Having had the car for some months now (it's done 31,000 miles )- I have noticed that the engine is actually quite noisy when idling - there is a lot of clatter from the top end. It sounds very agricultural! I also can hear some similar sounds bouncing off brick walls etc. when driving past. I have looked at the archives but can't find anything conclusive about whether this is normal or whether the valve gear or something else needs looking at - My Honda dealer is booked solid for over a month so I can't get any immediate help there.
Does anyone have any thoughts or similar experiences?

 

are you putting in the correct grade fuel

 

only ever gets optimax or neat 60% vodka

 

Yep both of mine have been the same, quite tappety sounding.

 

same here....always been like that ever since I got it

 

Thanks guys I guess that's reassuring - I find that once I get used to a car's sound, I can pick up changes very quickly and it's very useful warning of problems. If this is how it should be the engine sound is not the most beautiful I've heard.

 

stigzed - I don't want to worry you but I had something like this happen to me.

Hopefully it'll be low oil level or something simple but I took my car to my dealer about a year ago complaining about a ticking/clicking sound coming from the engine when idle - they took the car in and it needed a new pre-tensioner.

They took it in there-and-then because they didn't want me to continue to drive it as the pre-tensioner might actually fail and fcuk the engine up completely !!!

It took about 2/3 days to do the job - I suggest that you take it in and just get the technicians to listen to the noise - if they think it's the pre-tensioner they should carry out the job asap because your car will be off the road.

 

I am worried now!!

 

what is a pre-tensioner?

 

pre-tensioner keeps the timing chain taught - mine was becomming quite loose and therefore was in danger of colapsing - as the chain was loose is was making a ticking/clicking noise as it goes round.