[Dale666]

I've owned a 2011 Pilot for about a year and a half. Recently while on a trip the plug on cylinder 3 fouled and caused an misfire error code. After reading up on the problems with VCM, I pulled all of the plugs to examine them. Plugs one and two were pretty clean, almost as clean as the front bank which looked very good. Plug 3 had some carbon buildup. The gaps and wear were .043 - .044 on all of them. I wiped and sprayed plug 3 with brake cleaner and cleaned any loose carbon off with and abrasive pad and a fine wire brush. Then I blew it off with compressed air. I switched it with the plug in cylinder 4. I drove it for 40 miles and did not get any misfire or error codes. After the engine cooled I pulled both plugs and looked at them. They didn't look any different than before. I switched all the plugs from front to back bank and will run them for 7500 miles to see if rotating the plugs at oil change or at some interval works to manage carbon deposits on the plugs.
Has anyone else tried this? If so what were your results?

The problem with VCM misfires seem to be related to running in econo mode for long periods. Has anyone experimented with running a timer to disable it for short periods to act as a cleaning cycle? I don't see the need to disable it completely when periodic cleaning manually, plug rotation from front to back banks, or with a timer would work.

7/13/2022
I purchased a ultrasonic cleaner from Harbor Freight and ran the spark plug from cylinder #3 through it for a total of about 20 min. (read the instructions carefully before using it or you may burn it up or hurt yourself) After cleaning, the electrode insulation ceramic showed surface cracks that caused me to believe that examining all 6 was a good idea. One other plug showed similar cracking. I decided that replacing all 6 was a good idea. Maintenance records from the dealer made no notes of plugs ever being changed(vehicle miles 92,500). Rockauto has a good selection. I went with a set of NGK Ruthenium HX, LKR7AHX-S, 96358. The plugs have been in the engine since Sunday 7/10/2022. No problems so far. I also ran a container of Chevron Techron Concentrate Plus Fuel System Cleaner - 20 oz. through the last tank of gas.

Oil used since purchase, up to last oil change, is Castrol Edge High Mileage synthetic 5w-20. Oil used at last oil change at 92,200 mi. is Mobil 1 High Mileage Full Synthetic Motor Oil 5W-20. I used Mobil because I was shopping at Bi Mart and they were out of Castrol. The filter was changed with each oil change.

Monday 7/25/2022 - Mileage 93,600. No misfires. I drove From N. Portland to Hood River Saturday morning. There is some summer construction going on as usual so the posted speed limits were 50-65 mph. Traffic was light and was moving 55-68 mph. Temperature was 65 deg. MPG was 26.8 on that stretch. Coming back Sat. afternoon the temp was 90 deg. traffic was ok until about 15 miles from Corbett when the Sunday night trucker rush slowed traffic to stop and go crawl for 15-17 miles. I pulled off at the Dalton Point boat ramp for an hour until traffic lightened up, and was moving at 30-40 mph. MPG was 23.1. Overall mileage was 22.3 mpg for the whole weekend. About 170 total miles traveled. Driving off the interstate was along WA 141 along the White Salmon river.

12-17-2022 Saturday
Regular service
No misfires or other engine problems. I replaced all 4 tire pressure sensors. The RR tire had a low battery. That project took about 5 hours. I used OEM parts from Rockauto.
I completed the 100,500 mile service. While doing it I endoscoped cylinders 3 & 6. Cylinder 3 runs dirtiest, and 6 runs cleanest. I swapped the plugs with each other and will look at the dirty plug I put in cyl. 6 after a week or three and see it has cleaned up any.

Here are the endoscope photos. Cylinder 6 piston is a bit cleaner.
Cylinder 3

Cylinder 6

Addendum: After getting too many people trying to sell me on the idea of going directly to installing a Muzzler or similar device, I ask those people to pass on joining or commenting in this thread. My interest is in keeping my Pilot running as designed as much as possible. I believe, at this time, that the issue with my Pilot can be managed by following a maintenance schedule that keeps carbon buildup away, using quality oil, fuels, and additives. Oil usage between changes is negligible. A VCM disabler is a last resort.

 

[Nail Grease]

I have cleaned spark plugs and checked gaps. This can save you money by not buying new ones.
The problem with VCM on 2nd gens is oil consumption. When VCM is active, the dormant cylinders cause excess engine oil to be pump up into the combustion chamber where it burns and causes stuck rings and carbon buildup on valves. Burned oil deposits end up in the EGR system and catalytic converters. Yes, even though keeping spark plugs clean will improve the situation, it’s not going to prevent problems from eventually occurring. I’d disable the VCM.

S-VCM Controller - Disable VCM / deactivate VCM and stop ECO in Honda Acura

Deactivate Honda VCM in 3.5L V6 SOHC engines. The S-VCM Controller is an automobile grade, high precision tool that can reliably disable VCM 100% of the time, and would safely bypass in case the engine overheats. It does not use a fixed resistor or manually adjusted potentiometer, and is a much...

www.svcmcontroller.com

 

[Dale666]

I have cleaned spark plugs and checked gaps. This can save you money by not buying new ones.
The problem with VCM on 2nd gens is oil consumption. When VCM is active, the dormant cylinders cause excess engine oil to be pump up into the combustion chamber where it burns and causes stuck rings and carbon buildup on valves. Burned oil deposits end up in the EGR system and catalytic converters. Yes, even though keeping spark plugs clean will improve the situation, it’s not going to prevent problems from eventually occurring. I’d disable the VCM.

S-VCM Controller - Disable VCM / deactivate VCM and stop ECO in Honda Acura

Deactivate Honda VCM in 3.5L V6 SOHC engines. The S-VCM Controller is an automobile grade, high precision tool that can reliably disable VCM 100% of the time, and would safely bypass in case the engine overheats. It does not use a fixed resistor or manually adjusted potentiometer, and is a much...

www.svcmcontroller.com

My Pilot is not using oil at this time. Until it does I plan to use good quality synthetic oils that are engineered to prevent sludge build up, and use gas additives that claim to prevent and clean carbon buildup. The Pilot is a 2011 model with 66k on it when I bought. It now has 92k. My other vehicle is a 2001 Ford Escape with 273k miles on it. Using similar maintenance techniques has kept it running well up to now. I will continue to follow them until they stop working. The idea of building a timer appeals to the engineer in me, but I will restrain my love of building gadgets until I see the results of spark plug rotation and proper maintenance.

 

[Pilot2ndgen]

Not using oil? What's this----> plug on cylinder 3 fouled. Could it be that you are at the beginning stage of your car burning oil, which in turn fouled just one plug for now and eventually will foul the other two as well when miles are racked up? Unfortunately, that's just the way VCM works, and it doesn't just happen overnight. It slowly creeps up on you beginning with fouled plugs, contaminating the catalytic convertor, affecting motor mounts and rendering them useless after a while (also a big repair bill too while you're at it), etc. Just keeps getting better and better until one day you've had enough and decided to say to yourself..."Know what, I'm just going to try disabling VCM and see if it's what it's cracked up to be" And voila! Problem solved, unless you got one that was defective... in that case just send it back and ask for a replacement. But I haven't heard of that happening to too many Honda owners with VCM on this forum. A huge, huge thank you to the person who first developed the device to counter VCM issues. His car was a Honda Pilot, by the way.

Now you may ask yourself 'I wonder if this little device is a scam?' Maybe, maybe not. But do keep in mind though that there are probably hundreds if not thousands of testimonies across most Honda forums by drivers who have used it and were quite content and finally free of all the headaches and stresses after having to deal with a motor with VCM feature.

Ultimately, it's up to each owner of a VCM motor Honda car whether if they like to be free of the headaches and money thrown away for issue after issue of having to deal with one or not. Doesn't bother the rest of us who have that little simple device installed in ours one bit if all other drivers choose not to have one. As long as I have two installed in my VCM motor cars and never have to deal with VCM related issues again... I'm good.

 

[Dale666]

You seem to have a lot invested in me installing a VCM disabler. What is up with that? Being as the vehicle is relatively new to me, it uses a negligible amount of oil between changes, and I don't know when the plugs were pulled last. I will do as I out lined in my last reply. If you have no further interest other than me installing a disabler I have nothing more to say to you. Have a great day

 

[Pilot2ndgen]

You seem to have a lot invested in me installing a VCM disabler. What is up with that? Being as the vehicle is relatively new to me, it uses a negligible amount of oil between changes, and I don't know when the plugs were pulled last. I will do as I out lined in my last reply. If you have no further interest other than me installing a disabler I have nothing more to say to you. Have a great day

Couldn't be bothered if you or anyone else chooses to disable or not, so stick to what your game plan is. Couldn't hurt to try something else if you have the time to kill. Good luck

 

[cintocrunch]

You seem to have a lot invested in me installing a VCM disabler. What is up with that? Being as the vehicle is relatively new to me, it uses a negligible amount of oil between changes, and I don't know when the plugs were pulled last. I will do as I out lined in my last reply. If you have no further interest other than me installing a disabler I have nothing more to say to you. Have a great day

You are no to Honda V6s so I understand your skepticism... but VCM caused MAJOR issues in the earliest models, with the Pilot having common issues up to 2011. They say the '12-'15 is better but I wasn't willing to take that risk and have been around Honda V6s since my mom bought a first year Pilot brand new. I disabled my VCM and recommend it to anyone I know who has any vehicle with cylinder disabling systems since I haven't heard of one that doesn't cause problems yet.

Personally, with the symptoms you are seeing, this is exactly when I'd recommend installing one before it's too late and the issues compound.

 

[PLT383]

I've owned a 2011 Pilot for about a year and a half. Recently while on a trip the plug on cylinder 3 fouled and caused an misfire error code. After reading up on the problems with VCM, I pulled all of the plugs to examine them. Plugs one and two were pretty clean, almost as clean as the front bank which looked very good. Plug 3 had some carbon buildup. The gaps and wear were .043 - .044 on all of them. I wiped and sprayed plug 3 with brake cleaner and cleaned any loose carbon off with and abrasive pad and a fine wire brush. Then I blew it off with compressed air. I switched it with the plug in cylinder 4. I drove it for 40 miles and did not get any misfire or error codes. After the engine cooled I pulled both plugs and looked at them. They didn't look any different than before. I switched all the plugs from front to back bank and will run them for 7500 miles to see if rotating the plugs at oil change or at some interval works to manage carbon deposits on the plugs.
Has anyone else tried this? If so what were your results?
The problem with VCM misfires seem to be related to running in econo mode for long periods. Has anyone experimented with running a timer to disable it for short periods to act as a cleaning cycle? I don't see the need to disable it completely when periodic cleaning manually, plug rotation from front to back banks, or with a timer would work.

I monitor VCM "On/Off" using a ScanGauge and have never observed VCM "On" more than a few seconds at a time. VCM appears to be extremely sensitive to throttle position. When VCM is "On", a slight push with the right foot or lifting the right foot shuts VCM "Off". Apparently just a few seconds at a time with VCM being "On", over X number of miles can cause issues.

 

[Dale666]

In the 18+ months I have owned it, it has thrown misfire codes twice. The first time I was able to clear the code and had no further issue until now which is approximately a year later. Both times I was in situations where VCM was on for long periods cruising on the highway. That's why I have the idea of using a timer. I have friends who also have Hondas with VCM and talked with people I meet. They have not had any trouble, so VCM trouble is not guaranteed.

 

[Nail Grease]

In the 18+ months I have owned it, it has thrown misfire codes twice. The first time I was able to clear the code and had no further issue until now which is approximately a year later. Both times I was in situations where VCM was on for long periods cruising on the highway. That's why I have the idea of using a timer. I have friends who also have Hondas with VCM and talked with people I meet. They have not had any trouble, so VCM trouble is not guaranteed.

Your misfires and fouled spark plugs are the symptoms of the VCM playing havoc on your engine. Not here to tell you what to do, I just know what I’d do if your vehicle were mine. My 2012 Honda V6 Crosstour wouldn’t be at 301k miles without the VCM being disabled. It would have been sold for scrap metal by now. I wish I’d have known about S-VCM sooner, It would have saved me $1200 in catalytic converter replacement. A job that is likely double the price now. S-VCM is $100.

 

[Dale666]

You are no to Honda V6s so I understand your skepticism... but VCM caused MAJOR issues in the earliest models, with the Pilot having common issues up to 2011. They say the '12-'15 is better but I wasn't willing to take that risk and have been around Honda V6s since my mom bought a first year Pilot brand new. I disabled my VCM and recommend it to anyone I know who has any vehicle with cylinder disabling systems since I haven't heard of one that doesn't cause problems yet.

Personally, with the symptoms you are seeing, this is exactly when I'd recommend installing one before it's too late and the issues compound.

2012-2015 Pilots use different spark plugs (NGK 90074) then 2011(NGK 7751). I wonder what difference that makes?

 

[PLT383]

In the 18+ months I have owned it, it has thrown misfire codes twice. The first time I was able to clear the code and had no further issue until now which is approximately a year later. Both times I was in situations where VCM was on for long periods cruising on the highway. That's why I have the idea of using a timer. I have friends who also have Hondas with VCM and talked with people I meet. They have not had any trouble, so VCM trouble is not guaranteed.

How are you determining VCM is "On"? On a 2011, does ECO mean VCM is "On"/activated?🤷‍♂️

 

[Dale666]

How are you determining VCM is "On"? On a 2011, does ECO mean VCM is "On"/activated?🤷‍♂️

Yes, the light comes on.

 

[PLT383]

Our Ridgeline has an ECO button on the dash…..used it once, ECO sucks. I’ll disable the disabler and try ECO and monitor the ScanGauge for VCM “On/Off” when in ECO mode. Sounds like Honda may have changed something regarding VCM.

 

[Dale666]

Our Ridgeline has an ECO button on the dash…..used it once, ECO sucks. I’ll disable the disabler and try ECO and monitor the ScanGauge for VCM “On/Off” when in ECO mode. Sounds like Honda may have changed something regarding VCM.

I misspoke. I don't have an eco button. There is just a light showing when VCM is engaged.

 

[PLT383]

Just checked.....with the disabler disabled, VCM will switch on/off in either ECON mode or non-ECON mode on our Rigi. Does that mean there's an ECON ECON mode? (head scratch) Guess Honda made changes.

 

[Nail Grease]

Just checked.....with the disabler disabled, VCM will switch on/off in either ECON mode or non-ECON mode on our Rigi. Does that mean there's an ECON ECON mode? (head scratch) Guess Honda made changes.

No Econ button on a 2011. That came later with 3rd gens, I assume.

 

[Dale666]

Your misfires and fouled spark plugs are the symptoms of the VCM playing havoc on your engine. Not here to tell you what to do, I just know what I’d do if your vehicle were mine. My 2012 Honda V6 Crosstour wouldn’t be at 301k miles without the VCM being disabled. It would have been sold for scrap metal by now. I wish I’d have known about S-VCM sooner, It would have saved me $1200 in catalytic converter replacement. A job that is likely double the price now. S-VCM is $100.

I'm not saying I won't ever put a disabler on. I am going to try less drastic methods first. The timer idea is to put a VCM disabler on, but not have it running all the time. I am disappointed that no one on this site that replied has tried ideas I asked about. I will post results when I get them.

 

[PLT383]

So, has ECON light “on” always meant VCM is activated?…..if a disabler is added, you’ll never see the ECON light again?

 

[Dale666]

So, has ECON light “on” always meant VCM is activated?…..if a disabler is added, you’ll never see the ECON light again?

I assume so.