I see that the new Ridgeline is going to have "cylinder deactivation management" in an effort to have better EPA numbers.
I've heard others express doubts about this technology being a good idea for the long haul. How much of a hindrance is this going to represent to the new Ridgeline do you think?
I have read so many reports of problems over the years with various manufacturers from GM to Mercedes trying to develop a system that works without causing problems.
It seems like a lot of effort for not much return with the possibility of real problems developing as time goes along.
Agree or disagree?
I totally agree. Honda has had numerous issues with their system and many have reported high oil consumption as a by-product of VCM.Thank you for your responses. I realize that there have been a lot of progress made in computing power and other features to allow this type of idea to function properly.
But it seems like a lot of unnecessary complication to me. I am so grateful that my 2013 Ridgeline does not have this feature. I've seen as high as 25 miles per gallon on the highway driving 60 mph without air-conditioning. And I get the standard 15 miles per gallon in town by being light footed on the throttle. It works well enough for me and I don't have to worry about additional mechanical difficulties down the road.
Just my personal feelings. Everybody wants more miles per gallon, and we know that gas is going to go back up again. But they get so much money to work on a vehicle anymore, I would just as soon stay out of the repair Lane as far as my truck is concerned.
But it is good to hear that Honda's system seems to be working okay. Again thanks for responding.
A friend of mine from Florida stopped by for a visit in his Cadillac with VCM around 1980 give or take a year or so. It actually sounded like a piece of farm machinery. I have only driven one, tried out a '14 Crosstour V-6 brought it back after a couple of blocks as you could feel it vibrate when changing. Drove the CT I-4, awesome, brought it home.GM had a number of problems with their first gen cylinder deactivation. From what I have heard, they are much better on the later model year trucks.
Why is it a great feature? A few miles per gallon seems like a poor trade off to me. If just a few of the things that can go wrong with VCM do so the owner will sure be sorry they have this device, I do believe!!! I am not trying to be argumentative, just concerned with the new Ridgeline not living up to anticipated positive results. I love my Ridgeline, and like so many other folks who own a Ridgeline and visit this forum, I had hoped for better!!The VCM system is unlikely to give you any real problems over a 150K mile span. About the worst that people have reported is higher oil consumption, but even then it's not much more than a quart in between changes. Oil is pretty cheap, overall not a huge problem. The only other complaint that might surface with VCM is being able to tell when it switches in and out, but most drivers are unable to detect the difference or have their radio on so loud that they don't notice.
You are much more likely to have problems with the electronic gadgets on the car (touch screen, buttons, switches, active motor mounts, active noise cancellation, Honda Sensing sensors, etc) than with the engine itself.
There was a comment above about an older car with VCM-type system sounding like farm machinery - a new Honda with VCM would sound much the same except that Honda goes to great lengths to hide the thrashing and rattling from the driver. Without Active Engine Mounts and Active Noise Cancellation the transition in modes would be very apparent indeed, and most drivers would find it extremely annoying. But with those features functional, the transition is pretty seamless.
Overall VCM on the Gen II should be a safe bet. There are only a few of us snobbish purists who don't want the added complexity, for the vast majority of the buyers VCM is a great feature.
I can see why the EPA would not want you claiming EPA numbers with the VCM active and then deactivating it. However I see no problem why they should not allow you to request the EPA tests the vehicle with both activated and deactivated VCM. Then it would be right out there for the customers to decide for themselves whether they wanted an active or an inactive VCM.I see nothing wrong with Honda claiming credit for the increased MPG with VCM. I also see nothing wrong with them including a switch for deactivation of the VCM.
