I have a 2009 Honda Accord with automatic transmission. Over the past several months, I've noticed a grinding sound immediately after cold-starting the engine. It only lasts for a fraction of a second, doesn't continue once the engine is running, and doesn't happen if I shut the engine off and start it again a few minutes later.
A little background:
The car has 92,000 miles on it. I've noticed that it burns oil pretty quickly, so I keep an eye on it and make sure to add more if needed. Most recently, I got an oil change with a high mileage synthetic, but that has not solved the issue.
Does anyone know what this could be? Is it a big deal? I'm obviously worried about damaging the engine. Is this a major thing? Or is it something I can live with, provided I don't mind the frightening noise that occurs on startup.
Any help you can give is greatly appreciated!