Honda Accord Engine Crisis: Metal Shavings & Power Loss

Hey there! I had a similar issue with my 2003 Honda Civic (I've got some experience working on cars, but I'm no expert). Those symptoms sound really familiar, my car was doing almost the exact same thing last year. In my case, it turned out to be the camshaft adjustment cable that was completely covered in oil and damaged. My trusted mechanic showed me how the oil had seeped in and messed up the electrical connection. The repair cost me about 395 Euro, including parts and labor. The fix made a huge difference, engine ran smooth again, and the fuel consumption went back to normal. Before I share more specifics about my repair, How many miles/kilometers are on your Accord? Have you noticed any oil leaks? When was your last oil change? Did these issues start suddenly or gradually? By the way, if you're seeing metal shavings in your oil, that's definitely concerning and might point to additional issues. Might want to get that checked ASAP before it causes more damage.

Thanks for sharing your experience! My Accord has 292313 KM on the clock, and I just had the oil changed during my last service two weeks ago. That's actually when I noticed the metal shavings. The issues started gradually about a month ago, first with slight jerking during acceleration, then it got worse week by week. Haven't spotted any obvious oil leaks, but there's definitely some oil residue around the engine bay that wasn't there before. Your repair cost sounds reasonable, hoping mine won't be much more than that. I'll definitely get it checked out right away. The metal shavings have me really worried too. Thanks for the heads up about the potential camshaft adjustment cable issue. I'll mention that to my mechanic when I take it in.

Hey again! Yeah, after seeing your mileage and hearing about the gradual onset of problems, I'm even more convinced it could be similar to what I dealt with. My Civic had around 270000 KM when these issues started, so pretty close to yours. Just wanted to add, after I got mine fixed, I discovered that the metal shavings were actually coming from worn cam followers. My mechanic hadn't caught it initially because he was focused on the camshaft adjustment cable. Ended up having to go back and get that fixed too, cost me another 600 for parts and labor. Not fun for the wallet, but way better than letting it destroy the engine. Quick tip from my experience, while they're in there fixing the camshaft stuff, have them check the timing chain tensioner too. Mine was getting pretty loose and could've caused serious problems if left unchecked. That inspection didn't cost extra since they were already working in that area. Also, that oil residue you mentioned? That's exactly how mine started. Keep us posted on what your mechanic finds. Really hoping it's not as complicated as mine turned out to be, but better to catch everything now than wait for more problems to pop up!

Thanks so much for that detailed followup! You're definitely helping me feel less anxious about this whole situation. It's really helpful knowing you went through something so similar, and I appreciate the heads-up about those cam followers and timing chain tensioner. I've made notes of everything you mentioned to discuss with my mechanic. I've actually just booked an appointment for tomorrow morning, your comment about the metal shavings convinced me not to wait any longer. Will definitely have them do a thorough check of everything you mentioned. Really hoping it won't end up being as complex as your repair, but at least I'm going in better informed now. I'll keep you posted on what they find. Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience and all those extra tips, it's super helpful when dealing with these kinds of issues! Let's hope it's just the camshaft adjustment cable and nothing more serious.