Strange engine noise

[meangreenLXi]

Last week after changing my oil out, my car began to make a strange noise. I sounds like when you put a baseball card on your bicycle spokes. It makes that noise when i accelerate. It's suttle, but it's there. My car is usually very quiet.

Also it sounds like I switched gas grades. Once i switched from 89 octane to 87 to save money because the gas prices were skyrocketing. When I switched there was a noticable difference in the way the engine sounded when it idled. To me it made my engine sound like a diesel engine.

My car was very quiet, these two sounds that its makin now isn't very loud but it is annoying wondering what's the problem with my engine, any suggestions.

[shepherd79]

take it to a honda certified mechanic.

[Justin86]

or since you just lowered the octane for you gas when the problem happen I bet it might have something to do with that.

[Moodybluesr]

Could very well be valves... how long has it been since you checked your valve clearances? My valves were making a little noise until I checked clearances last week while I was changing the timing belt.

[meangreenLXi]

I haven't checked the valve height. When I changed the octane, that was only for one tank full and I went back to the 89 becasue of the way it made the car sound. I figured the 89 was just better for it because it has to make the car run smoother.

[Legend-H-88]

well at first i would say just try a few things, just to diagnose your problem.

1 - i would use a socket extension and putit to my ear and hold the other end to to a stud on the vavlve cover. ( if its the lifters youll hear it loud and clear, would sound like a loud tapping or slapping sound) just try all 3 studs and see if the noise changes as you work all of them.

2 - i might back a degree or 2 of timing out of my distributor, maybe its just detonation, due to trash or bad gas (if its gas it will sound like valves rattling when you accelerate up hill etc.

3 - worse case senario - conrod bearings. - while the car is sitting still reve the engine between 2700 RPM and 3500 RPM if the sound gets worseor is very aparrently clear, you know its the conrod bearings ( would sound like a rat tat tat tat tat tat - really fast) And if it is the bearings the ywill cost around 8.65 a half and you need 2 halves per cylinder from honda. or could use acl, federal mogul, clevit etc.

hope that helps in any way....

[86LXItooFAST4me]

have you checked you exhaust gaskets?? the noise you described sounds like an exhaust leak maybe.