Is The Honda K24A4 A Good Motor?
If you have been a regular Honda owner over the years chances are you may have driven a K24A4 series engine. Even if you didn’t know it at the time. The K24A Series has been used in a ton of Honda vehicles From the CR-V to the Accord. Why? Because it is reliable. And, it is pretty powerful. At least it can be! Is the K24A4 a good motor? We answer that question and more in this quick but comprehensive blog post.
What Is The K24A Series?
The K24A is a part of the Honda K engines series which is a series of 4-cylinder engines ranging from 2.0 to 2.4 liters in size. The series debuted way back in 2001 but has continued since then due to its reliability and high demand.
The K24A series is an aluminum culinary block to reduce weight and increase performance. There are cast iron components but they are less frequent compared to some other engines (at the time). Compared to the rest of the K series the K24A has bored-out cylinders which improved displacement and result in a 200cc performance boost that has contributed to the K24A series being so popular even to this day.
Is The K24A4 A Good Motor?
The K24A is definitely a good motor and is actually often coveted by other Honda models that don’t come with the K24A4 as stock. Many people like to take the K24A4 motor and pair it with a K20 Si head. But, that isn’t even close to a necessity.
The engine is naturally quite common as it came as standard in a ton of different Honda models. This means that mechanics are far more comfortable working on them and spare parts/aftermarket upgrades are more common and more affordable. Plus, buying the motor outright is a lot cheaper. You may even be able to pick one up for a few hundred bucks. Maybe even less, if you are lucky.
What Brake Horsepower Is The K24A4?
The K24A4 is based on the A1 of the series rather than the A2. Why this matters is that the A1 uses a much more suitable compression ratio for what this engine is trying to achieve. Which are power and torque. There is often a trade-off between the two. More power often comes at the sacrifice of torque, and vice versa.
The K24A4 comes with 160 brake horsepower as standard and 161 lb/ft of torque. The A4 was actually designed to be better for new (at the time) emissions rules. This resulted in the rerouting of the intake manifold which may have arguably reduced performance slightly but was necessary for the new emissions test. This can be rectified after the fact if you feel so inclined.
Is The K24A4 A Reliable Engine?
In terms of reliability, the K24A4 is actually a pretty great engine. It is one of Honda’s better builds though there are some common issues that you should be aware of. None of them are especially problematic so long as you keep an eye out for them and work swiftly to fix them should they arise. First, they are prone to oil leakages.
As are any combustion engines, but the K24A4 just tends to leak a little more. Rapid wear and tear on the exhaust camshaft is also a common issue after the engine has seen some miles. Some K24A4 engines can suffer from carbon buildup on the intake valve due to there being no port injection, only direct injection. Though this is more common on the K24W. This can be quite damaging if left unchecked resulting in loss of power and a fractured valve train.
What Is The Lifetime Range/Lifespan Of A K24A4?
The lifetime range of a K24A4, from when it is driven out of the manufacturing plant until the engine needs to be more or less completely scrapped is about 300k miles. Which is pretty darn good for an engine that has been around for so long. Sure there have been little changes along the way but the K24A4 stays true to the value proposition of the original K series designs far more than many other engines in the series.
If you are purchasing a Honda, or custom build, that has a K24A4 engine in you are aiming for something with around 100k miles on the clock. Sure, you still have about 60% of its potential life left but this is a realistic point at which the engine is still in pretty good shape. The closer you get to 150k miles the closer you are to more major problems.
Can I Turbo Boost The K24A4 Engine?
You absolutely can turbo boost the K24A4 and it actually even recommended to do so. The k24A4 is far more customizable than the 1,2, or even 3 in the series. Many people decide to get a full stage one turbo kit on the K24A4 for about $600 – $750.
The compression levels of the engine and combustion chamber are actually very similar for most turbo kits and the K24A4. The compression levels will be needed to be reduced slightly from standard but not by a notable amount. With a stage 1 turbo kit and a new-ish K24A4 engine, you can probably expect to have about 300 brake horsepower and 164 lb to ft of torque. Not bad, right?
What Cars Come With A K24A4 Engine As Standard?
The K24A4 engine comes as standard on a ton of Honda vehicles including the Honda Element, Honda Accord, and Honda Odyssey, The K24A (Not just the A4) is found on the Honda CR-V, Acura TSX, Honda Civic Si, and Acura TLX. It has had a pretty good run over some pretty iconic Honda vehicles, especially the CR-V which has managed to cement itself in the hearts of car fanatics the world over.
Conclusion:
So, is the K24A4 a good motor? If you consider longevity, good value for money, good performance, and high levels of upgradability/customizability as good, then yeah it is a pretty good motor. Thanks for reading and hopefully this blog post answered any of your questions about the K24 A4 engine and its quality or reliability.
