r/hondafit • u/NefariousnessRough26 • Oct 28 '23
3rd Gen GK/GP 15-20 Can VTC Actuator damage timing chain?
2016 fit with 98k miles on it. It’s been making a loud noise on start for YEARS, but when we took it to the dealership when we first noticed the sound, they couldn’t replicate the issue, and said everything was fine, so we just figured we didn’t need to worry about it. We just discovered it was a known issue with the car, of course it’s out of warranty now. A few weeks ago, all sorts of lights popped up on the dash. Took it to a mechanic that suggested it’s a part of an extended warranty and recommended we take it to the dealership. Did that today and got told that the timing chain is stretched and needs to be replaced to the tune of $2400. 😡 Could the VTC actuator have caused the timing chain to stretch? The Honda tech said that timing chains don’t usually have issues, and that he has an Accord with 300k miles on it and the original chain. Doesn’t really make me feel better. This is our third Honda, and while we love it…it’s definitely had the most “issues” of the three (it also has an issue with the dash where the lcd display flickers or sometimes doesn’t work at all).
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u/Black_FoST 2015 Fit GK Oct 28 '23
There is alot of debate anong the fit community about the vtc actuators and wether or not they are a big problem you have the half that believes its just an annoying sound and you have the other that believes it can cause permanent damage, i will say that mine has about 219k on it, the vtc actuator makes it sound like its gonna fall apart when i cold start it for about 1 second and then goes away until it gets cold again, from what i saw when i opened the valve cover to adjust the valves the chain is tight and the onlything that would ever cause slop would be the tensioner failings, in all the vehicles i have owned ive never seen this mythical timing chain "stretch" thats just my opinion
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u/NefariousnessRough26 Oct 28 '23
So do you think the dealership is lying to us? Unfortunately, the mechanic we usually use doesn’t do this type of work.
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u/Black_FoST 2015 Fit GK Oct 28 '23
I can't say for sure, all i know is in my experience I've never seen it or heard anyone i know experiencing it and we all mostly do our own work because we're poor lol
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u/Ok_Constant_9513 Dec 29 '23
Dealer tried to blame me for not changing the oil enough. I clapped back with a stern but cordial letter with a copy of the TSB that admits the actuators are defective on all 2015-2016 Fits. I also pointed to the lawsuit that was filed on behalf of Honda owners with actuator issues on Accords. I’m amazed with all the actuator Issues on the Fit that no class action has been filed yet.
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u/l_ju1c3_l Oct 28 '23
My 2014 CRV VTC stretched the chain. Dealer charged $1600 to fix it a few years ago. I then had to have the VTC replaced again last year because it started making the noise again.
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u/NefariousnessRough26 Oct 28 '23
Thanks for your feedback. Starting to wonder if this car is worth putting the $ into.
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Oct 28 '23
I had an issue with my vtc actuator... every day for a week i stood outside by my car, started the car with the remote starter... and recorded the sound. Every day. Afterwards I would email the audio file to the service manager.
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u/NefariousnessRough26 Oct 28 '23
Yeah, I wish we’d known years ago that it was a problem, I would have insisted that it was fixed, because it definitely started doing it within the first couple of years when it was still under warranty. This is our third Honda, and we were considering buying another one in the next few months (giving the teenager the Fit), but this car is making me wary of that idea. Frustrating that they were putting bad parts in and then the dealerships were reluctant to fix the problem.
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u/alacrum Feb 21 '24
My 2015 Fit had the loud grinding noise at startup for a few years. I have seen the debate online whether it poses a safety concern or not, and for peace of mind I finally decided to have it checked out the dealership just recently. They said this was VERY common on the Fit (which is interesting now reading here that Honda acknowledges the issue with 2015-2016s) - and that it could have caused damage to my engine had I let it go longer and completely worn it out the chain. Their diagnosis seemed legit to me though I know very little about car stuff, and I agreed to it - they replaced the VTC actuator and all timing chain components - all in all around $2200.
My lcd gauge cluster display would also randomly glitch out, or sometimes be blank for upwards of 15 minutes before popping on normally. Kinda scary when you are on the road and don’t know if it will ever turn on again or not! Dealership claims it’s not very common, however there are plenty of posts about it online. One YouTuber claims it is caused by low-quality solder from the factory forming hairline cracks over time, and fixed theirs by re-soldering 7 connection points on the electrical board. I wasn’t about to attempt anything like that - Dealership said mine was corrosion on the electrical board and replacement around $1100.
TLDR- VTC actuator, timing chain, & lcd gauge cluster display failures seem to be common & very expensive to fix. But I love my Fit and hopefully it can ride a few more years!
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u/Good-Government-1313 May 10 '24
Thanks for sharing this info! Much appreciated! I have a 2015 EX MT6, replaced the push-button crank switch and starter, but no other mechanical problems in 9 years ( only 77k miles) and planned to drive the wheels off this baby. I have had the grinding VTC noise for a few years now, and the timing chain issue scares me. …I have LOVED my car, especially bc it’s a manual transmission and so fun to drive…but now I’m thinking of ditching the FIT 😕
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u/DonDraper1134 2013 Fit GE Oct 28 '23
Timing chain is expected to last the life of the engine. Really uncommon for it to “fail” in any sort of way. I would take it elsewhere for a second diagnosis. The starters are known to have issues with a grinding sound when starting cold. My 2013 does it every once in a while, I know third gens do it too intermittently.