I bought my 2006 TSX 5AT/NAV in October of 2005. With almost 30k miles on it, I have followed the maintenance schedule religiously, serviced by an Acura dealer.

The other day I had it in for a B12 service and got a 2008 TSX as a loaner. I was surprised at how much more quiet the engine of the new TSX was. Mine is quite noisy when it is cold out, or when the engine hasn't warmed up yet. Sort of sounds like O-rings sliding against cylinder walls. Is this normal wear? Granted...I do drive my car pretty aggressively, I like to accellerate fast and brake hard. But still...the difference was very noticeable! Any ideas?

 

LoL you brakes are going to be gone fast that i know for a fact..

well thats normal for a car to be noisy when it hasn't been warm up yet or cold outside

 

Yeah I think cars generally get noisier as it gets colder out. Probably something with the oil temperature being so low, it gets too viscous and the engine runs worse cause it's not lubricated as well

 

Maybe it's just the valve-train you are hearing?

The TSX valves are tappets, which are noisy to start with compared with "hydraulic" type valves, and they may also require a period lash adjustment.

Adding to the noise is the use of a timing chain (belt is quieter, but requires periodic replacement), and I think I've even heard the chain tensioner produces some noise.

I've heard valve noise from my engine since day 1, and yes, it's worse when it's cold.

 

Thx for the replies. Still thinking that (no doubt normal) wear is playing a factor, as the difference was really noticeable. Was just curious if there was a specific engine area that typically wears like that. Anyway...not worried about it

And yep..brakes ARE going fast...I could also notice a BIG difference in braking. My brake pads must be on their last legs, because they feel "grabby" compared to the smooth braking of the new TSX!

Oh and one other difference I noticed...the Navi DVD for the 2008 TSX was pleasantly more accurate and up-to-date. Definitely going to plunk down that 140 bucks for a new DVD.

 

Will Acura adjust tappets under warranty? My '06 is getting noisier at about 20k miles too.

 

I have a 06 with 14 K and my engine is very quiet. I hear no tappet noise at all, not even when its cold out. I have been using mobil 1 in my cars since the first oil change, so that might have something to do with it, plus I do not race my engine. To the other person concerning the New DVD navi disk. I tried the new disk in my car and the navi seems to work a little slower. I have to get my dealer to reset my navi to get the old one to load back in. How much slower? Just enough so I did notice a difference.

 

They might, but it's probably considered a maintenance item. I even took mine in with about 1000 miles on it and expressed concerns, but they said "we don't hear anything abnormal".

I too have used Mobil 1 5W-30 since my first oil change, and I can still hear the valve train. I don't think anything's wrong -- the car burns no oil, performs well, and gets great mileage, but I'd rather the valves were quieter.

Aside -- I think an overtightened valve is more problematic than a slightly loose one...

 

An valve with not enough clearance will cause problems immediately whereas one that's gapped too big will take a while to cause any harm. It'll just be noisy in the meantime.

If it's really, really loud and you make frequent visits to the red line, it's possible that you have a slightly bent valve. Are you burning oil?

 

Are you asking me or rb1?

In my case, I pretty much never go to redline. I may have 2 or 3 times, but that's it. Oil consumption seems pretty normal to me.

I don't know what the deal is. It is definitely significantly more noisy than the new TSX, but at the same time it may very well be completely normal wear. Maybe I'm just too picky.

 

As it got colder here in NY, I also started hearing a clicking noise coming around my manifold. It started before I installed my intake and got louder as I removed my engine cover. It usually does the clicking noise right after I pull the car out of the garage and leave it idled after a proper warm up as I close the garage door. Also it clicks when idled after a short drive. I havn't had an oil change yet and I am telling myself that it will probably dissapear after an oil change. I am afraid to take it in to the dealer just because I feel that they will tell me that its b/c of the intake and I know that it truely isnt.

The clicking noise kinda sounds like a oldie deisel engine Mercedes Benz.

I think I will take it in tomorrow. I am really short tempered so I hope I don't end up in a brawl with the service dudes.

Anyone else experience this?

 

Same for me. When idling, if I lift the hood, I hear the valve train pretty easily. I have an 04 with 33,200 miles on it and I don't think the valves have been adjusted. Maybe I should mention somthing my next service visit.

 

I'm up at 85,000 miles
for an 2005.

I brought it to dealer we compared it to a stock tsx, and the stock tsx 07 is new about couple hundred miles.

Mine was loud compared to the 07 but 07 had some noise

There is some sound they explained to me (mechanics and technicians not just service reps)

Sound appears in all the cars, valve adjustments would be costly and not often done unless you car is really not performing...

*shrugs
i still feel unsure about this issue.

 

If it's a very sharp sort of ticking sound it could be the fuel injectors operating. Valve noise is a lot more clattery sounding. You will definitely hear more injector noise with the cover off.

The VTEC system has a lot of moving parts that have a lot of free play when the VTEC is not engaged so any engine so equipped will make a decent amount more noise than a standard motor. The tappet lifters will always have some gap between the rocker arm and the top of the tappet whereas hydraulic lifters in most other cars automatically close that gap with oil pressure (and hence don't require adjusting). This will add some noise as well, particularly when the engine is cold and the gaps are large.

It's unlikely that any one with less than 100k miles on their engine will find their valves to be much out of spec at all. New lost motion assemblies (springs that keep the center cam follower from flopping around while the VTEC is not engaged) would probably do far more for reducing noise. IIRC, you need to do a valve adjustment after installing them though since it involves removing the whole rocker assembly.

 

You sound like you know what you're talking about! I got lost analyzing that.

 

It sounds like a runaway sewing machinge

 

It's probably the fuel injectors closing that cause that clicking sewing machine noise.
Or the K24 is making Nike's

 

I hear the almost the same sound when engine braking (when the injectors wouldn't be supplied with fuel, but maybe they still make noise), and it's slightly louder under engine load. It almost goes away if I apply just enough throttle to find the "balance point" between the two.

It's much worse when it's cold. Some warm days, I don't even hear it.

Also, I have the impression it's something you only hear in the car cabin. When I pull into my garage with the window down and hear the exterior engine noise reflecting off the walls, it sounds fine.

My last car had ultra-smooth hydraulic lifters (you could never hear the motor in steady cruising over the tire/wind noise), so maybe I'm just more tuned to it...

 

my 06 6spd tsx, bought new 11/17/06, is still quiet after almost 34,000 miles on it. I do not drive it agressively.

 

That's probably valve noise. The injectors sound almost like an electrical spark. Very high pitched and well defined. If you put your head over the engine while it's idling you should be able to hear them easily as a very consistent tick-tick-tick.

If it's all clattery and mechanical sounding, that's valve train noise. It's not terribly difficult to check the clearance if you have a set of feeler gauges and a helper. The exhaust side tends to get out of whack more than the intake side since the valves go through a lot wider range of temperature fluctuation.

rb1, what you're describing doesn't sound like injectors. Sounds more like an engine mount or possibly a transmission issue. It could be valves too, it's hard to say. An intake, particularly a short ram, will make valve noise more pronounced. An ETD transmits a lot of general engine noise into the cabin.

You say it's been doing that since day 1, hmmm. It might be worthwhile to check the valve clearances. I always advocate the use of a mechanics stethoscope for pinpointing the source of funny noises. They're very effective and only $10 or so. Every DIYer should have one.

 

Just got off the phone with the service rep. after taking my car in this morning for that clicking noise that I mentioned a couple posts back. He said that they ran a complete diagnostic test on my car and the only thing that they could result to was the fuel injectors. He asked what type of gas do I use and I answered V-Power by Shell which I believe has a 92 octane level. He said to try to switch to another brand and that should solve things.

Does this sound accurate or was it a lazy excuse. Should I call back and see if the fuel injectors were replaced or if they can if they haven't? My dealership is Paragon Acura of Woodside, NY. Should I go to another dealership?

 

try another dealership

 

Honestly what you're describing sounds like normal injector noise. If you're really concerned about it get a mechanics stethoscope and try to pinpoint it. Unless it's way louder than it should be (it doesn't sound like it from your description), you're going to have a hard time convincing the dealer to replace them. Even if you did, it likely won't make a difference.

They have moving parts inside, they make noise. If you want a dead silent car your best bet is going to be an electric.

I dunno, post a sound clip or something if you're that worried about it. Not much else we can do for you.

 

I would like to hear a sound clip as well. I don't doubt you hear something, as I hardly notice my engine running at all. It is very quiet.

 

My engine is quiet also. If you had read the post before sharing your you would note that I said it makes the clicking noise when engine is cold and idling. I guess they weren't lying when they said illiteracy rates have increased over the past couple years!

 

You're attitude sucks. Way to be typify what every one hates about teenagers. I'm done helping you kid.

The guy wasn't even disagreeing with you. Learn to read. Glass houses and such.

 

I don't know who you think you are! You mentioning in your post nothing "I" can do for you and "I'm done helping you kid." Last time I remember this was Acurazine not a LukeaTron's personal forum. Hence let me break that down for your incompetent comprehension skills. Acurazine is a community forum; you choose to comment or post under your own discretion.

By the way, grow up and grow some balls. It's so immature to bring up a persons age as defense. This 19 year old has read more books than words youv'e read in your entire life and also happens to work for TIME Magazine; a magazine you probably gave up on reading because it was too challenging.

 

I don't know who you think you are! You mentioning in your post nothing "I" can do for you and "I'm done helping you kid." Last time I remember this was Acurazine not a LukeaTron's personal forum. Hence let me break that down for your incompetent comprehension skills. Acurazine is a community forum; you choose to comment or post under your own discretion.

By the way, grow up and grow some balls. It's so immature to bring up a persons age as defense. This 19 year old has read more books than words you've read in your entire life and also happens to work for TIME Magazine; a magazine you probably gave up on reading because it was too challenging.

 

Christ... seriously boy, grow up. You know nothing of me. I called you out on your age because you're acting it.

 

Wow! What a lamo! I could respond and make you go cry to your parents whom you live in their basement at the age of 29. I sure am acting my age; got a fortune 500 job and bought my car cash. You probably wish you could say the same or are you just angry because you just found out your dad didn't pull out in time and had you as a mishap?

 

I'll stop embarrassing you now because your not worth me getting banned/owned by Acurazine and you are just not worth my time.

 

And if you knew how to read, you would have noticed I said my engine is quiet. That means all the time.
Thats why I saw no need to specify cold, hot, idle.
Next time you want help, shut up and listen.

 

Lol, its lamo LukeaTron's father. You must of been the one to teach him to speak without an argument.

 

This thread...



Ha ha ha!!

 

 

I have a 2004 TSX, 5AT, and I can hear this "ticking" sound, when the engine is cold. It is very noticeable, but after 5 mins of driving, it goes away.

I use the manual override to keep my RPMS lower than 2k for the first 5 mins of driving, when this ticking sound is present.

So for what I have read, it has to do with valves and injectors? And its normal?

 

How many miles are you at? That's probably valve noise that quiets down once the metal warms up and the clearances tighten up. If you're up near 100'000 miles you might want to consider a valve adjustment. As long as it goes away once the engine warms up, it's normal.

 

We got about 39,000 miles, or 63,000 kms.

But yes, it goes away eventually, after the engine has warmed up a bit.

 

My 05 with 55K miles is similar. Its noiser than before when in drive and sitting at a light. It sounds like a light valve tap, once you touch the gas, it goes away. Just normal after use. Also is is noiser and rougher when cold, but that is to be expected.