I was wondering if this was normal and due to the extreme cold weather we have been experiencing lately in our area. When my 2007 HCH is idle (but not auto stop) there is a slight vibration. This vibration is felt on the steering wheel and very slightly throughout the car. Once I accelerate I find the vibration is still there from about 1000 - 1500 RPMS and once I go over 1500 it goes away. If I put the car in neutral when stopped then it does not do it so it seems to be transmission related. Is this normal or should I be concerned?

 

Any automatic will shudder slightly when stopped. It varies in intensity from transmission to transmission, and also tends to be worse before the car is fully warmed up.

I just happened to notice this on ours recently. Like you, shifting to neutral helps, seems to make it happier. Your symptoms don't sound abnormal.

One thing: when I switch to neutral, I'll keep my hand on the shifter, as a reminder, to avoid inadvertant roll-back or engine rev when it's time to go.

 

I vote normal.
All autos do this to some extent. In Drive, there is a load on the engine. Turn the AC on at idle, and it'll get worse. It's just that - load.
It can be compensated by increasing idle speed, but this wastes gas and increases engine noise in the cabin.
Little 4-bangers (and ours is quite little at 1.3l) just don't like it much. Also, a 4 cylinder engine is just not a smooth as a 6 or V8, nor as powerful, so it's more noticable.
I think the Civic Hybrid handles this quite well most of the time - much better than I thought it would, actually.
Shift into N if you like to "take a load off."
But keep foot on brake.

 

Thanks for the replies. I had a feeling it was normal but just wanted some second opinions. My wife has an 07 LX Civic and it does not feel the same at all in terms of the idle "load". But she has the 1.8 with a completely different transmission so that likely explains it.

 

I have this same problem. My 2008 is a nightmare in stop and go traffic. I find the vibration to be very annoying. I noticed that if I put the tranny in neutral and rev'd the engine, the rpms would spike down and vibrate... then the idle would come back up.

 

I have had the same problem. Dealer says it is a "characteristic" of the vehicle. I made a video on you tube.

Is this the same thing you are referring to?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J54eqoXy5z4

 

That's pretty much what mine does. Told it's "normal" but if that were the case you would think everyone would have it right? I notice it more when the vehicle is ready for auto stop. What I mean is when I first start the car in the morning and it is still cold (before auto stop would function) it is hardly noticeable. However once the auto stop is ready to engage with the warmed up engine, the vibration is quite noticeable. It is almost as though the system considers an auto stop and the rpms start to dip then suddenly it decided to keep the engine on thus creating a vibration. I find it very annoying in stop and go as well as drive thrus. I also hear a slight rattle (almost diesel like clicking) when accelerating. It is always there but much more noticeable when the engine is cold. Dealer claims that is "normal" as well. Funny how everything is normal when the car is under warranty but suddenly are real when the warranty expires.

 

mhaven98, thanks for your response, very detailed, and basically covers exactly what I have been experiencing. I talked to the dealer multiple times, and have escalated this, and sent the video to the Service Director, not manager, Director. He is contacting Honda today, and I hope to get more info on this. Maybe this is something they can fix with a software update, and if enough people complain about it, we can get it fixed.

 

It seems the dealers aren't explaining this quite right, it is a normal operating feature though. When you idle or take your foot off the accelerator while cruising, the ECM will often shut down cylinders in order to save gas.

My HCH does this at idle too and it feels just like someone removed a plug wire and I am running on 2-3 cylinders, which is one way the car gets the mileage it does. It is a bit disconcerting at times and if you are having problems taking off from a start because of this then there is a problem with the system and it needs to be diagnosed.