Questions and Answers
Gurgling Civic
Q. I have a 2001 Honda Civic Sedan LX; automatic transmission, 1.7 liter 4 cylinder engine; A/C, cruise control, 6,000 miles, no ABS.
A couple of months ago I noticed a bubbling/pinging/rattling/fluid swishing noise on acceleration that lasts only a few seconds and is not very loud. I only hear it when I accelerate from a complete stop. Noise does not sound associated to the engine. When I brought it to the dealer for an inspection, I had him evaluate it. He noticed that the oil was overfilled by ½ quart.
He dumped the excess oil but I still heard the noise though not as frequently. I want back again to the dealer and he changed the oil and filter since the previous one was done by Jiffy Lube. The car still makes the noise but now only intermittently. It seems to get better when car is warmed up. Any thoughts on what this could be? Car drives fine. Engine sounds fine.
Thanks for your help!
GiaA. This is difficult to determine since hearing the noise is the key to a possible cause. While I don't think the oil being overfilled by a ½ quart would cause the noise, it is possible. Most oil pans will hold a quart over full without the crankshaft hitting the oil, which would cause a gurgling noise.
But, since the oil is at the proper level and the noise is still present, it might be in the cooling system. If there is an air bubble in the cooling system, it will make such a noise. Most noticeably inside the car as the coolant flows through the heater core.
So my suggestion is to make sure the cooling system is full and properly bleed of any air that may be in it.
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