Hey everyone, i'm new here and am looking forward to learning as much as I can. Maybe in the future I will be able to actually contribute instead of just asking questions.

I bought a used 2008 Honda Accord with a 4cylinder VTEC motor. On cold starts it makes a rattle for about 2 seconds and then goes away. The car rides and runs like a new car would and I am hoping to get many more thousands of miles out of it. The car had 150,000 on it when I bought it and I am at 158,430 now. The guy that had it before me replaced the VTC Actuator and it did not get rid of the rattle. I know Honda put a bulletin out about this issue and I have also seen online people saying they replaced it but it didn't fix anything, the rattle is alive and well. What has scared me is some back yard mechanics and then a couple other people tell me when the hear it that the timing chain is stretched and needs to be changed. I really don't want to do this if I don't have to.

I took it to a shop that I trust today, been going there over a decade and is family owned out in the country where I live. They told me about the bulletin and gave me a copy of it. He said if we replace the VTC Actuator it would be a good idea to replace the timing chain since we are in there. He asked if I could live with the rattle and didn't seem like I was in any immediate danger of the timing chain breaking and he said he had no reason to believe anything was wrong with the chain.

I love this car and besides it burning a lot of oil I have no issues with it. What is recommended here? What do the Honda guys think? Anyone with experience on this? Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

How much oil is the engine burning (or losing)? Has your check engine light turned on while driving and are any codes stored in the engine computer?

 

There is a way to check the timing chain for being "stretched". You have to remove the crankshaft pulley & underneath there's a small cover you unbolt where you can see the chain-tensioner. There's a measurement on the tensioner but I don't have a shop manual for that car to say what's the limits of that tensioner position.

One possible thing to cause chain wear is when people see the oil-life monitor and think that means they never have to look at the oil level on the dipstick.

 

It burns about a quart every 1000-1500 miles. Check engine has never came on and no codes are stored.

 

Thanks! I will try to take a look at that.