LIMP Mode Problem: Appreciate the help...

Daniel Bivona

Daniel Bivona

Well-Known Member
178
117
Pompton Plains, NJ
Vehicle Model
Si
Body Style
FB6
Hey guys,

My car is currently at a Honda dealership (2013 Civic Si Sedan). The problem is as follows. I had taken my car to the dealer to take my snow tires off and put my all seasons back on. I also had them swap out the whole shifter set up since my weighted steel shift knob was welded onto the shifter. They pulled up the center console and replaced it, reconnected all cables and everything. I got the car back and drove it and upon accelerating, the car seemed to go out of gear and who not catch. I wound up having to call AAA to tow it back to Honda for them to look at. They thought they had found the issue, but then when myself and one of the Honda techs took it for a test drive, the same issue happen. It seems to happen when I get to 6K RPMs, that the car goes into LIMP mode which is a safety mode that I'm sure many of you may know more about than me. They were saying one of the cylinders was mis firing or something. Any way, they still have the car and I have not heard back from them. Has anyone else had such an issue or any theories as to what it could be? I can try to provide more detail if you have questions. Thanks in advance for any help.
 
Daniel Bivona

Daniel Bivona

Well-Known Member
178
117
Pompton Plains, NJ
Vehicle Model
Si
Body Style
FB6
Daniel Bivona

Daniel Bivona

Well-Known Member
178
117
Pompton Plains, NJ
Vehicle Model
Si
Body Style
FB6
webby said:
are you out of warranty?
Click to expand...
Yes, I have 36,749 miles on it. They said it will cost around $2,300, so I filed a case with American Honda since I think it should be covered under Powertrain warranty which covers 60,000. They have to remove the entire engine since there was a little damage to the cam shaft. Needless to say, I was very upset. Hoping the warrarnty will cover it, but I've certainly lost all confidence in VTEC engines. I rarely hit VTEC and the rocker arm breaks...pathetic. So much for a high revving engine.
 
Sinub

Sinub

Well-Known Member
304
83
Southern California
Vehicle Model
Civic Si
Body Style
Coupe
Something is definitely wrong. I've had my car for over 3 years(going for 4) and I've beaten on the thing. I've taken it out to the track for all day events for 10-15 minutes at a time before pulling it. I don't like my engine getting too hot. No problems here.
 
Darkout

Darkout

Well-Known Member
1,107
807
Cocoa, FL
Vehicle Model
Civic Si
Body Style
Coupe
Powertrain is 5yr/60k so by no means pay for that repair unless they can prove definitively that it was caused from excessive abuse or mod that is linked to the system or part that failed. At your mileage that issue is absolutely a manufacture defect in my mind.
 
Daniel Bivona

Daniel Bivona

Well-Known Member
178
117
Pompton Plains, NJ
Vehicle Model
Si
Body Style
FB6
Darkout said:
Powertrain is 5yr/60k so by no means pay for that repair unless they can prove definitively that it was caused from excessive abuse or mod that is linked to the system or part that failed. At your mileage that issue is absolutely a manufacture defect in my mind.
Click to expand...
That's what I was thinking as well. I don't have any engine mods, I'm just on some TEIN springs. That's it.
 
JonnyRotten

JonnyRotten

Well-Known Member
1,673
771
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
Vehicle Model
Civic Si
Body Style
coupe
Daniel Bivona said:
That's what I was thinking as well. I don't have any engine mods, I'm just on some TEIN springs. That's it.
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Oh well, it's definitely the springs that caused your engine failure.........NOT!
I am so surprised that the dealership didn't tell you that the repair would be covered under the powertrain warranty from the very beginning.
I'm curious to know how this ends....
 
Daniel Bivona

Daniel Bivona

Well-Known Member
178
117
Pompton Plains, NJ
Vehicle Model
Si
Body Style
FB6
JonnyRotten said:
Oh well, it's definitely the springs that caused your engine failure.........NOT!
I am so surprised that the dealership didn't tell you that the repair would be covered under the powertrain warranty from the very beginning.
I'm curious to know how this ends....
Click to expand...
I will let you know Jonny, unfortunately they blamed me that I must of abused the car driving it saying the engine was over revved, yet they market the SI and slap VTEC all over it which you would have to get to at least 5000RPMS to even utilize. Very hypocritical. We will see what American Honda says about the Powertrain warranty.
 
T

tacthecat

Well-Known Member
212
80
Cheshire, MA - USA
Vehicle Model
2012 Si
Body Style
Sedan
Daniel Bivona said:
I will let you know Jonny, unfortunately they blamed me that I must of abused the car driving it saying the engine was over revved, yet they market the SI and slap VTEC all over it which you would have to get to at least 5000RPMS to even utilize. Very hypocritical. We will see what American Honda says about the Powertrain warranty.
Click to expand...

As stated above the Power Train Warranty is 5 year/60,000 miles. Fuel cutoff is at 7300 rpms and bouncing off it won't hurt the engine. Your ECU records max revs or over rev incidents - have them dump ECU readings and prove to you that it was over reved.
 
Jake LXer

Jake LXer

Jaykwabee and the R18
497
310
New York
Vehicle Model
civic
Body Style
sedan
Wow, if you don't win this with American Honda(Which you most likely will if they find out you weren't beating it) will you be taking legal action?
 
Daniel Bivona

Daniel Bivona

Well-Known Member
178
117
Pompton Plains, NJ
Vehicle Model
Si
Body Style
FB6
A preemptive apology for how long this post is...

Well friends, not so great an ending and you will probably be surprised that I have yet to receive my car back. It's been a month, I fought and fought, both with the dealer and American Honda, but nevertheless, they will not cover it under the warranty. I will not be taking legal action, at this point I just want my car back. So, the dealer gave me a 20% discount off the cost of the repairs to the CAM and replacement of the rocker arm. I went as far as writing a personal letter to Takuji Yamada (President and CEO of American Honda in California). He received my letter and I was contacted two days later by a higher up case manager. My first case manager was of no help which is why I wound up writing a letter. Unfortunately, given the fact that the dealer had exhausted it's option to check whether or not my situation would be covered when it initially occurred 4 weeks ago and the fact that a "district rep." had already made a decision stating that based on the technician's report, the rocker arm broke due to abuse of the engine, I would not be covered. I had asked for raw data to prove this claim of which I never received. I have a sneaking suspicion that a Honda tech was the one that actually "over-revved" my engine when taking it for a test drive, but I have no definitive proof, so it's basically a finger pointing game. I do not abuse my car and have accidentally redlined it a few times when entering an entrance ramp onto a highway. I thought a VTEC engine could handle such things. Who knows! At the end of the day, I lost a little respect for Honda as a brand, though I still think they put out a great engine and product. To me, it is more an issue of dealing with incompetent service people more than anything there along with injustice. The decent thing out of it was that my Honda dealer spotted me a courtesy car for 4 weeks (A 2014 Accord Sport). After being told I would not be covered, my only recourse would have been to take legal action (more $$$$) or take it up with Consumer Affairs (a useless option in my opinion). So, I just said forget it and am swallowing a $1800 pill for fixing the car. I hope to get it back by the end of this week or weekend. That's the long story and I hope to fair better with the car when I get it back. Thanks for reading guys and gals! -Dan
 
webby

webby

Administrator
Admin
Toys For Tots
52,105
22,314
Did they say you had over revved the engine past redline...like you missed a gear on a downshift or tell you what rpm it hit? It's honestly garbage that all of the other people with the broken rocker arm all had theirs replaced for free, and they're not honoring the powertrain warranty for you. "Abuse of the engine" is beyond vague. I wish you knew a lawyer to take your case, because there is enough evidence of a pattern of failed parts from other users here and the other 9th forum. All you had to do was mention what your car was doing, and I linked you to a thread of others who had experienced the same thing.

Major bs man
 
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