i2097i

Ok guys, I'll try to make this as detailed as possible.

History:
I'm driving a 2004 Honda Civic EX. It now has 112K miles on it, I got it when it had 80K. To my knowledge everything is stock.

The Problem:
The best way to explain the sound that my car makes is a casino roulette (as pictured). This "ticking" speeds up with my engine speed ONLY WHEN THE CAR IS IN GEAR AND MOVING FORWARD This noise can be heard at the same moment as the car begins to move forward in first, second, and part of third gear. Again, the noise does not occur when I the clutch is IN.

As far as I know this clutch is original. The noise has been going on as long as I've had the car (2 years). I talked to a transmission guy and he said to not worry about it for now.

Other opinions I've heard is "it's the throwout bearing, just replace it with the clutch." I plan on doing this (my clutch is due for a replacement about now!)

My concern is simply that I'll replace the throwout bearing and clutch, hop back into my car and have the same problem.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Scot

burnze148

my 2001 ex does that too. it only ticks when its in gear. is it the valves or the clutch?? someone please help

zx6rf1

I have the exact same problem, and starting at almost the same mileage on the same car.

I have a 2004 EX and just started noticing it around 115K. It's pretty noticeable in 1st or 2nd up to about 2000 rpm. After that I guess road and engine noise drowns it out. I had pegged this as something transmission related since I couldn't reproduce it sitting still, but I think it's more about putting a load on the engine before the noise really comes out. I can also hear something if I have the hood open and lean in close and just barely blip the throttle, and that's without the transmission engaged. Doing that, it sounds a lot like something in the engine, maybe a little piston slap.

A little background that may be important. I overheated the engine at 80K a couple of times before I realized my thermostat was screwed, and of course it ate the head gasket. So I had the head gasket replaced, head machined, and took care of the timing belt while they had it open.

The head gasket blew again not long ago at about 120K, but I had started hearing the noise at about 115K I think. I don't know if the two are related, but these 7th gens really don't live up to my expectations of Honda reliability.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

the ticking in gear is most likely the clutch bearing, i guess. the one with the engine, that's a whole different story.

zx6rf1

The best test is with the car sitting still, make sure you do not hear the noise. If you push in the clutch and then hear the noise, it probably is the throwout bearing. If you still don't hear it, then it may be what me and OP are dealing with. That sounds like when they spin the wheel on an old game show or something.

After a little more digging, me and OP sound like we have the same problem as this person.

https://www.civicforums.com/forums/3...need-help.html

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

True, if this solves the problem it is cheaper to try than changing clutch only finding out it was not the case.
Just a question - are you guys on automatic or manual transmission? zx6rf1 is on manual for sure, 12097i seems to be manual too, right?

Harky000

I had a similar sound started about 6 -8 months ago car had about 180K on it. Everyone told me it was the release bearing. But i figured it would be more. If your rolling down a hill with the car in gear does it still make that noise? mine did. and it progressively just got worse until it was really bad sounding. a terrible sound like someone put rocks in my trans. anyways long story short had to replace trans. Clutch and bearing were fine. trans spindle had play in it and just spinning it by hand you could feel/ hear there was something very wrong. hopefully its not this for you guys. other than the noise the car drive fine.

Aaron

BlueEM2

iTrader: (1)

Anyone here try a valve clearance adjustment?

zx6rf1

I had valve adjustment done when they did the head gasket a couple of weeks ago. No change at all in the sound.

I'll have to try the rolling down a hill in gear test and see if it's there. I'm on the top level of the parking garage at work, so that should be easy to do on my lunch break.

It may be paranoia, but I might start looking around the local boneyards for a spare tranny to keep in the garage, and maybe an engine too. I'm getting flashbacks to nursing along my old plymouth laser...

zx6rf1

I tried coasting in gear downhill, and no noise. As soon as I got on the gas, the noise came back. That doesn't tell me too much more, but it's another bit of information. If it's tranny related, maybe it makes the noise when force is applied by the engine against the tranny to overcome resistance of the wheels, etc, which would be in one direction, versus force applied in the other direction from the momentum of the rolling car being resisted by engine compression.

If it's engine internals, while compression braking, I don't believe the injectors fire (at least that was the case with my DSM), so if it's piston slap, or something with the crank/rods, it may not show up without the force experienced from combustion, especially combustion under load.

I'm still just taking shots in the dark, so don't take any of this as anything other than pure guesswork.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

have you tried the oils?

zx6rf1

I had the trans oil changed by the dealer (too much snow on the ground at the time) thinking it may have been something along that lines. No change in the noise for better or worse. I wish I could remember when it was changed before that, but I know I've had it done a few times over the life of the car. I will admit it probably wasn't at the 30K mile interval the factory recommends.

Engine has been on a strict diet of Mobile 1 starting with the 3rd oil change, to give it enough time to break in on dino oil. That's why if this is in the internals, I'm going to be one very unhappy customer.

BlueEM2

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like you should keep driving it until something more definitive shows up. I hate to give that advice or take it to a shop that can diagnose it properly for you.

i2097i

Hey guys, sorry it took me so long to respond. My car is a manual tranny.

It sounds like zx6rf1 has a very similar problem to the one that I'm experiencing.

In my mind this problem is limited to my transmission (and/or other components of the drivetrain) My reason being, this sound absolutely does not occur unless the clutch is up, I'm in gear, and I'm moving forward.

If I try to "simulate" the RPM climb while I'm in neutral, I hear no noises whatsoever. I can rev my engine all day in neutral and I won't hear a thing.

I also think I can rule out the individual gears (one, two and beginning of three) because the ticking is in-sync with the rpm speed. This indicates to me that it's coming from the drivetrain, however, the source of the problem would have to be towards the outside of the transmission.

Does this make sense??

Thanks for all of the posts guys.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

Try to stop at a Mr. Transmission shop for a diagnosis?
It is really starting to worry me of the transmission for you guys...
I had to rebuild mine, together with the axles once, and it was a clicking sound. (I am an autocrosser, though, so lots of strain in the trans).

pjb3

First off, I doubt it is the throwout bearing. If it were the bearing you would hear the ticking anytime the clutch was out. When your foot is off the clutch pedal the throwout bearing is in the out position and it dosn't matter what gear or neutral the transmission is in. It is all the same as far as the bearing.

I really have more questions than answers. Since you can rev the engine in neutral and not hear the ticking, it is most likely drivetrain. When the car is moving and making the noise does it continue if you put it in neutral and coast? I wonder it the ticking really stops in 4th gear or does it become too fast to distingush or disappear in road noise. I had a vehicle that used to get rocks stuck in the tires and you would hear a ticking up till about 40 mph when it became fast enough to disappear.

I think I would try to isolate where the tick is coming from by raising the front wheels off the ground and trying to reproduce the ticking. I would block under the front control arms (very securely) so that the wheels are 1/2 inch off the ground but the suspension is in a normal position, that way all the half shafts and CV joints are where they normally are. With the tires still on I would try the different gears at different speeds. If you don't have any ticking you might try applying light brakes at the same time to simulate normal load. Hopefully, without any road noise and being able to listen more closely, you can tell where the ticking is coming from.

BlueEM2

iTrader: (1)

I really think if your very concerned about it you should get a professional diagnosis. It's very hard to diagnose something like this over the internet and I don't think anyone is going to be able to do it because it's not a common problem. Sorry to repeat myself.

sdaidoji

iTrader: (1)

agree on that

turboslug

sorry for bringing this thread back from the dead...

i have an 02 EM2 w/ the sohc vtec motor and it too is making ticking sounds that are audible only when the engine is under load. the sound has actually been around for a long time (1+ years) but i've always assumed i just needed a valve adjustment.

anyway, i did my timing belt change on the weekend and i also adjusted the valves. after the adjustment, the car no longer ticked after cold startups but it still ticks under load. the sound isn't very loud but i do notice it. in order to hear the ticking, i have to have the music off, windows open, and no loud traffic around me.

for the guys that think it's an issue w/ the manual tranny...i have an automatic transmission.