking oil levels to make sure it stays at the proper level, you get lack of lubrication, lack of lubrication means heat, heat destroys ring lands. I've seen it time and time again. Its always some rich asshole who has more money than brains, hell more money than driving skill.... and they act like they know everything. From my own experience as a mechanic, I have never seen this engine have any issues. And I work at a honda dealer as lead tech....

[@rihasanatrofolo2472]

@@goblinphreak2132 That gives a good confindence boost. I've always thought these cars were super reliable

[@goblinphreak2132]

@@rihasanatrofolo2472 honda and toyota are fucking amazingly reliable. you are hard pressed to get major issues unless you really really really really abuse the car. most people dont abuse their cars that way.

[@getthecansin]

@@goblinphreak2132 I've only driven Civics for the last 20 years. Currently have 2014 idtec diesel, fantastic car but like my previous 2 civics 1.4 petrol non vtec the weakness is the aircon. Because I bought all cars in the winter I've never checked for problem so only found out in the summer (all 2 weeks here in Ireland) 🙂

[@acamaro5648]

Explainations went kinda fast but they're in great clear detail. I understood the works of this engine. I have a 2010 Civic LX Coupe. I hope I won't have the engine block crack problem.

[@jonnytorch-er5ig]

It would have materialized by now.

[@BLanczak]

Been running this same motor with a bolt on Borg Warner EFR 6258 turbo for a solid 50k miles with zero issues. Put the turbo kit on the car at 100k miles; just clicked 150k miles and it's still kicking.

[@corollayanki]

This is really great stuff. I've been wondering where my coolant has been going, so I'm going to check for this. If I find a Crack, then I will be looking for a 2009+ block. I'm happy this engine is simple. This was a really great video. Thank you!

[@BogdanSerban]

"one really tight Japanese" 😂😂😂

[@protoslashwyl]

@4:05, also this engine is R18

[@KCunknwn]

Bro I’m in tears right now😭 tight Japanese what?!?!?!😂😂😂

[@Detuj]

Really that tight bruh

[@whothou9154]

top 10 lines your Japanese girlfriend wants to hear.

[@PiLLO360]

@@KCunknwnsteez

[@acsmoothing2262]

I loved the engine teardown especially because it was a Honda engine. I always like to see Honda engineering tricks explained. Do you only tear down engines from junked cars? Was this R18 from a junked car? Also, if you can please tear down a L15A1 or L15A7 from the early Honda Fits. Those have a version of i-VTEC and it would be interesting to compare their iVTEC to the R18 i-VTEC. Plus, I hear that the early Fit engines are the basis for the current Honda turbo 1.5 liter engines.

[@speedkar99]

Yeah I can only afford engines/cars that are old or broken

[@dandan4763]

I would also love to see an L15A7 engine breakdown

[@piseypeov3050]

Sadly, I bought, and now own, accident honda city 2013 on my tight budget. The rear of the car is hardly hit and leaks. I have it fixed the rest of jobs. Now it’s back on the road.

[@OreganoCaramel]

Although it's true that 2006- early 2009 R18 engines suffered from cracked blocks, but those from late 2009 onwards are bulletproof and can easily last over a million miles even with neglect. Basically I think late 2009 onwards R18 engine are the most reliable engines ever built to date.

[@McDzy]

which other year of civics have the r18 engines? im just wondering

[@tbskirk]

All civics from '06 to 15 except the SI

[@McDzy]

@@tbskirk so 09-15 are the recommended r18 engines to get instead of the 06 to 08 version?

[@dinoarnaut9438]

what 100000 million miles ?😮

[@09csr]

​@@McDzy I know my 2011 Civic FK have the R18Z4 engine.

[@martinchartrand7044]

Mine have 215,000 km and run like a new, no oil or coolant leakage, no oil consumtion.. Silent and good fuel economy... I know 2 people that have the same generation of civic (r18)... One with +350,000km and the other person have close to 450,000km before the car was crash in a accident!!! If this generation of civic have still exist, i will have buy another one anytime!!!

[@speedkar99]

Yes they're good cars

[@chuckycheese84]

I used to have a 2009 Civic with that engine....it treated me well for the 3 years I had it

[@edhollingsworth2335]

I have a 2009 Civic since 2014.it had 42000miles on it has 146,000 miles now. Doesn't burn any oil! No major repairs, just maintenance.

[@alanalbin7432]

Wow this is a great video for people like me who aren't mechanics but just want to try to understand how their cars work in a more complete way.

[@chriswerner5778]

Have a 2012 civic with this engine with 94k miles thing runs absolutly mint. I wasnt aware of the cracking problem ill definitely keep my eye on the ground for coolent and check it every oil change.

[@video45000]

The cracking problem does not affect your car. It was casting problem at the factory, and was corrected in early 2009. Also the 2012+ Civic comes with an R18Z1 engine, which is an upgraded design. Nothing to worry about with your car :)

[@chriswerner5778]

Oh thanks for the info my freind.

[@DoingthingswithDAN]

This r18 coolant leam problem was a casting issue. It also cracks/develops pores on the other side of the engine. This engine is still used today in hrvs and I haven't seen a leaking block in years. Pretty sure the warranty extension got them all

[@speedkar99]

Yeah they fixed it in 2009

[@IlyushinSPA]

Here in Europe this engines are not affected by this issue Instead, R18 series are known for their reliability and longevity R18A1 in a 2007 Honda FR-V 230k kms and going strong

[@speedkar99]

If the block doesn't crack, these are good motors

[@Jremi95]

07 civic with 250,000 miles. Just now noticed a little oil leak on the rear main seal but otherwise a solid engine

[@rihasanatrofolo2472]

Is there any official statements from honda about which regions got effected?

[@Wiggiwan]

I'm kinda illiterate about engine engineering, but I have a 2013 Civic HF that is pure pleasure to drive! Never had a problem, only use synthetic oils. Amazing thing is I get over 45 mpg on the freeway! 30 around town! Better mileage than most hybrids. Love this car!

[@speedkar99]

Nice!

[@hobolyf]

One of my friends dad drove a 2006 400k and sold it. Amazing engines even though some people had issues with the block

[@destroytheilluminati770]

cracked blocks were primarily a 2006 model year issue, hardly hear of other years having cracks, have a 2008 with 380,000 miles still doesn't burn any oil between oil changes, gets driven almost 200 miles a day on days i am scheduled to work.

[@speedkar99]

Nice. They won't all fail since it was a manufacturing defect. I believe the recall was for 2006-08

[@diyjan2580]

I've driven Honda's for years and many a people agree they have the best petrol engines going. My 2003 honda accord 2 litre petrol ivtec went to 280km before the engine went.

[@PistonAvatarGuy]

How did you destroy a K20 with only 280km on it? That should have easily gone over 300km.

[@indiomonk123]

great video.. My 2007 Civic had the cracked block at 123k miles in 2017 was lucky enough to get the recall done before it expired. Still running strong today.

[@toddsmith1617]

I bought a 2009 Civic back in 2010. Didn't have that problem. In fact no problems. Still have it.

[@speedkar99]

The 2009 were not affected

[@jim2950]

I am a owner of a 1997 Honda Del Sol Si. That is a single overhead cam vtec. I am the original Owner. My motor is a 1600. It has 215,000 miles and is a very strong runner. This engine has never been apart. The car easily does 100 miles per hour. It has a five speed manual transmission. It starts right up. It is a very smooth engine.

[@speedkar99]

Nice! I'll have a D-series engine teardown coming soon.

[@AbsintheMindMatt]

I'm excited for this one.

[@speedkar99]

Cracked engine lol

[@TheSmileyTek]

My 2008 has been super reliable and is currently at 175K. I do my own maintenance. Bummer to hear about the cracking issue. I have not noticed any coolant leakage issues, so maybe I got lucky, or that issue will pop up as more miles are put on it.

[@Dusty.Spinster]

Honda caught the cracking issue in late 2007, there are some late manufactured 08's that are safe. I can't offer any evidence but I think most of the effected blocks have passed away already.

[@JayandSarah]

Was it just a production run of them? I've got an 06 I have had since new with no problems,but only 65,000 original miles on it.

[@Dusty.Spinster]

@@JayandSarah my understanding it was certain specific engine block casts that were bad. If yours hasn't already tanked I'd have high hopes it's not going to. Knock on wood!

[@JayandSarah]

@@Dusty.Spinster yeah who knows. The car owes me nothing at this point anyways but it should be good to last until retirement when I'll buy my last vehicle I suppose.

[@TheSorrow21]

Pretty cool video ! Would be nice if you could get your hands on a B-series. My B18C still running like clockwork after 400k kms !

[@auntbarbara5576]

Great vid as always! Funny, these were on Mr Wizard's "Hondas To Avoid" list the other day! And noe u gave us awesome dissection for a visual 👌 Aunt Barbara adoes you!

[@majormojo]

Head bolt tip - turn the engine 90 deg in the stand to loosen the head bolts in a vertical arc instead of horizontally. That way the engine & stand won’t walk all over the place on you.

[@speedkar99]

Yes I know that. Just didn't expect this engine to have such tight bolts, I usually knock em loose sitting up right

[@miguelv619]

My 08 civic has this cracked block. I bought it for $500. It has 175k miles and very quiet and smooth. Still has a solid base. Would it be worth it replacing the low block? Or swapping the engine? Love your videos and content brotha!!

[@davidfuller764]

Maybe drive it but keep fluids full as mentioned, but I’d say don’t race it and try for more miles ‘free’. U got $500 out of already maybe.

[@SignedOff402]

@Paul S nonsense

[@Dusty.Spinster]

The 10th gen is a great car. I drove mine for three years and then sold it for what I paid for it. Replace the short block and drive it until the wheels fall off.

[@mattmoquin6943]

k20 will coat ya 400, just sayin, get a k20

[@krazzykiller1]

it would be worth a junkyard engine swap if you did the work. if you had to pay labor it's not worth it. it's absolutely not worth the time to rebuild it. even if you did the work it's a waste of your time. just like in the video these engines pretty much all burn oil because of the rings sticking. the converters do a pretty good job at hiding the oil smoke. and i have personally seen several blocks cracked after the 08 model year fix. tanks? ha! junks more like it. not Hondas best work r engines remind me of later Toyota engines where just the name is enough to convince you it's a good engine. now if you wanted to swap in a k series engine for proformance reasons it's going to be a ridiculous amount of work and an insane amount of money for a car you could replace for about one quarter of the money your about to spend. but it makes sense because race car. i have done it and it makes a civic feel like a super car. costs roughly 10k in parts makes the car proformance on par with corvette high end mustangs and such cars. add a cheap turbo and a hondata board with a tune say another 5 grand and it's easily out preforming lower end Lamborghini and McClaren cars.

[@bubbletea6144]

Honda was the first car I worked on in high school 1 semester course mechanic. Man those engines are tight

[@tannerjohnsonG59]

Love my r18. Mine is a 2007 Civic Ex Manual. Never knew about that issue with the block cracking so Ill have to keep an eye out for that. Bought with 100k and now have 191k and still running awesome. Love the car.

[@mattmoquin6943]

fuckin champ, I got the 08 ex manual and I got 175k. mad respect. anyways have you ever had a no start with crank issue? dealing with that as I type

[@tannerjohnsonG59]

@@mattmoquin6943 I haven't had an issue with no start with crank. Make sure you have spark. Try some starting fluid if you can get it to turn over for a little bit. It may be a fuel issue.

[@mattmoquin6943]

@@tannerjohnsonG59 tried the starting fluid a couple times from a few spots, I think my next step is to check if the car is timed correctly, might have jumped a few teeth.

[@ozarklife9996]

I have a 07 civic. I put as float in the reservoir to alert me to any leakage. So for so good. The signal from the float goes to a off delay relay then a red light. Green is on to let me know system is on and working. I have 243,000 miles with very few issues. Some like the paint clearcoat issues have started. Nice car hope to get 300000 miles plus.

[@DustInTheAir]

I love your video so much, every time I watch your video I can learn something

[@speedkar99]

Glad you can learn. I learn just as you do taking things apart here

[@joystix11]

I believe the egr/coolant heat exchange is intended to help warm up your cooling system on startup in cold temperatures. Edit: I take it back, cooling exhaust gases before recirculating makes sense as its primary purpose. Might also have the added benefit of getting the block up to temp more quickly, but that's only speculation on my part

[@speedkar99]

Or cool down gases before making the intake air too hot?

[@joystix11]

@@speedkar99 It makes sense now, yeah. Maybe both?

[@razzle1245]

@@joystix11 exhaust gas recirculation I know on diesels brings hot air into the chamber to increase the air and combustion temp to reduce soot content but increases Nox if im not mistaken. but the system sucks ass lmao and clogs everything.

[@jamesjones9207]

@@razzle1245I know on gas engines the EGR gas actually help cool down the combustion temps by replacing some of the oxygen with exhaust gases that way when the combustion ignites it’s not as lean because because there’s less room for oxygen when exhaust gases are present in the combustion chamber. The leaner the fuel air mixture the hotter it burns… they cool down the EGR gas because the hotter the gas the less room inside for cool dense air …

[@averyalexander2303]

EGR generally isn't used until the engine is already warmed up, so it won't help there. It's just there to cool the exhaust gases before recirculating them to reduce NOx emissions and improve the air's density. The exhaust manifold being built into the head does help the engine warm up faster though since it's cooled by the engine's coolant.

[@suy-kimho1027]

I strongly recommend the Lisle 77080 socket for Honda's crank bolts, it removes them with ease

[@roddydykes7053]

Always like to learn what specific bits from particular tool brands are best at taking apart certain car makes

[@suy-kimho1027]

@@roddydykes7053 same, the hidden gems you can find sometimes... but this tool, saved me so much energy and time it's unbelievable

[@knipsi22]

Well you can see the cost cutting compared to a k series. Other than the obvious single cam design. Way more plastic parts. Plastic valve cover, pickup tube, chain guides. No roller cams. I'm surprised the bearings were mint but the rings looked so bad

[@Psych0technic]

Um, no balancing shaft?

[@speedkar99]

I think this was the more economy minded engine compared to the larger K-series, hence all the cost cutting

[@knipsi22]

@@speedkar99 Yeah for sure. In some markets the R20 replaced the K20 tho which is kinda depressing

[@georgigeorgiev7232]

@@knipsi22 R20 has balancing shaft

[@tkajtsai1586]

Good job ! I have a 2009 Honda Civic LX with 270K miles still running.

[@speedkar99]

I think this was solved by 2009

[@ericmatenge8563]

I have a honda stream 2009 R18 engine clocking 240,000km. I like that car. No issues so far

[@scott8919]

I have an R18 in my HR-V but supposedly they fixed the engine block issues way back in 2009.

[@speedkar99]

Yes early 2009 is when they corrected this

[@ozarklife9996]

What did they do to correct this issue, and why do only some crack and some dont?

[@skateboarding118]

If buying go by the VIN numbers though. Mine was made in March 09 but it has the old engine.

[@LegendaryWaterBottle]

Wow, an engine that I have in daily driver :o

[@La-yt1wr]

I’d love to see a review or teardown of the 1.5t. I definitely find that engine very interesting and would love to know more about it. I have a 17 Sport Touring hatch with the engine and it definitely is a pocket rocket especially on the highway at high speeds when using high grade gas.

[@speedkar99]

I sure would like to get one. Heard they had issues with oil dilution

[@antimon40]

@@speedkar99 Looking forward to seeing the teardown of that L15 engine.

[@La-yt1wr]

@@speedkar99 Yes it was a issue with the early models especially if you live in a state that’s very cold and if you drive the car on short distances. I realized that it takes quite awhile for the engine to warm up when cold, but I never had the issue because I live in the Midwest and I drive my car a lot and sometimes hard. But I did get my car checked so it’s fine. I believe in MY19 or 20 Honda updated the engines so the newer models shouldn’t have any issues, and they still are offering the recalls on the older models.

[@neorabado8990]

My 2019 civic si with the 1.5t had a blown engine at 2k miles. Chain stretched and head gasket blew

[@Pokka676]

My 2006 civic 1.8 ex is now 320k miles and still going strong.

[@speedkar99]

Awesome! No coolant loss?

[@nikolaipetrov1295]

I saw the same on my R18Z1 engine tearing down, I enjoyed that except for the oil control rings The engine's head is different from the old R18A1, no more high lob profile of VTEC, it just simply turns off one intake valve on low RPMs

[@speedkar99]

Thanks for the correction

[@nikolaipetrov1295]

@@speedkar99 I didn't correct, you explained everything correctly for the engine you had torn down. I said the difference between the old and new versions of R18

[@applepoop10]

Don't even bother with some boring SOHC engine. It's all about the K Series bro.

[@Mnorbert25]

R18Z1 and the R18Z4 build like a tank bulletproof engines oil change it's critical regulary needed around 10.000 km or 8.000km for best reliability. It's a good torque engine for it's size 1799 cubicentimeter naturaly aspirated i-Vtec, torque 17.8 kg *meter at 4,300 rpm, Redline 6800 RPM and fuel cut off 7100, Compression: 10.6:1 (performance benefits from higher octane fuel ! Power: 145 PS (107 kW; 143 hp) at 6,500 rpm iVTEC engages economy cam profile from 1000 rpm to 3500 rpm, under light engine load. Engine runs on power cam profile by default.

[@xDxVxDxfan]

Got the exact same engine block problem in my 06 Civic. Most reliable car in the family except for coolant leak. Eh, poured some head gasket sealer, sort of helped... Just topping off coolant once a month. Mechanically: car is perfect otherwise at 125k

[@hondaservicecenter]

Fix it right wtf

[@xDxVxDxfan]

@@hondaservicecenter repairs would cost roughly what the car is worth, that's all

[@jdawgproductions8178]

Air oil separator and vtec solenoid does tend to leak , other than that 300k miles easy with proper maintenance

[@speedkar99]

Cracked blocks?

[@jdawgproductions8178]

@@speedkar99 no sir, old Honda bond for the oil/air separator which was 12 years old and the vtech solenoid gasket wasn’t sealing well from old age and heat

[@vladdutz20]

These problems aren't present in europe, rather the one with thinner piston rings that cause high oil consumption for those engines in civic 9 generation, R1A piston code

[@amalgam9948]

Nice video. The title had me hoping this was going to shed light on my 01 civic blown head gasket but very informative.

[@reinbeers5322]

Head gasket failures usually come down to overheating, lack of coolant, things like that.

[@speedkar99]

The D-series eh

[@reinbeers5322]

@@speedkar99 Unfortunately all the Ds are small Only up to 1.6L

[@jonnyduncan7056]

Great knowledge and love your channel.. Keep up the good work, from UK

[@fiddlerpin]

Nothing like a toothbrush to explain parts and your wife’s clothes to use as rags! Love it!

[@kevinbarry71]

A German engineer looked at that engine and says; that's not nearly complicated and stupid enough. Let me add a whole bunch of useless parts that are guaranteed to fail early

[@speedkar99]

Agreed. Although most German engines don't do the VTEC style of locking rocker arms

[@bradgraystock5966]

This video would be over an hour in length if it was an Audi

[@IIGrayfoxII]

I had an an FK2 with this engine. It was a damn good engine

[@linuxkernel4.199]

I think it would be really neat to do a Mazda Skyactiv G engine tear down 🙂

[@hukmai]

i remember the my 01 civic went with me from highschool to college until you guessed it cracked block...still lives in the family to this day although with a Japanese import engine with 40km on it ( had about 154k Miles when the block cracked and started overheating like crazy)

[@speedkar99]

Hmm the 01 didn't have the same casting defect as this though

[@miclomusic805]

Best video I’ve seen for a R18 breakdown, Thank you ! I have a 09

[@pgreenx]

Are 09’s susceptible to this issue?

[@miclomusic805]

@@pgreenx I actually found one barely used with 30k original miles, I now put about 40k and so far no problem’s whatsoever with the engine and I do drive it rough daily, Id say they’re very reliable at least from 09 up most of the junkers I find are 06-08

[@onilovni1234]

Very good video, your content is excellent for car enthusiasts!

[@Blank00]

Is it just me or does the Civic have a 20X6-20X8 model year curse? 2006-2008: cracking blocks 2016-2018: oil dilution

[@speedkar99]

Yes. The good models get the worse engines

[@privatezeron]

I think it's something to do with new engines.

[@The_Touring_Jedi]

​@@speedkar99And I just bought Civic Tourer here in Europe with R18 engine...I guess this year model are clean of faults. The engine looks brand new only 45k miles...😊

[@adammartin1507]

I've got an 06 civic with this engine. It's got 100k miles now and I'm keeping an eye on the coolant. Probably impossible to know the prevalence of this issue but I'd be interested to know what % 06 civics were affected.

[@speedkar99]

More of the earlier ones than the later ones. Only Honda would have the stastics of warranty claims

[@texasabbott]

Not more than 15% of the 06 civics were affected. If yours lasted this long (100k miles and 16+ years), then you may have a good block and don't need to worry about the coolant. It's time to shift your attention to other usual preventative maintenance stuff on the 06 Civic: rust, paint, clearcoat, wax, transmission fluid (A/T fluid only done by Honda dealership), A/C refrigerant, A/C compressor clutch, alternator, oil and filter changes and suspension. Baby that car, and get to 250k miles and beyond, and may outlast a Corolla.

[@JayandSarah]

@@texasabbott I'm curious why you say transmission only by Honda. I saw this in the manual as well, but that seems rather strange to me.

[@miguelare3]

Man I love these engine teardown you do Speedkar99! You do a great job.

[@Paramount531]

Me too, I never feel like I wasted my time watching. Are you listening, Scotty Kilmer?

[@miguelare3]

@@Paramount531 lmao 🤣

[@cheesemons]

Well that explains the reason why my R20A engine is loosing coolant. Thanks!

[@speedkar99]

Didn't know the 2.0 had the same issue

[@cheesemons]

Can't confirm it yet. But it does explain the coolant loss. No white exhaust smoke, no visible leaks on the radiator, spark plugs looks fine, coolant hoses don't have crusty buildup on the outside, no funky smell from the AC that shows leaking in the heater core.

[@mahdavimail]

Best Like always, I was waiting for this one which is inside my 14 paired with 5 speed manual 😍 Thank you

[@KingdomAuto]

Fantastic info and great video, keep up the good work!! Very informative content

[@speedkar99]

Thank you

[@garrywill-not-comply3073]

I found this video really helpful and proved my engine is tip-top. Now, where's the video showing how to put it all back together? :D

[@craigiefconcert6493]

Super interesting and informative! I learn a lot from your videos! That engine top end and bearings looked so clean and yet the rings were gummed up. What’s up with that? I notice Ontario license plates. Are you in Toronto? You have a shop? I’m in Calgary but my cousin is in Toronto, and cars seem to be cheaper there than in Alberta. They may get a lot more salt though.

[@sharifsircar]

My 09 is at 325 with every fluid changed on it, good to see my own engine

[@HiFiInsider]

I had a 2006 Civic with 50K miles and it had a cracked block after the warranty expired. Fight with Honda to get it replaced at no charge.

[@crxdelsolsir]

Honda rarely makes mistakes if ever. In this case it was not an engineering error but a production error. Honda is a top notch manufacturer and issues such as these are honest mistakes not planned obsolescence which currently is plaguing established manufacturers. Japanese culture means they are less likely or have less product sabotage. Planned obsolescence is more prevalent in many Western products and especially prevalent in Chinese made products.

[@waltchan]

Do you think Honda made a mistake by switching to ZF-made 9-speed auto transmissions in some vehicles?

[@stevenweiss2148]

Drove a crx. Noisy pokey.peice of crap.

[@The_Touring_Jedi]

​@@waltchanProbably...they also went for smaller turbo charged engines because of emission policy here in LGBTQ+++ snowflake European society full of Green brainwashed voters. But then again...Honda and Toyota are still producing some bad ass engines for other continents and are selling them.

[@TheSoapiestWanger]

Still have my 2011 civic lx sedan. 5 speed manual transmission. Just crossed 196k miles. Have some light mods on the car. I can't recommend Honda enough. They are very well made and low maintenance vehicles.

[@aliybaskurt]

i have r18a2 on my civic fd and this guy is bulletproof i mean it. i've traveled more than half of the Turkiye, I drove for minutes on the highway at over 200 km/h. There is still no problem, I just change the oil and radiator fluid, not even timing chain(it has 265k kms on the dash should i change it?).

[@speedkar99]

Nice!

[@aliybaskurt]

@@speedkar99 thanks! but do i need change the timing chain?

[@fnbuy]

I had a question on the R18 Engine, I have a 2008 Honda Civic EX with 242k miles, no issues had to change the PVC Valve due to burning oil. I been told that the chain tensioner goes out around 300k and 400k. Is it possible to change the tensioner without taking the engine out and working on it from under the wheel well?

[@speedkar99]

Yes. A bit tight though to work in the engine bay.

[@fnbuy]

Thanks for your quick reply. This car has gone to Canada, 42 States, and Mexico and never had a brake down. I heard the coolant issue is only found in 1% of engine made in that era so its uncommon. I'm sure if I replace the chain tensioner this engine will go to 600k miles. I still have original clutch, one of the best cars I've owned. One common issue is the Denso A/C compressor had to change it and almost everyone I know has had to as well.

[@skateboarding118]

My 09 civic has only 110k km but it burns oil like crazy. I would check oil levels every time I fill up gas and oftentimes the oil would be reduced in half. Any ideas? I had it checked for leaks but there was none. Scared of how much it’d cost to repair. I love this car.

[@fnbuy]

@@skateboarding118 Hey man I would first check your PVC valve here is a link for the video I used. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g17ZYaBjp9d4sNk Another take would be to make sure you are using good oil and a tight filter in case you are dripping oil. Another thing to check would be the oil pan. If none of those things solve the issue, then check your seals because you might be burning oil. One can tell by checking the exhaust, you would get a blue smoke cloud with a bad smell

[@skateboarding118]

@@fnbuy Thanks Sebastian, I appreciate your reply very much! I will check out the link. The inside of my car smells like something burning every once in awhile and whenever I check the oil level then, it’s reduced.

[@pliedtka]

Like almost every modern engine, running on 5w-20 (post yr 2000), this one also suffers from baked oil control rings. Sorry people but in my experience there's no such thing as Long Life engine oil in modern cars. I really try to encourage people to keep OCI within 10-12k km, to avoid further costs ahead.

[@speedkar99]

10,000km? And here I am changing oil every 5K...

[@pliedtka]

If you do at 5k then it should be super stinky clean inside. My self, I tent to do OCI at 8-10k km when I drive hard. In one of Polish garage channels (just a regular mechanic - no funny ads, no BS), they did premium synthetic oil analysis at 12k for Škoda (VW engine) with 150+k and the oil had still a lot of life in it. You know the new OCI for BMW and VW in Europe is ... 30k km for the Long Life oil 😳🧐. It would be interesting to split into pieces one of those engines after say 200k. But generally I would like people to follow the severe conditions maintenance schedule when it comes to lubricants.

[@mr.superstar7919]

@@pliedtka It's not about the oil, but the particles in the oil that clog up the oil rings and cause more friction in the engine.

[@kristianhermann5971]

Hadn't heard of this problem before - thanks for sharing - just goes to show, every OE has made mistakes (even Honda)

[@speedkar99]

Yes they all have problems

[@DStabs720]

Every manufacturer makes mistakes some way more than others. Toyota is king

[@biscuitninja]

What a design... everything covers everything else. Can you do an Honda L15a?

[@AndreiGrozea]

i found this engine to be really quiet and vibration free despite not having counterweights

[@yaseralhetawi5838]

As usual excellent explanation Thanks 😊

[@speedkar99]

Welcome

[@mcp08gt]

Which years were bad. Were all earlier models bad or just some of them. Thank u

[@speedkar99]

2006-2008

[@richardschofield2201]

You mention it doesn't really need the cam shaft sensor. Does that mean it runs wasted spark and batch injection? Otherwise I assume it would need a camshaft sensor to know which stroke it's on.

[@henrycoool]

I bought a 2009 honda civic FD1 with the R18A1 engine. The first letter of the VIN is J. The Japanese assembled version are covered by the problem of the cracks?

[@speedkar99]

Check your VIN with the dealership Regardless the warranty is up it was for only 10 years

[@ROBertTTay]

This is exactly what happened to my 07 civic 😔 unfortunately this was in 2019 so it was out of warranty

[@speedkar99]

Did you have to replace with an 09+ engine?

[@ROBertTTay]

@@speedkar99 the engine swap was too expensive for me back then. I ended up trading it for a newer car

[@manueltoscano2074]

What’s your opinion on Honda CVT transmissions? I would be really interested in hearing what you think.

[@zeroyon4562]

From my experience it depends. The early ones in the first generation Jazz/Fit and Civic EK have a problem with the start clutch, resulting in shuddering on takeoff, but they’re otherwise reliable. It’s a well documented problem with lots of fixes out there. The second generation Jazz/Fit CVT onwards is very reliable. I can’t speak for the larger cars like the CRV though. Either way they’re way better than Nissan/Jatco CVT’s.

[@alexmann5585]

Oh man, how I miss the cast iron engine blocks :(

[@speedkar99]

I hate them. Too heavy and things can get rusted

[@Mrcrappyfuntastic]

Go buy a vw product then. The 1.8, 2.0, and 3.6l are still iron. Not sure about the 1.4l though, but it might be as well.

[@waltchan]

@@Mrcrappyfuntastic Yes, you can still buy brand new Audi vehicles with cast-iron block 2.0L I4 turbo, which they claim has Honda durability now in the latest design. Also, 2.5L I5 is cast-iron too.

[@Bill-up9xw]

I was worried about mines after a few years or purchasing since it was a 07 model. Heavy driving and many trips and it hasn't blown yet. Warranty way gone now, so I'm not worried as much anymore as its well over 170k with heavy driving. Just don't like that they used plastic for the chain and dipstick/valve cover, but overall a really good engine

[@dannyp9090]

I don't know if I have the same engine but mine is a 2015 Civic 1.8L. Not sure if i have the updated version which might be different

[@speedkar99]

Yeah this was mostly an 8th gen civic issue

[@miscbits6399]

A teardown of Nissan's QR20DE would be interesting to see how they "cheapened" the SR20DE into a disposable engine. Should be lots of these floating around now as the design life of the motor is only 150,000km

[@kevinhobbs1832]

Great video, once again, but.....I need background on who's toothbrush was being utilized!

[@speedkar99]

Oral B is wife Colgate is brothers

[@RampartPh]

very informative. do the k20 if you can bro

[@speedkar99]

Will do soon, I already have a K24 video which is very similar

[@kclefthanded427]

Even Honda is not perfect but the timing chain setup is straight forward unlike the Nissan VQ V-6

[@J.Nev.]

You’re Comparing A SOHC 4 Cylinder To A DOHC V6…. Very Bright😂

[@gabrielrogers2971]

Dude I love watching this

[@speedkar99]

Thanks!

[@JundaComputersGmbH]

If you think R18 is bad, try the 1.5 Turbo, the L15B7! But you do have a choice of the 2.0L K20C2 with timing chain instead of timing belt, and Port Injection instead of Direct Injection, without the carbon deposit build up of direct injection engines! I'd say the 2.0 Natural Aspirated K20C2 is very reliable if you use Mobil 1 Extended Performance or Pennzoil Ultra Platinium 0W20 oils with extended performance filter

[@clb_52]

Honda engines with direct injection don't have carbon build up problems Scotty kilmer talk about this

[@debbiereynolds7759]

I blew an R18Z1 up from oil starvation. Turns out my rings were really badly worn and were burning up all the oil. RIP redline r18

[@samkim6127]

My 2006 Honda Civic engine block cracked at 145000 mi last year. It was long past the 10 year warranty. Tried the K-seal. It worked for 4000 miles. I think the crack got bigger. It used to be a slow drip but is losing more coolant. And now getting white smoke from under the hood. At first only when turning on the heater. But now it smokes even with it off. Also maybe oil is leaking from around the same area. Could the crack get bigger so that it leaks oil? I was thinking about JB Weld but after seeing the video, I'll pass. I bought the car new and have it for 16 years and 150000 mi. It was good while it lasted. Already replaced the starter, valve cover gasket and did a coolant flush just before the crack appeared. Maybe that pushed it over the edge? Going to stop putting money and time into it and buy a new car. Probably an EV.

[@speedkar99]

Do a used engine swap from a 2009+

[@eilanbarak]

Thanks for the video! Was waiting for a video on this engine. I have a 2008 FR-V with this engine, but made in Japan, so not going to have the same issue... But car is a pig on gas, it's a bloated civic. Left my ex-wife with a 2007 civic back in North America, wonder if it caught up to her...