Rep Power: 0

I tried searching the forums, but didn't come up with what I was looking for, so I'll just ask directly.

I got this car in March, so didn't experience too much cold weather, but I noticed the problem then as well.

When starting when it's cold out--the colder it is, the worse it is--I get this big vibration, has to be coming from the engine. I mean, it makes stuff inside the cabin rattle sometimes, it's like the whole bloody thing is shaking in there. Then once the car is warm, it goes away, and doesn't crop up on warm days. I see from past maintenance paperwork that the former owner also noticed this and had the dealership take a look when he went in for an oil change, but it says they couldn't replicate it. Probably not--they'd have to start it cold; it wouldn't do it if he'd driven it all the way to the shop, unless maybe the shop was just up the street a couple miles (and it wasn't; he probably had time for it to warm up by the time he got there).

No check engine light or anything.

(Also, on another front--it has a heat issue, you know, what seems to be the usual. It takes forever to warm up, and when I'm driving it's nice and hot, but when I'm stopped [engine disengaged, whether at a stop light or if coasting up to it with the clutch in] it blows cold. I've read other threads and I don't have overheating problems to go along with it. I don't think it's the thermostat as the gauge shows warm [will have to check when stopped though, would it only show cold while it's blowing cold?], but I don't think it's air in the coolant line either--I had the water pump replaced a few months ago and it didn't fix the problem, unless the air could somehow remain after that?? Again, previous owner took it in for that and they said everything checked out [it said they checked water pump, but I don't know if they checked thermostat] and they couldn't figure it out. Problem is not so bad after I've been driving for a while, or at least that's the assumption I make-- unfortunately, my daily driving situation is that I drive for several miles/about 20 minutes on local roads, then get on the highway the rest of the way and get off right near work. So on the way to work I freeze my tail off for that first 20 minutes, but on the way home it's fine, which I assume is because I've warmed it up on the highway for half an hour before I get to any stop lights. I do not seem to have any problems with the AC cutting out while stopped. I assume it is not the head gasket, surely the engine would be dead by now, right, since I've had it for 9 months and can't remember when the previous owner got it checked before that? Have never noticed any coolant leaks. Heater core? Haven't tried feeling the hoses yet.)

 
Rep Power: 812

if thermostat is stuck in open position, it will constantly be cycling the entire coolant supply, making it very difficult to ever warm the car. its supposed to open gradually so the car warms up faster, then start closing if the temp drops too much (like on a cold day). get a honda thermostat and replace that first. do you hear water bubbling sounds near the glove box when revving or accelerating from a stop? that could indicate air, which is easy to remain in there for months if it was never bled out properly. this can also cause loss of heater heat and even false temp gauge readings.

 
Rep Power: 0

No, I can't recall that I've ever heard the water sounds...I'll try to listen more closely, though. It does finally get nice and toasty warm (I gotta say, I love a Honda heater! I detest being cold).

(Now I'm trying to remember. I've heard what sounds like running water in SOME car...wracking my brain...but I think it was my mom's Malibu. Now I know what that noise is! I'll have to tell her to maybe have her coolant line bled; I think she's been having some heat issues anyway as my uncle was looking into replacing her thermostat, but maybe it's not the thermostat at all.)

 
Rep Power: 200

The noise is definately air in her car. If the heater core is stopped up though it can be almost impossible to get bled. If she does have air, her coolant is now, or has been low. Probably has a leak. What year is it? I have had several of these. If it is a v6: 3.4, 3.1, or 3100 it FOR SURE has an intake gasket leak or it has had in the past. They eliminated the intake coolant crossover all together on the 3.5. Open the oil cap and look at the bottom of it, if it is leaking water into the oil there will be milky looking sludge on it. GET IT FIXED NOW. Water in the oil will eat up the bearings in the engine. If the degas bottle(coolant recovery tank) has sludgy crap in it, it is going that direction. IT CAN GO BOTH WAYS TOO. If it is sludgy, the heater core is stopped up with the same junk. Take the hoses off it in the engine bay and flush it back and forth with a garden hose. Reassemble and fill and bleed the coolant. These cars are not hard to bleed at all, look at the op manual, it should tell the procedure.

As for your car, everything gearbox said is right on. You might need to flush the core on it too. Make sure you have all the air bled too. These cars can be a real pain in the butt to bleed too.

 
Rep Power: 313

^VERY knowledgeable individual.

Hmm... is your overflow tank coolant level where its supposed to be? Check it, it's very important. Report your findings here.

 
Rep Power: 200

THANKS!

Just checking the thread and thought of something else...
If her core, or yours for that matter, is stopped up or slow on flow; CLR is your best friend. You can take the hoses off of it in the engine bay just like the before, then use the air hose to blow the coolant out of the core. Then attach a short piece of hose if you need to, but fill the core up with CLR and let it sit in it over night. In the morning or later if you aren't a morning person :P, flush it with the garden hose to flush the CLR out, then fill and bleed the car again.

 
Rep Power: 0

The Malibu is a 2000, I believe. Uh oh, that sounds expensive. My mom's on disability and, well, doesn't have money so this could be a big problem. I'll tell my uncle to look into it at the very least. You would think he would have noticed low coolant at some point, but maybe not. I'll have to ask her if he's ever told her it's low. At the very least, I'll report all this to him and have him take a look.

I'll take a look at my coolant overflow with my partner tomorrow and see what I can see and let you know. He's been dealing with coolant issues with his BMW for a long time now so he'll probably have better idea of what he's looking at than I will. Bloody hell, why on earth didn't the dealership think of all this crap when the former owner took it in?? I'm starting to think the dealership he was taking it to was, uh, not very good.

Any ideas on the cold-start engine vibration?