Recently i have noticed when i start my car first thing in the morning that there is an un-nerving rattle for a second or so just as i start it. I assumed it was just the engine turning over dry before the oil got to all the parts as it goes away within a second, and its fine then when starting it any other time during the day. Anywho this evening when driving home and accelerating gently in traffic in low gears (2nd/3rd) there is a distinct noise from the engine, it sort of sounds like pinking when the timing is off...its a noticeable low level rattle type noise. It has been cold recently but this is the 2nd winter i've owned it and i never noticed anything like it before. I am totally **** about noises like that so its not like i never noticed it in the past because i would have if it had occured. The only difference between this winter and last winter is that i'm running the spoon ECU and a smaller GReddy oil filter. I'm using the same oil type/grade/brand and the same spark plugs...So i was pondering on the idea that the Spoon ECU is mapped primarily with japanese climate/temps/humidity in mind and that this may be the cause of the problem. I could swap back in my stock P73 and see how it goes but i'm guessing that seeing as theyre two totally different maps (fuel/air with the spoon ecu running less richer) that it wont highlight the problem. Anyone got any ideas on what it may be. I have owned countless B-series civics/CRXs/Integras and this is the first time i have noticed anything like this.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mugenracer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Recently i have noticed when i start my car first thing in the morning that there is an un-nerving rattle for a second or so just as i start it. I assumed it was just the engine turning over dry before the oil got to all the parts as it goes away within a second, and its fine then when starting it any other time during the day. Anywho this evening when driving home and accelerating gently in traffic in low gears (2nd/3rd) there is a distinct noise from the engine, it sort of sounds like pinking when the timing is off...its a noticeable low level rattle type noise. It has been cold recently but this is the 2nd winter i've owned it and i never noticed anything like it before. I am totally **** about noises like that so its not like i never noticed it in the past because i would have if it had occured. The only difference between this winter and last winter is that i'm running the spoon ECU and a smaller GReddy oil filter. I'm using the same oil type/grade/brand and the same spark plugs...So i was pondering on the idea that the Spoon ECU is mapped primarily with japanese climate/temps/humidity in mind and that this may be the cause of the problem. I could swap back in my stock P73 and see how it goes but i'm guessing that seeing as theyre two totally different maps (fuel/air with the spoon ecu running less richer) that it wont highlight the problem. Anyone got any ideas on what it may be. I have owned countless B-series civics/CRXs/Integras and this is the first time i have noticed anything like this.</TD></TR></TABLE>

try running with stock ecu then.. as for startup, there isn't much you can do to get rid of that, it just takes a bit longer for oil to make its way around when its cold, and make sure you use 5wXX during winter.. nothing higher than 5wXX.. its hard to tell exactly what that rattle in low gears is, whether its detonation or exhaust rattle (exhaust rattle is pretty easy to detect, its all metal).. don't konw how many miles on ignition components, but make sure they're all up to date, that is spark plugs, wires, cap and rotor and dist. timing.

 

The oil is 5w40 fully synthetic and i have been using the exact same oil for the last 2 years. The noise in low gear acceleration isnt a vibration, its definitely from the engine itself. The car was imported from japan in feb 05 and i have only changed the plug leads and plugs since i got it, everything else in the distrib. is as it was when i got the car. I'm using HAMP VK22 plugs (heat range 7) and i'm changing them tomorrow for new Denso Ik22's (heat range7 also) the plugs are old and i have no idea how much mileage is on them as they were in an EK4 SiR i had last year. I'll change them first and see how it goes and then swap ECUs...hopefully one or the other will make a difference.

If the noise is detonation/pinking how should the plugs look when i pull them out...white/black?????