Apologies for asking about yet another strange engine/transmission noise, but I'm wondering if anyone has anything similar.

I have a 2008 manual Jazz/Fit with a 1.2L engine with 50000 miles on the clock. When I put the engine under load, such as changing up thought the gears or asking for a little more to climb a hill there is a strange noise occurring. The noise is there in the background all the time during normal driving and changing up through the gears, but only really noticeable when the engine is under load.

Very hard to describe it - it sounds like a low rattle or drumming, reminiscent of induction roar or pinking (sorry can't remember the US term) but is not really like either. It stops abruptly if I ease off the pedal and seems totally linked to throttle openings. It is too muffled for pinking and too rattly for induction roar. I've tried using super unleaded in case it was pinking, but it made no difference. It seems worse some days than others. It seems to come from the left-hand side of the engine.

I'm wondering if it could be wear in the driveshaft?

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

Pinking noise might be what we describe as "spark knock" perhaps ? Sounds like rattling noise in the engine from pre-ignition. You might have a broken hanger on the exhaust system. That can case a rattling noise under load. Check your motor mounts and suspension while on jack stands or a lift. Hard to pin point without hearing what you are experiencing. Perhaps others can provide more advice, just intial thoughts..

 

My initial thought was pre-ignition, but it sounds too muffled for that, although it may be that the soundproofing on the car is good. Plus for it to be pre-ignition, then the sensor would have had to be faulty and no warning light is showing on the dash. It made no difference when I switched to super unleaded either.

 

Your description sounds similar to my rod knock experience. Started out as a very small tick at certain RPM, and would only get it under load and it would cut as soon as I got off the throttle.

There's minor damage to the journal bearings for one of your connecting rods, so there's some amount of play when the piston is pushing down on the crankshaft.

I had brought it to the dealer to get assessed and they just told me it was ticking from the cams. Ran it for about a year like this, then the journal bearing finally gave. Had a much rougher knock for about a week and then I blew a rod climbing up a hill.

 

Thank you, that was one of the possibilites that I didn't want to consider. I shall be pretty peeved if it is something serious, especially since I only bought the car on the strength of Honda's 'legendary reliability'.

I'll have to take it to a garage and see what they say, but I'm wary that they'll say it's nothing, or fix a load of stuff that doesn't need fixing.

 

To resurrect this old thread:

I have definitely identified the noise as pinking or pinging, but what to do about it?

If anyone here is old enough to remember it, my Jazz behaves just like an old car that has a failing condenser - if I try to climb a hill or accellerate, it pinks like mad and holds back, if I lift my foot slightly it picks up.

I will replace the plugs, but my guess is a failing coil; does anyone else have any ideas?

 

What gasoline are you putting in the tank?

Try a tank (3/4 refill) of a higher octane rating?

 

Thanks, but that was the first thing that I tried and it made no difference.

The latest try was adding injector cleaner to the tank which has appeared to have made the problem worse! Not sure where to go from here; I suppose fitting the old plugs with the gap closed up would tell me if a weak spark is the problem.

 

Get your valves adjusted.

 

Yes, that's the next thing to do!