Metal in Oil & Engine Noises: Honda Stepwgn Crisis Alert

Hey there! I have some experience working on cars and had a very similar issue with my 2020 Honda Pilot. The symptoms you're describing sound exactly like what I experienced, oil light, ticking valves, and those worrying metal bits in the oil. In my case, it turned out to be a failed oil pump. Had to get it replaced at my trusted workshop, cost me around 755 Euro, but it was worth every penny to prevent further engine damage. Before jumping to conclusions though, How many miles/km on your Stepwgn? When was your last oil change? Is the engine losing oil? I've owned both the Pilot and a CR-V, and these engines are usually super reliable, so this should be fixable. Let me know those details and I can share more specific advice from my experience!

Thanks for the input! I'm at 232536 KM and just had my service done last month. The engine isn't losing much oil, but those metal shavings really got me worried. Guess I better get that oil pump checked out ASAP before it turns into something worse. Really appreciate you sharing your experience, definitely helps narrow down what could be wrong with mine! These Honda engines are usually bulletproof, so I was pretty surprised when these issues started popping up.

Hey again! Thanks for those details about your Stepwgn. Yeah, seeing your mileage and hearing about those metal shavings really rings a bell with what happened to my Pilot. Mine started acting up around 225000 KM, and just like yours, the oil changes were regular. The metal particles in your oil are definitely concerning, that's exactly what tipped me off with my car too. When I first saw them, I actually kept a small sample of the oil to show my mechanic. I'd strongly recommend getting it checked sooner rather than later. When my oil pump started failing, those metal shavings were actually coming from the pump's internal components wearing down. The longer I would've waited, the worse it could've gotten. After I got mine fixed, all those symptoms, the ticking, the oil light, the weird noises, completely disappeared. The engine's been running smooth as butter since then. The repair wasn't cheap, but it was way better than risking engine failure. Quick tip: when you take it in, ask them to do a proper oil pressure test. That's what confirmed the issue with my Pilot, and it might save you some diagnostic time. Keep me posted on what you find out! Really curious to see if it's the same issue as mine.

Thanks so much for all the detailed advice! I'll definitely ask for that oil pressure test, sounds like it could save me some headaches trying to figure this out. Just called my mechanic and got an appointment for tomorrow morning. Smart thinking about keeping an oil sample too, I'm gonna do the same thing. Really hoping it's just the oil pump like in your case, even if it's gonna cost a bit. Rather fix it now than end up with a completely busted engine! I'll update the group once I know what's going on. Seriously appreciate you taking the time to share all this info, it's made me feel a lot better about the whole situation!