Honda Odyssey Forum banner

My experience with VCM and engine failure

86K views 174 replies 54 participants last post by  Ticket 
#1 ·
We own a 2011 Odyssey EX-L RES with 95,000 miles. This has been our 3rd Odyssey and all three were bought new. I usually trade them off every 2.5-3 years but decided to keep it and pay it off because we liked it so well. 6 months ago it was paid off and everything was going great. I can tell you the VCM was light years better than our 2008 as far as drive-ability.

I have read here and other places that some people say that the only reason for these engines to burn oil is poor maint, using cheap oil, or abusing the vehicle. I can tell those people flat out they are full of it. I have religiously kept up with the maintenance and only use M1 0w-20 ever since the 2nd oil change. I can also say that we have never had a single issue with this van except for minor electrical issues ("low battery, see manual" that's another long story) until last week. This van hardly used any oil until this last PM and certainly not enough between PMs to add any. I don't understand what happened or why it happened but it burned 3 quarts of oil within 3,000 miles. The VCM never caused the van to shutter nor did it have a loud noise. The only issue was the lag in power and the cruise control was horrible with the downshifting.

Because my wife drives it on a regular basis, I check the fluids and at least once a month and I have never had to add a drop of oil to it. I drive a 2012 Chevy 4 door Z71 with the 5.3 V8 and I have had to add a qt of oil in it every 3-4,000 miles ever since it had around 50k on it. I tell you this because every time I check my oil, I check hers also. My truck also uses a form of VCM and I think it's the reason it burns so much oil. The weird part is, without checking the exhaust, you would never know it was burning oil (other than checking the dipstick). There is no white smoke from the exhaust and there wasn't a tell tell sign with the Honda either.

My wife told me the CEL and VSA light came on last week and she said it started running rough. When I looked at it, I could tell it was limping. I checked the oil and it didn't show up on the dipstick. So, I put 2 quarts in it and it barely showed up so I added another and that was pretty close to full. Again, what caused this van to go from not burning any significant amount of oil to this so quickly? I started researching it and came across the class action lawsuit and then this forum. I then called my dealer that I bought it from and explained the situation. They told me they knew of the issues with the VCM and to bring it in and they would do an oil consumption test. I took it in and within 2 hours they called me back and said they didn't need to do the test and asked if I could stop back by.

They pulled the plugs and 2 of them looked so corroded and fouled it was beyond belief. Ever see a heating element that goes out in a water heater because of scale buildup? For lack of a better analogy, that is what it looked like. The #1 cylinder was shot. They told me they had already ordered parts and would tear it down and see if there was any other damage and any issue caused by the VCM would be covered under the new extended warranty. I asked about the VCM and oil consumption and they told me it usually comes about gradually but they have seen some that "just happens". I also asked how I could be 3 quarts low and they oil light NEVER came on. They didn't have an answer for that.

So, while my Odyssey sits at the dealer getting "fixed", I start reading more about the VCM and I find out about the VCM MuzzlerII. Needless to say, I have one on order. Thanks Loren! I really hope this issue goes away with the restriction of the VCM. We really love our van and Honda but I can tell you, when I go to buy a new van, unless this issue is resolved, it probably won't be a Honda.

Hopefully everything goes well with fix. I also asked them to replace the timing belt and water pump. If you can think of anything else I need to have them do, please let me know. I will also update after we get the van back. Thank you for your help and advice in advance.
 
See less See more
#83 ·
Honda cannot disable the VCM, they got Corporate Average Fuel Economy credits for it. The 1-1.5 MPG gain is not much on an individual basis, But for the whole fleet (including other V-6 vehicles they make) that small difference is large.
Why not just disable it and enjoy? By the way, the S-VCM product is made in Canada. Both it and John's favorite, the VCMTunerII work very much the same and cost about the same.
 
#85 ·
If you don't install it I'd recommend getting rid of the van. You will continue to have problems. There are less expensive versions (VCMuzzler, MaxMuzzler, etc.) that disable it 95% of the time. They work well to reverse the dirty ring and fouling plug issue but if you already have bad engine mounts you'll feel the VCM kick in on those rare occasions. Those less expensive devices are super easy to install (2 minutes tops) and will save you time, headache, and money.

Consider yourself lucky that you found the forum and know about the issue. You have the ability to resolve it for less than the diagnostic fee at the dealer if you so choose. If not, good luck to you and have fun changing plugs, that cost the same as a Muzzler device, every few thousand miles.
 
#87 ·
It will prevent the cylinders from shutting down, allowing them to burn normally. If the problem isn't too far advanced, it will allow normal cylinder temps and burning, which will help clean up the rings. It doesn't always reverse the symptoms, however, if it's been let go for too long.
 
#89 ·
I just reading these post. My check engine system emission has been intermittently turning on and off. Original owner of 2012 Touring elite with 142k miles. How do I check to see if I am under warranty? Will the VCM muzzler fix this? I’m guessing I need to change O2 sensor first?
Thanks go all the help.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#91 · (Edited)
For VCM trouble, you're looking to see anything from 0300 up to 0304. Code 0300 is a general engine misfire and 0301 through 0304 are cylinder specific.

0305 and 0306 are also cylinder misfires in 5 and 6, but those are not related to VCM. If you get those, there is a different problem.

Edit - I see that you're asking the poster right before you. I just added my two cents here as general information.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Irataplumber
#93 ·
We own a 2011 Odyssey EX-L RES with 95,000 miles. This has been our 3rd Odyssey and all three were bought new. I usually trade them off every 2.5-3 years but decided to keep it and pay it off because we liked it so well. 6 months ago it was paid off and everything was going great. I can tell you the VCM was light years better than our 2008 as far as drive-ability.

I have read here and other places that some people say that the only reason for these engines to burn oil is poor maint, using cheap oil, or abusing the vehicle. I can tell those people flat out they are full of it. I have religiously kept up with the maintenance and only use M1 0w-20 ever since the 2nd oil change. I can also say that we have never had a single issue with this van except for minor electrical issues ("low battery, see manual" that's another long story) until last week. This van hardly used any oil until this last PM and certainly not enough between PMs to add any. I don't understand what happened or why it happened but it burned 3 quarts of oil within 3,000 miles. The VCM never caused the van to shutter nor did it have a loud noise. The only issue was the lag in power and the cruise control was horrible with the downshifting.

Because my wife drives it on a regular basis, I check the fluids and at least once a month and I have never had to add a drop of oil to it. I drive a 2012 Chevy 4 door Z71 with the 5.3 V8 and I have had to add a qt of oil in it every 3-4,000 miles ever since it had around 50k on it. I tell you this because every time I check my oil, I check hers also. My truck also uses a form of VCM and I think it's the reason it burns so much oil. The weird part is, without checking the exhaust, you would never know it was burning oil (other than checking the dipstick). There is no white smoke from the exhaust and there wasn't a tell tell sign with the Honda either.

My wife told me the CEL and VSA light came on last week and she said it started running rough. When I looked at it, I could tell it was limping. I checked the oil and it didn't show up on the dipstick. So, I put 2 quarts in it and it barely showed up so I added another and that was pretty close to full. Again, what caused this van to go from not burning any significant amount of oil to this so quickly? I started researching it and came across the class action lawsuit and then this forum. I then called my dealer that I bought it from and explained the situation. They told me they knew of the issues with the VCM and to bring it in and they would do an oil consumption test. I took it in and within 2 hours they called me back and said they didn't need to do the test and asked if I could stop back by.

They pulled the plugs and 2 of them looked so corroded and fouled it was beyond belief. Ever see a heating element that goes out in a water heater because of scale buildup? For lack of a better analogy, that is what it looked like. The #1 cylinder was shot. They told me they had already ordered parts and would tear it down and see if there was any other damage and any issue caused by the VCM would be covered under the new extended warranty. I asked about the VCM and oil consumption and they told me it usually comes about gradually but they have seen some that "just happens". I also asked how I could be 3 quarts low and they oil light NEVER came on. They didn't have an answer for that.

So, while my Odyssey sits at the dealer getting "fixed", I start reading more about the VCM and I find out about the VCM MuzzlerII. Needless to say, I have one on order. Thanks Loren! I really hope this issue goes away with the restriction of the VCM. We really love our van and Honda but I can tell you, when I go to buy a new van, unless this issue is resolved, it probably won't be a Honda.

Hopefully everything goes well with fix. I also asked them to replace the timing belt and water pump. If you can think of anything else I need to have them do, please let me know. I will also update after we get the van back. Thank you for your help and advice in advance.
Sounds like you're on the verge of having the same issue my 2012 Touring had.
TSB 13-081 / p0301-p0304 for oil consumption recall / piston rings.

Symptoms were large oil consumption between changes 2-3 quarts.

Purely speculation, I feel the issue is exacerbated by VCM and idle pistons with no combustion causing the compression rings to shift

Could also be poor build quality on the motor at the factory, but explain why the issue didn't occur from day one of the vehicle purchase.

Get a Muzzler... I put one on a few weeks ago, and will inspect my plugs in the spring for the trademark fouling.
 
#95 ·
I have a 2012 Odyssey with 135k on it. About 5k ago I replaced my spark plugs and installed the vcm muzzler. So far I can go with the muzzler 750k on 80L and before I was going 900 to 950k (hiway). So far that's a big difference.
I have now taken off the muzzler and with the newer spark plugs don't even feel the vcm engaging, running rough or any oil consumption. I'm going to keep driving without the muzzler to see if my spark plugs pre maturely wear.
If my spark plugs don't wear before 100k I'll have a muzzler for sale :).
 
#96 ·
I have a 2012 Odyssey with 135k on it. About 5k ago I replaced my spark plugs and installed the vcm muzzler. So far I can go with the muzzler 750k on 80L and before I was going 900 to 950k (hiway). So far that's a big difference.
I have now taken off the muzzler and with the newer spark plugs don't even feel the vcm engaging, running rough or any oil consumption. I'm going to keep driving without the muzzler to see if my spark plugs pre maturely wear.
If my spark plugs don't wear before 100k I'll have a muzzler for sale :).
Well, you made the right decision until you made the wrong decision. My opinion...bad idea.

That said, to put this in US terms, you're claiming a drop from 26 to 22 mpg. That's possible if you're doing mostly highway miles where the VCM is active much of the time. Even if that's the scenario, the case for the muzzler is even greater.

It's not just a matter of "spark plug wear." VCM causes plug fouling but also piston ring damage, cylinder wall damage in some cases, expensive engine mount wear, and premature catalytic converter failure. A few mpg (or km/L in your case) isn't worth the cost of those repairs in the future. You can often reverse the effects by installing the Muzzler later but it's far better to use it as a preventative measure.

Your vehicle, your money...your call.
 
#105 ·
The story sounds kinda like this:

I quite smoking because I heard it was bad for you (installed VCM disabler). I got my sense of smell back and was able to walk up a flight of stairs without breathing hard (increased performance/smoothness), but I started gaining weight and I really don't like that (MPGs go down). I missed being skinny, so I stared smoking again (removed VCM disabler). I got a checkup at the doctor before I started smoking again and they said I'm healthy, so I'm going to keep smoking until I find I have another health problem. If I don't get cancer in the next couple years, I'm just going to keep smoking because it obviously isn't causing any problems for me.

-Charlie
 
#106 ·
Fricking brilliant!!! 👍👍👍
 
  • Like
Reactions: 0dyfamily
#108 ·
I'm debating between the S-VCM controller, Muzzler II and VCM Tuner....just bought a 2012 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite with 115k, ECO mode or VCM kicks in all the time during city driving, wish i could run all 6 cylinders all day! Trying to reduce future vehicle maintenance costs to avoid worn motor mounts, oil in spark plugs and cylinder shut offs!
Which one do you guys prefer? Pro's and Con's of each model? I'm looking for long term, and ability to switch it on/off.

Thanks.
 
#110 · (Edited)
I'm debating between the S-VCM controller, Muzzler II and VCM Tuner....just bought a 2012 Honda Odyssey Touring Elite with 115k, ECO mode or VCM kicks in all the time during city driving, wish i could run all 6 cylinders all day! Trying to reduce future vehicle maintenance costs to avoid worn motor mounts, oil in spark plugs and cylinder shut offs!
Which one do you guys prefer? Pro's and Con's of each model? I'm looking for long term, and ability to switch it on/off.

Thanks.
Switching a disabler off and on is pointless. If you're going to go to the trouble and expense of buying something like a VCMTuner II or S-VCM controller, don't screw around trying to "hedge your bets" or get the imaginary "best of both worlds" or some crap like that. If you keep flicking VCM off and on, those benefits you're hoping to get won't be there and you'll just be out 125 bucks.

With that said, S-VCM controller or VCMTuner II are the way to go. In for a penny, in for a pound.
 
#113 ·
The VCMTuner II and S-VCM controller are functionally identical except for the accelerometer @John Clark mentions in the VCMTuner II. They hold the reported temperature at the same level to disable VCM and release the actual temperature (to fight off an overheat) at the same temperature. The accelerometer is the only distinguishing feature.
 
#118 ·
Right decision, of course, but wrong reason. Highway driving is when the VCM is active the most and when most of the damage is being done. During city driving it turns on and off and all 6 cylinders are firing a lot of the time and keeping things clean.

So, while your van will thank you nonetheless, the highway driving is where you are saving the engine, the motor mounts, the catalytic converter, etc.
 
#120 ·
Right decision, of course, but wrong reason. Highway driving is when the VCM is active the most and when most of the damage is being done. During city driving it turns on and off and all 6 cylinders are firing a lot of the time and keeping things clean.

So, while your van will thank you nonetheless, the highway driving is where you are saving the engine, the motor mounts, the catalytic converter, etc.
It's true that the damage is done during highway driving (when VCM is on and stays on). But in my experience, the damage is first noticed during city driving (when VCM is kicking on and off and you can feel sluggishness, hesitation, and bucking that oftentimes didn't seem to be there before).
 
#119 ·
I bought the S-VCM Custom with the intention of having the "best of both worlds." I would be able to toggle the Muzzle on and off so on longer trips maybe I could get better mileage; despite the guidance from my friends here on the forum. What did I find, I get BETTER mileage on the highway with the Muzzle installed, I flip on ECO Mode and my gas mileage decreases. So, there was no point, I spent all that extra time installing (which was a major pain in the a$$) and the extra $25 for no flipping reason! The Muzzle has been on and left on now for 5-6 months. The only reason I can see to shut it off was if the dealer (or maybe someone else) were going to be servicing and that's a 5 minute job to remove the unit IF that were really a concern.

Very happy with the S-VCM, but I do like the accelerometer feature of the TunerII.

As stated endlessly on this forum, having all six cylinders running all the time makes this vehicle a lot more pleasurable drive, let alone the wear and tear you're missing!

Enjoy!
 
#126 ·
I also find I get better highway gas mileage with VCM disabled. I think it has to do with the speed I drive and when VCM was enabled it would switch between 3 and 6 cylinders frequently (ECO light would rarely stay on for more than 30 seconds at a time) which was probably counterproductive.
 
#121 ·
I have never felt the VCM kick on or off. Never had a problem with mine, ever. However, I disabled it as soon as the VCMuzzler came out. I knew it was a bad idea but until then there wasn't a good solution to a dumb system.

Part of Honda's supposed "solution" on newer vehicles was to modify the PCM software so that VCM doesn't stay active as long. They will kick it off and back on so that it doesn't stay on for a long period of time. It probably helps but I've still seen the complaints on vehicles that have that software update.
 
#122 · (Edited)
I could feel VCM kicking off and on in my 2015 (which presumably is new enough to have the updated PCM programming from the factory) as early as 10,000 km (6,200 miles). By the time I learned enough to become convinced that I could be heading for trouble I was up to 7,500 miles and got myself a VCMuzzler II. I haven't looked back since. Our van has been the very embodiment of smoothness, efficiency, comfort and reliability. But the van was always smooth as glass on the highway because VCM activated and stayed on. It was when we got back to the city that the transitions became perceptible.
 
#124 ·
Very clear instructions. It plugs into the ECT sensor just like the others but the box mounts to the battery hold down rod. Simply connect the wire to the positive side of the battery and you're done. I haven't had to mess with it since I installed it back in November of 2018, though I think I did have to replace the battery in October of last year.
 
#128 ·
It's well worth it even with high gas prices. It's $3-4K for a replacement engine or overhauled engine installed (re-ringing the old one.) The difference between 26 mpg and 22mpg over 100K miles is about 700 gallons of gas over an average of 5 years (i.e. 20K miles per year.) 700 miles at a high price of $3/gallon is $2100. That comes out to 11-12 gallons per month or $33. I'd argue the difference in mpg is much less on average and fuel prices have been less so it's even less. The cost of labor for repairs is constantly going up so cost of repair could be more as time goes on.

As time goes on, and people have issues with the car, they will likely dump the car and buy a new/used replacement spending $10-20K more just for something new so I'd argue the cost is even more than the $3-4K.

The old adage was posted last night by someone here....The stingy man usually pays more.
 
#129 ·
It's absolutely worth it! Comparing the cost of fuel to the cost of an engine/engine mounts/catalytic converter repair doesn't cover all of the important factors. What is your time worth?

I obviously don't know how all your families function from day to day, but I can tell you that if our Odyssey were to go out of service for more than a day or so, life would get fricking HARD fricking fast! We don't have free access to an extra vehicle and our van (by virtue of its newness) wouldn't necessarily have the repair done under warranty and we therefore wouldn't be entitled to a loaner.
 
#130 ·
That is so true. I didn't even account for the down time, rental car, hassle of scheduling, dropping off, diagnostic, pick up, etc. I didn't estimate in new catalytic converters and motor mounts if those were needed during that 100K I used for the math.

This is why I have advocated for spending the $100 on the Muzzler for years. A few mpg, even if that's what it really comes out to (and many say it doesn't) just is not worth it. It works out for the manufacturers, as they can sell a ULEV and meet the dumb government requirements, but it doesn't work out for us, the consumer.
 
#131 ·
Before I had the vcmuzller II I was able to feel a suddle shudder while cruising on the freeway, it was not constant but it was annoying. Didn't know what was it , I thought it was my tranny about to kick the bucket. Did a few drain and fill not change. It went away after installing the vcmuzller II.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bknyc
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top