[Roberto Alexander]

This started occurring in the last two weeks.

2018 Honda Accord Sport trim 2.0t 10AT 26.5k miles No error/CEL in the dashboard.

No mods, all services performed. The rattle only occurs when the car has not reached operating temperature, and is in park/neutral. Under load, the rattle stops entirely. There is a whine when you accelerate briskly from gears 1-2-3 from a dead stop. The whine is very faint, but can be heard inside the cabin, and is similar to the sound made by a steering pump running low on fluid.
The only changes that have occurred before issues, outside of themps coming down for the fall, is the car was serviced by the dealer for the 25k mile service. This included cabin and engine air filter changes, oil change, and transmission fluid change. It was brought to the dealer to get this service done because the oil was due, and decided to get the filters and trans oil change done (30k mile service).

I still have Honda Care and the car is under warranty. Anyone willing to comment on this, especially if you experienced a similar issue, would be great. Thanks.

Video of rattle -

Got the car back yesterday and all things were back to normal per the dealer. Go to start the car this morning and the VTC rattle is still there only less noticeable, then the other rattle/knock starts sounding off. I will be test driving the car to see if I still get a whine under load.

I will take it back to the dealer today at noon and insist they keep it until they verify the issue is no more. Fingers crossed they resolve it and I don't need a new motor...

 

[Roberto Alexander]

I can hear something but can't say for sure what it is. Your temps (low 50 & 70 @ when video was done) are IMO significant enough to be weather (cold temp) related. One thing that comes to mind of what I've heard/experienced on other vehicles is it might be a lifter (if our cars have them) bleeding down overnight and then building back up after a start up. If you still have warranty I would show this video to your dealer of choice and maybe leave the car w/them overnight so they can do a cold start to hear it/diagnose it.

I took it to the Dealer on Saturday and they kept it to try to replicate the noise. They were incredulous when I showed them the video. So we will see how it goes in a few hours when they call.

 

[Roberto Alexander]

Any updates... what was diagnosed causing the noise?

They diagnosed a bad tensioner pulley for the rattle when cold, and they replaced the VTC actuator to sort out the other short rattle happening immediately after startup.
Talked to them last night, they said the car would be ready at 7. at 8:45 they asked me to give them more time and I went home mad as ****. Don't make my mistake. If a dealer says the car is ready, go pick it up, not until they say it is actually ready and waiting for you.
After I got there, apparently they were sorting the VTC issue out as they went, because they could not get the car to run right and lit up the dash like christmas. Not to mention the temp gauge was climbing like crazy and throwing misfires as well. My guess is they did not assemble it right and had a bubble in the cooling system causing cavitation and the temp to shoot up.
I'm not going back to this dealer. I will take my car to a non-corporate run dealer, maybe they can do a better job.
At this time they are saying they will bring me my car to "make up" for making me wait for two hours. Tried getting a detail out of it, but no dice.

 

[Roberto Alexander]

OK New Video - Please . .

It's already back at the dealership.

 

[Roberto Alexander]

Well, I have been going back and forth to the dealer and have not had the issue resolved. The noises are still the same, Hard VTC rattle at cold start followed by what is now a grind from the top of the motor. I am honestly thinking of taking it to a privately-owned dealership to see if I have any luck with this matter. Here is a video from 1/5:

 

[Roberto Alexander]

Wow sounds like someone Added 15W-40 or 15W-50 Oil
Hoping U haven't Changed Oil in - Awhile .. It's Best to Get Oil Sample - Quickly . .
I Swap Out - Current Oil Filter - make a Video of You Pour Oil out Oil for Sample to be sent Out $24 Bucks will Prove Possible 5000K Replacement .. Faster Better !

Then Cut Open Oil Filter 4 Inside Inspection with 10X Lens - White Linen and all that . . Fast !

Did Dealer Pull Oil Pressure Test with Readings and all - Make then Prove It - Print It ! Etc. No Time for BS

Slap on High Flow K&N Oil Filter they do Flow better .. ( I have heard of some Bad Oil Filters ) being made also . .
Lets Us Know . .

Oil Passage Holes are Very , Very Small could be 1 got Plugged .. or a Cam has an Over Tq. Condition from Factory -- Guessing from Sound ..

I'd also look for something Simple - Like a Heat Shield Vibration Pc. of Hardware ( Small Bolt ) Floating around Under the Factor Plastic Coil Covers etc.

When You Top Off Oil from Swapping Out Filter - Add 0-5w , as I don't Know If You changed Oil or a garage . . Right Now with Pandemic Going
Not much work for Mechanic's or anything like Over Time .. I'd be Doing Items Myself or Watching & Checking like a Hawk !

I'm thinking about taking it to another dealer (non-corporate owned). This is really pissing me off. This has had the same issue since mid-novermber...

 

[Roberto Alexander]

So You have same Oil in it ?

All services performed in the dealer. No previous accidents or skipped services. Clean record on the vehicle...

 

[Roberto Alexander]

How many Miles were on It when Bought ?

Bought new. Yeah, I have all receipts and visits made to the dealer documented. They keep changing the chain tensioner and VTC actuator... They have done it twice now.

 

[Roberto Alexander]

Log the Entire Thing - ( Write it all Up ) Have Service manger Sign IT ,
Have a Sit down to have it Signed .. See What He does then . . He Blinks , He Hesitates , He comes up Excuses . . Get It Signed !
TIME TO GET REAL ..

Lemon Law doesn't work based on ticks and rattles. The car has to have multiple failures for the same cause over a period of time and deemed unacceptable by a court. It could go anyway, and in all honesty, the easiest solution to this problem is for me to trade it in for another car. At this time it has 26K miles, if it takes a dump and needs a new motor, I have until 60k for the powertrain warranty to run out. I may trade it in right at about 35k to get a decent resale value. We will see. It just sucks that I bought this car because I wanted a good reliable vehicle from a reputable manufacturer, and my brother bought a used 6-speed 392 challenger and his Dodge has had flawless reliability whereas I have fkn tics, rattles, and grinding on cold starts. I guess you win some you lose some.

 

[Roberto Alexander]

Well, there is a new development! At my place, the driveway is on a 5-10% incline and I parked the car facing downward a couple of days ago without thinking about it. If you know where this is going, I started the car yesterday morning and it did not make any weird noises. Called the dealer and they were perplexed, so I am taking the car for an oil change and having them use Mobil1 full synthetic products. See if that fixes/changes the issue. I am over the dealership, will not be bringing them the car again. They should've caught this as a oil starvation issue.

 

[Roberto Alexander]

Well, I finally got an update for this issue.

After taking it back to the dealer, they contacted the regional engineer to come out and look at the car.

They found nothing on the top end or engine accessories, so they kept going and taring the engine apart until they found the culprit.

Yesterday I received two pictures from my SA and both were of engine rod bearings that were showing copper. At this time the dealer is going to follow what the engineer states is the best course of action, and it seems so far they will replace the short block. Hopefully this nightmare ends soon; I am done dealing with this problem.