78 year old shade tree mechanic gives you kudos for caring enough to put this out there..... Even us "experienced" mechanical types need a refresher course ..
Had my valves adjusted on my 2002 Honda S2000 at 157k miles and now it feels like it's got 10 more HP. The shop told me I was a smart Honda owner because most people never get it done. It will make your engine last alot longer he said..
A BIG thank you for sharing this information. I have a 99 Honda Accord LX 2.3L. My awesome cousin told me I needed a valve adjustment after sharing my video with him. Shop I made an appt at keeps pushing my appt further back. So I walked into another shop and asked for a qoute. Instead I was told the following- 1. In all the mechanic's 20 yrs he's never seen that a Japanese vehicle needs a valve adjustment. 2. He needs to diagnose my car because there may be something more serious with the engine. 3. $110 was the diagnosis fee. 4. Mechanic absolutely WOULD NOT give me a qoute for a valve adjustment. So TYVM for helping me not feel insane. Now going to attempt to do this job myself since I'm tired of mechanics messing with my car.
Seriously this needs to have a gabillion views and be the top search result! Quality instructions, helpful camera views, and narrated mechanical illustraions - it's everything! Thanks for the video!
@@avocado9763 I sure in the hell wont local stealer-ship 😂here in north Mississippi quoted me an eye popping $650 plus Tax of course I put up the classic smoke screen I said let me talk it over with my wife first and went running home to UA-cam that was 3 years ago I’m quite sure it’s a hell of a lot more now lol 😂
No mechanic explains and shows more details than this guy. Great communication too. Teaches it at a level that regular people can understand! I agree that he should have 1 billion views.
Very good presentation.. 335k on my 2006 crv Never adjusted the valves.. Recently changed original spark plugs.. minimal chatter from valve train.. I religiously change oil with Mobil 1, and religiously dump and fill transmission fluid... amazing vehicle..
Honda doesn't use hydraulic lifters because it's less accurate. Solid lifters do need to be adjusted but can provide more accurate valve timing, especially for the higher revving engines. Like you said, they're pros and cons to both setups.
I have an MDX. Several years ago it started running real rough and would sometimes die when idling. After trying everything under the sun I finally had to take it in to a mechanic. He also tested everything he could think to test and everything looked good. He also did some research and suggested that it might need the valves adjusted. I couldn't do it then, but I later took it into the dealership and had them do the adjustment. Completely fixed the problem. I'm still driving it, many years later and still running smooth. So it's not always just a noise thing. It really can cause the engine to run poorly and even cut out on you.
This is a great video! I had my car in for Honda Accord service and the tech said I would need to adjust my valves. I did not realize there were no lifters in the car. Thanks for your informative diagrams.
Great Explanation! Thanks! My last vehicle was a 2007 pilot. An exhaust valve tightened up and “burned” before I knew about having it adjusted. It never sealed up correctly again, it had lower compression on that cylinder and made a slight ticking noise. Honestly I never noticed a performance difference and the vehicle ran absolutely fine until a Tesla crashed into it at 260k miles. I suspect it would have gone another 100k without issue. Thanks for the video!
Your video is very educational. Honda service department informed me that I need a valve adjustment for my 2013 Honda Accord, but my vehicle is sound like the first day of purchase. It is not displaying any unsual noise. Until it does, I now know my car does not need a valve adjustment. Again, thank you.
If they are too tight you would not hear anything but Even Though Honda recommends about the adjustment at about a 100000 miles it seems like most people are able to make it to a 150000 or more... If your check engine light comes on someday and you are getting random misfire codes there is a chance the valve adjustment could be the solution so just keep that in mind in the long term and keep enjoying your Honda!
I just bought a new to me 2013 Honda Pilot EXL, and was kind of disappointed that the valves/lifters were not hydraulic... But, then I thought about it, as I plan to keep this vehicle... I have had hydraulic lifters fail, and it required removing the head(s)... Now, I am really happy with this purchase, and yes, I can set the valve lash. One thing I have discovered, doing some minor repairs, spark plug tube seals, is that these J series motors are so easy to work on, especially on the Pilot.
Thanks for the simple explanation! At least it’s easy to adjust the valves once you’ve cleared everything out of the way. My 1977 VW Rabbit (Golf) had different thickness discs between the valve head and the camshaft. You had to buy a disc anytime that a valve needed adjusting.
I've had some pretty smart car guys look at me as if I were nuts in saying my valves need adjusted on my Accord. They tell me nah you don't adjust valves on an Accord. This video is great I'll be sure to direct them here along with a maintenance guide.
I could hear the clicking when you were in the vehicle but not on the outside, so when comparing before and after, include the inside after sound. BTW, you explained this so well I know I do not want to do this work (mine is beginning to sound like Caterpillar made the engine), even though it is relatively simple, and will take it to a mechanic, and I know about how long it should take and exactly what they are going to do. Telling me that valve adjustments are rare (and why) for most mechanics lets me know this is one job I will probably take to the Honda dealer service instead of my new mechanic (darned it, mechanics wear out too and Old Trusty retired).
ACK ! Wish I knew this before I had the valve cover gaskets replaced 168k miles. This also explains strange noise the mechanic couldn't figure out. Just did total of over 5k repairs/maintenance on 09 ody.
Thank you for taking the time to put this together. I’m to for an adjustment and wanted to know how to do it myself. You video is an excellent resource. Well done.
My cherished and stolen CB700Sc shaft drive Nighthawk had hydraulic lifters requiring no maintenance. Awesome bike. My CB9 Accord, at 285k, needs her valves adjusted. She's a wee bit noisy. Gotta love Hondas!
Been working on cars a long time and just now understood what the lifter is doing to compensate for the clearance issues…oof gotta do a adjustment and plugs on mine soon 67k. My first new car so I’m trying to make it to 200k keeping that CVT fluid clean and staying up on as many intervals as I can.
Interesting. This is a really good example of engine noise. At idle i would've thought that was normal but when you put it in drive I would've thought it was a cam going bad. Lucky I was wrong though and that can be cleaned up all with a valve adjustment.
Did it make a whistling kind of noise while you drove? My 2005 acura TL currently makes that noise, my mechanic told me it could be the water pump, he took it to an engine expert and the guy was just trying to sell him a whole new engine. Mechanic told me it could just be a valve but not sure he told me to just save my money and if it sounds worse to just take it back and do the work for it, but its all speculation. Hes not too sure what it could be.
Nice thing about the Honda adjustment is that it’s screw and locknut making the process simple and not needing any parts. I’ve done the valve adjustment on my motorcycles which uses shims so requires a shim kit and removal of the camshaft and timing chain tensioner.
Interesting. In gy6 scooter engines (cloned from hondas), the rocker arm screw that contacts the valve tip actually makes a noise whether the clearance between the screw and valve tip is too loose or tight. I just adjusted mine today because I heard valve tick, which was similar to a lawnmower. There was no clearance whatsoever between the freeflow rocker arm screw and valve tip, nor the exhaust rocker arm screw and valve tip. Added .004mm clearance to the freeflow screw and tip, and .006mm clearance to the exhaust screw and tip, and the valve tick ceased. Interesting to learn that the Honda car engines don’t make a tick when there isn’t enough clearance between the rocker arm screw and valve tip. I wonder why there’s a discrepancy. Nice video!
Very helpful thank you I will now do a value adjustment on my 2007 Acura TL. I wasn’t sure before but after hearing the before & after, my J32 definitely needs it
I have 2001 Honda Accord v6 3.0. 153,000 never done valve adjustment but after watching I can see how that’s almost the noise and the misfire at cold start up minor.
Top notch video in all aspects. Camera close ups, audio of the before and after the valve adjustment and explanations done really well. I particularly liked the sidebar at the end to show how a lifter works in other types of cars.
Thanks for the video. My son went the the dealer and they wanted $400 to this during a routine round of fluid changes. He has 70,000 miles on a 2016 CRV. I will do this with him next time he comes home. 2 questions: 1 - What is the tolerance of the setting? Feeler gauge number? and 2 - will I need a new valve cover gasket ? Thanks again. Great and informative video
Yes, you need a new valve cover gasket set. This includes the spark plug tube seals (most likely needed more than anything), the valve cover bolt button seals and the cover gasket. You need to look up the 2016 valve lash clearances, but the 2011 and down are .008-.010" for intake and .011-.013" for exhaust. You also want the special 10mm valve adjusting tool.
Old Porsches needed their valves adjusted every 20k miles. They switched to hydraulic valves in the mid 90's. Would have not thought Honda still used this old technology.
@@4545377 not really. Some people wait until they hear the lashing sound to get the valves adjusted. I’m sure it can have a long term effect on engine wear. My car has 325k miles. Never thought the car was faster after the service.
@@bngr_bngr 325k miles surely require adjustment. Yeah, the lashing sound, some honda mechanics say if hearing no lashing sound, no adjustment required.
So well, so good working on the Honda learning lots. I personally ,love small cars. Thx brother Good job!. Everything is straight forward,in this video, and it is presented well. Thank you, im learning mechanics. And its commitment to the car and love for your engine. I like youtube videos. Thank you very much sir.
Just a tip: If you have a Gen 1 Honda CRV, you should be performing this adjustment every 30,000 miles. The owners manual will state contrary (100k) but this is because Honda’s board in America argued that Americans are not as willing to perform maintenance on their vehicles that regularly as Japan. No alterations were made to the function of the motor to protect the consumer from still having to make this adjustment EVERY 30,000.
The B-20 engines in the 97-01 CR,V's require more frequent attention because of the particular way that wear takes place. The valve seat gradually loses material thru attrition, causing the valve lash to become more narrow over time. This is especially true for the exhaust valves. Without periodic adjustment to re-establish the proper gap, affected valves may not close 100%, leading to burnt valves/seats. These engines are like tanks if well cared for and can go 300-400K miles easily.
I just checked valve clearances after 100,000 to 146,000 mostly highway miles on a 2009 Honda Fit. The exhaust valves had lost clearance which I understand does not lead to the telltale tapping sound but can cause valves to burn through if let go too long. I measured as low as ~35% below the minimum specified clearance on the exhaust valves so I really should have done it sooner. Not sure that every 30,000 miles would be necessary on the Fit though unless it was exclusively used for city driving. I probably should have done it somewhere between 75,000 and 105,000 miles. Edit: Updated mileage as I realized that the valve clearances may have been adjusted once early on as part of an unrelated repair.
I hear you but screw a crv and paying that kind of money every 30k. That’s sickening. Honda should eat that cost to 240k on every vehicle. Garbage design.
I did yesterday to my honda civic Si 1.8 2010 and the power ingres with 20%, engine silence 30%, economy fuel i don't know yet but i'm pretty sure it will be more economical! For those that they don't know if the engine has valve clearance i recomand immediately 100% and every 40k km!
When my 2006 Honda Pilot reached 100K miles, I called several Honda dealerships in my area, asking what their 100K service included. Besides the normal timing belt, water pump, etc., NONE of them said they checked valve adjustment, even though it's required by Honda. They all said "we only check them if they're making noise", and of course, wanted to charge extra to check them. So I did the service myself. Guess what? Nearly all the valves were tighter than required, and likely would have gotten tighter as the miles accumulated. Getting ready to do the same to a 2006 Odyssey. Dealerships service centers are considered profit centers, and as such, are only motivated by that, not what's best long-term for you or your vehicle.
I'm doing my 2010 Odyssey on my own. I've heard similar stories about garages dissuading people from doing the valve adjustment when they do the timing belt service. I think they just don't like doing it. It's tedious and finicky compared to most other service jobs.
Worked at a Honda motorcycle dealership. The manager got mad at me for following the maintenance intervals and procedures in the service manual on customer units. He hated that I cared to take care of the customers units. He went as far as to tell me don't do the quality of work that I do. He also encouraged me to be dishonest with customers. Needless to say I left and am now trying to spread the word.
@@GreyFox250 Thank you. I had a dealership try to sell me a brake job that they said needed to be done and the estimate was for several hundred dollars. Took it to my son who checked them and he reported that I still had half the break shoes still in great shape. People don't realize. Thanks for a heads up for everyone.
I did my 2006 Civic valves at 250k km (156k miles). It very clearly sounded like a clickity clackity sewing machine. All the valves where a bit loose. The sound totally disappeared after the valve adjustment. Still good at 334k km (208k miles). I have an Odyssey with 184k km (115k miles), no obvious valve noise yet.
Finally did my Odyssey at 235k km (146k miles). It didn't have any distinct valve noise, but it was 12 years old so it was time. All the valves were a bit loose except the cylinder 5 exhaust valves which were a bit tight. BTW, for anyone reading: I don't recomment the FelPro gasket kit. The FelPro sparkplug tube seals do not fit as tightly as Honda's seals and the FelPro rubber is noticably softer that of Honda's tube seals. I bought the FelPro kit, then replaced it with Honda OEM after I inspected the installed tube seals and saw that some of them end up pinched. The Honda parts are not much more expensive.
My Honda maintenance schedule calls for a valve adjustment at 110K miles. I remember when I had to do it annually or every 10K miles. I'm not going to complain.
My honda outboard is the same thing , i just remembered these honda motors have vvt , that center rocker arm is your fuel systems turbo boost ...eeer sort of ..gotta adjust my honda , boats gotta be perfect ..it's been awhile since i done it .
Oh my god THATS what that noise is. It almost sounds like knocking but only when I first start the car up and I put it in drive for the first time from a cold start
Honda along with some modern Hyundai V6 or a few of Hyundai turbo engines use solid lifer or manual adjustable rockers.. its done for valve train accuracy.. most performance oriented engines, high reving or engines with aggressive cams or valve timing phasing will use this manual or solid type as self adjustment followers can't reliable keep that accurate of a valve timing especially under strenuous conditions plus reliability is also of concerns.. there are exceptions of course..
VW Beetles and old Porches need regular valve adjustments. Beetles and related air-cooled engines have a valve whistle when accelerating if they are correctly adjusted. If not, no whistle. You have to listen to your car! It tells you important things.
Just got myself a 2008 Honda Fit sport manual. She's REAL chatty at idle xD Sound like a big ole' diesel when I'm at a red light or in a drive through. I've done a valve adjustment before on my 98 Accord. Plan to do the Fit this weekend.
I *hope* there isn't too much discoloration of the valvetrain from oil varnish. Car is at 110k miles, and the engine is bone dry top to bottom. Either way I plan on doing oil changes every 3-5k miles, to help prolong the life of the engine. I plan to keep get this car at least to 200k, hopefully 250 or 300.
I have an 08 Fit as well. I believe they suffer from piston slap at certain RPM's/loads. I recently had to do the head gasket on it, replaced all the timing components, re adjusted the valves, and the noise I'm talking about is still there.
I've been at WAR with my 8th gen R18 for a year.. Misfiring alot, I've replaced soo many parts and it only got worse. Today I adjusted the Valves, adjustments are soo small but I evened them all out and also changed the MAF sensor. It's still missing but has alot more power now, yesterday it was at its worse running terrible. I have a few things left to do to hopefully solve the missing just hoping no valves are burnt.
Its easy for most to mistaken valve noise and a timing belt tensioner on the 2009 accord v6, I had both problems at 80k miles so repaired both at same time...
I have a 2012 honda accord that has 272 k. Never been adjusted. It runs perfect. no noise that I can tell. The dealer wants $1000 to adjust them. Can I hurt the motor not doing it? Thanks
Nice lil' video. I would assume one thing you didn't mention but the valve adjustment will make an improvement of torque and power because any cam lobe that does not immediately translate into valve lift will be worse cylinder head flow. That said this is why Honda will perform a bit better than engines with hydraulic lifters. The oil will reduce the actual lift/duration ever so little. Historically, there were some V8 engines that were louder and produced with solid lifter cams and others that had lower RPM potential made with hydraulic cams. I knew a guy named Maier from Florida who make rocker arms for 351 Cleveland motors and he was a big proponent of solid lifter camshafts.
Need to clean sludge on those engines too I use Marcel mystery in every oil change and just a little bit keeps them clean this vetch engines have lots of small oil passages
Hi there. I’m chasing random misfires on my K24 engine and I have the opposite problem. The noise and vibration happens AFTER the engine warms up vs when it’s cold as you said in the video.
Intake valves wear at the valve tip and get loose, exhaust valves get beat into the head and get tight. You can have both situations (and usually do with 150k+) on the same engine.
valve misadjustment may cause worse symptoms than that, my 99 Honda crv went to LIMP mode no more than 30 miles an hour meaning no highway driving, rough engine idling, specially when on drive, hard and delay transmission shifting, and when change from park to reverse, you feel like chittering, I changed a lot of parts including catalytic converter, and the muffler, because I thought it was exhaust restriction, till I got the idea to check valve and they were on tight position meaning engine compression problem, After 2 hours of valve adjustment the var went back to normal of course gradually after 6 Mile of driving. Smooth engine idling, smooth shifting.
Let me add to your explanation if the valve adjustment is too tight u will have the valves opening earlier and closing late.. hard or harder to start when the engine is hot.. valve not closing fully leads to burnt valves or pitted valve seat thus leads to drivability issues.. sometimes shows up as low compression
Great video! I have to check the valve lash on my old Honda ST1100 soon. It has a sweet 1098cc 4 cylinder with a similar setup. I hope to see a rust prevention update soon too!
Hello I have an Acura TL 2005 with 171,000 miles.. a year ago check engine light was on spark plug replacement for cylinder 5 was the solution. Now a year later light came on Acura dealership said spark plug or coils aren’t the issue they said was a injector ok I followed thee advice. Now light still is on. I think the valve adjustment has been the issue since the beginning a year ago… I have been taking the car to auto-zone for the free scanner and the valves adjustment has been in the top of the diagnosis. Besides the valve adjustment the suggested a cleaning injector. I asked about that before the injector replacement and they said that won’t fix the issue now it’s a suggestion. Lights goes on and blink with a cold start and then after a few minutes stay steady. In the begging cars feels like loosing power (English is my second language hopefully I am explaining myself well) please advise I don’t know at this point what to do also I just replaced the timing belt 🙄
Get a hardwood dowel drill hole in it put the microphone in it with an epoxy plug and then use that like a stethoscope and plug the microphone into your camera and you can hear everything that's going on inside the head and valve train
Having the same issue on my 2010 TL I didn’t notice it at first because it had cylinder 4 cylinder 5 and cylinder 6 misfires replaced spark plugs and coil packs but cylinder 4 and 6 keep popping up after a couple of hours of using the car im thinking that this could possible be the issue car is silent after it warms up but I hear the ticking at cold start or if I push the gas a little too hard
Repair Geek: That was an exaggeration, you'll never find them that bad. Me listening to my 200kmile valvetrain that sounds like a box of sewing machines being throw down a stairwell...
I have owned many cars, however my first Honda is a 2005 CRV (4 cyl) with 35,000 miles on it. Purchased from a dealer. When I first got it, I heard engine tappet noise. It sounded noise to me then and now with 60,000 it sounds even noisier. My question is: Should I be very suspect that the millage was not actual millage or has anyone had a Honda 4 cyl , where at 35k the engine sounded very noisy (very distinct tappet noise, not just one - more than one tappet noise) ? ...And thanks Repair Geek for the helpful video.
I would like to comment that honda engines are not known for being whisper-quiet. Having said that, the lack of hydraulic lifters would logically make honda engines a little noisier compared to other valve setups even when the engine is fine. I guess what I'm saying is that if this is your first honda, the sound of the engine may take a little getting used to depending on how closely you're listening (ear-to-the-engine sort of thing). All of mine have been a little rattly, especially during cold start but if it's obnoxious then maybe have it checked out. Note: all of my hondas have been in the 200k mile range so my expectation for engine noise is a little lower standard than some.
Likely the mileage was accurate, it could have done with a valve adjustment probably after 5,000 miles. Some years materials may have varied or maybe the tech messed up. Get it adjusted and replace the front and rear differential fluid and coolant. The fluid is supposed to be changed every 60,000
I have a 4cylinder 1.8 civic 2013. Just turned 200k miles. No noise. No misfires. Starts and runs good. Should i adjust the valves? Or Atleast check them? I have a very minor valve cover leak. So I might take apart anyway. Thanks
Couple of things: the sound here doesn't make it clear exactly what this will or can sound like. A pcv valve can make a tapping sound and so can a bad timing belt tensioner. So anyone watching this... just be sure of your noises. I was having power steering issues in a vehicle i had and a whining started happening. I replaced the pump and the rack and the whining never stopped even though the steering issues were resolved. I'm convinced it's the alternator. It's been 10 years with that whine and I'm still on the original alt.. so who knows.
I had quite a bit of shuttering on my 7th gen Civic on startup and now the check engine light is flashing. From what I have read a flashing check engine light is usually caused by a misfire and you said in your video that first can occur if the valves aren't adjusted. Vehicle is at 225,000 I don't know if the valves have ever been adjusted but I do know that it was taken to the dealership religiously up to 150,000. So my question is do you think my whole issue could be that my valves just need adjusting?
Shoot, that symptom could be a really dirty air intake filter. The check engine light indicates an issue (usually emissions related) with information from one of the cars system sensors. Get an obd2 code reader from home depot or autozone. Shouldn't be more than $40
78 year old shade tree mechanic gives you kudos for caring enough to put this out there.....
Even us "experienced"
mechanical types need a refresher course ..
Had my valves adjusted on my 2002 Honda S2000 at 157k miles and now it feels like it's got 10 more HP. The shop told me I was a smart Honda owner because most people never get it done. It will make your engine last alot longer he said..
Good on you for having an S2K with 157K miles! You are properly enjoying that car.
Its crazy that almost nobody does the valve adjustment and the engines still last crazy long😂
What was the cost , for that adjustment?
absolutely it helps the valves seal much better
A BIG thank you for sharing this information. I have a 99 Honda Accord LX 2.3L. My awesome cousin told me I needed a valve adjustment after sharing my video with him. Shop I made an appt at keeps pushing my appt further back. So I walked into another shop and asked for a qoute. Instead I was told the following- 1. In all the mechanic's 20 yrs he's never seen that a Japanese vehicle needs a valve adjustment. 2. He needs to diagnose my car because there may be something more serious with the engine. 3. $110 was the diagnosis fee. 4. Mechanic absolutely WOULD NOT give me a qoute for a valve adjustment. So TYVM for helping me not feel insane. Now going to attempt to do this job myself since I'm tired of mechanics messing with my car.
Did you do it?
My dear they said $225 for daigstic 2024 your is cheap must be 1989😂😂😂😂
@@raduszilagyi6055 no, turns out it was another issue
@@KC-xp9ofthat's funny considering that's what the mechanic was trying to find out
Seriously this needs to have a gabillion views and be the top search result! Quality instructions, helpful camera views, and narrated mechanical illustraions - it's everything! Thanks for the video!
I guess I should have added some clickbait. Thanks for the compliments and thanks for watching.
Leave it to Honda. Labor $ ?
@@avocado9763 I sure in the hell wont local stealer-ship 😂here in north Mississippi quoted me an eye popping $650 plus Tax of course I put up the classic smoke screen I said let me talk it over with my wife first and went running home to UA-cam that was 3 years ago I’m quite sure it’s a hell of a lot more now lol 😂
@@rosieclark3661 not bad even back few years
@@rosieclark3661damn they quoted me 1,400 in california
225000 miles CR-V - today, required to adjust for the first time. Thank you for the helpful video.
No mechanic explains and shows more details than this guy. Great communication too. Teaches it at a level that regular people can understand! I agree that he should have 1 billion views.
Very good presentation.. 335k on my 2006 crv Never adjusted the valves.. Recently changed original spark plugs.. minimal chatter from valve train.. I religiously change oil with Mobil 1, and religiously dump and fill transmission fluid... amazing vehicle..
How is your CRV still holding up? I have a 2014 CRV.
@@spritemoney 338k now.. just replaced resonator as the flange to CC broke. December will be 16 years driving this CRV
@@DK-vx1zc any suspension part replacements over the years?
@@Spiffa0 Struts, ball joints, cv shaft, brakes of course.. AC just died recently :( Otherwise still runs great
@@DK-vx1zc nice, that's about what I've had to do also
Honda doesn't use hydraulic lifters because it's less accurate. Solid lifters do need to be adjusted but can provide more accurate valve timing, especially for the higher revving engines. Like you said, they're pros and cons to both setups.
I have an MDX. Several years ago it started running real rough and would sometimes die when idling. After trying everything under the sun I finally had to take it in to a mechanic. He also tested everything he could think to test and everything looked good. He also did some research and suggested that it might need the valves adjusted. I couldn't do it then, but I later took it into the dealership and had them do the adjustment. Completely fixed the problem. I'm still driving it, many years later and still running smooth. So it's not always just a noise thing. It really can cause the engine to run poorly and even cut out on you.
This is a great video! I had my car in for Honda Accord service and the tech said I would need to adjust my valves. I did not realize there were no lifters in the car. Thanks for your informative diagrams.
Great Explanation! Thanks! My last vehicle was a 2007 pilot. An exhaust valve tightened up and “burned” before I knew about having it adjusted. It never sealed up correctly again, it had lower compression on that cylinder and made a slight ticking noise. Honestly I never noticed a performance difference and the vehicle ran absolutely fine until a Tesla crashed into it at 260k miles. I suspect it would have gone another 100k without issue. Thanks for the video!
You sir are a life saver! This is something that all honda owners should know about..
Your video is very educational. Honda service department informed me that I need a valve adjustment for my 2013 Honda Accord, but my vehicle is sound like the first day of purchase. It is not displaying any unsual noise. Until it does, I now know my car does not need a valve adjustment. Again, thank you.
If they are too tight you would not hear anything but Even Though Honda recommends about the adjustment at about a 100000 miles it seems like most people are able to make it to a 150000 or more... If your check engine light comes on someday and you are getting random misfire codes there is a chance the valve adjustment could be the solution so just keep that in mind in the long term and keep enjoying your Honda!
I just bought a new to me 2013 Honda Pilot EXL, and was kind of disappointed that the valves/lifters were not hydraulic... But, then I thought about it, as I plan to keep this vehicle... I have had hydraulic lifters fail, and it required removing the head(s)... Now, I am really happy with this purchase, and yes, I can set the valve lash. One thing I have discovered, doing some minor repairs, spark plug tube seals, is that these J series motors are so easy to work on, especially on the Pilot.
Thank you so much for this video. Exactly what my Honda CR-V is going through now at 180k miles
I'm at 187k in My Odyssey and about to get about adjustment This week !
Thanks for the simple explanation! At least it’s easy to adjust the valves once you’ve cleared everything out of the way. My 1977 VW Rabbit (Golf) had different thickness discs between the valve head and the camshaft. You had to buy a disc anytime that a valve needed adjusting.
One of the best descriptive and narrated videos I’ve ever seen
Well done! I was worried my local dealer was full of BS, very helpful info!
Thanks for showing a good demonstration. Some channels will just try to explain it and so their work on their car but never clearly describe it.
Crazy how long Honda's been using that valvetrain design. Literally the same on my 1977 xl175!
I've had some pretty smart car guys look at me as if I were nuts in saying my valves need adjusted on my Accord. They tell me nah you don't adjust valves on an Accord. This video is great I'll be sure to direct them here along with a maintenance guide.
I could hear the clicking when you were in the vehicle but not on the outside, so when comparing before and after, include the inside after sound. BTW, you explained this so well I know I do not want to do this work (mine is beginning to sound like Caterpillar made the engine), even though it is relatively simple, and will take it to a mechanic, and I know about how long it should take and exactly what they are going to do. Telling me that valve adjustments are rare (and why) for most mechanics lets me know this is one job I will probably take to the Honda dealer service instead of my new mechanic (darned it, mechanics wear out too and Old Trusty retired).
Yea the best explanation I’ve seen about the how’s , when’s and why about valve adjustments in Honda/Acura ❤
I'm about to pass 200k in my 07 fit, I drive hella highway and city miles for school and work, I'm gonna try to do this the next chance I get
Bro you explained everything very well easy to understand thanks my engine light came on and said i need to do this...now i know how 💯🙏
This guy is a gem. Very well done explanations
ACK !
Wish I knew this before I had the valve cover gaskets replaced 168k miles. This also explains strange noise the mechanic couldn't figure out.
Just did total of over 5k repairs/maintenance on 09 ody.
Would’ve been like 2000 max if you did it yourself so
I adjusted my 2007 civic @ 250,000 km, just because i thought it would need it. Oldschool and solid engines.
Did my 2006 Civic at 220k km. It sounded like a sewing machine before it warmed up. All the valves where loose.
Hows your civics sounding now?
Do You percieve some chages in fuel consumption after do that?
Thanks to this video i was able to spot the time to adjust my valves.
Thanks for that video.
I wondered why my engines making some rattle noise and I really thought about the valves.
Thank you for taking the time to put this together. I’m to for an adjustment and wanted to know how to do it myself. You video is an excellent resource. Well done.
Yeah thats the right way I believe it is much better to a just the valves then none adjustment good job geek
My cherished and stolen CB700Sc shaft drive Nighthawk had hydraulic lifters requiring no maintenance. Awesome bike. My CB9 Accord, at 285k, needs her valves adjusted. She's a wee bit noisy. Gotta love Hondas!
Very informative Parts Geek, Thanks! If memory is correct, the 70's VW Rabbit needed valve adjustments also - anyone else remember..?
Been working on cars a long time and just now understood what the lifter is doing to compensate for the clearance issues…oof gotta do a adjustment and plugs on mine soon 67k. My first new car so I’m trying to make it to 200k keeping that CVT fluid clean and staying up on as many intervals as I can.
Wow, it really makes a difference. I guess I know what I will be doing once it warms up a bit.
Always adjust honda valves cold
By the time you get to the valve covers taking everything off and actually get the valve covers off...that is usually the case 🙂
Interesting. This is a really good example of engine noise. At idle i would've thought that was normal but when you put it in drive I would've thought it was a cam going bad. Lucky I was wrong though and that can be cleaned up all with a valve adjustment.
Did it make a whistling kind of noise while you drove? My 2005 acura TL currently makes that noise, my mechanic told me it could be the water pump, he took it to an engine expert and the guy was just trying to sell him a whole new engine. Mechanic told me it could just be a valve but not sure he told me to just save my money and if it sounds worse to just take it back and do the work for it, but its all speculation. Hes not too sure what it could be.
Nice thing about the Honda adjustment is that it’s screw and locknut making the process simple and not needing any parts.
I’ve done the valve adjustment on my motorcycles which uses shims so requires a shim kit and removal of the camshaft and timing chain tensioner.
Interesting.
In gy6 scooter engines (cloned from hondas), the rocker arm screw that contacts the valve tip actually makes a noise whether the clearance between the screw and valve tip is too loose or tight. I just adjusted mine today because I heard valve tick, which was similar to a lawnmower. There was no clearance whatsoever between the freeflow rocker arm screw and valve tip, nor the exhaust rocker arm screw and valve tip. Added .004mm clearance to the freeflow screw and tip, and .006mm clearance to the exhaust screw and tip, and the valve tick ceased. Interesting to learn that the Honda car engines don’t make a tick when there isn’t enough clearance between the rocker arm screw and valve tip. I wonder why there’s a discrepancy.
Nice video!
Very helpful thank you I will now do a value adjustment on my 2007 Acura TL. I wasn’t sure before but after hearing the before & after, my J32 definitely needs it
I have 2001 Honda Accord v6 3.0. 153,000 never done valve adjustment but after watching I can see how that’s almost the noise and the misfire at cold start up minor.
Top notch video in all aspects. Camera close ups, audio of the before and after the valve adjustment and explanations done really well. I particularly liked the sidebar at the end to show how a lifter works in other types of cars.
Thanks for the video. My son went the the dealer and they wanted $400 to this during a routine round of fluid changes. He has 70,000 miles on a 2016 CRV. I will do this with him next time he comes home. 2 questions: 1 - What is the tolerance of the setting? Feeler gauge number? and 2 - will I need a new valve cover gasket ? Thanks again. Great and informative video
Yes, you need a new valve cover gasket set. This includes the spark plug tube seals (most likely needed more than anything), the valve cover bolt button seals and the cover gasket. You need to look up the 2016 valve lash clearances, but the 2011 and down are .008-.010" for intake and .011-.013" for exhaust. You also want the special 10mm valve adjusting tool.
This is answering soo many questions i've had. Thank you.
Old Porsches needed their valves adjusted every 20k miles. They switched to hydraulic valves in the mid 90's. Would have not thought Honda still used this old technology.
Honda requires it from 100k miles. Feel the difference?
@@4545377 not really. Some people wait until they hear the lashing sound to get the valves adjusted. I’m sure it can have a long term effect on engine wear. My car has 325k miles. Never thought the car was faster after the service.
@@bngr_bngr 325k miles surely require adjustment. Yeah, the lashing sound, some honda mechanics say if hearing no lashing sound, no adjustment required.
@@4545377 that’s why some Porsches got their engines rebuilt at 100k miles. I always adjusted my valves.
I'm at 236 miles 05 odyssey it's time.
Extremely well done! Thanks for your time and effort.
Wow you ain't kidding, super great explanation. Thank you.
This is the best video I’ve found! Thanks!
So well, so good working on the Honda learning lots. I personally ,love small cars. Thx brother Good job!. Everything is straight forward,in this video, and it is presented well.
Thank you, im learning mechanics.
And its commitment to the car and love for your engine. I like youtube videos. Thank you very much sir.
Just a tip: If you have a Gen 1 Honda CRV, you should be performing this adjustment every 30,000 miles. The owners manual will state contrary (100k) but this is because Honda’s board in America argued that Americans are not as willing to perform maintenance on their vehicles that regularly as Japan. No alterations were made to the function of the motor to protect the consumer from still having to make this adjustment EVERY 30,000.
The B-20 engines in the 97-01 CR,V's require more frequent attention because of the particular way that wear takes place. The valve seat gradually loses material thru attrition, causing the valve lash to become more narrow over time. This is especially true for the exhaust valves. Without periodic adjustment to re-establish the proper gap, affected valves may not close 100%, leading to burnt valves/seats. These engines are like tanks if well cared for and can go 300-400K miles easily.
I just checked valve clearances after 100,000 to 146,000 mostly highway miles on a 2009 Honda Fit. The exhaust valves had lost clearance which I understand does not lead to the telltale tapping sound but can cause valves to burn through if let go too long. I measured as low as ~35% below the minimum specified clearance on the exhaust valves so I really should have done it sooner. Not sure that every 30,000 miles would be necessary on the Fit though unless it was exclusively used for city driving. I probably should have done it somewhere between 75,000 and 105,000 miles.
Edit: Updated mileage as I realized that the valve clearances may have been adjusted once early on as part of an unrelated repair.
It cost like 550 to adjust the valves on the 3.5 so most people won't do it every 30k
@@jasonwallace6945 It’s tedious but not complicated to do yourself tbh. Well worth learning how
I hear you but screw a crv and paying that kind of money every 30k. That’s sickening. Honda should eat that cost to 240k on every vehicle. Garbage design.
I did yesterday to my honda civic Si 1.8 2010 and the power ingres with 20%, engine silence 30%, economy fuel i don't know yet but i'm pretty sure it will be more economical! For those that they don't know if the engine has valve clearance i recomand immediately 100% and every 40k km!
SI is 2.0 not 1.8
When my 2006 Honda Pilot reached 100K miles, I called several Honda dealerships in my area, asking what their 100K service included. Besides the normal timing belt, water pump, etc., NONE of them said they checked valve adjustment, even though it's required by Honda. They all said "we only check them if they're making noise", and of course, wanted to charge extra to check them. So I did the service myself. Guess what? Nearly all the valves were tighter than required, and likely would have gotten tighter as the miles accumulated. Getting ready to do the same to a 2006 Odyssey. Dealerships service centers are considered profit centers, and as such, are only motivated by that, not what's best long-term for you or your vehicle.
I'm doing my 2010 Odyssey on my own. I've heard similar stories about garages dissuading people from doing the valve adjustment when they do the timing belt service. I think they just don't like doing it. It's tedious and finicky compared to most other service jobs.
Worked at a Honda motorcycle dealership. The manager got mad at me for following the maintenance intervals and procedures in the service manual on customer units. He hated that I cared to take care of the customers units. He went as far as to tell me don't do the quality of work that I do. He also encouraged me to be dishonest with customers. Needless to say I left and am now trying to spread the word.
@@GreyFox250 Thank you. I had a dealership try to sell me a brake job that they said needed to be done and the estimate was for several hundred dollars. Took it to my son who checked them and he reported that I still had half the break shoes still in great shape. People don't realize. Thanks for a heads up for everyone.
I did my 2006 Civic valves at 250k km (156k miles). It very clearly sounded like a clickity clackity sewing machine. All the valves where a bit loose. The sound totally disappeared after the valve adjustment. Still good at 334k km (208k miles). I have an Odyssey with 184k km (115k miles), no obvious valve noise yet.
Gotta replace valve cover gasket and consider doing valve adjustment. Don’t really hear and clattering yet. 144k miles on 06 Civic.
Finally did my Odyssey at 235k km (146k miles). It didn't have any distinct valve noise, but it was 12 years old so it was time. All the valves were a bit loose except the cylinder 5 exhaust valves which were a bit tight. BTW, for anyone reading: I don't recomment the FelPro gasket kit. The FelPro sparkplug tube seals do not fit as tightly as Honda's seals and the FelPro rubber is noticably softer that of Honda's tube seals. I bought the FelPro kit, then replaced it with Honda OEM after I inspected the installed tube seals and saw that some of them end up pinched. The Honda parts are not much more expensive.
My Honda maintenance schedule calls for a valve adjustment at 110K miles. I remember when I had to do it annually or every 10K miles. I'm not going to complain.
My honda outboard is the same thing , i just remembered these honda motors have vvt , that center rocker arm is your fuel systems turbo boost ...eeer sort of ..gotta adjust my honda , boats gotta be perfect ..it's been awhile since i done it .
Oh my god THATS what that noise is. It almost sounds like knocking but only when I first start the car up and I put it in drive for the first time from a cold start
Honda along with some modern Hyundai V6 or a few of Hyundai turbo engines use solid lifer or manual adjustable rockers.. its done for valve train accuracy.. most performance oriented engines, high reving or engines with aggressive cams or valve timing phasing will use this manual or solid type as self adjustment followers can't reliable keep that accurate of a valve timing especially under strenuous conditions plus reliability is also of concerns.. there are exceptions of course..
Excellent video. Very straight forward and informative.
VW Beetles and old Porches need regular valve adjustments. Beetles and related air-cooled engines have a valve whistle when accelerating if they are correctly adjusted. If not, no whistle. You have to listen to your car! It tells you important things.
Exhaust whistle, and most people get rid of it by upgrading exhaust
2014 odyssey. 162k & Has that noise, I guess I'll be in the search for a mechanic to get this done. Thanks, for the info.
Just got myself a 2008 Honda Fit sport manual. She's REAL chatty at idle xD
Sound like a big ole' diesel when I'm at a red light or in a drive through.
I've done a valve adjustment before on my 98 Accord. Plan to do the Fit this weekend.
I *hope* there isn't too much discoloration of the valvetrain from oil varnish. Car is at 110k miles, and the engine is bone dry top to bottom. Either way I plan on doing oil changes every 3-5k miles, to help prolong the life of the engine. I plan to keep get this car at least to 200k, hopefully 250 or 300.
I have an 08 Fit as well. I believe they suffer from piston slap at certain RPM's/loads. I recently had to do the head gasket on it, replaced all the timing components, re adjusted the valves, and the noise I'm talking about is still there.
I've been at WAR with my 8th gen R18 for a year.. Misfiring alot, I've replaced soo many parts and it only got worse. Today I adjusted the Valves, adjustments are soo small but I evened them all out and also changed the MAF sensor. It's still missing but has alot more power now, yesterday it was at its worse running terrible. I have a few things left to do to hopefully solve the missing just hoping no valves are burnt.
Great info also What’s the main damage if valve’s aren’t adjusted
Its easy for most to mistaken valve noise and a timing belt tensioner on the 2009 accord v6, I had both problems at 80k miles so repaired both at same time...
Thanks 4 understandable video the noise helped a bunch.
Great explanation and illustrations! Thanks!
I have a 2012 honda accord that has 272 k. Never been adjusted. It runs perfect. no noise that I can tell. The dealer wants $1000 to adjust them. Can I hurt the motor not doing it? Thanks
Superb video. A million thanks.
Nice vid. I suggest an engine bay cleaning b4 any work. I also recommend using fender covers during any u derhood servicing.
I like to get a can of engine brite and go to a car wash with open bays. Douche with foam, scrub with kitchen brushes and blast clean
Nice lil' video. I would assume one thing you didn't mention but the valve adjustment will make an improvement of torque and power because any cam lobe that does not immediately translate into valve lift will be worse cylinder head flow. That said this is why Honda will perform a bit better than engines with hydraulic lifters. The oil will reduce the actual lift/duration ever so little.
Historically, there were some V8 engines that were louder and produced with solid lifter cams and others that had lower RPM potential made with hydraulic cams. I knew a guy named Maier from Florida who make rocker arms for 351 Cleveland motors and he was a big proponent of solid lifter camshafts.
Old comment, but just wanna say thanks the does of engine knowledge today.
Need to clean sludge on those engines too I use Marcel mystery in every oil change and just a little bit keeps them clean this vetch engines have lots of small oil passages
Nice video. Many thanks. (Trivial note: it's "Hondas," not "Honda's.)
Hi there. I’m chasing random misfires on my K24 engine and I have the opposite problem. The noise and vibration happens AFTER the engine warms up vs when it’s cold as you said in the video.
Reading the maintenance schedule, they make it out that you need to adjust every other oil change!
Every 30,000 miles. When they say inspect, you can use your ears.
So once in the life time of the vehicle you will need to adjust them. Pretty good.
Wow this is a great video. Subscribed
Intake valves wear at the valve tip and get loose, exhaust valves get beat into the head and get tight. You can have both situations (and usually do with 150k+) on the same engine.
valve misadjustment may cause worse symptoms than that, my 99 Honda crv went to LIMP mode no more than 30 miles an hour meaning no highway driving, rough engine idling, specially when on drive, hard and delay transmission shifting, and when change from park to reverse, you feel like chittering, I changed a lot of parts including catalytic converter, and the muffler, because I thought it was exhaust restriction, till I got the idea to check valve and they were on tight position meaning engine compression problem,
After 2 hours of valve adjustment the var went back to normal of course gradually after 6 Mile of driving. Smooth engine idling, smooth shifting.
Very good content, greatly appreciate this video
Let me add to your explanation if the valve adjustment is too tight u will have the valves opening earlier and closing late.. hard or harder to start when the engine is hot.. valve not closing fully leads to burnt valves or pitted valve seat thus leads to drivability issues.. sometimes shows up as low compression
Thank you for the video excellent job
So even Acuras need valve adjustments. I wil.stick with Toyota and Lexus cars. Thanks for the informative video.
Great video! I have to check the valve lash on my old Honda ST1100 soon. It has a sweet 1098cc 4 cylinder with a similar setup. I hope to see a rust prevention update soon too!
September or October for the rust video.
Hello I have an Acura TL 2005 with 171,000 miles.. a year ago check engine light was on spark plug replacement for cylinder 5 was the solution. Now a year later light came on Acura dealership said spark plug or coils aren’t the issue they said was a injector ok I followed thee advice. Now light still is on. I think the valve adjustment has been the issue since the beginning a year ago… I have been taking the car to auto-zone for the free scanner and the valves adjustment has been in the top of the diagnosis. Besides the valve adjustment the suggested a cleaning injector. I asked about that before the injector replacement and they said that won’t fix the issue now it’s a suggestion. Lights goes on and blink with a cold start and then after a few minutes stay steady. In the begging cars feels like loosing power (English is my second language hopefully I am explaining myself well) please advise I don’t know at this point what to do also I just replaced the timing belt 🙄
Awesome break down
Get a hardwood dowel drill hole in it put the microphone in it with an epoxy plug and then use that like a stethoscope and plug the microphone into your camera and you can hear everything that's going on inside the head and valve train
What microphone? Add to the dowel a steel rod to pinpoint touch areas of engine.
This should be done when you do the 100,000 miles timing belt service, don't skip this part when doing the timing belt.
Having the same issue on my 2010 TL I didn’t notice it at first because it had cylinder 4 cylinder 5 and cylinder 6 misfires replaced spark plugs and coil packs but cylinder 4 and 6 keep popping up after a couple of hours of using the car im thinking that this could possible be the issue car is silent after it warms up but I hear the ticking at cold start or if I push the gas a little too hard
Repair Geek: That was an exaggeration, you'll never find them that bad.
Me listening to my 200kmile valvetrain that sounds like a box of sewing machines being throw down a stairwell...
Very well done!
I have owned many cars, however my first Honda is a 2005 CRV (4 cyl) with 35,000 miles on it. Purchased from a dealer. When I first got it, I heard engine tappet noise. It sounded noise to me then and now with 60,000 it sounds even noisier.
My question is: Should I be very suspect that the millage was not actual millage or has anyone had a Honda 4 cyl , where at 35k the engine sounded very noisy (very distinct tappet noise, not just one - more than one tappet noise) ?
...And thanks Repair Geek for the helpful video.
I would like to comment that honda engines are not known for being whisper-quiet. Having said that, the lack of hydraulic lifters would logically make honda engines a little noisier compared to other valve setups even when the engine is fine. I guess what I'm saying is that if this is your first honda, the sound of the engine may take a little getting used to depending on how closely you're listening (ear-to-the-engine sort of thing). All of mine have been a little rattly, especially during cold start but if it's obnoxious then maybe have it checked out. Note: all of my hondas have been in the 200k mile range so my expectation for engine noise is a little lower standard than some.
Likely the mileage was accurate, it could have done with a valve adjustment probably after 5,000 miles. Some years materials may have varied or maybe the tech messed up. Get it adjusted and replace the front and rear differential fluid and coolant. The fluid is supposed to be changed every 60,000
Awesome video very good video 👌🛠️👏
Good explanation. Thank you !
I have a 4cylinder 1.8 civic 2013. Just turned 200k miles. No noise. No misfires. Starts and runs good. Should i adjust the valves? Or Atleast check them? I have a very minor valve cover leak. So I might take apart anyway. Thanks
This video is amazing really is major !
Couple of things: the sound here doesn't make it clear exactly what this will or can sound like. A pcv valve can make a tapping sound and so can a bad timing belt tensioner. So anyone watching this... just be sure of your noises.
I was having power steering issues in a vehicle i had and a whining started happening. I replaced the pump and the rack and the whining never stopped even though the steering issues were resolved. I'm convinced it's the alternator. It's been 10 years with that whine and I'm still on the original alt.. so who knows.
I had quite a bit of shuttering on my 7th gen Civic on startup and now the check engine light is flashing. From what I have read a flashing check engine light is usually caused by a misfire and you said in your video that first can occur if the valves aren't adjusted. Vehicle is at 225,000 I don't know if the valves have ever been adjusted but I do know that it was taken to the dealership religiously up to 150,000. So my question is do you think my whole issue could be that my valves just need adjusting?
Shoot, that symptom could be a really dirty air intake filter. The check engine light indicates an issue (usually emissions related) with information from one of the cars system sensors. Get an obd2 code reader from home depot or autozone. Shouldn't be more than $40
I've been a repair "geek" since I was 12 LOL
Great video! Did the check engine light come on and did it say misfire in cylinder? Thank!