Ok, I adjusted the valve clearance and it seemed to me that all where loose. I used the smallest feeler gauge Honda has speced (Intake: 0.006, Exhaust: 0.010) and the noise is considerably gone but I still hear some slight valvetrain noise when in 1st gear going about 5-10 mph. But all in all it is gone almost completely. I think I should adjust it again but I already tightened it down as close as possible without deviating from factory specs and not to mention I did it in an apartment complex's parking lot while under the sun for about 5 hrs, so I have no plans on doing it anytime soon unless it goes back to it's old ways. My next plan is to adjust it at least 20,000 miles from now.

Some people do it far more quickly but this is my first time doing adjustments on valves and don't have a second car so messing things up would cause me a lot of problems.

So I would like to post pics. on how to DIY if Rhyneba wouldn't mind because he is the one who first said that he will provide us a DIY. How can I post pics here? Would photobucket work?

 

How much resistence is there when you pull out the feeler guage?

Did you use an angled feeler guage or straight feeler guage?

There are timing marks to line up for two of the cylinders when you are trying to get a piston to TDC (top dead center). How do you get the other two pistons to TDC when there are no timing marks for the other two pistons?

 

The resistance I felt was a little bit on the low side IMO. Again you have to take all of my opinion with a little grain of salt as this was my first time adjusting valves. I adjusted them to the point of giving me a little bit more drag than what they where when first checked. Your looking for a drag that's not to much but not too little either. It's kind of hard to explain as this is the kind of thing that you might want to call an "acquired skill".

I used an angled feeler gauge. Mine had a 45 degree angle to it. You may be able to use a flat one but from how I had to use the feeler gauge when adjusting the exhaust side, I think the angled one is better. Can't really comment if the flat one is sufficient as I didn't have the flat feeler gauge.

There are timing marks for each of the piston. From what I know is that on a 4 banger engine, if one piston is at TDC, the other one should also be at TDC ( 2 at a time) but, there are timing marks on the cam sprocket for each of the piston.

"Up"= piston 1 TDC
3=piston 3 TDC
4=piston 4 TDC
2= piston 2 TDC.

That's the order of the marking on the cam sprocket when rotating the crank clockwise. You'll also see the cam sprocket rotating clockwise.

I also made sure after aligning each of the piston to it's TDC position to "shake" the intake and exhaust rocker arm so I can feel the small "slack" the rocker arm has to be sure that the valves that I am about to adjust is the right one. Both intake and exhaust sides should have some slack to ensure that they are at TDC. If only the intake is loose or vise versa and you've already made sure that you are trying to adjust the right valves (i.e. up= piston 1 TDC, adjusting valves at piston 1), then they are out of spec and you must loosen either the intake or exhaust.

 

You're right -- adjusting valves is very touchy feely, and as much an art as a science. Doing it twice helps, if only for peace of mind. A set of Step Blade Feeler Gauges takes a lot of guesswork out of the process.

 

I found a youtube video on a valve adjustment for a s2k.

Honda S2000 F20C Tappet/Valve adjustment Parts 1-4:

YouTube - Honda S2000 F20C Tappet/Valve adjustment Part 1

YouTube - Honda S2000 F20C Tappet/Valve adjustment Part 2

YouTube - Honda S2000 F20C Tappet/Valve adjustment Part 3

YouTube - Honda S2000 F20C Tappet/Valve adjustment Part 4

Watch Part 4. Use the highest gap setting feeler guage and tighten down on it. Then pull the feeler guage out by using a plier and yank out the feeler guage.

 

Ok after spending about 5 hours on doing a step by step DIY with pictures in here, apparently I timed out so after I finished and hit post, a window saying that I am trying to log in yada yada yada (forgot the exact expanation) appeared and said I have to hit back button. Tried hitting back but just kept bringing me back to the attempting page and tried hitting back 2 time to go back to the post window, and BAAM everything I did is gone. Tsk tsk. I should have been smart enough to have copy pasted everything I typed but was to engulfed in trying to post so sucks for me. LOL.

Ok back on topic,

Xm8,


After watching all the posted videos, he mentioned about doing a method called "go-no-go" and him hearing reviews about it making a smoother sounding engine. So he is going a step down below minimum factory spec basically. He said that the feeler gauge on the left is 0.009 which is below the minimum of what is spec'd so meaning that the one he used for the "no-go" (first measurement) is a 0.010 for the exhaust valves. He didn't use the highest. He then used the 0.009 feeler gauge to check that he still has tolerance even though he didn't go by the "having a smooth drag on the feeler gauge" method because he tightened the lowest feeler gauge way down for him to use a plier to yank it out. Might try it next time I adjust my valves. Good piece of information.

Selden,

That is about the same one as what I have but mine has a 45 degree angle to it.

Yup, more like an art. LOL. yup checked it twice and majority of the noise is gone. Might try the method in the forth video xm8 has posted next time.

 

My friend has a 2009 Fit with 32k that is exhibiting a light vibration during warm idle, and a very pronounced vibration during cold start-up. There is also a little bit of "clatter" during light acceleration.

I brought the car to the dealer today and mentioned the engine vibration at idle, but not the clatter.

The tech came back and said that he found in the code history, a cyl #3 misfire at one point. No CEL is or has ever been on though. He also found the short-term fuel trim to be at 1.02 and the MAP voltage to be at 0.96v.

His recommendation is to come back next week for a valve adjustment, as they have to order the clips, valve cover gasket, throttle body gasket and intake manifold gaskets first.

I'll keep this thread updated on the outcome.

 

GD3 here. This description is exactly what I have right now on my AT... in reverse and in drive, if I'm next to a wall or in my garage and I start moving up in rpm a bit (probably from idle up to 2k or so), I can hear a definite chatter/clatter/tapping noise coming from the engine. It's not there when the car is revved in park or neutral, only when I'm slowly accelerating in R or D by a wall/car/etc where the sound is amplified. Very hard to hear unless I'm driving right by something that will amplify the sound as I go by. The noise isn't the clicking/chatter from the engine at idle that most people report from the Fit, it's something I only hear at low speeds.

It goes away once I'm out of the lower rpm's and pick up some speed. Had the valves adjusted 10k miles ago. Definitely bugging me to hear it every time I pull out of a drive thru with my windows down or every time I reverse out of my garage. Car runs like a champ though so I don't know if it's an issue or not. Seems like alot of GE8 owners have the same sound too though even with different engines?

 

I had the same thing coming from inside of dashboard (sounding like it was coming for the engine) i have 10' honda fit sport. Its comes and goes but usually i hear it most when idle. Anyone have an idea what that is?

 

I notice this sound in my car (4400 miles) at low RPM (below 2000) when I'm just sort of trundling along with little pressure on the accelerator.

Since I have owned diesel cars, the best I can describe the sound is that it is very much like that...like a small-car diesel idling. It is faint and disappears under load.

So, what does the group recommend for those of us that are not (ahem) skilled enough to mess around with our valve clearance? Do I take it in?

 

Try reading the first 6 pages of this thread and you might get a hint .

 

Cmj912,

Try having a dealer check it. I don't mean to discourage you, but if you've read my earlier posts, they might give you the same answer as I got when I brought my car in.

Seems like the general consesus here is that a lot of people hear/experience this noise. This probably means that at least with GE8s', it might be a normal characteristic of at least L15A engines as long as it's not so loud. Again I just think ok folks. Some have had their valves adjusted with success of eliminating the sound, and some (at least me that I know of) still have th noise even after adjustments, though lessened. This could be the product of my incompetence in adjusting valve lash as it was my first time doing it.

By the time I adjust my valves again using the go-no go method, I'll post my review if it has eliminated my engines noise.

As a disclaimer, it is not recommended to deviate from factory specifications.

I'm planning on using to go-no go method at my own risk and be absolutely sure that the noise you are hearing is in fact the valves and not something loose that would otherwise mimick the audible characteristics of the valves.

 

Hey all. I just bought my 2010 M/T fit a week ago. It had 197 miles when I picked it up. I took it on a trip out of state last week and put about 900 miles on it. As of today it has right around 1100 miles. I have not driven it very hard, barely pushed it over 5K RPM a few times. Definitely have NOT red-lined it.

Today it started making a strange loud rattling noise. The engine noise changed drastically, and I could distinctly hear it while driving. The sound got really crunchy. I got out and lifted the hood, it sounded like it was something loose in the top of the engine somewhere, right under the valve cover. I parked it and turned it off. 5 hours later I cranked it up and I can still hear a rattle when I lift the hood and listen, the sound is quieter now and not crazy scary as earlier before I turned it off.

The car seems to run Ok and there is no CEL. I'm not sure if I should give it a few days to see what happens before I bring it in to be looked at.

Seems WAY too soon to need a valve adjustment, but I'm no mechanic.

 

wow, any engine should not a valve gap adjustment soooo early,
saying that, as soon as you do it, it will start going out of spec.
if under warranty I would make them eat it.

 

if you put in thicker oil or a restrictive oil filter that might add the ticking.

 

While unusual, we have seen instances where a mechanical valve needed adjustment straight off the showroom floor. Cars from factories with near perfect quality standars and inspections will occasionally have one misadjusted because of some fluke like a burr on a valve stem or just a piece of dirt. And too we have seen defective hydraulic valve lifters in US cars.

When pinging occurs you need to check two items: valve adjustments and the knock sensor and related electronics, including the sensor itself.
we find that the sensor is as likely the culprit.
The light tapping could be the valve seating hard..
The sensor or ignition advance could also be the cukprit.

 

I have a 2009 Jazz 1.5cc I also have this rattling ticking sound on deceleration after light acceleration. the difference with mine is that the noise is not constant, it comes and goes ? some days you can not hear it then other days its there ?
It does to me sound like it is valve related ? camshaft or something.