[overmyheadcam]

I have a nice, shiny, new, red '02. Well, nice and shiny on the topside. The underside is looking a little gooey from the oil leaking from my rear main seal. That's right, the rear main seal started leaking at 2500 miles and dripped all over the driveway where my 105k mile Jeep never ever dripped. The dealer says that there's a service bulletin out about this. (Wow! That was quick!) I'm picking the Ody back up from the dealer today while they order parts and I'll get and post a copy of the bulletin.

 

[Jim F]

Ouch! I'll do some research on it too. I haven't heard of any cases of this yet.

------------------
Jim
'01 GG EX w/stuff
'93 Nissan Sentra SE-R with more stuff

 

[cmt4]

That is NOT good. Rear mains leaking on a new vehicle? Guess they pushed that production just a little too quickly on the "new" 2002's. The only "good" thing from this will be their speed and determination to resolve such a problem (I would hope!).

 

[Bruno1453]

Make sure you post the bulletin here. I am still waiting for my 2002 Ody and I am interested in making sure mine does not have that problem. Is there any place on the web where they post those? Alldata does not anymore for Honda's.

 

[overmyheadcam]

Ok, slight revision on the bulletin. It does not address rear main seals. The shop just ordered one just in case. Instead, it addresses what Honda calls "engine porosity."

Some highlights that I'll claim under the "fair use" clause of copyright law.

Service Bulletin 01-009 dated 08/14/2001
Title - V6 Engine Oil Leaks

Applies to all '98-'02 Accord V6 and all '99-'02 Odyssey

Symptom - An oil leak from the front, middle, or rear of the engine.

Probable cause - The cast aluminum engine block may be porous at the front, middle, or rear.

Corrective action - Depending on the location of the leak, seal it with JB Weld or with 3-Bond-coated sealing bolts.

Under Parts Information, they list the timing belt adjuster pulley bolt, the engine side mount bracket bolt and the transmission mounting bolt. Those are the three suspect areas for leaks around bolts.

The "porosity," on the other hand has three possible locations, all to be fixed with JB Weld.

1. Pocket on right side of timing belt adjuster pulley bolt. Look for oil in the pocket, not in the threads, of the timing belt adjuster pulley bolt hole.

2. Two oil passages on transmission side of engine block. Look for oil on the transmission end of the block.

3. Engine valley below intake manifold.

There is a special tool available for confirming the engine porosity to be used with a powdered leak detector that can be used to confirm the location of both types of leaks.

I can't tell you how happy I am that my beautiful red, $30k driving machine is going to be patched with JB Weld. I've used this stuff many times in the past to patch any number of engines on cars with 100k+ miles and used and machined it on salt-corroded outboard motors so I know that it will most likely be a reliable fix, but still....

Ya think they might have made the castings just a tad bit thin in the thirst to save weight?

 

[dvpatel]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by overmyheadcam:
Applies to all '98-'02 Accord V6 and all '99-'02 Odyssey

</font>

Yikes, both my Accord and my Ody are affected ???

. How do I find out if I have a porous engine block????????? Help !!!!!

Do I just wait to have oil show up on my driveway????

 

[GeorgeB]

Could I have one of the porous engines??

While changing the oil I noticed a some oil on the pan in front of the drain over towards the trans. Not a drip, but sort of al light film. I mentioned it to the service tech when in for a sliding door switch problem and they didn't see anything wrong. At least it is now documented that a complaint was registered. I'll have to clean the area and look for any recurrences.

------------------
00EX (16K)
90 Sable wagon (168K)
89 Cougar (205K)
67 Sunbeam Alpine (??K)
52 Ford Flathead V8(72K)

 

[cmt4]

Holy lame-brain, engineering over-sight, inexcusable, profit-driven corporate idiots, porous-headed weasels Batman!

Looks like we have a REAL problem, Boy Wonder! Get the shark repellant! On second thought... back to the Bat Cave!

W-Wha... You're going to let them get away with this?!

There's nothing more I can do. Guess I'll have to buy some JB Weld and apply it to the BEST ENGINEERED ENGINES IN THE WORLD.

WWWHHHHAAAAP!!! -- hand to Batman's forehead

I bet Batgirl doesn't have this problem with her Dodge Rambler, Batman.

Yes, indeed... Boy Wonder... yes, indeed.

 

[Intrepid175]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by overmyheadcam:
Corrective action - Depending on the location of the leak, seal it with JB Weld or with 3-Bond-coated sealing bolts.

</font>

JB weld is great stuff but I wonder about it's ability to correct an oil leak. I'm sure it's more than capable of sealing a porous material but if that material is oil soaked, I wouldn't expect it to work well. That means that the effected area would have to be thoroughly cleaned of all oils before the JB weld was applied. That doesn't seem to be a very easy proceedure considering how well soaked with oil the inside (ie: the oil sourse) of the engine can be.

I might be wrong about this but I think it's something to consider. So far, with over 13k miles on my '01 LX, I've not noticed any problems but I'll certainly be keeping an eye on it. I would think that if the individual Ody was effected seriously, it would be pretty obvious very early on. Those of us with several "k" miles on the ticker that haven't noticed the problem, probably don't have much to worry about. At least I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Drive Safe,
Steve R.
'01 SS LX

[This message has been edited by Intrepid175 (edited 12-05-2001).]

 

[overmyheadcam]

Update

Was finally able to get the Ody back in last week after the dealer ordered the rear main seal. To make a long story short, it still leaks after replacing the reat main seal and doing a just-in-case JB Weld of the oil passage area. Supposedly, the seal was pinched. Now, with it still leaking, I'm not so sure.

I did, however, learn something. When I dropped it off last week, they had just finished replacing the rear main seal on an Acura. When I called this morning to gripe about it still leaking, they mentioned that two more leaking '02 Odysseys had shown up on Saturday.

I'm very curious to know if other '02 Odyssey or Acura owners are having problems.

drip, drip, drip

 

[accordian]

I had a 94 Accord with a crack in the block that seeped oil. The crack was just under the boss where the exhaust manifold bracket is bolted. At the time, the fix was a whole new short block, but my dealer service manager tells me that Honda now has the dealers use JB weld on the crack. He claims it works fine.

 

[Lawrence]

Regarding leaks. Several years ago. I worked for Honda as a technician and they had a prolbem with the Balance shaft seal coming out. On Accords 4 and V-6 motors. And all the oil would shoot out. I wonder if this the same prolbem.

------------------
Odyssey 2002 Granite Green with DVD. Mudguards, and Fender flares.

 

[Jerry O1]

I do not believe there are any balance shafts on this little darlin'.

Jerry O.

------------------
2001 Odyssey GG LX

 

[overmyheadcam]

Update v2.0

The service manager came and picked it up Monday afternoon and they started working on it Tuesday. As of yesterday afternoon, it was still leaking. I think today will mark the fourth time the trans has been out in less than a week's time.

Heh, just got off the phone with ol' Randy, and now it's looking like something on the top-end of the engine back towards the trans and they overnighted parts last night, and.......

So much for for doing the sliding door, gearshift override mod before our trip. I don't think rental Camrys have sliding doors.

 

[newodyman]

Was inspecting under the front end of our 2002 GG EX-L (2500 miles) and noticed a light oil film (really a thin layer of barely moist grime) on some parts of the tranny case near the oil pan. Definitely the tranny though, not the engine. Porous tranny case?? Leaking at the split? I'll document if I ever take it to Honda for service, but I plan on doing my own oil and filter, and have a great independent Honda mechanic for other stuff I'd rather not do (which isn't much). Don't have a lot of trust in our local Honda dealer shops. Was never even introduced to ours where we bought, and another never responded to a request for a service price list...

 

[overmyheadcam]

Update v3.0

Got the Ody back on the 21st and it supposedly was fixed. I couldn't really tell for the next couple days if it was or not since it was raining. However, the day after Christmas, as we were loading up for a 700 mile road trip to Orlando and Key West, I checked as I checked the oil and tires, and sure enough, it was leaking. Well, it was wonderful at highway speed, but whenever we went through a drive-thru or stopped at a toll booth, I felt like I was driving a '73 Nova with 267k miles on it. That wonderful aroma of synthetic roasting on an open exhaust, Jack Frost nip... oop, sorry.

So, it's back at the dealer for the third time (ding! ding! ding!), they worked on it again, drove it 50 miles or so, and...it still leaks. Sigh.... At least they're paying for the POS Pontiac Grand POS Am.

Interestingly, I learned that they've had two Odys roll off the transport with 3 miles on them, leaking. The service rep even used the words 'might need a recall' in conversation. However, interestingly, they've called other dealers and no problems reported.......

So I sit here, wondering what in THE hell is really going on, and more than somewhat amazed that no one else on this site has 5W-20 rust protection on the underside of their 02 Odyssey.

------------------
==================
'02 Redrock Pearl EX
5W-20 undercoating

 

[DavidGSR]

I have a late '01 (July production) and have the same problem as newodyman with a light film of oil on the transmission case near the oil pan. I noticed it while I was doing my 2nd oil change. Definately something I will keep an eye on. At this point I am pretty sure it is the tranny. I can't imagine this is normal as I have a '94 Honda (Acura) Integra with over 100K and no leaks.

 

[overmyheadcam]

I guess I should note that the oil is dripping from the split in the tranny case, but that's only because it's the lowest point on the engine/trans assembly. After a good cleaning with degreaser and high pressure, the oil seeps down from the little black cover on the underside of the bellhousing area. That's one of the things giving the shop problems; it's between the engine and trans. They can't do the usual oil trace procedure of scour, lift and watch while running.

 

[dvpatel]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by overmyheadcam:
I guess I should note that the oil is dripping from the split in the tranny case, but that's only because it's the lowest point on the engine/trans assembly. After a good cleaning with degreaser and high pressure, the oil seeps down from the little black cover on the underside of the bellhousing area. That's one of the things giving the shop problems; it's between the engine and trans. They can't do the usual oil trace procedure of scour, lift and watch while running.</font>

I guess you qualify for the lemon law and should demand a new Ody

 

[rg]

Like DavidGSR and newodyman, I too have a light film of oil covering the tranny case / engine-tranny joint (2002 delivered Oct. 01). No signs of dripping and no spots on the garage floor.

Overmyheadcam, I feel for you. Amazing that you are able to maintain a sense of humor. I would be tearing my hair out in your position!

Keep us updated and good luck.