Good afternoon everyone! (07 Sport AT 144k)

When my car is idling at a stoplight I feel a vibration every 3/4 of a second that lasts for about 1/4 second, and it seems like it's coming from the engine. Would this be a motor mount issue? New spark plugs? Coil packs? It's much more noticable in drive as in neutral it's not really there. Maybe that's a tranny fluid symptom? I'm low on money and not really able to be buying many parts at it fixing this one issue. It doesn't seem like my RPM's are high or fluctuating when this occurs.

I have a 99 Saturn SL1 that always needs new upper motor mounts; is this a car that eats through them as well?

 

It seems similar to this thread. No Solution in it, either! Number 11 has it dead on. It's like a heart beat and everyone can feel it.

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...tion-idle.html

 

Have you cleaned the throttle body lately? It might be ignition coil and/or spark plugs. If its the coils or spark plugs, you won't be getting that much power. I did a self test for my ignition coils, if I turn on my AC all the way, my car would stutter. Do you have rough idling in the being when you start the car?

 

The vibration isn't anywhere near as noticeable when I turn it on. When it's warm it's very noticeable. I don't really feel a loss of power, but then again I've only owned this car for about a month now. When I turn the AC on or headlights I hear and see the RPMs compensate, but it's not the same as the constant every 3/4 sec vibration.

 

Should I replace the spark plugs as my first option?

 

Has anybody tried cleaning the IAC valve?

This guy has a nice youtube for cleaning the IAC on an Accord.

 

Could be a coil pack on its last leg. I had a slight vibration when my coil packs were going bad, but they weren't causing misfires. Gradually it got worse and worse and then I replaced them (just a few weeks ago) and now idle is so smooth.

 

if it is vibrating when it warms up then start looking at your valve clearance. the exhaust side has a nasty habit of getting itself out of spec on the tight side.

coil packs are a very likely reason as well.

 

Are these the coil packs? Is it safe to go with the top ones?

2007 HONDA FIT Spark Plug (Coil-On-Plug) Boot,

 

Those are just the boots, the bottom part. Not sure if it will solve the problem, honestly, it's just 8 bucks so you can't really go wrong.

When my coil packs went bad I replaced the entire thing, cause there's really nothing in the boot that goes bad, it's mostly the entire coil pack...well, that's what I think, after diagnosing the boot I saw that there's nothing more than a spring, a fuse, and another spring, that's about it.

 

I just installed those. They work great so far. There has been mention on this forum of generic coil packs going bad sooner than OEM (20k miles? not these specifically though), but even if that ends up being the case, they're so much cheaper than the full coil packs, for me I think they're the way to go. Although I know many here would recommend the $53.79 Hitachi OEM full coil pack.

Does anyone have long term experience with just replacing the boots?

 

The cheapest full ignition coil pack is $41 each... Geez!

I though someone on here said they got four aftermarket ones for $40 or so...

 

Yeah you can. I went that route (some eBay coil packs) and they lasted me about 20k miles with the last 6k miles with a check engine light and rough start ups. Then one just died (fired at random intervals, running rich) spontaneously causing a continuous misfire. Basically it wasn't drivable, it was in limp mode until I put the new coil packs in. However a good amount of blame can go to that loose spark plug causing fuel to go on the coil pack! I'm surprised it didn't blow up or anything (was just a pain in the rear to get it out, it was coming out in like 10 pieces)

 

Did you go with cheap EBAY ones again or did you go actual OEM? It sounds like the loose spark plug absolutely destroyed the coil pack if it was letting gas through. I wouldn't attribute the failure to the coil pack if gasoline was getting all over it.

 

Your issue sounds similar to mine. I replaced coil packs and spark plugs and now I'm all good.

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/1232568-post6981.html

 

checked your spark plug wires and connections. do the simple stuff first. good luck.

 

I had a similiar feeling crop up over the last month and it worsed to the point where I was hearing a chirp..I also had a strong fuel smell that I wasnt sure was related....

long story short: Honda mech didnt tighten the plugs to spec and they gradually loosed (2 were hand loose) an were bumping the coil.....

try this to rule that out, and be very careful:

with the engine running you should be able to see the top of your coil pack from the passenger side (usa) of the car.....put your finger on the top.....does it feel like a strong heartbeat? if so it might be loose and moving around during combustion (there was another thread here where someone's plug blew out of the hole and needed to be tapped) if its weak or not there thats good.....

but take it from me, if one is loose, have all of them tightened to spec! I had the opportunity to do this when I replaced a plug and coil pack on my own....was afraid since I didnt have a torque wrench and didnt want to chance messing up the threads.

I'm sure the loose plugs were behind my horrible fuel smell, fuel trim issues, and my reduced mpg (25mpg) and a CEL for my Cat that I cleared and am monitoring to see if it comes back....

Hope this helps you or someone else on the boards

 

I went OEM (Hitachi).

My other coil packs were dying too, I was getting a P0304, and a P0302, and a couple of random misfires.

P0302 (cylinder 2) was the one with the loose spark plug, it was all wet with gasoline and smelled like it too.

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My misfires were there before the loose spark plug, I believe. When the spark plug got loose that's when my car became undrivable.

Reasons why I think so:

1. It never smelled like gas when I used to get misfires before.
2. Never did it stutter so badly
3. Never went into limp mode

So the coil packs weren't too good to begin with is what I'm trying to say.

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Plus, other people have had similar luck with aftermarket coil packs (that they last only a little bit), they just aren't of the right quality I guess.

Aftermarket isn't bad if you're on a budget and can't afford shoving 200 dollars all at once on Hitachi's which will probably last a 100k. But keep in mind you're going to end up spending just as much if you get aftermarket coil packs which will last you 30-35k at most, but just over a longer period of time.

 

I was going to say "check timing" but you said RPMs don't go up/down.

The fit (Especially the GD) does not have very good factory motor mounts. Check all mounts, including transmission mounts, and see if the rubbers are broken.

Check factory links and stabilizer bars and see if their nuts/lugs are tight enough.

Another thing you could check is the exhaust heat shields. They tend to vibrate when they're getting lose.

P.S. rockauto sells cheap OEM coil packs.

 

This may sound funny, but what's your idle RPM? I have a similar issue that was caused by me having my (independent) fogs on while I did an idle relearn. If the fogs/headlights/blower motor are off the idle dips down to about 700 and I have a surge every second or two. The moment I turn any electrical stuff on the idle goes up a hundred RPM or so and the surge goes away. Something stupid simple (and free!) to check before you throw money at it.