I don't believe I have recently smoked any crack cocaine, but there is a grinding sound like a bad bearing that is rpm-sensitive and occurs at low-mid RPM. The sound is coming from the middle of the dash and sounds like it's coming from the engine. It is especially loud when it is cold. The sound occurs at idle, at low-mid rpm's, while accelerating the engine with load or no load, but NOT while the engine is decelerating/engine braking. I took an extremely long screwdriver and put my ear on it to use it like a stethoscope and spent 15 minutes poking it on various parts of the engine and transmission trying to hear the sound. I heard it on the firewall, so I started listening to things that are connected to the firewall. The rear engine mount is not conducting the sound.

The strange thing is, when I put the screwdriver-o-scope on the fuel filter, I can hear this sound crystal clear and really loudly. It's a regular "grug grug grug" deep growling sound that is exaclty what I am hearing inside the car. The sound is best described as if my car had a diesel engine. I put the screwdriver on the incoming fuel line and I cannot hear the sound at all. I can not hear the sound on the feed line to the fuel rail, on the fuel rail, in the manifold, or anywhere else in the fuel system in the engine bay besides on the fuel filter itself.

So I changed the fuel filter out for a new one since it was overdue anyway. The sound is still there!

Does anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!

 

how many miles is on the car? i doubt it could be the fuel filter, but if you think that might be the case, it's only 20+- from the dealer.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by =GAMEOVA= &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">how many miles is on the car? i doubt it could be the fuel filter, but if you think that might be the case, it's only 20+- from the dealer.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I just replaced the fuel filter and the sound persists. The car has 180,018 miles on it, but the engine has about 60,000. It's a JDM B16A (SiR-II).

 

Do you thinkyour fuel pump is due?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by spnfed &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Do you thinkyour fuel pump is due?</TD></TR></TABLE>

That comes to mind. I had my back seat out, and the fuel pump is WHISPER quiet when you put your ear to the cover plate. What would be some other symptoms of fuel pump failure?

 

You can check the voltage of the pump.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by spnfed &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You can check the voltage of the pump. </TD></TR></TABLE>

What do you mean? Check if the pump as sufficent voltage getting to it?

 

bump!!!!!! *grug grug grug*

 

Man, you guys are gay! If somebody posts "check out my new JDM wheels YOH" or "I put my carbon fiber hood on, check it out", you guys are all over it and the thread gets 100 replies, but if someone has a problem nobody cares! Or it is just that nobody has any ideas what is wrong with my car?


Modified by zelifcam at 10:29 AM 3/5/2004

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by zelifcam &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Man, you guys are gay! If somebody posts "check out my new JDM wheels YOH" or "I put my carbon fiber hood on, check it out", you guys are all over it and the thread gets 100 replies, but if someone has a problem nobody cares! Or it is just that nobody has any ideas what is wrong with my car?


Modified by zelifcam at 10:29 AM 3/5/2004</TD></TR></TABLE>

better get your flamesuit on dood....

 

I wonder if we are having the same problem? I noticed that my car is much louder than it was before, but its an RPM problem, seems the faster i go, it gets sorta louder sounding.. it sounds like its coming from the engine.. the faster i go, the louder it seems to get? Is your's like this?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by GroundZer0 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I wonder if we are having the same problem? I noticed that my car is much louder than it was before, but its an RPM problem, seems the faster i go, it gets sorta louder sounding.. it sounds like its coming from the engine.. the faster i go, the louder it seems to get? Is your's like this?</TD></TR></TABLE>

The sound does not get louder, but it gets faster as RPM increases.

 

you might be best off if you can somehow find a way to post up a sound clip. What youre trying to do is the same as calling up a doctor and saying it hurts when I movem my arm like this... the doctor cant see what your arm is doing so he cant be sure what the trouble could be. And trying to explain a sound in type is almost like trying to explain what the color blue is to a blind person. So dont get all huffy when someone cant come on here and tell you "this is your problem" There are alot of technical people here who will help you if they are given enough info.

 

I'll give it a shot...

Are you experiencing other symptoms? Bad fuel mileage, less power, etc....

Try using your screwdriver to listen to the individual injectors...

fs

 

Semi-easy way to test your fuel pump if you have a fuel pressure guage...not the one that screws onto your fuel rail or on top of your fuel filter, but one that you buy at Autozone with a bleeder line and everything.

Do this in a well ventilated area.
Hook up the fuel pressure guage tap to the end fo the fuel rail.
Start your car (make sure there no leaks). You should have a reading on whatever your fuel pressure reads.
Take the bleeder line and aim in into a bucket or something. Open the bleeder valve do fuel starts pouring out the bleeder line into the bucket.
Your car should still have no problem running if it has a strong fuel pump. If it sputters, etc... time to replace it.

 

Take it to a shop! Let them deal with it, gayass.

 

monicle: I understand what you are saying, unfortunately I have no way of posting a sound clip of the sound.

filthy_shovel: I am not experiencing any other symptoms other than the sound. Car seems to run fine. I will try listening to each injector and see if one is making a different sound.

jdmbran: I don't understand what type of fuel pressure tester you mean. One that goes between the fuel feed line and the fuel filter? I don't know of a whole lot of other places to splice in besides the filter and the rail. Autozone has a kit that will work for Honda?

range: I am an ASE certified technician... I'm not going to take it to a shop. This is what honda-tech is for, gayass.

Another possibility for checking the fuel pump: check it's amperage draw? Does anybody know if Honda has a spec for fuel pump amperage? If it had bad bearings or a clog, it could draw more amperage.

 

I just re-read the post here....

No sound on the fuel rail - forget about checking the injectors
No sound on the feed line - forget about checking the pump

You only hear the sound through the fuel filter.... That means that it is not traveling up through the fuel...

WTF???

Do you have a stethoscope? The only advice i can give then is to probe around the fuel filter, follow it down to the engine block i guess...

fs

 

This is the type I am talking about (although mine is pretty old)...

As far as a kit that will work for a honda, I think they only sell a generic kit with metric or standard fittings. I think I payed $24.95 for the guage and fittings.

Edit to my earlier post... the place to check it would be from the top of the fuel filter where the banjo bolt is.


Modified by jdmbran at 12:39 PM 3/5/2004

 

gas is a liquid, the fuel filter is filled with gas, liquids MAGNIFY sound waves....

this is why you're thinking it's the fuel filter or fuel related when it probably isn't.

start thinking about moving parts that accelerate as the car accelerates. you said it sounds like a bad bearing noise so run with that assumption.

could be water pump, could be alternator, could be tranny, could be wheel bearing.

sounds like it's probably something towards the back of the engine since it's loudest at the firewall. kinda dangerous but you might want to get the car up on jacks and have someone play with the throttle while you poke around under the car. isn't the smog pump attached on the firewall side of the engine? I can never remember unless I'm looking at the engines heh.

 

My CRX was making a sound like a bad skateboard bearing. I had people telling me it was an engine bearning and I was f*cked. It turned out to be a bad tensioner pully. Oddly enough, it really resembles a huge skateboard bearing. I'd put your stethescope on the timing cover near the motor mount to check the sound over there to rule that out.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by zelifcam &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I just replaced the fuel filter and the sound persists. The car has 180,018 miles on it, but the engine has about 60,000. It's a JDM B16A (SiR-II).</TD></TR></TABLE>
When did it start making the noise? Does the jdm b16 have a fuel pulsation damper on the fuel rail?

 

Thanks for all your suggestions guys!

Chiovnidca: It started making the noise around the time I did the swap. I do not know if the engine has, or is supposed to have, a fuel damper on it. Does anyone know this?

Buzzbomb: I put the screwdriver-o-scope around the timing cover, crank pulley, valve cover, the block on the front near the tensioner... Dosen't seem to be coming from there. I am 75% sure that the ONLY place this sound is coming from is the fuel filter. I took the fuel filter bracket off and put some 3mm thick rubber washers made out of a shifter bushing between the bracket and the firewall and this caused the noise to subside somewhat, but I can still hear it and it's still annoying and makes my engine sound like it's running bad. The engine sounds great under the hood, it's just this stupid sound being conducted through and amplified by the firewall.

stackz: Well it's definately not a wheel bearing, it sound occurs at idle. I agree with you that the fuel filter is not the problem. I replaced it with a brand new one and the sound is still there strong in the fuel filter. The car does not have a smog pump.

jdmbran: that is a nice setup, I've used something similar to that for VW/Audi. That set has a fitting that threads into the test port on top of the fuel filter?

filthy_shovel: Yeah, I'm going to buy a real stethoscope-probe soon so I can check places that are hard to reach with a 4' screwdriver :-)

Thanks for your all your comments and suggestions guys, I'll keep trying to find out what's going on and let you know. I guess I need to get the car on a lift and get a real stethoscope and check more areas for the noise.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by zelifcam &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thanks for all your suggestions guys!
jdmbran: that is a nice setup, I've used something similar to that for VW/Audi. That set has a fitting that threads into the test port on top of the fuel filter?
</TD></TR></TABLE>
Yah, it has a metric fitting that threads into the top of the fuel filter. I just got back from AutoZone, and they dont have them afterall. Ive been thinking about it, I think I actually picked mine up at a swap meet a long time ago. Its a no name brand, but it works just as well as anything else on the market.

I know SP Tools sells something similiar as well as Snap On/Blue Point.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jdmbran &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Yah, it has a metric fitting that threads into the top of the fuel filter. I just got back from AutoZone, and they dont have them afterall. Ive been thinking about it, I think I actually picked mine up at a swap meet a long time ago. Its a no name brand, but it works just as well as anything else on the market.

I know SP Tools sells something similiar as well as Snap On/Blue Point.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Ahh, thanks a lot for checking for me before I tried to go buy one. I appreciate it! I have priced the Snap-On set and it's over $230 for the gauge, and then I have to buy the metric adapter. Lovely that it comes with an adapter for AMC and not Honda