Honda 2.4 K24A/K24Z/K24W Engine Problems, Reliability, Specs

The Honda 2.4L engine is a decent one, and this has been the consensus of almost everyone who has driven it over some time.

The engine, named K24, is still manufactured in 2021, despite its release exactly two decades prior.

What many people don’t take into account while purchasing an engine is its drawbacks.

This article will be focused on the Honda 2.4 engine problems, so you know exactly what you are buying.

The most common ones are:

1. Failure Of The Front Crankshaft Seal
2. Wearing Of The Exhaust Cam Lobes
3. Faulty Timing Chain Tensioner
4. Carbon Build-Up

These issues should not be taken lightly, and I will be getting into the details and what a person can do to fix them.

So, without any further ado, let’s get straight into it!

The 4 Most Common Honda 2.4 Liter (K24) Engine Problems

As promised, the article will now solely focus on the issues that were outlined above.

I recommend that you read this section in its entirety as the information can be quite useful in the future.

1. Failure Of The Front Crankshaft Seal

Many of you may not recognize the name of this seal, and it is more commonly called the front main seal, and I think you may now know what I am talking about.

Regardless, the seal has one function: to seal off the end of the crankshaft.

Although the function of the seal is quite simple, its failure can cause various issues with the Honda 2.4 engine.

The Issue

So, what could go wrong with the crankshaft seal? As with most engine components, the seal is subject to wear and tear over the years.

Users have commonly complained about the issue arising after around 120000 miles of driving. The age of the engine also needs to be taken into account.

The seals can harden, which causes them to crack. The seal cracking and failure can lead to an oil leak.

Symptoms

Of course, other symptoms will help you in identifying if the seal is intact or not.

Let’s list all of them:

• Oil leakage on the ground where the vehicle is parked.
• Engine emitting a burning oil smell.
• Low engine oil indicator turns on.

All of these symptoms indicate that there is a leak in the engine. Now, the smell may or may not be present, depending on where the crack has formed.

The symptom that confirms a leak is the low oil indicator, especially when it is soon after you have had an oil change.

Repair Options

Seals are one of the easiest and one of the most inexpensive parts of the engine to repair.

Plus, the engine is from Honda, so you will find many mechanics that are willing to perform the job.

The price may vary for the new seal, but I can assure you that it will cost you less than $50.

Another piece of good news is that the engine work is quite simple. You could perform the job yourself and save on the ludicrous labor costs that these workshops charge.

If you still want the work done by a professional, then the repair will cost you around $300.

If you think that is expensive, wait till you hear about other car manufacturers, whose seal replacements cost north of $1000.

2. Wearing Of The Exhaust Cam Lobes

Function

The next problem in this article is a bit tricky to explain. Many of you may already know what a camshaft is.

It is the part of the engine installed in the cylinder heads and is responsible for controlling the intake valves and the exhaust ones.

The lobes, which are part of the camshaft that do the actual job, they are responsible for getting the air in, so it can be used for combustion and appropriately remove all the exhaust gases created during the procedure.

The Issue

As you may have already deduced, the camshaft lobes serve an extremely important role in the proper function of the Honda 2.4L engine.

The problem they face is commonly known as galling.

Galling occurs when two cam lobes rub together too hard, and the friction between them may crack them, or worse, weld them together.

Yes, that is possible!

I don’t know if you were aware, but the issue was documented because it occurred to so many people.

What could cause this to happen?

As the oil in the engine of a vehicle is responsible for reducing friction between parts such as this one, using the wrong oil could cause this.

If the oil is too thin, then the friction will increase.

Users reported that this issue commonly occurred after driving more than 100000 miles. Although the chances of you experiencing this problem are quite low, it is still possible.

Diagnosing The Issue

So, how can a person catch the issue before it can escalate too much? There are not many symptoms associated with it.

The common ones are:

• The valve cover area producing a clicking sound.
• The engine suddenly loses power.

The loss in power is to be expected if the lobes have been welded together. The presence of no air to combust the fuel would cause the engine to shut down.

Repair

The only thing that you can do is get the whole camshaft replaced. As repairing the camshaft is a tedious task, getting the job done by a professional is recommended.

The replacement will cost you more than $1000, and this is after considering the labor fees too.

You need to get the replacement done unless you want to pose a risk for you and the drivers around you.

3. Faulty Timing Chain Tensioner

The third problem on this list is a very serious one. The timing chain of a vehicle has been designed to connect the camshaft and the crankshaft.

It controls all of the valve timings so that there is proper intake and timely removal of all the exhaust gases of the combustion process.

The tensioner makes sure that the chain retains its tension at all times so it does not slap around.

The Issue

As Honda always used timing belts rather than timing chains before the K series of its engines, it is clear that they couldn’t nail down the functioning perfectly.

Regardless, you may already know how important the tensioner is in maintaining engine performance and stability.

So, what could go wrong with it?

The culprit of the problem is the spring inside the tensioner, and it fails, which results in the tensioner becoming faulty, causing the timing chain to slip.

The problem has been reported in all K24 engines, but the earlier variants are the most prone to it. That means Honda did address the issue and fixed it.

How To Identify The Failure

You may have seen how the engine relies on many parts that work in conjunction to ensure proper stability. Well, the failure of the tensioner can cause many issues.

Let me tell you about some of the symptoms that may occur:

• Engine producing a rattling sound.
• The check engine light has been turned on.
• The engine does not start in one go.

If the engine is producing these symptoms, there is a very high possibility that the timing chain is loose.

The failure of the timing chain can occur due to other reasons, but tensioner failure has the highest rate of causing it.

Repair

There is almost always a certainty that the engine may have sustained some damage in cases like these. The repairs and all of the appropriate replacements may cost you around $1000.

If your vehicle has crossed the 100000-mile mark, then it is also recommended that you replace the timing chain.

You could cut down the costs by doing it yourself, but it would be better to let the professionals handle it. The time for the job can take up to six hours!

4. Carbon Build-Up

We have finally arrived at the last problem of this article.

This issue is solely present in the K24W Dream Earth variants of the engine, and the reason for this is that the engine uses direct injection instead of port injection, unlike all other K24 engines out there.

The Issue

This is not a design flaw in the engine but a drawback of using the technology. Unlike port injection, direct injection allows for fuel to be directly sprayed into the cylinders.

This allows the engine to gain more performance.

But there is one thing that was definitely not considered when creating this technology, and that is fuel blowback. Not all fuel goes into the cylinders. Some of it escapes.

The escaped fuel travels through the intake tracts and settles there and as well as in the valves. The issue escalates very slowly.

Over the years, the carbon build-up increases to the point that there is a noticeable performance decrease.

Symptoms

As I told you before, the problem occurs after some years of driving. In terms of miles, there have been reports that the issue can be identified after driving for around 100000 miles.

There are many symptoms that can be used to diagnose the presence of the problem:

• Unexpected misfires.
• Rough idling of the engine.
• Sudden power loss.

All of these symptoms are indicators that there is a carbon build-up issue in the engine. The symptoms such as unexpected misfires could be caused by spark plug failure.

So, they will not confirm the problem but will allow you to eliminate other possibilities.

Repair

If the problem of power loss has become too common, then it is advised to get your vehicle towed to the nearest workshop. The only procedure that will be offered is walnut blasting.

In this process, walnut shells are blasted to clear up everything in the intake tracts and valves.

If you are offered, you should definitely go opt for the chemicals that reduce the chance of deposit formation in the engine. This may be very beneficial for you in the future.

What Is The Honda 2.4L Engine?

The K24 series of engines from Honda made its way into consumers’ homes in 2001, with the Honda CRV. The engine has three variants, all of which became pretty popular.

The first one is the K24A, which was announced in 2001 and was in production up until 2006.

With a compression ratio of 9.7:1, the engine was known for its performance and fuel efficiency.

Next comes up is the K24Z variant of the engine. This was the engine to go in the CRV, after the previous one’s discontinuation, in 2007.

The engine has a compression ratio of 10.7:1, which is a massive gain over its predecessor.

Finally, the last variant of the engine, which was unveiled in 2013, is the K24W one.

The biggest change in this engine was that Honda opted for a direct fuel injection system instead of port injection.

The design was very different than the Z and the A variants. It also has two catalytic converters, which help it meet the greatest emission standards.

Is The Honda 2.4L Engine Reliable?

With an expected lifetime of 200000 miles, I think it is pretty safe to say that the engine is very reliable. Users were mostly content with the performance of the engine.

Indeed, there are a few caveats of owning it, some of which have been discussed above, but there is a very low chance of them causing any issues for you.

Plus, unlike other companies that offer extended warranties to correct their mistakes, Honda improved the design of the newer generations of the engine.

There were newer models such as the K24A1 A2 and went all the way up to the number 8. There was a similar case for other engines too.

So, if you really want to buy one that is reliable, you should get one that was released a bit later.

Regardless, the engine is pretty reliable. This has been the general consensus of almost everyone who has used it.

What Cars Use The Honda 2.4L Engine?

The engine has been offered in many different vehicles. Starting off with the K24A1 variant, it was available exclusively for the Honda CR-V.

The A2 was reserved for the Honda Odyssey Absolute, the Accord Type S, and the Acura TSX.

The A3 was used only in the Honda Accord. The A4 and the A8 were used in the Honda Element and the Honda Accord. The A4 was also featured in the Honda Odyssey.

Let’s move on to the Z series of the engines. The Z1 was again used for the CR-V only. The Z2 was under the hood of the Accord LX variants as well as the Proton Perdana.

Z3 was used once again in the Accord and in the Acura TSX also. The Z4 and the Z6 were utilized for the CR-V only. The Z7 was used in the Civic Si and the Acura ILX.

Finally, the K24W was used in the CR-V and the Honda Accord, while the W7 was used in the Acura TLX only.

Honda 2.4L Engine Specs

The following table will be discussing the specifications of the K24 engines.

There won’t be separate tables for the k24a1 specs, k24a2 specs, but everything will be included in this one table.

The Benefits Of Choosing The Honda 2.4 Engine

The engine has many pros:

• All of the engines have excellent exhaust flow.
• The connecting rods have been fortified, which greatly boosts durability.
• The engine is popular because it runs very smoothly.
• The engine can reach six digits without any major complications.
• The oversized intake valves help in performance gains.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How Much HP Can A Stock K24 Handle?

The K24 can creep up to the 400 HP mark, 370 to be exact when pushed to its maximum limit. This is certainly impressive and almost doubles the raw performance.

Q2. K20 Vs. K24 – Which One Is Better?

This is an easy answer. The K24 wins by a huge margin. Honda made significant improvements to the engine over the years.

It has more low-end torque and also is more powerful.

Q3. Which K24 Engine Is The Best?

Out of the Z, W and A-series, the winner is the K24A2. The engine is very good in terms of performance and stability.

But it is very expensive. So, if you are willing to pay the cost, then you should definitely get the A2.

Conclusion

If you were in search of the Honda 2.4 engine problems, I could assure you that there are very little to no articles that have covered this topic this extensively.

If you have decided on settling for the 2.4L engine, then I must congratulate you. You have picked a solid engine that will give you a memorable driving experience.

There is no doubt that Honda makes some amazing engines, but with this one, the company really hit it out of the park.

Although there are some problems, they have very little chance of occurring. You will have a fantastic driving experience with this bad boy under the hood of your vehicle.

Resources:
1. https://www.motorreviewer.com/engine.php?engine_id=164
2. https://tuningpro.co/the-3-most-common-honda-k24-engine-problems/