Mivec issues

AJ · Post by AJ » Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:26 pm

Ok, here goes. I took my car to get an oil leak fixed and service. They said it was the cam seals leaking. They stripped half the motor and put new sealant around the gasket and new cam seal plugs (hope this sounds right, I'm not very technical). I went to pick the car up and it drove fine....until I put my foot down. It won't rev past 6,500. I've had this car over 5 years so I'm no noob, I know about the variable limiter so please don't go there. The car was well warmed up. Anyway, i give it a few tries but it keeps hitting the limiter at 6.5K and the exhaust sounds totally different, like there's a hole in it. There's hardly any power in second gear. It's a GPX Tip BTW.

i take it back to the mechanic and he checks all the plugs to the motor, they are fine and in the right place. I take him for a spin around the block and I still have the same issues.

The mechanic is baffled. Anyway, I leave the car and catch the train back to work. Mechanic calls the next day and says it's fine. They have had it on the dyno, can't se anything wrong and it's now hitting Mivec. They have driven on the road and it's fine.

I go pick it up after work, drive down the road with the apprentice in the car, it won't go past 6,500 again. He gives me the option of taking the car home or leaving it. This was today. I'm meant to be going to Coffs tomorrow in it. I decide to take it after he reassures me that it won't break. Exhaust still sounds terrible.

I drive for a good half an hour, oil temp is up to 100 degrees and now Mivec kicks in, exhaust still crap. I think it's ok.

I leave it parked for 3 hours and get back in. I drive for 15 mins, normally by now Mivec would kick in no worries. I floor it and at 6,500 the limiter kicks in again, ARGH! What do you guys think? Do I risk taking it to Coffs? What could it be?

AMACHA · Post by **AMACHA** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:56 pm

did they change the spark plugs?

AJ · Post by AJ » Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:05 pm

No, they said they were ok. I have titanium ones and have had them in for around 20,000ks.

mr-charisma · Post by **mr-charisma** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:54 pm

Have you checked the error codes?

I'll take a look at it for you tomorrow in Coffs .. it'll be perfectly safe to drive it .. just don't go flooring it past the 6500 mark for the time being.. I was driving mine for at least a year with the Mivec not working and no ill effects .. i think if anything, it was better for it ..

AJ · Post by AJ » Fri Oct 23, 2009 7:18 am

No, they couldn't check error codes. I'm taking it to Rock It's mechanic now to have a look at....

zhong · Post by **zhong** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:22 pm

Not sure if you had the same problem as mine before.

The mechanic who replaced my seals missed the last cam (closes to the firewall) by 1.
Couldn't hit mivec, the engine was ticking badly and my exhaust note changed as well.

<img src="http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/6872/noobml9.jpg">

Teania · Post by **Teania** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:19 pm

...... should have bought a GR.......

Post by **Bennoz** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:44 pm

Hmmm, odd one. I'd be checking the Mivec solenoid plugs are all plugged in properly (they are the black plastic cable connections mounted on each side of the intake manifold.)

Change in exhaust note is odd thou... last time I heard of that happening it was the timing belt off by a tooth.

Did they tell you what it made on the dyno when it went back?

SchumieFan · Post by **SchumieFan** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:27 pm

doesnt sound like mivec, sounds like youve dropped a cylinder...or maybe an inlet valve

smell the exhaust, does it smell like petrol or is there any smoke or steam..

whats it idling at?

zhong · Post by **zhong** » Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:35 pm

Bennoz wrote:Change in exhaust note is odd thou... last time I heard of that happening it was the timing belt off by a tooth.

yep, I was meant to say the timing belt was off by 1

AJ · Post by AJ » Mon Oct 26, 2009 7:29 pm

Hey All. Thanks for the tips and suggestions. Well it made it to Coffs and back in one piece and it seams to have fixed it's self. I did find a small hole in the exhaust caused by the rear mount snapping off, to be fair, not my mechanics fault,. just bad timing. As for Mivec, it's fine now. I'm thinking that possible it has something to do with the oil they've used which is taking longer to heat up I'm not sure. Anyway, it should only cost about $80 to get the exhaust fixed. Disaster over.