Slight vibration at idle

Starting to spend more time in my newly acquired Accord. It's a 6g 5-dr auto with 89,000m under its wheels. Drives well enough but the most obvious niggle is a slight vibration at idle. This can be felt through the car's body at standstill (traffic lights, etc), but it disappears when driving off.

Is this perhaps worn out engine mounts? Another (possibly related?) symptom is that when starting, there's quite a jerk as the engine catches.

Or could it simply be the idle speed set too low? Not sure how accurate the rev gauge is at the bottom end, but the car seems to idle at just under 500rpm when warm.

All ideas welcome.

Hello
If the car is in Drive then I would say its normal mate?

Thanks - yes, when it's in Drive (will check for a difference when it's in Neutral).

The vibration seems more pronounced than in most autos I've had - including an '03 1.6 Civic.

The vibration you describe could just be the car biting in gear. The true test would be to check when the cars at tempreture and in neutral

Hope that helps mate.

Agreed with Shab, if it's in Drive then it's probably more a characteristic. Otherwise clean out the ICV, butterfly and check condition of the plugs as well as renewing the air filter. I would also change the auto transmission fluid with some fresh Honda ATF.

Thanks chaps. Done some more checking on today's drive back from GF's:

* at cold the engine idles at just over the 500rpm mark

* when warm, idle revs drop to just under the 500rpm mark, and there's the vibration I mentioned that is felt at standstill. If I put it into Neutral, there's still some vibration (slightly less - presumably becase there's less load on the engine) and if - while it's still in Neutral - I gently add some throttle, ALL vibration goes away by perhaps 700rpm.

Not had an Accord before (although plenty of automatics): is sub-500rpm a bit low for warm idle?

Don't want to overstate the problem, but I've had auto MBs, Honds and Nissan before and all were a littlle more refined when standing at a traffic light, etc.

I'll be trying to find a Honda-savvy independent for my servicing (anyone know of one near Ipswich/Colchester?) and will ask him to check over the ICF/ATF/etc aspects mentioned above.

i was just going to post, i think i may have the same problem as you buddy, when my car is in neutral and normal temp theres a vibration that i can feel through the dash and seat only happens when the car is idling or when im parked in neutral but my revs dont fluctuate or anything they are on constant 800-900 mark so if anyone knows what it could be.....

-the same problem to me... RPM ~700-750 when hot.... maybe its because of wrongly placed balancer shaft belt?

500 sounds a bit slow mine idles about 700

Peeps when cold the 6th gens should idle between 900 and 1100 rpm. Then when warm they should idle between 700 and 900 rpm.

It could be your EGR plates and passages are blocked, I know most members who cleaned there EGR passages have had great success with idling after.

My brothers Civic had a rough idle and I stripped down his throttle body and components and gave them a good clean. After that the car has been great.

Just a thought! Are you thinking the first line on the tachometer is 500rpm? It is actually 750 and idling just below that line is correct.