unoriginalNJ

I'm looking at a 93 SE tonight with 139k on it. Is there any way to tell from listening or looking at the engine that the VTC issue has been resolved?

bhunter

iTrader: (3)

Start it up cold-make sure it wasn't all warmed up before you got there. Listen. It will sound like it really needs a valve adjustment if it has the problem-clattering or ticking. If it is not real bad or goes away really quickly I don't think it would scare me off.

unoriginalNJ

Ok, but is it something that will definitely happen? Even if the car sounds fine? I'm going to actually test drive the car tonight, so I'll be able to tell you about it. But I just wanna make sure that I'm not gonna spend 2500ish to just spend another 2500 that's all. I truly appreciate your help and will be a frequent visitor if I end up buying the SE. And from what I hear, even with 135K on it, that car is a beast and a half....thanks again and any other info and/or ideas would be welcome.

bhunter

iTrader: (3)

I think more than likely there will be some VTC noise but not absolutely. As my sig says, I own three. Two 92's and a 93. The 92's have 104k and 144k and both have some noise. The 104k one some and not real bad but on the 144k one it is fairly severe. The 93 has 162K on it, was one owner before me and he really took care of it. It has no VTC noise at all. I sent him a Christmas card.

HTPerformance

iTrader: (6)

Mine were replaced at 40k under fact warranty, no problems since.

Brian

Cliff Clavin

iTrader: (11)

Mine started at around 110k maybe a little after and it was still driving fine, albeit noisy, at 149k. I had a JDM engine put in this past fall.

I think if the ticking is just starting or it isn't ticking, you can expect at least 20-30k miles before you need to really consider fixing them (unless it bothers you that much and you HAVE to replace them). Also, it shouldn't cost $2500 to replace them, unless you take it to a dealer and they pull out a tube of KY...

eric93SE

iTrader: (1)

Use it as a bargining tool. Be like "rebuilding the VTC's is around $2000" from the stealership. Also the tranny, when you drive the car, be like "boy o boy second gear is slow, have you ever serviced the tranny?".

medic

chance are though if the owner doesn't know about cars the bargaining won't amount to much...most people selling cars consider that if it runs and ran fine for them, then the car is fine as is...good to try, but I wouldn't count on a $2000 discount or anything even close