Honda Avancier: Metal in Oil + Multiple Engine Symptoms

Hey there! I had some experience with similar symptoms on my 1998 Honda Accord, and I have low experience with car repairs. When I faced these issues with the valve train noise and power loss, I was pretty worried. My Accord had similar symptoms, and it turned out to be a faulty solenoid valve that was causing all sorts of chaos. Took it to my regular workshop, and the mechanic diagnosed it after running some tests. The repair, including parts and labor, cost me around 250 Euro. The whole thing took about a day to fix, and it's been running smoothly since then. But before I can share more specific advice about your case, Have you checked the oil pressure? Any specific error codes showing up? When was your last oil change? Did these symptoms appear suddenly or gradually? These details would help me compare our situations better and maybe give you more relevant advice. Don't want to steer you wrong since Honda Avancier might have some specific quirks I'm not familiar with.

Thanks for your reply! I've got 264,298 KM on my Avancier and just had the oil changed at my last service three weeks ago. The symptoms started gradually but got worse pretty quickly over the last month. The error codes are pointing to P0341 and P0011, which are related to camshaft position. The oil pressure seems to be dropping, especially when idling. When I rev the engine, there's this nasty metallic rattling sound that gets louder. Your solenoid experience is interesting, but I'm worried this might be more serious given the metal in the oil. Been driving Hondas for years, but this is definitely the worst issue I've faced. Did your mechanic mention anything about checking the timing belt or valve clearances when you had yours fixed?

Hey again! After hearing those details about your Avancier, I'm thinking my initial guess about the solenoid might've been too optimistic. Those symptoms you're describing are way more serious than what I dealt with on my Accord. The metal in the oil and those specific error codes, especially combined with that metallic rattling... that's definitely more concerning than my issue was. When I had my solenoid problem, there wasn't any metal debris in the oil, and the noise was more of a ticking rather than a serious rattle. Actually, this reminds me, my mechanic did check the timing belt during my repair, but it was just routine. In your case, with those symptoms, I really think you're looking at something more major in the valvetrain or camshaft area. That P0341 code is definitely pointing towards cam issues, which makes me think my earlier advice wasn't comprehensive enough. You should probably get this checked ASAP, the metal in the oil and dropping pressure isn't something to mess around with. My repair was relatively simple at 250 Euro, but I've got a feeling you're looking at a more extensive repair. Don't want to scare you, but this sounds like it could be serious engine damage. Have you noticed if the rattling gets worse when the engine's hot? That might help narrow things down a bit more.

Thanks for the detailed follow-up! Yeah, I've noticed the rattling definitely gets worse when the engine's warm, especially after driving for about 15-20 minutes. It's pretty unsettling to hear, to be honest. You're probably right about this being more serious than a solenoid issue. The metal particles in the oil have me really worried, and with the mileage on my car, I'm bracing myself for some major repair costs. I actually just called a few repair shops, and they're all saying this could be a camshaft failure or possibly even more extensive engine damage. I really appreciate you sharing your experience, even though my problem seems to be more severe. I think I'll need to bite the bullet and get it into the shop tomorrow before it gets any worse. Probably should've done it sooner when the symptoms first started, but you know how it goes, always hoping it's something minor. Thanks for taking the time to help me think this through!