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The Accord Sedan’s V-6 features the latest generation of Variable Cylinder Management™ (VCM®) technology. This system can activate and deactivate the engine’s cylinders as needed to meet the demands of both acceleration and fuel savings. When maximum torque is required, all six cylinders are firing. During steady cruising speeds , VCM shuts down one bank of cylinders. In this mode, the audio system’s Active Noise Cancellation™ (ANC) function generates out-of-phase sound waves to cancel out any undesirable noise that may be due to the harmonics of 3-cylinder operation. As cruising speed increases the engine moves to a 4-cylinder mode for extra cruising power. To help keep engine vibration from reaching the cabin in every mode, active engine mounts automatically adjust their firmness to help absorb energy. The transition between the three operating modes is completely seamless and goes unnoticed by the Accord’s passengers.
This is misleading...
Was going to look at new accord V-6 as replacement next year when TL lease is up.
This really sounds like a problem. For time being this sounds like the emperer's new clothes. This hasn't been made public yet. If this gets out, it could be similar or worse than the auto transmissions on the V6 Camry.
Remains to be seen. If I were buying now, I would opt for the tried and tru 4 cylinder
Golf, pls keep us in the loop!
best, ez....
Several of these guys make a point of knowing its working only when they see the dashboard light. At least I know where they got the word "seamless" from: right out of Honda!
I re-read the Edmunds full test of the EX V6 sedan and it mentions that nobody in the cabin could detect the VCM operation.
I am glad that Honda will be involved. It looks like only some of the vehicles have this problem. Seems like a "bug" that Honda has a responsibility to fix.
Let us know what Honda says. Good luck!
The early adopter, first year buyers are the one's I will really listen to on this, not the professional reviewers. This is exactly why I refuse to buy a first year model of anything - cars, or anything else. (NOTE: However, my wife did! A 2007 Camry, and we are paying the price on that miscue).
If there is a problem, Honda will jump on it quickly.
unless you follow one of the internet boards, it's impossible to know about first year problems unless the cars are breaking down on the side of the road. As good as some of these cars are, I guess it's still a good idea to shy away from the first year until some kind of pettern shows.
Obviously, some people have problems with the VCM system. Hopefully, Honda will not just listen, but will do something.
I agree that it is not a good idea to purchase one of the first batch of vehicles of a new design.
I can wait. My current lease ends July 31st and my next vehicle will most likely be the EX-L V6 Accord sedan or an MDX base. I don't know if I want to live with 17 mpg, though!
"To help keep engine vibration from reaching the cabin in every mode, active engine mounts automatically adjust their firmness to help absorb energy. The transition between the three operating modes is completely seamless and goes unnoticed by the Accord’s passengers"
There are a few things they are going to do as a first step and then see if that alleviates the issue for me personally such as alignment, balancing of tires run addl diagnostics on the fuel injection,, the works.
The net/net update is that what most V6 drivers are feeling is a collateral issue that drivers are, or will be faced with on the 08 V6 VCM engine. The Ody 6-3 was less noticeable due to the 6-3 mode approach. The extra 4 mode is what may be causing the added layer of noticability. Again, I do not see this as prevalent in "cruise control" so there must be a correlation between how the car drives and manages itself, as opposed to manually. I know duh right? but seriously even with a steady foot on the accelerator and feathering oh so slightly the car is in constant "roaming mode" at certain speeds and Honda itself agrees. In there I feel lies the rub... if they can figure out how to get the car to run optimally without CC on, then I think the fix will surface. Clearly the car can make a decision on cylinder activation mode while in CC yet not when off.
I still predict more and more complaints to rise. I also predict the eco light will be removed in the future in the hopes that its indication of changes to the driver "may" reduce or remove the placebo effect. It is this effect some may be having when it illuminates like a dummy light that something is going on thus adding a greater sensitivity to change. Don't be surprised if the advertising or documentation is updated from "unnoticeable and seamless" to slight and minimal.
Bottom line is we don't need to know what mode is on or off anyway do we? really? As I have stated since the beginning. drive the car yourself and be the judge. If it doesn't bother you and you can live with it , then that's great. I will hope the diagnostics and addl tuning will resolve my issue. and keep you all posted as we move along down the road....
Highly disappointing.
Maybe I have been expecting too much from the reviewers. Sounds like they just copied "seamless" directly from Honda's description.
That surging/hesitating would sure bother me. No doubt about it. It would drive me nuts.
I still plan to drive one early next year, but I am definitely not as enthusiastic as I once was.
And yet we have this, hot off the press, from CR's testing of the 2008 EX V6 Accord sedan on their website (appearing in their February, 2008 issue as part of a family sedan comparo) : "If it weren't for the little green "eco" light in the instrument panel, this system would be completely imperceptible."
They are "impressed" with the car.
I think if Honda stated its noticable (which contradicts their marketing), then thats enough to make me feel as if I do not have OCD w/ VCM.
You'll see more people coming forward, no doubt in my mind......
I tend to agree, but lets hope so ,
As an extra feedback on the Accord. My '05 Accord hybrid does generate "little humming noise" sometimes when engine switches from gas to electric or vice versa when I slow down my hybrid on highway exit ramps, etc. I brought it to the dealers a couple of times and they could not fix it. Otherwise, it runs like dream, "glues down" to winding roads and speeds up like a strongest greyhound ar 255HP. My hybrid is 3-6 VCM. No notice when it switches back & forth between 3 and 6 or vice versa.
I still consider Accord V6 is one of the best sedans. I am currently owning a fleet of 3 Accord V6 and 1 I4 at home (excluding other retired Honda vehicles in the past). And NO REGRET. Will buy a brand-new Accord '08 EX-L PZEP w/ navi soon. It's hard to resist all "goodies stuff" such as 268 HP, good MPG, VCM, VSC, ACE, more air bags, Blue tooth, enhanced Navi, stereo...and best of all is Honda' smartest leading engineers/ management. One cannot get all these "fancy stuff" in one packet compared to same class vehicles such as Infiniti G35, Avalon XLS, Camry SE, Altima, BMW '3 series, Audi, Volvo..
One said: "When Acura is installed with some propellers, Accord will be granted all those nice (Acura) stuff. I am going to buy a' 08 Accord V6 EX-L PZEP w/ navi soon. Life sometimes is so short to miss those good opportunities.
I doubt its the DBW. I have DBW in my previous gen Accord and love its smoothness and crisp throttle response. Never had one complaint about it. In fact, I've not seen one complaint about DBW from Honda (Toyota is a different story) and it has been equipped on Honda vehicles for years now.
Yep. And I believe since 1995, at the time in a car called NSX.
Another user review from Yahoo Auto's:
great car when running on six cylinders!
by Steven from Columbus, Ohio (11/15/07)
Pros: exterior, handling, seats, XM radio, Michlin tires, dual exhaust tips, all good
Cons: Variable Cylinder Management System surges all the time on the freeway and ride is firmer than my 03
This is a great car when it is running on all six cylinders! I feel the Variable Cylinder Management System surging and hesitating all the time on the freeway, it is very annoying. I have an appointment with Honda Dealer Service Department, hopefully this is a warranty adjustment. At this point I wish I would have purchased a 2007 Accord V6 EX-L.
Try acellerating 0-45 mph, then drop off the gas enough to engage VCM. Now slowly build speed to 75 mph without letting the VCM drop off. My coupe has a very nimble ride getting to the high end of a power band. The engine feels ready to do anything you want, very responsive. No signs of the annoyance you seem to be running into. It made me wonder if 18" wheels might be the difference.
I would really appreciate if you can keep all of us posted.
I have really been testing this car a ton and notice some interesting things. i.e. at cruising speed say 65-75 the road noise (as about every new owner has stated) is loud. I mean very loud. what is interesting as well is the car in V6 format has both Active Motor Mounts to reduce or eliminate 3 cyl vibration as well as ANC (Active Noise Cancel) I can honestly say that my accord as well as the other 5 I have demo'd or tested, still vibrates noticeably and has a low -frequency engine operation of which the ANC is supposed to eliminate with out of wave low freq sound waves. I am sure its better than w/o,but certainly doesnt "eliminate" the low freq ear drum attacking noise. You can almost hear a shutter like a bad tire or as if you opened a rear window only to get that annoying ear drum thudder everyone scrambles on to open a 2 nd window and neutralize the air pressure in the cabin. The VCM remains very noticable and combined with the road noise/slight vibration from the 3cyl action it all piles on to be a somewhat non-smooth long trip ride.
I read the expert reviews and it boggles my mind that they are written in such a slanted manner. Look, I like the car and made the investment and am trying to learn to love it.. the styling is awesome, the features are out of the park, but the ride(seats) are VERY firm/stiff, the VCM is annoying and the road noise is less than desireable. but again I will end this post as I have many others.. check the net (other forums, blogs etc) you will find my "PRO's" and "CON's" consistent with other new 08 accord V6 owners, not all, but others. ;-) I will continue to update the audience on my experiences, steps to address and any resolutions.
Golfrski, like you my opinion was swayed by the reviews telling how quiet the car is. Are we crazy or is the road noise issue a real problem for the Accord again?
When I first bought the car I thought the suspension was tuned perfectly for road shock, however, 1k miles later & I find myself again (like the '03) looking for cracks & potholes in the road to avoid (instead of watching traffic).
I have a real dilemma again Honda....you nailed the styling, features, price, etc but failed miserably with the road noise again.
Really like the Nav system and is better than the Nav on my Civic 07.
ECO-Light... why why why why?? I dont need to know. I dont care. Make it invisible and transparent to me as the driver and let me see the diff in pocket book, the ECO light is a novelty gimmick. If it were REALLY meant to help the driver understand how "Green" he/she was then tell me the cyl mode I'm in 6-4-3. Otherwise get rid of the dummy light that only draws attention to the fact that "something" is happening to my car as I drive down the road. Look,, everyone know that the average driver see's a dummy light come on/pop up "check engine" or the like and that means problem. I stick with my prediction that Honda will remove this light.. watch you'll see. It s a placebo in the purest form,
I do. It is an even better idea than having a trip computer that shows fuel consumption. Both features can help a driver learn a lot about improving fuel economy and adjust driving style. I never thought about it until about 7-8 months ago. Since then, the mileage in my TL has gone up by 10%.
1st Gear Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 2
Surging?
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jkeith72,
I just bought a V6 Accord sedan a few weeks back, my first Honda. I was actually thinking about taking my car to the dealer to have them do a ride along so they could feel what you are describing. When the "eco" light comes on, if I start backing out of the throttle, I feel for lack of a better term, a lunge or surge. I have tried to watch the tach, but when it surges, I do not see any changes in the rpm. Mine is pretty noticable, and not in a good way. My wife actually noticed it the other day, so you know it's more pronounced than it should be. I still may bring it in just so I can make sure this is normal. One last thing, mine seems to do this mostly at speeds in the 60-70 mph range. Thanks.
From Drive Accord.com:
WolfpackBill
5th Gear Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Clemmons, NC
Posts: 586
It's noticeable...but very subtle. Like what Ben said, the '05 Odys' VCM is pretty noticeable. In highway cruising, you can hear the engine is running at a very low rpm. As soon as you feather the gas pedal, it would get a tad louder then the engine sounds more lively and smoother with all 6 cylinders running. What also contributes to the groaning is the ANC. The ANC puts out a very low groaning sound from the front speakers which can get quite annoying
(Same feeling in the 08 Accord V6) you would think Honda would have addressed this?
another one:
bluecrew
1st Gear Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 2
The RPM in the 60-70 mpg range is probably in the area of 2250-2500. I do not feel it at all when all 6 cylinders are firing and the ECO light is off.
It's strange cause at times when it does it, it almost feels like it's upshifting, but I know it is not, due to the lack in change of RPM's.
#1 10-24-2007, 08:24 PM
jkeith72
1st Gear Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Mesa, AZ
Posts: 13
feel VCM?
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My Accord has VCM. IM torn on whether I like it or not. Can anyone else feel it engage/disengage? To me, it feels like a slight gearshift....or maybe its really a shift im feeling? I cant tell if its VCM or my mind playing tricks. Maybe someone else feels the same thing?
Jason
Does anyone know if Honda is aware of this or if there is a fix/adjustment that can be made? I heard a few others from my dealership that have been in already for service as a result of the same thing.
I have Honda looking at my car and have been to the dealer multiple times. The VCM in combo with ANC are not perfect thats for sure. I feel "surging and or hesitation" at speeds of around 45pmh and even greater in the 60-70mph highway driving, I find it is particularly annoying on longer drives. I dont feel "shaking" but I do feel a significant amount of "vibration" at higher speeds.. This may be what you are trying to explain. All the reading I have done, I can oly conclude the vibration and cabin low drone noise is a result of the 3 cyl mode operation.
Best of luck to you.. Keeping working with Honda/Your dealer. Honda is all about Customer Satisfaction. I have 30,000 reasons to believe they will get this addressed. As my dealer told me this is a 1st gen car so issues are bound to be there, and like the Ody, Pilot, older Accord issues Honda will get it right...llets hope!
Keep us informed of your ongoing experience!
Statements like these make me question if those guys know anything before they talk about it. ANC is not an audio system. It is part of an audio system. It works like a mic. Unless there is an echo mode available for extra effects, all it does is takes an incoming noise frequency and generates an exact out of phase frequency. It does what all noise cancellation headsets do. It doesn't create its own sound!
......I suggest those buyers may be able to return their Accord '08 to Honda Inc. and STRONGLY DEMAND 200% money back for their stresses, unhappiness, loss of time, back aching, mentally torture, misleading ad., etc.
My nomination for this season's tongue-in-cheek feel good offering.
..ez..