I know the official interval for check of the intake/exhaust valve clearances is way down the road, and now with Honda's Maintenance Minder there is no official date or mileage specified. Also, Honda says to only check them sooner along with other services "if they are noisy". For the record we're around 24000 km's now.
It concerns me that a overly-tight clearance will not be noisy, but is a possibility, since valves may be riding high on their seats when new, but after a few thousand kilometers/miles of break-in will be seating better, and closing up the clearance. I know my Honda Hurricane motorcycle specified a valve check as part of the first services.
I have the shop manual, and am thinking to check them. I've checked valves on a few previous Honda cars we've owned. It's always been fairly easy to get the valve cover off. With our 06 Civic Hybrid however, it's looking to be very awkward.
The main problem I see is dealing with the plastic encased wiring harness that runs along the top of the valve cover. It's cables continue off at the left (dipstick) and right ends. The left end cables connect to the dipstick tube. Removing the dipstick and the top clip between the dipstick tube and cable frees this end up enough to get it well out of the way of the valve cover.
Things aren't as easy at the right end, though. The right end cables are thick and go only a short distance, into another plastic encased harness running vertically down the right side of the engine (the drive chain end). This vertical harness case also partially obscures the back right valve cover hold-down bolt. Without getting this shifted, the only way to get a grip on that back bolt is by reaching around with an open-end crescent wrench.
It concerns me also that even with all the valve cover bolts removed and the cover loosened, it will be a fight to get it out from under the two harnesses. The bolts for this vertical right side harness were buried beside the air cleaner (see where this is going? ), so I tried, just as an exercise, taking out the air cleaner. This was a bit of a fight in itself, but got it done. Then I was able to access the 2 bolts securing that vertical harness. I backed them both out, and then was able to shift the vertical harness maybe 1/2" to the right, barely enough to get a proper socket on an extension past the harness and on to the right rear valve cover bolt.
At that point, I just buttoned everything up, we had to get somewhere. I'm really not to impressed with the valve cover access. I haven't mentioned but there are also the (8!) sparkplug actuators to contend with. The back row (exhaust side) actuators get increasingly awkward to remove, going left to right. The back right one seems impossible to remove at first. No matter how you turn and angle it, it's clunking against the rear lip of the engine compartment or the firewall. It is a fight. It can be done but it is very close. Getting it back in is even more fun.
Anyway, that's where I'm at. I do think it is a good idea to an early valve clearance, but am waffling, not looking forward to it. Anyone else done this themselves? Any opinions on the value of such an early check of the valve clearances? Any opinions on the likelihood of there being a tight valve or two in there, due to break-in and the valves fitting better on their seats?