Definitely not a transmission problem, everything is 100% A-OK there, I have just noticed that the tick is more apparent; could be that most cars idle at a slightly different speed when in P as opposed to D.

If it weren't for the tick, everything about the car is 100% good to go, no CELs, drive-ability, economy or performance issues whatsoever. Just averaged 35MPG on my last tank.

 

That is good. Try thicker oil 5/10w30 and premium gas. If its still there then its normal... The motor is always going to tick because of the all aluminum motor. Just where is the tick coming from is the issue. Like I said before its part of the experience of owning a high compression all aluminum motor.

 

I don't know if I had a brain storm or a brain fart but I believe I have figured out the reason my car makes an outrageous amount of racket when it is first started up when it is cold outside....It's the damned rocker arm oil control valve.. The rocker arm oil pressure switch that activates the VTEC transition to actuate all of the intake rockers and valves is dependent on elevated oil pressure to work.. When it is very cold the oil viscosity is higher than when the engine is warm and the VTEC is either trying to work or working... With the large intake pipe to the supercharger and very large Spectre oiled cotton filter and bell shaped velocity stack type intake, the early VTEC actuation programmed by Hondata into my ECU, the loud header and over sized exhaust creates a lot of noise...When the engine is driven before warming up the noise sounds closer to normal as the revs build and when it warms up when being driven slowly for 1/2 mile and I stop at the county Rd it has quieted down and the intake and rocker arm noise sounds normal because once the oil is warm oil pressure drops and only half of the intake valves are activated .. The rocker arm oil control valve is the cause of the noise at start up that goes away when it warms...

 

^^Maybe so. But my car makes the noise when it is fully warmed, even hot.

Besides, what kind of a valve would make a rapid tapping noise? This is don't get.

 

Yes, I recently switched to running just Chevron Premium; maybe it's a placebo but the noise seems to be a little better and is unnoticeable after driving on the highway for a bit.

Changing the oil soon with standard 5W-20 next week. In the meantime all seems well other than the tapping from time to time.

 

Does your car make this noise while idling after start up but quit making the noise while idling when fully warm?

 

Yes, when it warms up the idle speed decreases and there is much less mechanical noise.. It has always done this, but after the Hondata reflash that changes the VTEC setting to activate at lower RPM the intake and exhaust is so much louder that it is difficult to pinpoint the mechanical noise without a stethoscope.. Whenever I get around to doing a valve adjustment I should be able to see exactly how the rocker arm control arm and switch activates all of the intake valves to open at the same time....

 

I'll try to say this without hurting your feelings. I don't think you understand how oil works. It's a lubricant. At the appropriate temperature and viscosity, it coats the moving surfaces of the engine. Using a thicker, non-recommended oil defeats this outcome. Oil does not and can not fix something that is mechanically broken. Is your aim to muffle the noise? What good would that do?

 

Your car has a lot of miles so try a 10w30 oil. As your car wears the clearances get bigger. I know someone who uses 10w30 and has 0 problems in his Honda even with the Chicago winters and I assume the oil my dealer uses is 5w30 bulk from Conoco.

Its not a placebo effect. It is a known fact that the ecu advances timing which results in a more efficient running engine. From 1996 a Honda engine is capable of running 87 to 96 r/m octane or higher but with no benefit unless there is knock and more btus in the fuel for an additional gain in mpg.

 

Most 5w20 synthetic is thicker or heavier than 10w30 mineral oil. There is nothing broken if the motor runs and if the motor gets quieter then the problem is solved. Most likely its the thrust bearing and a thick oil will cushion the sound.

 

huh?

 

I'll try to say this without hurting your feelings as well--I think you need to re-read what I wrote. I completely 100% understand how oil works; been in the automotive business for the majority of my working life--that's why I'm sticking with 5W-20 as mentioned (This is what Honda recommends in the owners manual). Perhaps you misunderstood?

 

You are correct. I misunderstood. My eye fell upon SilverBullet's post, to which you were responding.

Apologies.

 

No worries, just had to defend myself

It would be nice if someone finally tracks this noise down!

 

It was so loud today that I could hear it over the radio inside my car. When I blipped the throttle, it stopped. This has occurred before and makes me wonder if Texas Coyote's "It's a valve" theory is beginning to make sense. Still, someone will have to explain to me how a valve can do all this rapid tapping plus (in my case) vibration.

 

The rocker arm control valve assembly is located on the left side of the cylinder head behind and facing the right intake runner... It has 2 wires connected to the top of it and 3 bolts securing it to the head.... The connector to the left is to the rocker arm oil pressure switch, the one to the right is the rocker arm oil control solenoid that activates the control valve... I pinpointed the source of the mechanical noise to it with a stethoscope.. There is also noise from the fuel rail and PCV lines but they have a consistent sound when the engine is warm and the rocker arm oil control valve housing quietens down... My ECU was reflashed to activate VTEC at lower RPM so the oil pressure and revs are high enough in cold weather to do so at idle making the intake and exhaust very loud also...There should be a code if there was a problem but I haven't had one and I suppose no one else has either.. I will Know more after I pull off the intake manifold to install another one and adjust the valves... It won't be a big deal to remove the control valve assembly at that time to see how it works and replace the filter on it... I remember that someone replaced the filter on his or had it off for some reason.. It was a recent post and he lost some coolant on hie garage floor.. I can't remember why or what the results of doing this was.... Oh well, like Dan Quayle said in a speech at UNCF "A mind is a terrible thing to lose"..Old age is catching up and my memory is getting to where it won't remember anything that is relevant..

 

Thanks, Coyote.

I've had my stethoscope all over the engine, including that area (because you have mentioned this before), and I could not hear any noise that was different from what every other part of the engine was making.

Not saying you are wrong. Just saying that I am baffled.

 

Like I said I could be having a brain fart... Try checking the sound from where I described with your stethoscope after you have came in from a drive to see if it hasn't gotten quieter than it had been at start up before the oil has warmed up.. It wouldn't seem as logical to me if not for the increased intake and exhaust noise after the VTEC activation was changed to take place at lower revs than when stock... With 16 rocker arms there is no way the engine isn't going to have more mechanical noise the a V8 with hydraulic lifters and the same amount of valves.. It is still a lot quieter than a Harley that has been changed from hydraulic lifters with 0 clearance adjustment to solid lifters with a large amount of clearance.

 

My sound is 100% coming from the bottom end. The sound can be heard best from between the intake runners on the cylinders 2 and 3 using a stethoscope. The sound shown in my video is definitely not a valvetrain noise, its not consistent enough to be valves, rockers, or springs.

To whomever stated that using premium fuel made the sound better, what you are hearing is probably spark knock.

Crankshaft thrust bearing noise is absurd. If it was a thrust bearing, the engine wouldn't last much more than a couple thousand more miles..

So far, so good with my car. Since the weather has been warmer, it has gotten less pronounced.

-kirk

 

But, Kirko, if it was bottom end noise, it would be consistent, not intermittent, no?