My 2008 m/t Honda Fit Sport has recently started to rattle. I haven't had too many problems with the vehicle given its age and high mileage. I am a little over 200k on miles.

I had the alternator replaced last summer. And a tune-up about a year and a half ago.

I've heard the coil packs are a common issue. The car will sometimes jump when in neutral. Sometimes it sputters when in first or second gear but seems to go away in the higher gears. The sputter is not consistent and improved after I had put in some fuel injector cleaner.

I don't recall ever having my valve lash adjusted.

Here is a video of the rattle if it helps.

I recorded this yesterday and it sounds worse today. There's more clackety.

Is there something else it could be?

Thanks for all the help. The threads are useful.

 

if your valves are tight, the exhaust will pre-ignite just like a ping..

 

The shops I talk to say that the valve lash doesn’t need to be adjusted on modern cars. But that’s not what I read in these forums.

I took it to the shop and they couldn’t hear the rattle I’ve been hearing.

I just don’t want this to turn into something worse. So I’m not sure what to do from here.

I guess I’ve read that maybe it could be a motor or transmission mount causing the rattle.

 

sure sounds like valve lash to me. I think it is a no brainer; if you have not had it done, it needs to get done. It is a common maintenance item on the VTEC engine. Have your mechanic do it, or put out some e-mails to several local Honda dealers and have them bid for your business. I paid $270. The highest bid was $450. So much for standard hourly labor pricing by the dealers.

 

Hi, inkeye. I think the rattle can be wear/looseness in the valves drive chain. The chain has a long life but at some time it reaches the end of useful life. Replacing the chain is around 110,000 miles, according to a reliable auto repair site here in Brazil.

 

Use a stethoscope to listen to various areas of the engine for the rattle noise. A long screwdriver or dowel held tightly to your ear could suffice for this too.

Narrow it down, try to pinpoint the loudest area you can find.

 

Stretching of the timing chain.
Normal for 200.000 miles.

Hondas are great

 

So I’m glad I’m not crazy to think that I hear something.

I took it to one garage and they said they couldn’t hear anything.

I hadn’t thought about it being the chain because most of the threads I’ve read say they don’t go bad like timing belts.

My car has 203,000 miles on it. I’ve done normal maintenance and the only big repair it has had so far is the alternator and battery needed replaced.

I typically only hear the sound even from inside when I’m idling. I don’t hear any major sounds when I’m driving. As far as feel goes, sometimes my car will buck in low gear. This has gotten a little better since I put in some fuel injector cleaner. Sometimes when I’m driving down the highway it feels like there is something dragging under the car but there is no sound and my car doesn’t slow down. Does that make sense?

Where is the chain located on the motor?

So many different things it could be.

 

Also, does this mean the timing chain needs to be replaced or is it repairable?

 

I guess if this has to be replaced, how much am I looking at?

I appreciate all the advice.

 

inkeye, I would not waste any time talking about timing chains and worrying over what it could be until you do the maintenance on the car that IS required. If you never changed the ignition coils and have never had a valve adjustment, you simply have put off those required items way too long and are asking for trouble. Get them done; then we can worry about parts (like a timing chain) that no one on these boards has ever had an issue with. Simply put, the VTEC is a bullet proof engine with fantastic OEM parts. He, he.... you beat my post by 4 minutes. As I have written on these boards before, regarding the valve adjustment, have 5 local Honda dealers (if you are in a city) bid for that service. I got mine done at a dealer for $270 ($450 was the highest bid). As you can see, the myth of dealers just going by the book on hours charged for labor is a bunch of crap. If they want your business, have them bid for it. Go to a trusted mechanic and see what the local market wants to do the job. The coil packs, as long as you have small hands, it a pretty easy job to do yourself. You can buy the parts at rockauto.com or amazon and have your mechanic put them in for you, saving you the markup on the ignition coils.

 

Hi, inkeye. I agree with BurntZ on the issue of regulating the clearance of valves and replacement of ignition coils if they are defective but I think the mileage of this car is high, indicating that the time of valves chain replacement is near or at the right time.

 

Hi, inkeye, first go to a reliable mechanic or ask a friend who works with mechanics to perform the adjustment of valves and then hear if the rattling noise was gone. After this test the ignition coils to see if they need to be replaced. If the rattle noise continue, we will search for other causes.
Anyway, I think it's not a bad business to replace the valve chain.

 

I have to say that those who’ve commented in this thread have good ears.

I took it to the mechanic. He did a valve adjustment. The noise has gone down a little and he did mention the timing chain sound (although he didn’t mention a replacement). The car didn’t throw any codes so the coil packs were not replaced.

When I drove the car off after having the valves adjusted, it seemed to run smoother. Since having driven it more since then I am still getting some sputtering. It seems to mostly happen when I’m trying to accelerate.

I’ve been searching and searching about the cost of replacing the timing chain. I know the coil packs are a fairly affordable replacement option.

This guitar might be to the point where I drive it until it completely breaks down. Because I have to potentially (and most likely) have to replace the coil packs and the timing chain. My AC is also kaput at the moment.

The lowest estimate I have on my AC fix is $1000.
If I DIY coil packs then I’m around $200 or so.
I’m guessing replacing the timing chain is going to be another $1200 or so.

All that money would be a good down payment on a newer car. It certainly has me a bit stressed out.

 

Hello, Inkeye. The ignition coils do not have to necessarily be replaced if the engine is not showing symptoms of failure in the fuel burning in any cylinder. On the issue of the valves chain, do you have a friend who works with mechanics to replace it at a better price? I think the working time for an auto mechanic in the US is expensive. So if you have a friend who can do the job, you buy the parts and can save some money.

 

Well, on the way home from work today my car started to buck while in second. The check engine light came on for a few seconds and then went off. I don't suppose the code is still stored in there?

 

It SHOULD be stored for a while. Get the codes read ASAP.

 

Okay. I went to the Advance Auto near my work (which is also an hour away from where I live). I hope I don’t die on the way to or from work.

Anyway, I borrowed their code reader and it says that

ABS - 61-1 - Battery Voltage Malfunction

Then I have these codes that come up a total of three times each:
P0301 - Cylinder 1 misfire
P0303 Cylinder 3 misfire
P0300 - Random Multiple Misfire Detected

The valves were adjusted last week. I’d say that when the car is running smooth that it feels smoother. But this sputtering and jerking is now happening more often and more pronounced.

Are we getting closer?

I’m hoping the mechanical fixes won’t cost a lot so I could get my AC fixed. I’m hoping to stay out of a car payment for a little while longer.

My car has been mostly repair free which is a nice change from previous cars I’ve owned.

 

Hi, inkeye. If possible, test the coils to make sure that they are bad before buying new. If you have to buy new ones, buy the original, do not buy cheap coils, as all people post here on the forum. After that, I hope that stuttering and jerking stop.

 

Glad to hear the valve adjustment helped.

I suggest taking the car back to the mechanic that did the valve adjustment to have him check the connections on the coil packs as well as test the coils.

When doing the valve adjustment, he had to unplug multiple connections and remove the coils. It's possible that there's a loose connection. It's also possible that the coils weren't fully seated back on the plugs when he reinstalled. Did he change the spark plugs during the valve adjustment? They should be done at the same time since you're there. Hopefully, he used the correct plugs and gapped them properly.

So hard when you are relying on mechanics, but it's probably better to stick with one guy and have him look at it.

Our Fit is now at 176,??? miles and is doing great, but the underhood clatter from misc items is growing. It's had 3 valve adjustments (all done by me) and gets new plugs each time. That has kept it running smooth, but has not stopped the clutch and all accessories from starting to make noises.