Honda - CRV, my check engine light is on. The mechanic said I cylinder is bad?

Honda - CRV, my check engine light is on. The mechanic said I cylinder is bad? - 1

OK. So what do you expect anyone on an international Internet Q&A forum to do about it? If the cylinder is bad, get it fixed!

Get a second opinion.

What does he mean by "bad" the cylinder is damaged? Or the spark plug or fuel injector is bad?

What you need to do is have the mechanic attach an OBD code reader to the vehicle, then you look at the codes that will be displayed, then look @ this site - www.obd-codes.com - and see what the codes mean + what needs to be done for repairs… THAT info is what the mechanic needs to go by

I highly doubt a cylinder itself is actually bad, I would think the most likely fault that someone may describe as that would be head gasket failure (the sealing point between head (top of the motor), and block (lower 3/4 of motor) which can cause coolant getting into the cylinder (not good, will cause misfires especially on startup), exhaust gasses crossing to another cylinder (also bad, but effects multiple cylinders), exhaust gasses getting into cooling system (bad, causes overheating)

That is, I think the most likely scenario from how little information is given, But I'm a mechanic and would say that is a very poor explanation to give to the customer, because it actually gives little to no real information and really leaves real trust issues as to whether they are doing right by you. So unless you really trust this mechanic (and he just sucks at explaining) I would take it to another mechanic, they can identify the fault, and present what a solution would be.

Having a check engine light on, there will be a fault code in the system, which will give the mechanic one point in the right direction (not the solution like some people think) then other checks need to be performed, like in your situation tests like, pressure test of cooling system (will be able to see through spark plug hole if coolant enters the cylinder), compression test or leak down test (either can tell you if gasses are passing between 2 cylinders)

If your CR-V is first generation (1997-2001) the big concern is a burned valve. That engine is notorious for the valve clearances tightening up, and if the valves are not adjusted every 30K miles the valves can reach the point where one will not close completely, allowing the combustion gases to burn the valve. See the first source.

Ask the mechanic if it is misfiring due to plugs or injectors or if it is due to low compression. What is the trouble code? You can post another question with more information.