2003 Accord Whistles at 123KM/h

For those who have a 2003 Accord (4CYL) or newer with a lot of
kliometers.

Does anyone hear some kind of whistling coming from the front of the
car when you get to 123KM/h. I get some kind of whistling that starts
at 123KM/h. It disappears at 130KM/h. It comes back at 150KM/h. Service
thinks it's a wheel bearing but I had it from about 90,000KM. I now
have just over 250,000KM. It's just a bit louder.

 

Is this something you can hear while the windows are up? I have not
noticed any such thing, although I have only 144K kilometers on my 2003
Accord.

RFT!!!
Dave Kelsen
--
"The late rebellion in Massachusetts has given more alarm than I think
it should have done. Calculate that one rebellion in thirteen states in
the course of eleven years, is but one for each state in a century and a
half. No country should be so long without one. Nor will any degree of
power in the hands of government prevent insurrections." --Thomas
Jefferson to James Madison, 1787

 

This occurs with windows up or down. The nosie can be modulated by the
gas pedal at those speeds i.e. if while the noise is heard I slightly
increase the gas the noise is louder, and if I let go off the gas pedal
the noise disappears. It may be front wheel bearings or transmission.
Everyone that knows something abouth car mechanics states that it's
wheel bearings. I have had many bearings go on my previous cars, but I
have never had whisling wheel bearings.

 

The only one I had whistle was eating its way through the hub! Actually, it
was more of a screech....

I am really intrigued about the change in sound with the accelerator pedal;
wheel bearings normally don't care what you are doing with the accelerator.
How would the wheel bearings know? I'm thinking a vacuum leak from above the
throttle plate, but it could also be anything in the power train; engine,
transmission, axles. Narrowing it down from there may take some ingenuity
and persistence.

A thought occurs to me, though - it would be quick, cheap and easy to look
over the fit of the air cleaner to the engine. If there's a gap or rip in
there it would do what you describe. temporarily removing the air filter
from the housing would also increase the speed at which the whistle starts.

Mike

 

The load on the wheel bearing is greater as you go faster. Eventually
the half-shafts exert a much higher force on the wheel and therefore
the bearings, then when the cars is moving at a slow constant speed. I
am not entirely sure whether it is the transmission, transaxle or the
wheel bearings. What is for sure is when I go down hill at 130Km/h and
shift into neutral from drive, the noise begins to appear at about
125KM/h. It is not as loud as when it is in gear, but nevertheless, it
is there. I could also hear it slightly when coasting at around 40KM/h.
I am more inclined to believe that it is something in the transmission
i.e. where the half-shafts meet with the rest of the transmission
mechanism like the axle etc.

Dan.

 

I had the vehicle diagnosed. The noise is being made by a resonating
gear selector cable (control cable). The cable+bushings (bushings are
the cause) is $225. The total cost is approximately $500.

Does anyone know where I can get a diagram that shows how it's
replaced?

Thanks a bunch.

 

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Exploded views are at www.slhondaparts.com The factory manual would have
the full procedure.

www.eBay.com or www.helminc.com

'Curly'