Needless to say I'm not mechanically inclined but I have taken the car to the dealer several times including today. All I get is, "must be your aftermarket CAI" or "I don't know." First, the CAI has only been on there about 6 weeks and I've had the noise for about a year. Second, what the hell do you mean you don't know Mr. Honda? I swear I wish this car was an Acura or somebody who had a clue about a sports car but that's a different topic.

Here's the "symptoms" to the best of my abilities.

The car performs and handles great. No issues there. What I'm hearing is a slight "ringing" type sound for about 1 second, maybe 2, at normal to easy throttle. It happens more times than not as I'm pulling away from a stop sign/light whether I be headed straight or turning. It also appears if I'm cruising and give the car just a tap of gas. For example, cruising into a corner/bend in the road, and giving it some gas part of the way through. Again, only for a second or so.

To me it sort of sounds like two metal washers vibrating together or a nut whirling around a metal box or something. It's a very tinny, light, metallic sound. Nothing "scary" but just not normal. The tech even suggested it was a vacuum hose because he thought it sounded more like a whistle. Again he pointed to the CAI as the probable source but that can't be it considering it hasn't been there that long and we put on all new hoses. Plus, I really don't think it sounds like a whistle but what do I know.

Any suggestions or ideas?

I've had the spark plug TSB some time back. I just had the valves adjusted (HUGE difference). Never any accidents or anything like that. The sound does seem to be more prevalent lately though. Not louder or anything. Just more frequent.

Thanks in advance for everyone's help.

 

Check the bolts holding the heatshield to the header.. as I recall if one is missing (maybe hidden by the black heat shield) you can get intermittent sounds that may ring a bit.

 

I'll check it now. Thanks. I'll repost ASAP.

 

How many bolts should there be connecting the black heat shield that runs between the battery and the engine itself? I counted 3 and they were all tight. I just spent a few minutes breaking out the wrenches and checking everything in the area. Everything seemed tight.

Again, here goes my ignorance but there is some "contraption" located on the "battery side" of the black heat shield. It looks like a lever of some sort on a line/pipe. It has a metallic "pin" that protrudes out of it towards the heat shield. All of this is right up close to the fire wall. It almost looks like that "pin" that appears to move has maybe lightly scratched that side of the shield???

 

My car does the same thing in second gear between 4000 and 5000 RPM. It also recently started doing this in 3rd gear, perhaps getting worse. The sound can be created by shifting to second at about 15MPH and being at 1/2 to 2/3 throttle.

My local Honda service center is going to check it out this Friday.

 

One thing you could pretty quickly are the brake heat/dust shields at each wheel. You could use the butt of a screwdriver and tap the shields at different areas between the wheel spoke. It's probably not the source of the noise, but it couldn't hurt to check and it should only take a couple of minutes.

 

Similar noise happens to me at light throttle openings at around 3000rpm.

It occured just after swapping out the stock paper filter with a K&N filter.

///Robin

 

Boit - I'll check that out. thx

True - I had K&N right after I bought the car but now have been running PRM CAI for about 6 weeks. Problem has been around about 1 year.

cdelena - I tightened down a bunch of stuff last night and it does seem better but still there. How many bolts should be on the heat shield?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by nvrquit4
[B]cdelena - I tightened down a bunch of stuff last night and it does seem better but still there.

 

cdelena - 4? crap! I'll check it out ASAP but I don't recall seeing that many. We may be on to something. Thx