Posted on 11/28/2025
Honda vehicles are known for long service lives, yet a few patterns show up again and again. Recognizing the early signs helps you plan service before a small concern turns into a bigger bill. Here are the five issues we see most often and what you can do about them. 1. Oil Dilution in 1.5T Engines: What It Looks Like Some late-model Civics and CR-Vs with the 1.5-liter turbo can collect raw fuel in the engine oil, especially in cold weather or with short-trip driving. Symptoms include an oil level that slowly rises, a fuel smell on the dipstick, and a slight stumble on cold starts. Left alone, thin oil reduces protection for timing chains and turbo bearings. Shorter oil intervals, full warmups on longer drives, and software updates where applicable help. Our technicians verify with oil level checks, scan data, and a road test before recommending changes to your service rhythm. 2. Cold-Start Rattle from the VTC Actuator A brief rattle on the first ... read more