VTEC '03 : Strange noise when idling

Discussion in 'Mechanics Garage' started by ccl68, Jun 30, 2009.

  1. ccl68

    ccl68 New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 15, 2006
    Messages:
    5
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Hi guys,
    I was just wondering if any of u guys think that it is normal to hear an intermittent soft knock when idling?
    My case is when the engine is warm.. is it possible that the Timing Chain tensioner is not doing its duty?
    Or am I having a bottom end/Con rod problem?
    My bike has only covered just under 60K kms...

    Help!
     
  2. jasonsmith

    jasonsmith Member

    Country:
    Canada
    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2007
    Messages:
    1,565
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    51
    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Map
    Kinda the right time for the tensioners to start degrading... Doubt it's a con/rod issue, maybe if you had 300,000 km on her. Does the sound completely go away when under load? Where about is the sound coming from... can you poke your ear around.
     
  3. Hyssy

    Hyssy New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2009
    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    http://files.me.com/hyssy/9hyy7l.aiff

    If it sounds anything like my bike (above link) then I reckon it's the cam chain tensioner (front). My dealer says it's a normal noise. I think he's taking the piss. Seems to be a hush hush problem with the 6th gen. No one I speak to wants to know about it until they get it themselves.

    Oh the temptation to buy a 5th gen, if only the 6th wasn't such a great bike as well.

    Still, I'm going to take mine to a different mechanic, see if they can help out. Mine's still under warranty after all... (26,000ks).
     
  4. vfrMonster

    vfrMonster New Member

    Joined:
    May 16, 2009
    Messages:
    1
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Soft Knocking when Idling

    Hi Guys,

    I'd just like to pitch in on the subject.
    I have a 2002 with ~5500 miles. I drive the bike conservatively.

    When the bike is in neutral and idling I hear the soft knocking sound that
    you describe. While in neutral, when I squeeze the clutch it goes away.

    My buddy has a 5th gen and it does the same thing.

    So I think this is normal behavior for the bike.
     
  5. Lgn001

    Lgn001 Member

    Country:
    United States
    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2007
    Messages:
    1,855
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    53
    Location:
    Russian River by Ocean, CA
    Map
    ^^ Beat me to it. On almost every motorcycle I have had, pulling in the clutch makes funny noises go away.
     
  6. jasonsmith

    jasonsmith Member

    Country:
    Canada
    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2007
    Messages:
    1,565
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    51
    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Map
    I think the sound is normal and I think it is a CCT. I hear that sound when I have ear plugs in and only at idle as well. It really don't think it's a big deal. If you like you can play with your CCT's but I'm willing to bet that after a very short time you will hear the sound again.

    my 2 cents.
     
  7. Adammac-02

    Adammac-02 New Member

    Joined:
    May 30, 2009
    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Noise

    I had this problem on my 03. I pulled the motor apart to find it. It turned out to be the clutch thrust bearing. It had the smallest amount of play,so i replaced it. No noise
     
  8. NOLA VFR

    NOLA VFR New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2008
    Messages:
    112
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    New Orleans
    Map
    I've heard the noise from my bike. It continued when I pull in the clutch. I isolated it to the front cam cover but there is no pattern to when the noise starts and stops. My Honda tec said "if something was broken, you'd know it" I.e. the bike wouldn't run. I just put 700 miles on it in Birmingham. I heard the noise once while slowing down to cross railroad tracks - clutch in.
     
  9. Freezer

    Freezer New Member

    Country:
    Australia
    Joined:
    Apr 7, 2008
    Messages:
    15
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    1
    Location:
    Sydney Australia
    Map
    Soft Knock.....

    When I pull up a the lights mine also makes this noise (rattle, rattle.......rattle,rattle,rattle.........) I havent noticed the clutch having any effect on the noise and it doesnt do it on the run.
    Mentioned it at the last service and the mechanic duly ignored my request to investigate it......
    Seems to be getting worse so have to 'mention' it again.

    2002 VTEC Gen 6
     
  10. jasonsmith

    jasonsmith Member

    Country:
    Canada
    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2007
    Messages:
    1,565
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    51
    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Map
    Cam Chain Tensioners
     
  11. joner7777

    joner7777 New Member

    Country:
    United Kingdom
    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2008
    Messages:
    107
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    16
    Location:
    TA7 0LZ
    Map
    I get a strange noise when the clutch is pulled and in gear when waiting at the lights.
    It`s like a sort of intermittent flapping rustling sound,always been there,never gets worse.
    Had exactly the same sound on a another 5 gen i had years ago,that one went on for years.
    maybe clutch plates rustling loose against each other when not engaged and tight???
     
  12. ccl68

    ccl68 New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 15, 2006
    Messages:
    5
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    JS: Thanks for the advice. I'll dismantle the fairing & check for the noise closer.
    Hyssy: Thanks for the recording. My sound is very intermittent..maybe about 10% during idling... it may be at its early stages of the CCT giving up..
    VFRMonster: playing with the clutch did not stop the intermittent noise...
    There was a similar age bike at my workshop and had to have its engine overhauled cos the crankshaft wore out beyond repair...


    Guys, are we facing an impending product disaster here? My previous '97 VFR750 FV was a gem...and so was the CBR1100XX I had too....
     
  13. MOTORCYCLE_JOHN

    MOTORCYCLE_JOHN New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 17, 2008
    Messages:
    3
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    Sharon, PA
    Map
    My '02 (30k miles) also makes a slight rattling noise. Like all previous posts it is only noticeable while at idle (i.e. stopped or coasting to a stop). Makes little difference if it is hot or cold. Makes no difference if the clutch is engaged or not. The bike still runs well. I cannot testify to whether it is a problem that was there when it was 'younger' as I am the 4th owner :-O If you decide to disassemble and inspect further, please keep us informed. As this is a common problem I'm sure we all would appreciate your findings.

    Thanks

    John
     
  14. pjm204

    pjm204 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2009
    Messages:
    174
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    NJ
    My new 07 has these noises at idle, I've had it a month and it has 2k miles on it. I've been hearing the noise since around 600 miles. I took it in and of course it stopped making it. My course of action is going to be to buy the extended warranty and forget about it. I might bring it to a different dealer at some point but it runs well.
     
  15. NOLA VFR

    NOLA VFR New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2008
    Messages:
    112
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    New Orleans
    Map
    Jason:

    Are you saying that its normal or not? I stated earlier that the noise is coming from the front cover so I've suspected that it was the tensioners. Because I've heard so much about the 6th gen having a noisey engine, I don't know if its normal.
     
  16. NOLA VFR

    NOLA VFR New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2008
    Messages:
    112
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    New Orleans
    Map
    Mine has 6k on it. I'll probably get the extended warranty as well.
     
  17. 34468 Randy

    34468 Randy Secret Insider

    Country:
    Canada
    Joined:
    Dec 18, 2007
    Messages:
    13,741
    Likes Received:
    1,557
    Trophy Points:
    158
    Location:
    Chilliwack, BC Canada
    Map
    I have had that knock since brand new on my 06. I just turned 76,500 KM. No problems noted in performance I think I can live with it unless someone proves that this needs to be dealt with.
     
  18. jasonsmith

    jasonsmith Member

    Country:
    Canada
    Joined:
    Oct 4, 2007
    Messages:
    1,565
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    51
    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Map
    Is it normal or not?.. If the noise is the same as mine and Randy's then I would say ya but I there's no way for me to know that.

    I'm not a Honda tech but am willing to bet it's a tensioner. I will also bet that after a short while of changing it and the noise being gone it will come back, primarily cause the tensioners are junk. I don't think that it's a big deal personally but it's your bike and your comfort level. It's not a big deal to change them and there not "that" expensive. I wasn't planning on changing mine out till I hit about 60k km unless of course they really start making a racket.

    Like Randy said the engines make noise. If you guys poke around a running engine you will hear all kinds of things. If you stick in ear plugs you will hear something different than you normally do. If you start being hypersensitive you will hear all kinds of things.

    I know my bike, I know the noises that it makes and trust myself to know when there's an actual problem. That can only come from time with your bike and maybe a mechanical background.

    I'm thinking that many of you are starting to listen to your bikes maybe a bit too much either because of this thread or something else. Your gonna loose your minds or your money. The 6th gen has been around for quite a while and going strong. If some of them didn't end up wrapped around trees or in ditches I bet they would all still be running.

    ... It's easy for me to blab about it all, but it will be up to you guys to make the final decisions.

    Just my opinions of course.
     
  19. NOLA VFR

    NOLA VFR New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 8, 2008
    Messages:
    112
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Location:
    New Orleans
    Map

    Jason:

    Thanks for the response. I'm not in a hurry to fix something thats is not broken. I'm just curious. I'm long past trying to keep any bike in pristine condition. I used to clean and repair anything at all that was wrong with my 84 V65 Sabre. I remember replacing the V65 symbols on the side covers because they were fading. 35 bucks a pop in 1989 was a chunck on $ for me back then. Now I just ride as much as I can and give the bike a good cleaning once every, maybe, 45 days.

    Most people probably would not notice the noise unless you point it out to them. The bike runs great. I may get the extended warranty....
     
Related Topics

Share This Page