Piston Slap: Earth Dreams of Carbon Buildup?

Dear Sajeev,

I have a 2015 Honda Fit LX manual, purchased new. From day one I noticed a slight momentary hesitation under moderate acceleration when the engine was cold. I took the car to the dealer after a few weeks but they could not duplicate the problem. I dropped it off again and left it overnight, hoping a cold engine would allow them to experience the issue. No luck.

Fast forward 57,000 miles. Same problem persists and is reported to dealer via phone several times. The check engine light comes on. Dealer says the code means an #3 cylinder misfire. They say the fuel injectors are clogged and charge $1,300 to replace all four injectors. Honda of America throws in $1,000 of goodwill money because fuel injectors are not covered by the 60,000 mile powertrain warranty.

Two weeks later light comes back on. Same code. This time another dealer pulls the head and finds carbon buildup on all four piston heads. They clean up the engine, clean the throttle body and declare the vehicle fixed. Total charges paid for by Honda of America under goodwill claim except $217 for the throttle body cleaning. That was yesterday and I will know within days if the original problem persist.

Tech rep was awesome. He recommends I get the fuel injectors and throttle body cleaned every 30,000 miles. My question, what caused the carbon buildup? Does the buildup damage the engine even if later cleaned up? Should I dump the Fit? It is an awesome commuter. I average 44 mpg summer and 39 winter.

Sajeev answers:

My, how this issue has changed since our first(?) discussion back in 2012: what was once a measured discussion of the merits/pitfalls of de-carboning an engine is now a second nature, knee-jerk diagnosis (that’s likely accurate).

Engines have turned into carbon cokers and oil burners, and that’s our new normal when shopping for a new ride: Honda’s Earth Dreams are no different?

The usual reason for carbon buildup is two fold: the aforementioned changes in engine design and owner’s driving style. Odds are if you rung that little L15B1 out to redline on a regular basis in lower gears (so you won’t get a speeding ticket) the modern direct injection setup would run clean as a whistle: no need for any preventative maintenance? Of course, the Best & Brightest have the final say.

But I like those shift-yourself Fits and you should keep it…preferably near redline in 1st/2nd gear just for fun.

[Image: Honda]

Send your queries to sajeev@thetruthaboutcars.com. Spare no details and ask for a speedy resolution if you’re in a hurry…but be realistic, and use your make/model specific forums instead of TTAC for more timely advice.