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Comments
I see - so all the others with problems are lying? Again, you make my point about their being attacked. And you prove their point. No Honda for me..
Unfortunately, it seems like they have no interest in doing this. My dealer figures since they have had no other complaints (or so they say), that I couldn't possibly have anything wrong with my car. Frustrating to say the least, and I plan on taking it to another dealer. If they say it is normal behavior, it is against what Honda's advertising literature says. I've been a pretty dedicated Honda guy, but their attitude on this has me questioning whether I will remain that way.
It seems that the people here with problems are being written off by some of the Honda faithful because of the assumption that there are tons of cars out there without any reported issues.
Has Honda even sold more than 25,000 VCM V6's yet. :confuse:
Tastes Great! Less Filling!
If we don't have any new facts or developments to share, let's stop repeating the same posts ad nauseum. We KNOW you hate VCM. And we KNOW you think VCM is pretty cool.
Please come back when you have some new facts or developments to share with the group! Okay?
Speaking of new facts....Honda first introduced VCM back in 2003 when it was available on the JDM Honda Inspire. So the system now has 5 years of history and a lot of testing and real world mileage. As much as we want to call it new technology, it has been around the block as far as Honda is concerned. There is even a Wikipedia entry for Honda Variable Cylinder Management....
In addition to low fuel consumption, the VCM engine also reduces exhaust emissions, helping meet govt Ultra-Low Emissions and 2010 fuel consumption standards, making it eligible for preferential 'Green Tax' treatment. The engine achieves this by combining high-density catalytic converters located directly below each cylinder head for further improved exhaust gas processing at low engine temperatures with better air/fuel ratio control.
VCM continuously analyzes throttle opening, vehicle speed, engine speed, and gearing to determine that the car is cruising, and then idles the intake and exhaust valves of the three cylinders in the rear cylinder bank. With zero valve lift, the cylinders are sealed, and no fuel is injected. Pumping losses are thus reduced by as much as 65% and low fuel consumption is realized.
When operating in 3-cylinder mode, engine vibration is reduced by extrapolating vibration from the change in crankshaft rotation speed and sending the information to the 'active control' engine mount, which compresses/extends an actuator in same-phase, same-period motion to dampen the engine mount. Similarly, a speaker creates an opposite phase sound or 'active noise control', to provide a cancelling effect, for a quieter interior which leaves the driver unaware of changes in cylinder activation.
It seems to me that if a driver learns to pay close attention (and is also aided by the ECO light), he/she can certainly tell when cylinder (de)activation occurs. It's more than likely that any excessive vibrations are indeed a malfunction in the particular unit, rather than a broad design defect as some have suggested.
For those having issues, please continue to work with your Honda dealer, and let us know if you get any satisfaction or resolution.
Tastes Great! (LOL)
On a side note - why would ANY SALESPERSON who is worth half a cent, or any person affiliated with Honda for that matter, come here and say there are problems with the VCM??????
So why does the Honda Accord brochure state that the system is "seamless", and that the transition from one mode to the other is "unnoticeable to the Accord's passengers"?
Why is it that if people post that they are having problems with their Accord that others than feel compelled to attack them? You should just be glad that you Accord is functioning properly. Do you think that we want our cars to have a problem?
The more I drive my car the more I love it. Its color of metal polished looks so shiny and attractive. It is the true top Accord V6 EX-L. The more I look at it the more I like it.
I, for one, would not want to generalize the sincerity or honesty of any profession, be it a dealership or my profession or yours. Granted there are all types of people out there, but I wouldn't think they are all evil. Your 2001 car is just one experience. I too do have several bad experiences with car dealers. But come to think of it, I have good experiences with them too. All I am saying is some of the posts here are more geared towards bashing Honda (and promoting Malibu or Camry) than trying to resolve the issue. You can not find in any of my posts any indication that I remotely have doubted anyone having a VCM problem, I am just questioning the motives of some posters and the strategy taken by others who report having problems in trying to resolve the issue.
In your post you also said: "....I have seen many people take their Honda back to the dealer for various reason's and get the standard dealer line "I can't find anything wrong". The dealers are worthless...." I think comments like that just take the objectivity out of your comments.
Don't think so. I have.
The most frustrating thing is to have a customer come in complaining of a problem that the shop can't duplicate. We drive the cars sometimes with the customer along listening for
the rattle, squeak of transmission noise only to find nothing wrong!
" The dealers are worthless"
Yes, you just lost your credability.
There are tons of new exciting things in new Hondas. Buy a top Honda and you get many things that are highly competitive with other makes of same class. Honda offers excellently top notched engineering. Honda automobiles are true pieces of sophisticated engineering and also fine pieces of art. Everything in a Honda is well thought out, balanced, in perpective, appealing and functional. I have been driving Honda motorcyles and cars for over 43 years. I feel more comfortable driving a Honda than driving another piece of crap that looks like a "big box but no soul".
In short, if Honda cannot compete it will be ousted out the car manufacturers market tomorrow just like GM with 42 billion dollars loss last year inside struggling Big 3. Honda still makes good profit. Bravo Honda's smartest engineers, management and salemen including ISELLHONDAS. Let me give Isellhondas a warm hug and a kiss on his cheeks. I heard Saturn is going to put Honda engines inside their "boxes" to build new Saturns soon.
Its a drag, and a dissapointing concern with some V6 accords. again for those that are not having issues perhaps start you own forum about how much you love it.. those of us that dont and continue to have problems will continue to post here and everywhere to educate prospective buyers to be cautious and to share experiences and ideas to resolve.
Sorry, but Honda took a terrific smooth running V6 accord and (in my opinion) added tons of great features , bells and whistles but missed the boat with the engine 6 accords prior and every single one of them was smooth and basically service free with the exception of regular maint. This car (as well as others) has been in the shop almost constantly since November with no fix identified yet.
As a potential buyer I see there are problems - I do not want to play Russian Roulette buying a car hoping I get the empty cylinder and a good car, versus the full cylinder and a :lemon: Please come up with a solution Honda!
I spoke with a co-worker today who recently bought an 08 Accord sedan with the V6 engine. She loves the car and was not aware of any issues with the VCM. In fact, she had no clue what VCM was! The only issue she told me about was a malfunctioning rear passenger door lock, which was promptly fixed by her dealer.
To those with VCM problems, my best wishes for a quick solution.
If there's a new reader, when they click on the thread, they'll be automatically directed to post #1, based on my experiences with other new forums I've tried out today for this purpose. The new readers and posters will then have a few useful posts, and a whole lot of redundant ones if this keeps up.
Status updates are always welcome, assuming the drivers have been making progress (or attempting to) to get Honda working on their problem. If its just another post to say "my car is still not operating properly, but I've done nothing about it" that doesn't really help do anything but drive people off the board.
Unbelievable - Documented ownership of Hondas for years by many of these people and you call their veracity into question. This from a Honda salesman?! Encouraging I am sure to these owners. Guess that is typical of the type of response they are getting, or can expect to get, from their dealerships. Very sad.
Why post? Because the title of the forum is Honda Accord VCM. It is not called "Problems with VCM." If a reader came here seeing nothing but problems from a thread, they'd think every car had problems. Obviously, they don't.
If a forum titled "Honda Accord Automatic Transmission" had nothing but transmission problems listed, that'd be really one-sided. VCM has to do with performance, mileage, and how well the VCM is integrated into the car.
I for one wish MORE posters would post about their mileage in here, so people interested in VCM equipped Accords could get an idea of what to expect.
I feel like the Honda bashers are looking for therapy that the Honda lovers are quite happy to provide, albeit neither side knows that they are doing that.
For anyone new to this thread, here is the synopsis so you don't post and ask the same question which will yield the same answers, ah never mind, just back up to the day this thread started and you will answer your own questions.
Unless there is something new to report, please don't.
Sometimes, with excessive stuff to read through, people will just skip it.
And the question always nags...is this from a disgruntled ex employee or from someone selling a competing brand?
Honda has repeatedly stated to several of us that have escalated this issue up that this is a KNOWN issue with VCM that it is NOT seamless and can and will be felt by drivers. So how can Honda state "seamless and unnoticed" yet field personnel and customer relations state the opposite. Somewhere along the line, the communications train left the tracks. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck.......
We just want Honda to be honest and forthright in thier marketing of this car and tell the services depts that this exsists as an objectionable issue for some owners. be straight up is all they need to do. In my case they continue to state "there is no fix" for the issue. so the more people we educate the more will report problems the faster Honda will "fix" those that were 1st gen or all....
Rodi
Lets get real. this forum on edmunds is not the place to invoke that strategy with any sense of accomplishment, I am sure.
I would suggest you change the title to "Problems w/ 08 Honda Accord VCM". to your point several time to us, this would make the most sense and keep the dialog on track.
Thanks Graduate.
I recently bought an 08 Accord Coupe EX-L V6.
I came here to try and understand what was going on with all of the VCM talk.
After driving a tad over 500miles I'm starting to feel that the issue isn't so much the VCM, but more so the Grade Logic part of the Automatic Transmission.
When I'm on a flat stretch of road I won't feel the car "jump" or "stutter" when the ECO light goes on or off... however when I'm going down a hill as soon as i left off the gas it'll kind of jump a litte, but it's due to going downhill and the AT Transmission doing it's thing to slowly make the car slow down. Vice versa with going uphill...
I think this issue is a good one, but I don't think it's going to stop people from getting the V6 becuase it's not noticeable unless you are driving the car. Have someone else drive and you'll never notice it even if you are looking for it. I can understand how it's affecting some people, but it's not something that hampers the expierence.
When it's in ECO and I put my foot on the gas there's only a slight lag before the engire power kicks in. It's not as bad as some people have mentioned.
I drove both the V4 and the V6. I was aware of the VCM concerns, but after driving both the power from the V6 won me over. The 4 isn't bad by any means. I'm more than able to deal with the hicup here and there for the extra power.
I will admit that if you have owned or have driven a Honda before you might feel like this isn't up to par with what they've put out in the past.
I have a feeling that us First Gen owners will end up with a solution by the end of the year if not next. It might be telling the system to only got into 4cyl mode and forget going to 3cyl... or it might be some other kind of fix... it might be make the "grade logic" not so touchy.
The VCM would not prevent me from getting this model again.
But above ALL, it is not about other posters!! If you don't believe someone, fine, go read something else. Accusations about posters' motivations are not welcome here and will not be tolerated from this point forward.
As in every discussion throughout the CarSpace Forums, we trust our members to be able to sort out the wheat from the chaff. They (you) do not need to be beaten over the head in order to figure out what's on the up and up and what may not be.
If you want to address your experience with the VCM feature of the 08 Accord (not the Odyssey or any other vehicle, I don't care if you say it is the same thing), your post is welcome here.
If you want to discuss anything else at all, please find an appropriate discussion in the Accord group.
And while I'm on my soapbox
Anyway... back to the topic, and only the topic, please.
I'm as curious as anyone else and since I have (not yet anyway) experienced this myself I'm just puzzled as to what is going on.
Hopefully, these forums may help get to the bottom of this. Honda doesn't take things like this lightly.
VCM may be the least of your concerns.
sunnfunn says that Honda is reporting that there is no VCM issue and it's a tire/rotor problem.
Something is amiss here. Honda is either doling out bipolar advice, your distinctive issues are not related to each other, or your cars are clearly unique and unqualified lemons that should be addressed on an individual basis by Honda's highest levels. We can feel your frustrations but please know that your experiences appear to be in the extreme and not representative of those of us who can feel VCM (including me) as a very subtle quiver or resonance, and those of us who can't feel VCM to the slightest degree.
I wish you the best. Please keep us posted on what happens with your Accord and how Honda reponds to your plights. Having your glasses fly off due to the vibration is not cool whatsover. You may want to get the entire suspension checked out.
Again, unless Honda comes out with a TSB to "fix" any issues with VCM, it's all anecdotal,i.e., I can say that my Accord VCM is operating as smooth as glass while others will say, "you're a hondaphile and you're lucky, etc. blah,blah" or vice versa. For those of you who are having problems, the best recourse is to bring your car to the dealer and update us with your resolution, if any. It's the best thing you can do for your car as well as for us who "truly" own this 8th Gen. Accord.
The sky is not falling...