I'm getting a tapping/knocking sound coming from my engine bay around my cylinder head/ intake manifold area. I need some help diagnosing what is going on. Here is some info on it:

-It only happens when the car is heated up

-It happens, normally, from 2k-3k as I'm reaching the RPM plateau for the amount of gas i'm giving the car

-I can keep the noise going if i disengage the clutch while keeping the RPM's the same but the second I stop moving it goes away.

-It's loud enough to be heard over road noise and a small amount of music but not very loud, nor does it create any vibration.

Anyone who can help would be appreciated, this **** is bugging me to death

*update*: I know this is archived but I just wanted to say that I FINALLY found out the cause of it.

On my 1997 civic, there is only one support for the cat-back exhaust by the cat. This and the fact that the bolt holes from the integra's exhaust to the civic's cat are slightly different. Some movement along those lines has caused the sound

I took off the cat heat shield and it remedied the sound somewhat. It's not as loud and doesn't happen as often. I spilled a lot of oil on the springs/bolts that hold the exhaust to the cat and the sound didn't happen for about 2 or 3 weeks. If i put some thick grease in there, chances are that I wouldn't hear it for quite a while. Also, another solution could be that I could just get an engine torque damper.


Modified by FuNkDrSpOt at 2:46 PM 3/20/2007

 

could be rod knock make sure you check your oil level. this happened to me before too if u havent been checking your oil u could have ruined a rod bearing. i'm guessing it makes the noise above 3k also?

 

No, that's why i didn't think it was rod knock or valves tapping. above 3k it doesn't seem to make this sound.

Plus, if i accelerate hard it doesn't make the sound, it only makes the sound as I plateau between 2k - 3k.

Oil levels are good. I haven't had time to check the valve clearances yet though.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EGhatch33 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">could be rod knock make sure you check your oil level. this happened to me before too if u havent been checking your oil u could have ruined a rod bearing. i'm guessing it makes the noise above 3k also?</TD></TR></TABLE>

It might sound like rod knock but then if you read all the 'symptomes' it doesn't. Although it could be very early/light stage of rod knock.

Bump for a little more help.

 

yea i was thinking very early rod knock... but if it doesnt happen above 3k i dont know. <TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SOHC4life 96 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Bump for a little more help.</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

i had kind of the same problem and a week later i slung a rod through the block.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EJ_yo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i had kind of the same problem and a week later i slung a rod through the block.</TD></TR></TABLE>

nice way to comfort me . My car has been doing this for about 2 -3 months.


Modified by FuNkDrSpOt at 11:08 PM 2/1/2006

 

have you taken it to a shop to get an opinion?

 

nope, I'm about to this weekend though. @ this point right now I'm just annoyed with the sound. The engine runs well so It hasn't been a priority but since I have the weekend off to work on my car I figured I'd try to troubleshoot it.

 

i hope you've been baby-ing that motor, bad things happen when you ignore sounds like that

 

im no expert but sounds like a spark knock to me wich is generaly caused by low grade fuel try useing higher octane gas and/or bump the ingition timing a little bit ive had this problem in the past

 

run a tank of 93 and see if that shus it up

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EGhatch33 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i hope you've been baby-ing that motor, bad things happen when you ignore sounds like that </TD></TR></TABLE>

not really.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 92MiniMeHatch &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">im no expert but sounds like a spark knock to me wich is generaly caused by low grade fuel try useing higher octane gas and/or bump the ingition timing a little bit ive had this problem in the past</TD></TR></TABLE>

I run 91 and I would think if this was an engine related sound it should make the noise ALL the time whereas right now it only does it while the car is moving

 

Time for New motor

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sIr.fR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Time for New motor </TD></TR></TABLE>

Nice post whoring.

Anyone know if me having:

a) a missing IM manifold bracket ( the one that stabilizes the IM to the Block )

b) old accessory belts/accessory tensioner pulley/timing belt tensioner pulley

c) faulty fuel injectors

would cause any of this?

 

I think I am having the same problem as you, but this noise happens when my car is sitting still too, if I rev it to around 2800-3000 rpms it makes a ticking noise as if my valves were loose...I just adjusted them and its still there, I'm not hearing it all the time but sometimes I almost swear I can still hear it...I'm gonna do an oil change and a bunch of other stuff...its been like this for about a month, then I did the valve adjustment and the day I did it, I thought I couldnt hear it anymore..but almost now I think its coming back.

 

bump, need to know about this

 

How do you know its coming from the head? Get it professionally looked at by someone who can tell you exactly where its coming from.

It's not rod knock. If it has been going on for 2-3 months, your motor would have already crapped out. To me, it sounds like your main bearings are beginning to go bad. Same thing just happened to me. I blame it on bad oil pressure.

Have you check your oil? Give it an oil change and see if there are any shreddings.

 

The oil hasn't been changed since I got the engine put in but it's been less than 3k miles. I doubt oil pressure is a problem since I just put in a brand new oil pump. What I had said about the sound is that it SOUNDS like its coming from the head. I don't have $100 for a diagnosis so that's why I'm on here.

 

I know this is archived but I just wanted to say that I FINALLY found out the cause of it.

On my 1997 civic, there is only one support for the cat-back exhaust by the cat. This and the fact that the bolt holes from the integra's exhaust to the civic's cat are slightly different. Some movement along those lines has caused the sound

I took off the cat heat shield and it remedied the sound somewhat. It's not as loud and doesn't happen as often. I spilled a lot of oil on the springs/bolts that hold the exhaust to the cat and the sound didn't happen for about 2 or 3 weeks. If i put some thick grease in there, chances are that I wouldn't hear it for quite a while. Also, another solution could be that I could just get an engine torque damper.

 

yep, an exhaust leak is sometimes misdiagnosed as other things... they are pretty annoying.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by allricedout &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">yep, an exhaust leak is sometimes misdiagnosed as other things... they are pretty annoying. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Nah, it's not an exhaust leak. It's the exhaust piping slightly moving around most likely due to sedans not having a second exhaust hanger after the cat.

 

maybe your transmission is messed up

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by aquabob89 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">maybe your transmission is messed up</TD></TR></TABLE>

Nothing annoys me more than when someone is so ******* lazy they can't even read through the first page of a thread before they make a post.

I already found the cause, then you randomly tell me my transmission is messed up.......Did you just pick a random part in the engine bay and say "Hey, I need to get my post count up, I'll just tell him maybe the tranny is making the noise!"??????

Dood, stick to GDD.

 

Damn I have the same problem too with my 00 civic, maybe water got into my system from my v2 intake? I get worried sometime but I will be doing a swap soon..its a sohc..