well so far there's only been two of them, at least in the US market.

J30A1 = 97-99 3.0CL and 98-02 Accord V6
J30A4 = 2003+ Accord V6

 

there you go

 

I'm really surprised that Honda didn't change the designation to J30A2 when they added DIS in 2000.

 

They completely revamped the J32A1 motor going from 99 to 00 (dumped VTEC-E cams among other things) and still called it a "J32A1" also. Dunno what their exact criteria for what gets and doesn't get a new designation. :gotme:

 

I always assumed that when Honda added the direct ignition, that the designation became j30a2. I guess I was wrong.

I also hear that the j30a3 is the designation for the Odyssey: http://www.bosch.com.au/productcatalogue/sat/products/files/efi_vehicleapplications.pdf (scroll down and look at the Honda engine designations)

I 've also seen the j30a3 in reference to the i-vetc 3.0 used in the JDM Inspire.

 

In the US the Odyssey uses a 3.5L engine though. does it use a 3.0 overseas?

 

They completely revamped the J32A1 motor going from 99 to 00 (dumped VTEC-E cams among other things) and still called it a "J32A1" also. Dunno what their exact criteria for what gets and doesn't get a new designation. :gotme:

Are you saying the 00's - 02's do not have the VTEC-E? So both intake valves open below VTEC?

 

No, no I wish but no all 6th-gen AV6s have the same crappy cams Steve was talking about the J32A1 3.2TL engine.

 

That is what I thought. I must be tired... I could have sworn I read J30, but now I see that it is J32. my fault.

I am going to bed!

 

In the US the Odyssey uses a 3.5L engine though. does it use a 3.0 overseas?

I assume so.

I also found this speculation: http://www.vtec.net/forums/one-message?message_id=121997

 

My 01 AV6 had the better LEV emissions and also DIS and nope, it was still a "J30A1". Although Honda did do a bunch of different engines on the F23A 4-bangers.

F23A1: LEV
F23A4: ULEV
F23A5: non-VTEC base

They also had a special SULEV engine that was only available in Cali on certain models. No idea what the code for that one was. I guess Honda is inconsistent in their policy.

 

I think the SULEV engine was the F23Z4 or something like that. I'll have to look it up...

 

so, how would someone go about removing the vtec-e? so we can get a lil more power.. cls cams? -Jai

 

so, how would someone go about removing the vtec-e? so we can get a lil more power.. cls cams? -Jai

yes

 

hmm still havent seen anyone post their gains from it on a dyno..

 

I guess Honda is inconsistent in their policy.

Each engine series (J series, B series, etc) follows it's own designations for the different types within an engine series. It seems they do this because Honda makes so many different engines that going by one consistent designation setup would end up have conflicting issues. But you are right, all of Honda's and Acura's engines do not go by one policy.

The only thing in the engine codes that remain consistent are:

J = Engine series
30 = Liters of displacement

The last two parts don't follow this:

A = Cam setup (A on J series = SOHC)
1 = Number that designates that type (version) of engine within the series

It's not hard to understand when you stay inside the same engine series .

I 've also seen the j30a3 in reference to the i-vetc 3.0 used in the JDM Inspire.

I would assume this is not so. When following Honda's criteria a cam setup change would designate for a different letter. It would either be a J30B or J30C (guessing J30B).

 

Yes Chris I know what the letters and numbers mean. Thanks. :bonk:

I would assume this is not so. When following Honda's criteria a cam setup change would designate for a different letter. It would either be a J30B or J30C (guessing J30B).

Chris, where is this criteria defined by Honda? Please show me some links. No, it doesn't mean that the Inspire would be a B or C engine. Normally the letter indicates a completely different head design. Like a B18B and B18C are two totally different heads on the Integra. The Inspire thingy looks like it could just be a fancy cam setup.

And we've seen here that Honda can still make major update to both the cam and head design of an engine and still not call the engine something different. i.e., the 99 and 00TL had very different 3.2L engines, yet they're both still called J32A1.

 

I would assume this is not so. When following Honda's criteria a cam setup change would designate for a different letter. It would either be a J30B or J30C (guessing J30B).

Nope. The 99 TL uses vtec-E, and is the J32A1. The newer ones don't use Vtec-E, but are still J32A1.

 

Nope. The 99 TL uses vtec-E, and is the J32A1. The newer ones don't use Vtec-E, but are still J32A1.

That is true but Acura never listed the 99 TL engine as a Vtec-E engine like Honda does with some of the Civic engines. Thus the reason they never changed it from A to B. But it still stayed the same number (last part of the engine designation) so that part has me stumped .

 

That is true but Acura never listed the 99 TL engine as a Vtec-E engine like Honda does with some of the Civic engines.

Because it's not "technically" a VTEC-E engine, although it does use a VTEC-E "style" low-end cam.

Thus the reason they never changed it from A to B.

WHO SAYS they have to change from an A to B designation if making a simple cam update or tweaking the existing head design? :gotme:

But it still stayed the same number (last part of the engine designation) so that part has me stumped .

You're ASSuming things again. :smash:

 

If you apply the same rules as the 4 bangers to our motors then the C motor is our J version of the DOHC.... Also the numbers are the displacement size of the motor and letter following would be the type of cam followed by the last number being the series in the motor type. Of course this is based on the idea of how the 4 bagers are generally designated.....

 

Oh no, Plum's attempt at whoring this thread is getting him owned by Steve:laugh: J/K Plum

It must take one heckuva change to get the number designation upped on a J-series engine. Like Steve said, they changed the cams, knock-sensors and the intake manifold on the J32A1 and it's name remained J32A1. Maybe the compression ratio has to change, too? The only differences between the J32A1 and the J32A2 are the variable intake manifold, higher compression pistons, freer flowing intake and exhaust systems, and the cams. That was enough to bump it up a point to J32A2. Then you have the J30A4 which got bumped up 3 points over the J30A1 but that's understandable given all of the changes, I guess.

 

So . . . .


In the end, there's the j30a1 (1997 - 2002); and the j30a4 (2003 - ????) and that's it?!?!?!?

 

at least in the US market, yes. I'm pretty sure there are some other versions of the J30 overseas, but have no idea what the specs or code is. It's tough enough to find all of that info just for US models, much less overseas market stuf, lol :gapteeth:

 

Cool.


Thanks to everyone who responded! :bowdown: