2003 Acura Rsx

THE MECHANICS AT ACURA FOUND GALLING ON ONE OR MORE CAM SHAFT LOBES IN MY ENGINE. THE SYMPTOMS OF THIS PROBLEM ARE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND A NOTICEABLE, LOUDER THAN NORMAL, CLICKING/TAPPING NOISE FROM THE VALVE COVER AREA. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE THAT HAS CAUSED ME GREAT CONCERN. GALLING IS A CONDITION WHEREBY EXCESSIVE FRICTION BETWEEN HIGH SPOTS RESULTS IN LOCALIZED WELDING WITH SUBSEQUENT SPLITTING AND A FURTHER ROUGHENING OF RUBBING SURFACES OF ONE OR BOTH OF TWO MATING PARTS. WITH RESPECT TO MY CAMSHAFT, IT SHOULD HAVE A MIRROR-LIKE SURFACE TO PREVENT FRICTION DURING NORMAL OPERATION, BUT INSTEAD IT APPEARS PITTED AND IS SUBSEQUENTLY AFFECTING MY CAR'S PERFORMANCE AND SAFETY. ADDITIONALLY, DUE TO THE LOCATION OF THIS PROBLEM AND ITS SUBTLE SYMPTOMS, IT IS DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE/FIND WITHOUT PHYSICALLY REMOVING THE ENGINE'S VALVE COVER AND INSPECTING THE CAMSHAFT LOBES; IT COULD VERY WELL EXIST FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MILES UNDETECTED. IN MY COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH SEVERAL HONDA DEDICATED ENTHUSIAST WEBSITES, I HAVE FOUND THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE WORLDWIDE HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE EARLY K-SERIES ENGINES. I HAVE HEARD/READ RUMORS THAT THIS IS A RESULT OF POOR CASTING AND IMPROPER HEAT TREATING IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. THE MECHANIC AT ACURA EVEN STATED COULD BE DUE TO IMPROPER HEAT TREATMENT, WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, YET IT GOES UNDETECTED AND UNANNOUNCED AT OUR EXPENSE. OBVIOUSLY, I AM CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY AS WELL AS THE SAFETY OF MY PASSENGERS. I TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN MY CAR AS WELL AS THE HONDA/ACURA NAME WRITTEN UPON IT AND I WOULD NOT BE VERY HELPFUL IF I DID NOT BRING THIS ISSUE TO YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. *TR

EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE (ABOUT ONCE A WEEK) MY TRANSMISSION POPS OUT OF 3RD GEAR IN MY TYPE-S AFTER I PUSH IT ALL THE WAY FORWARD. I TOOK IT TO MY DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS POPPING OUT BUT I WAS TOLD IT WOULD GO AWAY. UNFORTUNATELY, IT HAS NOT GONE AWAY AND IT IS VERY INCONVENIENT WHEN YOU ARE IN ARE TRYING TO MAKE A TURN AND SHIFT AND THE CAR JUST CRAWLS THROUGH THE INTERSECTION BECAUSE YOU ARE GASSING IT IN NEUTRAL. A COUPLE OF TIMES IT HAS NOT POPPED OUT ALL OF THE WAY AND WHEN I RELEASED THE CLUTCH, MY GEARS STARTED TO GRIND. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO PAY TO GET MY GEAR REPLACED BECAUSE THIS GEAR POPPING OUT DESTROYED MY 3RD GEAR.*AK

VEHICLE: 2003 ACURA RSX-TYPE S WITH 6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. WITH ONLY 7,940 MILES AND 9 MONTHS OLD, THE TRANSMISSION IS BLOCKING OR GRINDING 1-2 AND 2-3 SHIFTS. THIS IS HAZARDOUS WHEN YOU ARE PULLING THROUGH AN INTERSECTION TRYING TO ENGAGE 2ND GEAR AND YOU CAN NOT GET THE TRANS INTO 2ND. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER TWICE (12-15-03 AND 1-9-04) FOR THIS PROBLEM. THEY REPLACED SYNCHRONIZERS IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. *AK

MY ACURA RSX TYPE S WAS PARKED IN A LOCAL WAL-MART PARKING LOT. IT WAS IN FIRST GEAR. AFTER MY WIFE AND I WENT INSIDE, OUR CAR ROLLED BACKWARDS THROUGH THE ENTIRE PARKING LOT, DOWN AN EMBANKMENT AND UP ON A CURB IN ANOTHER LOWER PARKING AREA. FORTUNATELY, THE CAR DID NOT HIT ANY PERSON, CAR, OR CART, BUT THERE WAS SERIOUS EXHAUST DAMAGE THAT COST UPWARDS OF $400 WHICH THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT COVER UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE THEY ARGUED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON, WHICH IT WASN'T. MY WIFE AND I ARGUED THAT IF THE CLUTCH WAS WORKING PROPERLY, AND THE CAR WAS INDEED "IN GEAR", IT SHOULD GO NOWHERE...LET ALONE BACKWARDS. *AK