View Full Version : Diesel Clatter
doopydug
07-31-2008, 05:27 PM
Wonder if any of you guys can help me. Got myself a 2008 model 2.2 EX Ctdi and am super impressed with everything about the car except the noise from the engine.
The reviews said that the diesel was quiet and inaudable once on the move. However, mine is more like a tractor. Dealer says its fine but mine seems very coarse in comparison to my renault kangoo van!!
At times, also it makes a loud noise which sounds like "pinking" in a petrol engine if anyone knows what that sounds like.
Is yours quiet and refined or am I alone with a duffer?
jeprox
07-31-2008, 06:08 PM
is your car fully warmed up? diesels tend to be more noisy when the engine is not fully warmed up - even for the latest models.
Peter Freeman
08-01-2008, 08:18 AM
You may get an unusual rattle on light throttle openings otherwise it is the sweetest diesel around. Does yours steer to the left badly ? regards Peter F.
bernithebiker
08-01-2008, 10:48 AM
You do indeed get a noise that sounds alot like petrol pinking - it tends to be when you just have a light throttle load and at about medium revs. I have no idea what it is or why it happens, but it seems to be quite normal. Can anyone explain??!
The engine can be a little noisy at low revs, and when cold, but it smooths out very nicely at above 2000rpm, and at motorway speeds.
Hughesy
08-01-2008, 03:44 PM
I had a funny rattle accelerating hard from low revs. After a few thousand miles it went away.
I've owned the diesel Accord, and driven the diesel Civic with the same engine. The CR-V does seem slightly more vocal.
Try test driving another Honda with the same engine.
I recently had a 1.6 petrol Astra hire car, and it sounded a lot loader and rougher than the V. It depends what you are used to I suppose.
doopydug
08-02-2008, 06:13 PM
My car does it when it is warmed up and no, it does not pull to the left ;)
I wish I could say that it evened out at motorway speeds but I still find it intrusive. I would have thought a 25 grand motor would be a little more refined than a Renault Kangoo van which is much quieter in comparison.
doopydug
08-02-2008, 06:14 PM
- it tends to be when you just have a light throttle load and at about medium revs
Thats exactly when i hear it most too!
Jimbo_EX
08-04-2008, 11:10 AM
mine does that too....
doopydug
08-11-2008, 05:36 PM
Hmmm - I think I'll take it to the dealer this week and see what he has to say. Its getting very annoying - supposed to be quiet and refined.
:(
Jimbo_EX
08-12-2008, 04:09 AM
The Honda ctdi is quiet and refined, but its all relative. Compared to my other halfs HDI Peugeot its nice and smooth, willing to rev etc. Compared the to straight six BMW I had previously it sounds like a transit van.
If your just getting the light throttle pinking noise im pretty sure thats just a characteristic of this engine. If its annoying you, do what I do - change the amount of throttle applied to stay out of the clatter zone
doopydug
08-12-2008, 05:15 PM
The problem is I do a lot of motorway cruising and its right in the middle of the rev range I sit at most of the time - never goes away
Jimbo_EX
08-13-2008, 04:02 AM
Yeah that would be annoying. Id be interested to hear what the dealership says, but I suspect they will just say "Its a characteristic"
Red916
08-28-2008, 03:25 AM
how many miles do you have on it dug?
the 2.2 in my 8th Gen Civic got less intrusive as the miles stacked up.
By about 6K miles I didn't notice it anymore :)
doopydug
09-02-2008, 05:21 PM
Its less than 2000 miles just now - had it about two months from new
Red916
09-05-2008, 05:13 AM
hopefully by Christmas you won't be noticing it as much! :)
doopydug
09-05-2008, 02:57 PM
Got it booked into dealer on Wednesday but they said that the noise is normal although they agreed to check it out anyway
doopydug
09-12-2008, 01:12 PM
Well, no joy at the dealer - said it was normal for this engine - something to do with the "pilot" injection which is a pre-injection that operates up to approx 2000 rpm before the main injection takes over?
Makes the car economical apparently - sounds like bullcrap to me but I dunno.
He even showed me a memo from Honda UK to be shown to all customers who query the noise - he said just about everyone phones up about it - gettin fed up to the extent that they just pull out this pre-printed sheet now so they dont have to waste time on test drives etc (although to be fair to him, he did come out on a drive with me)
Lionel Soule
10-11-2008, 07:32 AM
I bought my diesel CR-V in February 2008 and same story. Noisy clatter particularly when cold and a rather irritating sound similar but not quite the same as "pinging" in a petrol engine. My daughter drives a VW TDI which in comparison is as smooth as silk with no sign of intrusive noises. The "pinging" only arises in-between throttle positions, i.e when neither accelerating or decelerating. I have discussed this with our Honda head office in South Africa and with our local Honda service manager but to date no explanation is forthcoming. I guess it is a characteristic on the engine design and I suppose I will just have to live with it. I am also experiencing an above average whine from the turbo Anyone else got this problem?
doopydug
10-12-2008, 03:03 AM
If this is a characteristic of the engine, I won't be buying another - its too annoying. Shame really cos its a great car otherwise
Don Coffey
10-24-2008, 04:57 AM
Hi all,
Just come across your site, not sure how I missed it up to now!
I have had the CR-V 2.2 since last Dec. I have had a number of problems but most have been niggley and only aggravated by a poor dealer experience. But as for the clatter, well we heard the noise soon after purchase. I arranged a visit to the dealer a drove a second hand 07 diesel with 12,000 on the clock and although the noise was there, it was very hard to hear.
I than had the sales man in my car and he could see where I was coming from as the noise was both more noticeable and also at annoying part of the rev range.
I took the fight to Honda themselves as I was getting no joy from the dealer and another compassion test was arranged and this time a new CR-V was made available. Shock, horror, it was just as loud as mine......I have concluded that Honda has cut back on the sound insulation that they installed.
It's wrong that Honda advertise their diesel as the quietest in it's class when it clearly isn’t.
We have grown just to accept the problem and on the whole are happy with the car, but in future I will be both be picky and get assurances that what I test drive and what I receive will be of at least equal quality.
Don
doopydug
10-28-2008, 05:34 PM
Interesting to hear that Don.
I have just decided not to buy Honda again. Will keep this one for 3 years assuming I can get used to the noise (I still can't - drive everywhere with the radio turned up).
This is my first Honda and I was hoping for a great experience
Wish i'd reviewed this forum before buying my new CR-V in March this year.
Like others in this thread, i have had a fairly poor experience with the dealer, but the posts about the Diesel clatter are spot on. My car has now done almost 20,000 miles, and engine noise is one of my main complaints (the other is the gearbox - which i posted about in a different thread!).
My first, and last, Honda.
bodgerx
11-28-2008, 04:46 PM
Wish i'd reviewed this forum before buying my new CR-V in March this year.
Like others in this thread, i have had a fairly poor experience with the dealer, but the posts about the Diesel clatter are spot on. My car has now done almost 20,000 miles, and engine noise is one of my main complaints (the other is the gearbox - which i posted about in a different thread!).
My first, and last, Honda.
A colleague has a Civic with the 2.2 Diesel and it is a fair amount quieter at low speeds than my 3 year-old CR-V with 22K on the clock. Once up to speed and on motorways and A-roads their isn't a lot in it. I think it is a sound-proofing thing more than anything else. Compared to a 205 diesel I had some years ago this seems silent! One thing I have noticed though - from a pedestrian point of view (outside the car) Honda diesels seem to be the quietest and most un-diesel like of all diesel cars around. The familiar 2.2 'whine' is there, but everything else suggests petrol...
Overall I'm really happy with mine.
Hughesy
11-29-2008, 03:27 AM
I owned a 2004 Accord diesel, and it was so good I bought the CR-V.
Having also driven the Civic diesel, I agree the CR-V seems a bit noisier. Strange, because it should be easier to sound proof the CR-V because it's bigger.
The CR-V engine noise has been slightly disappointing compared with the Accord. However, it is never really a problem.
I recently had the misfortune to drive a 1.6 petrol Opel Astra on the autobahn, and that was a lot louder and annoying than the Honda diesel. You have to drive a rubbish petrol motor to realise that the 2.2 cdti is actually as good as many 'gas' engines.
I will buy another Honda again. Perhaps not my next car because I need a 7 seater now. The Insight II looks very interesting though...
bodgerx
11-29-2008, 04:31 PM
Yeah, I've read about the Insight II - it looks really good. I think if that is available used in 3-4 years time a Honda hybrid would be good for the next car. I did consider the Civic IMA this time around, but it was just too small.
A hybrid CR-V...that would be the ultimate...
I owned a 2004 Accord diesel, and it was so good I bought the CR-V.
Having also driven the Civic diesel, I agree the CR-V seems a bit noisier. Strange, because it should be easier to sound proof the CR-V because it's bigger.
The CR-V engine noise has been slightly disappointing compared with the Accord. However, it is never really a problem.
I recently had the misfortune to drive a 1.6 petrol Opel Astra on the autobahn, and that was a lot louder and annoying than the Honda diesel. You have to drive a rubbish petrol motor to realise that the 2.2 cdti is actually as good as many 'gas' engines.
I will buy another Honda again. Perhaps not my next car because I need a 7 seater now. The Insight II looks very interesting though...
Hughesy
11-30-2008, 03:55 AM
Yeah, I've read about the Insight II - it looks really good. I think if that is available used in 3-4 years time a Honda hybrid would be good for the next car. I did consider the Civic IMA this time around, but it was just too small.
A hybrid CR-V...that would be the ultimate...
My strategy is to have one large family car (currently the CR-V) and a very economical car for commuting (currently 2004 Civic IMA hybrid).
I love my Civic hybrid and might get a new one in a couple of years time.
My ultimate car would be a hybrid diesel CR-V with 7 seats!
And a decent bluetooth system that can read the contacts from the phone...
I too run a CRV (05;75000miles) and a Kangoo (Trekka; same 4wd system as CRV). The Honda has virtually no engine noise compared with the Kangoo.
The low-rpm clatter in particularly is remarkably quieter. I've seen mention of a "turbulence valve " in the inlet to the Honda engine as being responsible for eliminating low rpm clatter. Maybe that has been ommitted from the later spec CRV engine?
Seeing how much Honda have sacrificed to the god of NVH by way of handling- the Trekka is vastly superior on twisty roads - I'd be most surprised if that CRV clatter is normal.
Hughesy
12-08-2008, 07:27 AM
Seeing how much Honda have sacrificed to the god of NVH by way of handling- the Trekka is vastly superior on twisty roads - I'd be most surprised if that CRV clatter is normal.
I disagree, the 2007 CR-V is one of the best handling mini-SUVs. On the road, only the X3 beats it (although the X3 is flawed in many other ways). The CR-V handles better, or at least as well as the VW Tiguan or Ford Kuga.
On the other hand I would say the CR-V has relatively poor NVH. Like most Hondas (except the Legend) there isn't enough sound proofing. The up side is (like most Hondas) low weight and improved handling.
I've never driven one, but I can't beleive the Kangoo handles better than the CR-V.
Hughsey,
Maybe the CRV's deficiencies in handling are not apparent in the Oxford flatlands but here in the hills of N Wales the Trekka has it well beaten. Trekka has less polar moment of inertia at rear, stiffer springing and no front subframe moving around under the chassis. Positioning the Trekka for bends is much more precise than the CRV. Powering out of roundabouts the 4wd can be felt urging the rear of the Trekka into the bend, helping the steering: the CRV understeers.
For me the ideal motor would be the Trekka with the CRV's diesel engine and six speed gearbox. Maybe when the CRV is worn out I'll do the swap.
Of course neither motor even gets near the precision of steering of my TR6, but I replaced all its rubber steering and supension bushes replaced with steel and nylatron: the steering is pin-sharp. So the Trekka and the CRV and most modern motors are, to me, sadly deficient in the precision in their steering and handling. I can live with roll-oversteer and all the consequnces of high c of g, but its the horrible imprecison of the steering that really spoils all modern motors for me.
Peter
I received my new CRV diesel last week Friday and it aslo had that diesel "ping" (teh demo unit I drove fro two days do not have it)I take it back to dealer and they reset the whole computer told me to drive steady for the first 100km , it is learning the injectors how much fuel is required and this will illiminate the "ping" so far so good done just under 100km and the "ping" is gone.
Sorry this didn’t last and the clutter is back, it only start from 1900RPM and with MAP of 130 up to 170, it seems like this is a miss match in the ECU programming or might be due to altitude, anybody with ideas or help please
belgarion_v
03-18-2009, 06:04 AM
Mine's only done 200 miles, and yes there is some clatter especially when cold, but it's far quieter than both the Skoda Superb TDI (basically a VW Passat), and Ford Mondeo TDi which i have previously owned.
Its definitely much quieter on a motorway, the Skoda had an annoying drone to it.
I'm very impressed with the quietness of this for a diesel.
Vince
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