Civic Type-R Owners Club & Forum

On the way to work this morning my beloved 04 EP3 with no warning at all just blew up. I just overtook a transit doing around 85mph when suddenly I get a huge rattling noise as if Ive run over a load of tin cans, I look in my mirrors and see a huge plume of white smoke F1 style. The van driver to his credit avoided me but Im not so lucky.

Managed top get it recovered to the workshop and on inspection no 4 cyl conrod has broken clean in half and in the process it made a huge hole in my block and sump. Needless say im devastated and pretty pissed off with Honda right now. Im a senior technician at a Citroen dealership and carried out a 25k service a month ago. I used 5w40 Silkolene pro s oil and fitted a Purolator oil filter. I check the oil level two days ago after one of the guys valeted it and it was bang on the max. Car has done 23k miles and Im at a loss as to what has caused it but I have my suspicions.

Ive had the car two years now and had it chipped by cplracing in July 2005, Guy fitted the k100 chip and I fitted the DCsport catback exhaust and AEM induction kit. When I serviced it I changed the plugs to NGK iridium IFR6K11's, I didnt need to change them but I rate NGK's highly along with other technicians I know so thought what the hell go for it. Now I am thinking all these mods might have caused a major failure along the line. As regards any warranty claim I am pretty much up s**t creek because of the mods but I will try and get something back believe me because its going cost a lot. On the plus side though the engine looks a piece of piss to change. If and when its back on the road its going have no mods at all fitted, Ive learnt my lesson.

For that to occur, surely it's like 1 in a million chance for it to happen? I am shocked. Unless your 'suspicions' are an obvious cause to this?

Either way, I feel sorry for you mate, hope you get it back on the road! :thumbup:

Driven through any deep puddles recently?

Ragein mate. Bit hard to believe that it was your mods that could of done it (not calling you a liar or anythin) just hard to believe. Keep us posted if you get a definate reason of why it happened would be intrested to know. :thumbup: Hope you get her back on the road aswell :thumbup:

aem cai induction kit by any chance..?
I know they make good power on the dyno but they really are mounted in the perfect place to cause problems...


I am gutted for you mate and hope the car makes it back onto the road as soon as possible. There have been very few engine blowups reported on here, most of which are either down to over revving on a downchange or the dreaded hydrolock...

edit...ngk iridium IFR7G-11KS are the recommended plugs for the ctr...

Unlucky fella......thats gotta suck :bad-words:

That's very unusual. Engines don't just blow up

evilowl wrote:Driven through any deep puddles recently?

Last November on a pretty miserable night I hit a large puddle in heavy rain which I didnt see till last minute and by then it was too late, the car almost stopped dead in the road and she started running onto what felt like two cylinders bringing the engine management light on.
I was stranded on a busy road with a misfiring lumpy running ctr with nowhere safe to pull over. I waited a few seconds till she spluttered back onto 4cyl's before slowly moving off .
I was cacking myself in that hundred yards because I know water and engines dont mix, ive seen enough XUD diesel engines throw a rod or two:-D An old service manager I knew did it to a brand new Xantia after driving through a small fjord the prat. I was half expecting to hear the inevitable thud thud clatter clatter donk scenario and also knowing how low the AEM filter is mounted was a big worry to say the least. I removed the induction pipe from the throttle body and started her up again. To my suprise and relief within a few seconds she cleared and ran ok. A minute or so later the management light went out.

Next day after some heavy piss taking from my fellow workers I inspected the induction system including the filter, I expected to find a lot of moisture but there was very little but the filter was damp though. I managed to remove some more water with an air blower and then left it to dry along with the induction pipes near our workshop heater. In the evening refitted everything and thought no more of it.

Now Im thinking that I did sustain some damaged because the K20A engine is practically bullit proof and should handles those mods with ease, even Im finding it hard that engine would suddenly fail like that. What I think has happened is that one rod has bent ever so slightly, not enough to snap it but enough to stress it and over time it eventually failed.

I just joined the A331 at Farnborough Gate heading for Ash as far as I can recall was doing about 70mph on slip road but was rapidly closing in on a white transit, I could not overtake him because of two newish 5 series bmw's were approaching fast in the outside lane and had to slow and dropped down to 4th. When they passed I overtook the van who by then had speeded up to 80mph the git! I should of settled in behind him and let the engine warm up because that certainly played a part I reckon. Im usually in traffic before I join that road so engine has a chance to warm up but being a Saturday morning traffic was light.
Just after passing him I changed to 5th and decided to pull in, just as I reached the inside lane all hell broke loose..I was not paying attention to my rev counter but was using just over half throttle..Im kicking myself for not noting the revs more. The loud clattering sound had my full attention and the worry that the van can see me in through the thick smoke in time and avoid me in time because I was slowing rapidly. At the time it happened I didnt think I was ragging and I still think that but I do hammer down that road given the chance a lot of the time.

I got no grudge against Honda because thats my fault for fitting the AEM knowing full well how low the filter sits and the danger of big puddles. I had a few beers too and was not in the best of moods when I wrote the OP.. my apologies there.

Sorry to hear about your car mate. If all else fails, go for big power!

This is why I got rid of my AEM cai, was paranoid everytime I drove the car.

Sorry to hear about this mate, hope you get this little challenge sorted asap.

Livid , hope that gets sorted soon , update with pics soon please :thumbup:

MugenSeiki wrote:Livid , hope that gets sorted soon , update with pics soon please :thumbup:

Hopefully will be back on the road this weekend. Managed to get an engine from a rear ended 05 ctr with 18k on the clock for £1800 and that arrived today. My nephew David Shaw worked at cplracing and he has offered his assistance which I cannot decline

Soon as we drop the lump I will take pictures and upload them.

Result :thumbup:

Personally I think that is a great price for a replacement engine plus the fact you can fit it yourself. You were lucky mate.

PS, get a Gruppe M