While I know that this has been discussed in several threads, I think it may deserve it's own just to see what peoples experiences have been. I took my Fit in for the LMS recall work last week (Duncan Honda - Christiansburg VA) and once complete I started it and IMMEDIATELY noticed the tick/clack sound that others have noted. (Sort of sounds like either a sewing machine or very tiny diesel engine depending on RPMs). I immediately told them and they looked at it again and said that nothing was wrong - that the new springs were stiffer which caused the noise. After two days of listening to it, I called and took it back in again. I just couldn't believe that it was right. This time not only did they confirm again that the noise was from the new stiffer springs, but noted that a Honda Rep was there that day and he agreed with the assessment that it was fine. So my question is this, has this matched other folks experience? For those others that have noted the noise, did you take it back and if so was it actually corrected? I can't help but think that I'm still in need of another valve adjustment, but the dealer (and apparently Honda's rep also) tells me that it's fine so I'm not quite sure where that leaves me.

 

my engine was quiet (normal) after the new LMS were installed. i wonder how they'd explain that.
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i'd try another dealer, if it's practical.
or at least call honda america and complain 1-800-999-1009
they have the reputation of taking complaints seriously.

 

Good thread. This issue deserves it's own discussion. I've already posted that I'm not sure whether mine sounds differently because I did not pay enough attention to the sound prior to recall. I have put over 1000 miles on it since the recall work with no change in sound so I think this is going to be it unless an adjustment is made by the tech.

If the tech says it's normal, I'm going to have them start up a demo fit and pop the hood to compare. I think that's the only fair way to do it. If you you have access to other newer fits to compare, I'd go for that option.

 

One of our two Fits has always had a bit more of the "sewing machine" sound than the other, and both cars changed very little as a result of the LMS work. The quieter Fit is still quiet, and the slightly noiser one is still slightly noisy. But by "noisy", I mean something you still have to be listening for. I convinced myself that the noisier one had developed a very, very slight tick-tick sound for the first minute or so immediately after a cold start and asked the dealer to give it a listen. That dealer chose to readjust the valves and I've now convinced myself that the cold start tick-tick is better, but the overall slight sewing machine sound is still the same.

In my case, the noises I'm talking about are very slight. You have to listen for them and the average driver wouldn't even notice them. I keep using the term "convinced myself" because LMS paranoia has me listening for these tiny sounds that I probably would have ignored before.

One thing to be careful of is that I've read that it's possible to adjust the valve clearances too tight, which will result in a quieter engine. I'm not a valvetrain expert, so I can't say for sure that this is correct for the Honda 1.5L engine. But if it's correct, a dealer might intentionally adjust the valves a little tight to satisfy an owner who keeps insisting that the engine is too noisy. I'm not saying this applies to klane (the OP of this thread), since he/she heard a big difference in engine sound before/after the recall work. But for some of us, too quiet might be bad while a hearing a bit of noise is good.

 

They have tried to feed you BS. The increased noise cannot be from the 4 new LMS. Those springs have nothing to do with opening and closing the valves. There is no clearance to be set under the LMS. They make contact all the time.

The valve springs, however, are involved in the opening and closing of a tiny clearance every time the engine rotates. Proper clearances are supposed to be in a very narrow range. (.006-.007 for the intakes and .010-.012 for the exhausts). If they were set in these ranges before the LMS work and IF they are now set within the same ranges, then you will not detect any difference in valve spring noise. If the clearances are outside the range on the high side, you will hear a rhythmic tapping. This means the valves are being slapped open rather than pushed open.

geo

 

I will go out and record the way mine sounds real quick.

 

-edit- removed link to video. PM me if you really need this.

 

Big disclaimer about possible imperfect sound from your phone to my speakers....but the cabin sounds normal, under the hood sounds like loose valves clearances. Might be real, might be just inaccurate recording/reception.

Somebody else made a good suggestion. Listen to a new FIT (say a dealer demo) and compare to yours, as well as your memory of what yours sounded like before. If there's a big difference, have them listen to both and they will have to agree to the obvious.

Again, the LMS have no clearances and are not involved in any noisemaking. Their only function is to keep the secondary intake rocker arm roller in contact with the secondary intake cam lobe. The two intake lobes have different profiles (both lift and duration) and it's the secondary that takes over to operate both intake valves at higher rpm.

geo

 

i'm gonna throw a wrench into your theory of it being due to the LMS recall...lol

my car went in for the LMS recall, got taken apart, and noticed the LMS recall was not needed on my engine(engine was replaced last august). having said that, my car now makes a very noticable "ticking" sound, when the throttle is applied. at idle, i don't notice it, but when i step on it, its there. i've been meaning to call honda to make an appt for it, but i work 5 ten hour shifts, and work 100kms away from home, and getting another car to go to work in, isn't that easy....so its been on the back burner for a bit.

the car sounds different since its been in for the warranty work for sure. the only difference is, your car had the work done, mine didn't.......maybe not the LMS?

 

Does anyone else think their tick/clack noise is coming from the injectors or some other source besides the valves? The more I listen to mine the less it sounds metallic in nature. And the engine runs fine otherwise. I still haven't had a chance to get to the dealer and listen to a demo Fit for comparison but I'm due for service soon so I will do so at that time.

 

Good question. I think that many people have had real problems with valve clearances but there might also be a trace of paranoia here and there, too. These engines have a chain driving the cam...louder than a belt drive...makes kind of a whirring sound but with somewhat of a rhythm as each cam sprocket tooth contacts the chain. Injectors to me sound more like a very faint rhythmic clicking. Badly adjusted (to the wide side) valve clearances cause a hard metallic rapping...less noisy on the Fit engine which has roller rockers, vs other engines that don't...but it's a very distinctive clatter when they are out. I'm leaving out major disaster noises like rod or main bearing knock.

One way to calibrate your ear to the different noises (more so than listening to a known good engine like a dealer demo) is to get an automotive stethoscope and probe around on these different areas. Another is to use the old large screwdriver or short broomhandle technique. Just watch verrry carefully if you're probing around the front of the engine.

geo

 

Thanks geo. Very good info. I was gonna hit you with more reps but the site says I already did that so I have to wait for another time.

 

I took my Fit back in after the recall and asked them to take a listen for the tick/clack noise. I didn't say it was the valves. I just asked them to listen and give me their evaluation. The tech didn't bat an eye and said to leave the car so the engine could cool and they'd check it out. Since it was already midday, I made plans to pick it up the next AM. I have it back now and the order says they adjusted the valves. BUT! It sounds the same as before. I know what some of you are thinking but I see some signs of the cowl removal, and these guys just seemed too straightforward to be BS-ing me. Of course, you never know.

My conclusion: I think this noise was probably there before I took the car in for the recall and I just never noticed it. I listened to one forum member's YouTube video (taken before the recall) and his car sounds exactly like mine.

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/2nd-...plus-tsbs.html

I was in the super market parking lot yesterday and somebody was starting his fit. So I walked by and I could hear the same tick/clack sound with the hood closed. In fact, once I started listening closely, I could hear it in civics, minis, many new small cars. So I'm going to take a chill pill and move on unless new info comes to light.

 

Sewing machine, yes.

Marbles in a coffee can, no.

geo

 

LOL. Yeah, marbles in a coffee can? Not good.

 

I swear I took mine back in because of this thread. like Know-n, I probably never noticed the noise before because I wasn't listening for it. Now that I'm listening for it, I hear it... likely because it's always been there.

should I make a poll? How many people took their fit BACK In because of this thread?

~SB

 

Nothing for nothing but my 2010 Fit was not involved in the recall and I think the engine sounds worse than any of the videos posted here......it definitely has the ticking sound which I write off to injectors but when I accelerate you can hear a slight noise that sounds like rice in a coffee can (no pun intended) and after it is good and warm it has noise that is really hard to describe...almost like a belt noise or a whoop whoop whoop noise...almost 5K on the motor so not sure if still breaking in etc........

Avg 39 mpg so I think engine is ok....I got 60K to find out I guess! One thing I have noticed is that my Wifes Fit is way more responsive and peppy when you step on the gas...instant go...mine seems to make noise and then accelerates more slowly...hers has close to 40k on it so maybe engine is nice in broken in vs mine...and yeah she had the LMS down but I think according to the paperwork only one spring was changed out?

 

If they did what Honda's bulletin says to do, they (a) check the manufacturing date on the top of the valve rocker assembly (not the car manuf date) (b) if that date is before Nov 20, 2009 they replace all 4 LMS (and all the associated work including all 16 valve clearance adjustments). It's either all 4 or none.

I called my local dealer (small town) and the service manager told me they were supposed to inspect each LMS..."look for wear and cracks"... and replace any one spring that needed it. Said they had not found any yet. I didn't tell him the service bulletin was publicly available and he was full of crap.

Don't know if this means that some dealer's service people just haven't bothered to read the service bulletin, or they just take Honda's bulletins and do whatever they choose....expecting that the customer will blindly believe it.

geo

 

Lol, you guys entertain me. Many chuckles all around. I just dropped in my 'new' 18k motor to replace my 50k motor and now the beautiful ticka ticka is back just like when I first bought my fit. Over time my old simply began to idle rough enough that heard more engine than ticka ticka. It's really a trivial thing. It will get so loud you can't bear it if it's a real issue (towards the loose end of the spectrum)

 

Update: My dealer is now going to look at it again and wants me to wait until a Honda representative can be there. I'm hoping that we can compare to a new Fit at that point also. That is scheduled for May 13, so I'll post another update then. While I'm not happy with the sound right now, I have to say that the dealer has remained committed to making it right. (assuming that they get to the point of agreeing that it it isn't right, of course...) During the last several weeks of driving, I have noticed a few other details that may (or may not) help other folks with the noise. Mainly, the thing that I've noticed is that it is MUCH more apparent when the engine is warm. When I first start the car in the morning, I really don't notice it at all - but it takes less a mile before I can start hearing it again. Hearing it from inside the cabin is pretty easy as long as the windows aren't down or the radio on. At high speeds like on the interstate I don't notice it as much because so many other noises compete, but on residential streets it's very apparent. Thanks for the responses so far. Some interesting theories are out there on this and other threads, but still no solution for me yet. The tick/clack noise is definitely still there and hasn't changed since the recall work. Whether there is anything actually wrong with the car, or what is causing the noise may be debatable, but there is no doubt that the noise was NOT there pre-recall and is now.