I've got a 1997 Prelude (base). A few weeks ago I took it to the dealership to get a CV boot replaced -- when I got the car back, it was making a raspy ticking noise (that's the best I can describe it). The problem happens above ~2k RPM (in gear or neutral) and gets slightly louder & faster based on how high I rev it up. I took it back to the dealership and had 2 different people tell me I needed a valve adjustment...so I got them adjusted and the problem is still occuring.

I'm going back to the dealership today to have them look at it again...but I wanted to get some opinions from y'all. Any ideas? I'm kind of frustrated because the problem wasn't there when I took it in to get the CV boot replaced...but if it is a valve issue, there's nothing they could have done to cause the problem. Or so I think...

Thanks in advance for any info.

 

Is your car an SH..sounds like your heatshield is rattling...don't worry it's common in the SH.

 

It's the base model, not the SH. You mean the heatshield covering the header? Hmmm. The sound is very consistent (I can reproduce the same sound at the same RPM any time, moving or stopped)...if it the heatshield was loose, wouldn't the sound vary depending on conditions (turning, etc.)? Also, do you know if the heatshield needs to be removed before replacing a CV boot? If so, that would make sense.

Pardon the questions...heh, after this gets fixed, I'm fixing /everything/ on my car myself from here on out. I don't care if it takes me 4x as long...I really need to learn about this ****.

Thanks for the reply.

 

My timing belt got stretched from too much torque and made a slapping ticking sound when at a certain rpm. I think it was at 2100 or so. Very noticable when slowing down in gear.

 

The 5th gen preludes have a TSB on the timming belt auto tensioner. The earlier models didn't work quite right, and after time would allow the belt to get a little slack. This might be the cause of your noise, it was for me. Take it in, they should change the tensioner for free, you just have to pay for the belt.

 

Alright...I just got back from the dealership. They had their two top mechanics listen to it....they said the sound was "normal" for an engine with that many miles (72k) Maybe I'm being naieve, but I don't think it's normal...I'm going to have another shop take a look at it.

In their defense, they offered to credit the cost of the valve adjustment ($90) towards replacing my timing belt.

 

well there is the well known 4 cyl valve tap. All of them do it. Switch over to roller rockers and cams and it will go away. mine ticks, but not too bad. maybe that's all it is

 

Hey i have a SH and want to find the noise I did a search and found out that many of the h22 engines tick on cold starts then goes away in warm up..

However mine tick all the way till v-tec..

the following are replacements I did for the past couple months
-Timing belt
-balancer belt
-Auto tensioner replacement
-Valve adjusted (6 times and a pro at it)
-oil changes every 3k miles
-And yes when it's low on oil it does tick louder but, the ticking noise i have is still loud (even after warm up)
-Noise is like a singer sewing machine (best discribed by preludepower.com)
-checked heat sheilds

Now the sound is not the pulseing injectors.. (The noise i'm experiance masks the pulsing injectors)

Now I've been going nuts on this for couple years and i'm truely going bonkers here.. I almost want to take the head inside my house and clean it and check spec ranges on it but, I perfer not to take the out of the car b/c of cost for gaskets and all unless i have too..

Thanks

 

check for exhaust leaks between header and downpipe. i've had this problem twice. will make loud ticking sound when you're on the gas at low rpm.

i doubt the dealer needed to mess with the header but it's worth a try.

 

hey bud I checked the header f-pipe cat b-pipe and exhaust don't detect any exhaust leaks thanks bud.. but, from your post i'm beginng to worry about the car .. This seems like nothing anyone is experiancing.. And i have no idea if I lost any hp
I should redo what i said earlier about the noise i'm a second owner dealing with a tick/clatter noise.. When I do a cold start it sounds like the singer sewing machine.. when it warms up the noise still continues unlike most of you guys experiance. When I drive around town/city RPM ranges of 1k-3.5k and drive past a building,wall,drive thru etc i could hear the noise bounce of the walls when windows roll down.. Now when the window is up and a/c fan,radio etc is off I can still hear the tick or clatter sound.. I'm 100% sure the noise is located in the H22 Head for sure and it's not the blessed injectors that honda provided..

I have a guy that drives a 00' Civic SI and he's a first owner and his engine sounds like how a engine should sound Cold air intake sound then followed by his thermal exhaust and i'm pissed..

 

hey man i have the same noise on my 2001 prelude i am thinking its the stock cat.....im going to get a hi-flow cat soon and see if thats the problem......it doesnt do it all the time just at low rpm between 2-3.5k.... if you figure out what it is pls lmk on here.

 

Well, I bought my Thermal exhaust used and had to buy exhaust gaskets at first i didnt know what size to get so i went with the 2.5 inch gaskets and turn out that it didnt fit.. so i tried to fabricate it and fair enough it started to get exhaust leaks and noise I had to go back to advance auto and get a 2.25 inch gasket on both sides of the cat it turns out that advance auto had them for some domestic car.. but the sound under the hood is still trippin me out how's the n1 sound?

 

i have a n1 and its doing the same thing.

 

What grade of oil are you guys using? Synthetic or regular as well? That could possibly be a key factor of the ticking as well.

 

Well, that doesnt sound good.. What kind of cat are you lookin into, i'll sell you my factory cat.. If not i'll understand.. However I got no money to spend a gasket .. Hey do you guys know anyone that reused the headgasket? I may attempt to inspect it as long as i can reuse the gasket

 

I live in the midwest and use ford 5w30 special blend.. it's prob the best oil i ever used..