Can you feel your engine running ?

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I want my engine to idle like a kitten and run like a cut cat ..
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My 3.9 idles good (sometimes) and other times feels like a plug wire fell off.
 
I drive a GM from the 80s. If I couldn't feel the engine running, I'd know I was in somebody else's car. People back then wanted to hear and feel their engines running, it's pretty much by design.
I think the fascination with extreme smooth and quietness started in the 90s. I had the impression Honda was better at that than anyone else, at least at the time.

My car is much rougher than it should be when it's in open loop. That's a tuning issue that I haven't solved yet. But it's never especially smooth.
The idle speed isn't even perfectly steady, mainly due to ECM limitations I believe. I was pretty amazed when I saw how much more detailed the idle parameters are on ECMs just a few years newer, and those newer ECMs also have faster processors.
 
BMW - yes, it vibrates noticeably at idle. In fact the ECU holds it at the most vibrating rpm, slightly up or down is smoother.

G35 - yes, you can feel it through the wheel
FX45 - barely perceptible - you can hear it, but not really feel it.

The only car(s) I have ever owned that you could not tell were running were Lexus LS400s
 
I could feel the engine through the wheel in my Civic (1.8 liter with no balance shaft) and I still can, but a little less in my WRX (2.5 H4, no balance shafts). Idle quality was/is fine in both. The Civic had hydraulic filled mounts IIRC but the WRX does not. Rev it up to probably 1000 RPM and its much smoother. I've been able to feel it in every car I've ever owned.

My wife's Mazda3 (2.3 liter with balance shafts) idles pretty smooth and I can just barely feel it in the wheel. I'm pretty sensitive to these things, though -- my wife apparently has never noticed.

In our Suburban you can feel it but it's got a lot of miles and idles a little rough.

This is the kind of thing I wonder about all the time too!
 
I35- Dead smooth idle with quiet engine. Impressive for a 12 yr old car which am pretty sure still has the original sparks.

Accord- Steering wheel shakes at idle due to cracked front motor mount. Common issue with this gen.

Pilot- Very quiet engine as expected in a 1 yr old car. Can occasionally feel some light vibrations through the arm rest and no where else at idle. Guess every car is different.
 
M5: No. You can't see it running either. You can however hear it.

Expedition: Yup. Feel, see and hear. The 5.4L certainly isn't as smooth as the 5.0L in the M5 or even my old 302 for that matter. But it may outlive them all
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The 2GR-FEs (2) are smooth and you can't tell they are running. 2AZ-FE you can feel when cold but not after it's warmed up. My daughters 2009 Honda 1.8L is so quiet and smooth you have to be careful not to grind the starter while it is running.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Almost 200,000 miles? Yes I can. Lol


Just traded a 2GR-FE in with 198,000 and it was a smooth as the new one. The dealer could not believe it. PP & QSUD the whole time.
 
Depends on the vehicle, a good high end luxury car is just as smooth as a Tesla.

That's why you want more cylinders. The best 4 cylinder in the world can't hold a candle to a good V8 or V12 in terms of smoothness, especially a V12. I6's as well, which is why Jag, Mercedes and BMW used them for so long.
 
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A buddy of mine was dissappointed when he traded in his 200k mile '95 Maxima on a brand new IS350. The maxima there was zero vibration, the IS he could feel vibration when idling in gear. I don't remember the details, but I think the old Maxima's had a motor mount that was pressurized by ATF - soft at idle and stiffened up w/ RPM.
 
Just place a glass of water on the engine or dashboard , it the water giggles, you got a vibration,,,but,,,who cares, its a machine...
 
Originally Posted By: Quest
when my wifey's camry 2AZ-FE idles when hot (on D, brake pedal firmly depressed to keep the car @ a standstill), the vibration can be felt on the steering wheel.


That's not vibration, that's the pulses of the power strokes because you are running an automatic trans in gear at a stop. Is your fit an auto in gear?
 
Its definitely noticeable on my 3.7L Ford. Don't get me wrong. The engine is quite smooth, most of the time, but I've never had the circumstance where I tried to start the car that was already running, for example.
 
Right now the Tacoma is dead smooth at idle once it warms up a bit. This is attributable to the tank of Shell petrol that is in it. Ran into a Shell station on my last trip to see my mom. No other gas will give me a dead smooth idle. Unfortunately very few Shell station left in the KC area, and most of them are run down dumps that are "Party Shoppes" so I don't go to them. BP fuel is close, but not quite the same.
 
The Tracker isn't too bad at idle, but once its above 1200rpm you just hear it until you get near 5k or so.
Focus can be felt a little at idle but not much, and is pretty smooth up to around 6k, seems quite good for a 4 cyl. Both are standard, so no worries about idling with the AC in drive.
 
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