So it's been almost a month since I first noticed this grinding issue and we just had an extended cold spell here and no grinds whatsoever doing the on-off-start trick. No idea if it's the bendix or the VTC but I really hope I didn't just jinx myself... sometimes things don't have to make sense.

If only I could find a trick that gets the burnt out dash lights to come back on...

 

I hope I catch your luck. I'm still doing that *trick* out of pure superstition. It never works on cold days, and always *works* on warm days. I'm in Toronto Canada, so we've had a bunch of cold days in the past two weeks, but a couple above freezing. The trick worked on the above freezing days

 

I am sorry to hear that -- does yours grind when it is warm also? Mine only does it when it is cold, warm is fine. I wonder if it will keep wearing until the trick stops working for me...

I have heard it is possible to clean and relube the bendix and get it working right again, if that is in fact the issue.

 

only grinds when its cold out. For now... If you come across a diy on how to relube the bendix I'd be interested. I imagine that the work involved in taking out the starter and dismantling it...could be just as easily spent putting in a new reman starter. The cheapest one on rockauto is about $130.

 

My 2011 Fit was making that initial grind/screech at first cold-weather start-up, and the rest of day normal starts, and no noise at all if it's above 40/45 degrees.
My mechanic said he had a customer with an Accord - same problem - replaced the starter, did not solve the problem. Honda fixed it by adjusting the timing chain tensioner - the chain was getting slack when cold and the noise was the chain snapping taut again upon start-up. (he thought there might have been a service bulletin on it for Accords)

 

No noise whenever I plug in my engine block heater. Noise whenever I don't. Morning start only at freezing or below. Fine the rest of the day

 

Wow, that is interesting. Did your mechanic fix yours? Do you know if the grinding is doing damage? I'm still trying my trick two years later, but it only works about half the time. If I can time the start so I let off the key right as the engine is about to fire, I can minimize the grind, but it's hard to time it right when cold...

 

I found this on an Accord forum -- sounds exactly like my problem and explains the racket at startup. Someone had mentioned this earlier, but haven't found it confirmed for a 2008 Fit that there is an improved replacement part.

"I believe that the R5A actuator IS the permanent fix as far as Honda North America is concerned. I had mine done about a year ago and it has rattled exactly ONE time since. Prior to the repair mine would rattle on every single cold start, regardless of temperature. The rattle/grind is caused by the locking pin inside the actuator being in the wrong position at start-up which causes the actuator (attached to the end of the camshaft) to drag until the pin can get itself into the proper position. This small drag on the cam causes the timing chain to lash against the tensioner and guides every single time it happens. Over many repetitions and how ever many thousands of miles this WILL cause the timing chain tensioner to weaken and eventually fail. It is the damage to the tensioner that causes the damage to the engine, not the VTC actuator itself. Can you drive with the rattle, for years and many thousands of miles? Yes Is it a good idea to roll the dice this way? No Honda knows all of this, and what chaps me is that they continue to allow people to spend their own money to fix their engineering snafu.

Unfortunately no, there is no way for you, as the driver, to control what that actuator is going to do. The new part number IS an improvement in most cases, as it stops the malfunction from occurring either entirely or reduces the incidence of failure by a large percentage. People early on swore by the "key trick", thinking that oil pressure (or the presence of oil in the top half of the motor) was the solution, but that has largely been proven false."

 

My 2008 Fit has never done this, but my 2012 CRV has done it since new. Honda says it's the VTC actuator, and that it's not harmful. Not sure I believe Honda on that. In any event, turning the key to ON for a few seconds before starting sometimes helps on mine, but it's more trouble than it's worth to me so I just start normally and endure the grinding and hope Honda is correct.

 

I can speculate that when most power goes to starter other circuits are starving for current causing solenoids (including VTC) to shudder. I replaced my battery (prorated) when during the cold start the voltage dropped low enough to trigger the ABS low voltage code. At the same time my starter made "after start noise". In theory it is possible that arcing between the main solenoid contacts caused them to "weld" and not to open immediately after key was released

 

Hi all, got here because I have the same issue on my Fit, the trick didn't work for me as first stated, turning the key on then off etc, but it does work (every single time) with a variation, ie if I turn the key to on and wait 20 seconds or more the grind does not happen.

Anybody else experiencing this? Any clues?

 

Happened to my 07 CRV for a couple years with cold starts. Once it got to a point of doing it even in warm weather I knew it was time to replace. My 07 Fit does this as well on cold starts. So its only a matter of time till it will need replaced.

 

Ok but I don't understand why the trick works.

 

So the trick stopped working, the noise was still there with cold starts, even in the hot summer.
2 weeks ago I had to replace the battery with a brand new one and the noise was still there.
Since the battery is so low in capacity and I use the radio with the engine off for 15\20 minutes a day I thought I would give one of those (toy?) solar chargers a try.
The panel is supposed to keep the charge or slow down the discharge, it cannot charge an empty battery; it can either work by attaching it directly to the battery connectors (best option but impractical) or through the cigarette lighter, if the socket is live. (Since the Honda cuts the power to the cigarette lighter when you remove the key I resorted to using the panel by leaving the key in the block position and locking the car manually with a second key.)
It's only been a few days but whenever i do this, even when I turn on the engine 4 hours after sunset and the temperature has dropped I do not get the grinding noise; I still get the odd early morning grinding noise (I disconnect the panel at night).
Just coincidence or the noise could also be a matter of weak battery?

 

I read this whole thread since it got revived in November. My '08 has been doing this for five for six years. I just chalked it up to a bad starter or starter solenoid sticking.

I was just going to wait until it just got so bad I thought failure sounded imminent, but jond63's post indicates that the problem isn't the starter. Will replacing the starter fix this problem. Do people just deal with it, or wait until failure? As for me and others, it occurs only when it is cold or sometimes rainy.

Also Doctor_J's post here seems to confuse me as well:
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...ml#post1418854

This thread goes on and on about it:
https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/3rd-...e-issue-3.html
And some think it is related to oil and filters. I change oil and filter when prompted (although I get filter each time even when not indicated by the prompt). My plan is to start changing my oil myself instead of letting the local quick shops use the shop filters. Seems odd to me that this could happen based on the filter, but...

Just curious if anyone has successfully stopped this on your 1 Gen Fit.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tavz72n8yj...ecord.mp3?dl=0
In two words: replace starter
Adding grease to planetary, and/or replacing solenoid is usually taking care of the noise
In details:
a) Go to the wrecking yard and pull the starter out. If you are lucky, you'll will find rebuild one identified by new starter body bolts, clean aluminum parts and new shiny solenoid. One with red label is the Ultima brand from O'Reilly's. You can rip the radiator and a/c condenser out to help you visualize what you are doing and speedup removal process (be sure that a/c system is discharged).
b) After obtaining starter, take it apart, inspect (add grease), put it back together and bring it into at least 3 stores for free testing
b) Learn how to remove and install the starter on your car; you will be dealing with:
Super tight starter mounting bolts (hard to access)
Stubborn dipstick tube
Fat connectors of aftermarket solenoid
Good luck! (another option to trade your car for another disposable self -propelled POS with large LCD screen and wireless phone with road rage control

 

My car makes the same noise at startup. Like metal on metal grinding. I bought the car used with 127.000 miles.. I just hope its not something serious.