| PilotMom55 |
I have a 2003 Honda Pilot
130,000 Miles
All Maintenance performed on schedule
New timing belt & spark plugs
ENGINE INDICATION LIGHT and VTM-4 light come on simultaneously - both are SOLID lights (freeway @ 60 Mph)
VTM-4 Light will go off when engine is restarted & come back on about 10 minutes into driving it.
I had to wait a week to get it in to the mechanic. During the week, the Engine light went off on it's own ... hmmm
Went to mechanic to find the codes were cleared
Today, Engine indication light started flashing and the VTM-4 light came on SOLID. (traveling on freeway at 60Mph)
Stopped the car, turned it off ... felt abandoned ... waited 10 minutes, restarted the car:
ENGINE LIGHT: SOLID
VTM-4: OFF
What is going on????? Dealer said I have to wait a week to get it in ~ they don't seem concerned ... perhaps they're hoping it'll breakdown & I'll by a new car??????
Any ideas???? |
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| otterson |
Mine did that, when a RAT made a nest under the intake manifold. Apparently the anti-knock sensor is right in the middle of Mr. Rat's nest, so he chewed it off.
The dealer told me this was not uncommon for Pilots and Odysseys.
I think it was close to $400 to fix.
Jeff |
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| paspilot |
Run to your auto parts store and get a OBD II code scanner. I hemmed and hawed about those lights coming on and borrowed a code scanner. It turned out to be the EGR valve in my case but it could be something as simple as a tired gas cap seal. Get the code and you'll know if it's major/minor consider that the code reader paid for itself when it's something simple like the gas cap.
I ended up buying what I borrowed. A scangauge II. It's a real nice toy to tweak your driving habits into getting better mileage. |
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| Bill Balmer |
I also had this same problem, but in my case it happened on a road trip, 300 miles from home. I had just fueled up at a gas station where the mid-grade was cheaper than the regular, so I used it. It must have been cheaper because it was so old they were trying to get rid of it. The lights came on less than 5 minutes later. Some normal gasoline and they eventually cleared themselves.
I'm not saying this is the only possible cause - only that those two lights coming on SEEM really serious, and they may not be. My guess is something emissions-related, but the possibilities are many. |
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| PilotMom55 |
Yes, reading the code is important to diagnose these problems
The problem was resolved when I took my Honda to a local mechanic. He read the code generated when both lights came on:
>>> MISFIRE in TWO CYLINDERS <<<
The misfire caused a "cascading fault" resulting in the VTM4 light coming on.
A "cascading fault" is when something goes wrong in one systems and causes another system that is not 'broken' to malfunction. For instance: You notice the light in your living room won't go on, you (naturally) change the light bulb, it still doesn't go on, you then notice that a couple other electrical things aren't working ~ you go to your fuse box to find that a fuse had been tripped. Repair: Reset the fuse ... Problem: Fuse ... cascading fault: Lamp didn't work
The VTM4 light is associated with rear differential and came on because of power not being properly transferred.
When the mechanic examined the cylinders they were the ONLY two cylinders NOT totally plugged up with gunk.
He cleaned up everything (this was a month ago) and the cars been running smoothly ever since. REPAIR: LABOR ONLY $120.00
My pilot has over 133,000 miles on it (I drive a lot)
The mechanic said that it's been well maintained and should easily get well over 300,000 miles! |
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