Honda CR-V: K24A Balance Shaft Oil Pump Failure

The K24A engine incorporates a balance shaft module bolted to the underside of the block, driven by a chain off the crankshaft, and containing its own dedicated oil pump that feeds lubricant to the balance shaft bearings at high pressure. The pump uses closely toleranced aluminium gears that are susceptible to accelerated wear when engine oil is not changed within Honda's specified interval, causing the internal gear clearances to open and oil delivery pressure to drop below the minimum required. Failure of the balance shaft oil pump can escalate to the balance shafts seizing within their housing, creating severe vibration and the risk of the balance shaft chain breaking and causing wider engine damage.

• Persistent vibration through the floor and steering wheel at idle that increases between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm
• Oil pressure gauge reading below normal or low-oil-pressure warning light at warm idle
• Abnormal engine knock or whine from the lower block accompanied by metallic contamination in drained engine oil

1. 1

   With the engine at operating temperature, check oil pressure at the balance shaft circuit test port; compare against Honda K24A specification.

2. 2

   Drain and inspect oil for aluminium filings.

3. 3

   Listen for a high-frequency whirring or grinding from the lower block at idle that changes with engine speed.

Parts involved: Timing chain.

$950 to $2,000 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

• “Has the balance shaft module or its oil pump been replaced under any service or warranty work?”
• “What is the documented oil change history and has synthetic oil of the correct grade been used throughout?”
• “Has there been any oil pressure warning or unexplained vibration complaint?”

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.