[kbarnaby]

If I have a O2 Sensor error will this cause the VTM-4 light to be going on and off?

 

[skelley521]

No.
You should scan for error codes asap.

 

[speedlever]

A lot of things can cause the VTM-4 light to come on. For example:

Like skelley521 said, scan for codes.

 

[basketrunner]

I have same lights on. Diagnosed low compression number 4 cylinder. What are your symptoms?

 

[flying butcher]

Mine has been going off and on for almost two years. Going in this afternoon to have it checked. Honda dealer told me lights needed to be on the check but local mechanic he can get stored codes and look at it. I'll let ya know. Truck runs like the day I bought it new???

 

[basketrunner]

interesting. good luck. hope it goes well.

 

[flying butcher]

Took in and they told me it needed throttle body cleaned, new plugs and ecrs cleaned. Came to $700. They got me for $200 and my fault. It didn't need plugs as they only had 60,000 miles on them! Told me I might have to bring it back for another $600 as engine light might come back on and need to have valves adjusted. Can the engine computer really sense out of adjustment valves?

 

[basketrunner]

sounds like they have no idea why your cel light is on and they are throwing **** against the wall hoping it will stick.

 

[eurban]

It would be helpful if you could post the code(s) that your truck was producing. Without that info there is no way to know how much nonsense the dealer was preaching and whether or not the fix you had done is likely to have solved the issue. OBD bluetooth units are real cheap on amazon and there are plenty of apps for smartphones to tell you what codes your vehicle is producing as well as giving you all sorts of pertinent data.

You also may be able to put your truck in a diagnostic mode and get the codes right up on your instrument bezel. . . .

 

[speedlever]

Took in and they told me it needed throttle body cleaned, new plugs and ecrs cleaned. Came to $700. They got me for $200 and my fault. It didn't need plugs as they only had 60,000 miles on them! Told me I might have to bring it back for another $600 as engine light might come back on and need to have valves adjusted. Can the engine computer really sense out of adjustment valves?

That's way high for a valve adjustment. Should be about half that. Or less.

You may be well served to find a local independent shop that specializes in Hondas.

You may find this thread from Honda-tech an interesting read concerning valve adjustments.

http://honda-tech.com/odyssey-|-rid...miles-less-not-105k-honda-recommends-2726472/

 

[cdepuydt]

This might sound kinda dumb...but have you checked to see if all your spark plugs are seated properly?

I had the same thing happen to me. Last winter when it was very cold. I would fire the truck up, drive it for a while, the lights would come on, I would pull over, shut the truck off, and start it up again...and everything would be fine for a few days...then it would happen again.

After work, on an especially cold day, I started my truck up, started heading home, when the VTM-4 Light and check engine light came on, and I started losing power. I pulled over/stopped immediately, shut the truck off, waited for a couple of minutes, and started it up again. It ran fine. I pulled into the nearest auto parts store and bought myself some gas treatment...as I was thinking, with the brutally cold weather/temps, I may have gotten some bad gas or had some water in my fuel. I put the gas treatment in and it ran fine for a few days.

A few days later I was heading into work and the lights came on again. No loss of power, just the lights. I wasn't too far from my local Honda dealer, so I pulled in there, and asked to have the codes checked. I forget what the code was, but it came back as #4 cylinder misfire. I told my service advisor what happened, and he thought that maybe I had a stuck lifter and, when I put the gas treatment in, it freed up...thus fixing the issue for a while...and it may come back...so he suggested I keep using the gas treatment. He cleared the codes and I went in my way...truck was running fine.

About a week later, I was doing an oil change and, just for the heck of it, I decided to check my plugs. They all looked fine until I got to the #4 cylinder and the plug was loose. I didn't need to use the wrench to break it free...I pulled the plug and it was full of soot. I cleaned it up, reinstalled, tightened it to spec and, when I was done with my oil change, I got online and ordered myself a new set of plugs.

As soon as the plugs came in, I installed them to factory specs. Now I make it a habit of checking my plugs every 3 months or so, and I have not had the issue since.

So, long story short...check your plugs. Make sure they are all tightened to spec. Hopefully it's something easy like this.

Good Luck!

 

[basketrunner]

you're lucky. mine has low compression on number 4 cylinder.

 

[speedlever]

Great job Chris. Goes to show how weird that cylinder 4 issue can be. Especially when you get seemingly unrelated trouble lights.

 

[cdepuydt]

you're lucky. mine has low compression on number 4 cylinder.

Bummer. How does that effect performance? Do you get any "idiot lights" from this?

 

[cdepuydt]

Great job Chris. Goes to show how weird that cylinder 4 issue can be. Especially when you get seemingly unrelated trouble lights.

Thanks speed. Yeah, that was a weird one. In my 30+ years of car ownership, I have never had something like that happen. I am probably a bit more skilled than your average "shade tree" mechanics, and I am fairly good at tracking down mechanical issues. Not so great with electrical ones, but pretty good with mechanical ones. So, I was not really satisfied with the "stuck lifter" explanation of my service guy. I wanted to find the real root cause and, luckily, it was an easy find/fix.

 

[mike099]

When the codes are read and it comes back with #4 cylinder, is #4 left front or left middle(firing order). The reason I ask is some folks say #4, but when you ask them which cylinder, some say middle front and some say left front.

 

[speedlever]

Yes, it can be confusing.

Cylinders are numbered from the back, left to right looking at the engine from the front bumper.
1-2-3
4-5-6

So 4-5-6 are the easiest to get to for coil and spark plug changes. 1-2-3 are accessible but mostly done by feel reaching over the top of the engine.

 

[Dnick]

............ I told my service advisor what happened, and he thought that maybe I had a stuck lifter......

.......... So, I was not really satisfied with the "stuck lifter" explanation of my service guy. I wanted to find the real root cause and, luckily, it was an easy find/fix.

FYI, this info from Csimo:
"Since we have overhead cam engines with solid lifters it's not a collapsed lifter like on a pushrod engine with hydraulic lifters."

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/...le-tick-piston-slap-when-cold.html#post658771

 

[speedlever]

I don't think a stuck lifter and a collapsed lifter are the same thing, are they?

 

[Dnick]

I don't think a stuck lifter and a collapsed lifter are the same thing, are they?

Good point.... I guess it depends on what the meaning of "stuck" is.