94 Accord thumping noise from wheel area, dealer can't diagnose - HELP!!!

I have a 94 Accord, manual with 135,000 miles on it. Early this year
(it was still winter here on the east coast) I started to see this
problem - after I start the car and have driven about 4-5 miles on the
highway (the temperature gauge at midway point), a 'thug...thug...'
kind of sounds starts up and I can feel the vibrations in the steering
wheel and the floor. It starts off soft and then gets really loud -
as thought the car is just going to go 'plunk' on the highway. I
have to slow down to almost 30mph on the highway to safely get home.
The sound is continuous with a frequency of 2/sec. It happens in all
the gears BUT only when my foot is on the gas. It does not happen when
I am coasting in gear (foot not on gas) or in neutral, say downhill. It
is more prominent when the wheel is straight or turned to the right,
not to the left. It does not happen if I am driving in the city or on
the local streets (STOP & GO). It also seems to decrease when I get off
at an exit and am back to driving at 25-30mph.

I have taken it to a Honda Dealer (O'Donnell Honda Service Center,
Ellicott City, MD) 4 times.

First time then had me replace the Reman Shaft - $900 odd. I had barely
driven out of the shop, and the noise started again - so I turn
around and go back. They ask me to leave it in the shop. Now they say
that the brake calipers are hanging and so, they replace that along
with the whole brake assembly, drum etc, etc. - over $700

Then summer came along and I never heard the noise again. A few weeks
ago, as it started to get cold, the problem crept up again.

I took it back to the dealer and told them that they had made me spend
all this money and the problem is not gone. Since the repair was under
warranty - they agreed to take a look at it. I told them that they
need to drive at least 4-5 miles before they'll begin to hear the
noise. I am sure they did not, they made a note on the work order, that
it was raining and so they could not hear the noise. The noise again
seemed to have disappeared.

Last week, 'whatdoyouknow', the noise started again. Took it back
to them and this time I expressed my frustration that this is happening
way too often and for them to fix it for once and all. I get a call
after they 'diagnosed' it and the service rep. tells me that the
exhaust is an after-market on, so the whole assembly needs to be
changed. I told them that if that was the case, then it should happen
all the time, plus the sound and the vibrations seem as though they are
coming from the front wheel area and not from under the body of the
car.

Even the Service Shop Manager could not diagnose the problem, even
after expressing frustration; I got him to go on a test drive with me
and demonstrated the noise. He then says it may be from the balancing
of the wheel - and I know that is not the case, since I had got that
done less than a year ago, plus, again, if that is the case,
shouldn't it be happening all the time.

I give up - does any one here have a clue???

 

Sorry for the long post, to summarize...The noise starts under the
following conditions only,

After having driven 4-5 miles at highway speeds
When foot is on gas
All gears
Outside temperature is slightly cold (less than 60 deg F)
Wheel is straight or turned right

 

You could have a defect in the tire. Try swapping the right front with
the right rear and go for a test drive. If the noise and vibration are
still there, I would have the upper and lower ball joints, wheel
bearing, and shock checked.

 

there's not many things it can be. prime candidates are motor mounts,
suspension componentry or running gear. in that order. unless you get
under the car and do some inspection work, there's not much more we can
do for you here other than advise taking the car back to the shop.

but before you do that, there's one thing you need to understand - the
dealer that hosed you $900 for a /recon/ driveshaft should be jailed for
fraud. as for the brakes, again, entirely unnecessary and grossly
over-expensive. brakes grind, squeak or shudder - they don't thump.
find a good independent honda repair shop and qualify them with
questions about likely causes. get personal recommendations from
existing customers.

 

CV Joint?

Mark

 

even reverse?

off the top of my head, itd be worth it to swap the front and rear
tires, and see if the noise goes away, or switches to the back

 

thanks for the reply. These are the parts that I have replaced so
far... will take it to some one else and have the ball joints
checked...

Parts Replaced so far...

1.REMAN SHAFT - $267.00 + $117.00 labor
2.FR. BRAKE DISC, FR. PAD SET, FR. BEARING ASSEMBLY, R FR CALIPER, CORE
RETURN, L FR CALIPER, CORE RETURN, BRAKE DOT FLUID - $521.29 + 565.00
labor
3.MASTER CYLINDER - $166.68 + 110.00 LABOR

 

thanks for the reply - haven't tried it in reverse. will do so next.

 

i had the exact problem with my accord. check the cv axle. thats what
mine was. the grease inside was all dried up because the boot was old and
cracked. all i did to temporarily fix it was put some bearing grease
inside the boot...worked for me for about a month until i bought the new
axle. good luck

 

My Accord had a thump which turned out to be one of the plastic mud flaps
touching the wheel. Also check for a loose tyre (tire) tread or bulge.

 

Thanks - will check that also... but I am pretty sure that cannot be
the case, since then it would be happenning all the time, when I am
driving.

 

thanks ballinjefe22. The time they replaced the shaft, the work order
says - replaced right axle. Now are they the same?? He did explain that
there was a cut in the boot and all the grease had dried up before
doing this. This was done in Dec 2004. Then it looked like the problem
has temporarily gone, until a month or so ago.

 

thanks ballinjefe22. The time they replaced the shaft, the work order
says - replaced right axle. Now are they the same?? He did explain that
there was a cut in the boot and all the grease had dried up before
doing this. This was done in Dec 2004. Then it looked like the problem
has temporarily gone, until a month or so ago.

 

yeah your boot might be gettin tore up. do you drive it hard much at all?
bc i know i drove the crap out of mine, and thats most likely what messed
it up. and maybe you just got a faulty axle. who knows. im sure you can
take that into a shop somewhere and have them check it out for free...i
took it somewhere and they did it free for me. but then i put the axle in
myself, bein in college and all i wasnt willing to put out the money. but
good luck...let us know what happens

 

thanks ballinjefe22. The time they replaced the shaft, the work order
says - replaced right axle. Now are they the same?? He did explain that
there was a cut in the boot and all the grease had dried up before
doing this. This was done in Dec 2004. Then it looked like the problem
has temporarily gone, until a month or so ago.

 

so what side is the noise coming from now? im sure you said somewhere
along the line, but i didnt see it. if the noise is from the driver side
now, then its more than likely the axle. the axles will have about the
same life, so replacing one last year, and not the other one...it might
just be that the other one needs replaced now. are you a do it yourselfer
or do you just take it in? lemme know how if this helps at all...

 

Not a do-it-yourselfer. I wish I were. In any case - the sound coems
from the front passenger side predominantly. Your posts have been
helpful. I am basically going to print out this entire thread and take
it to an independent mechanic tomorrow. Will keep you posted

 

thanks ballinjefe22 and jim beam. you guys were right on the money.
turns out it was indeed the left axle. took my car this time to an
independent mechanic. he put it up on the lifts and showed me the
reason the sound was coming. there was quite a bit of play on the left
axle, compared to none on the right-new one. his explanation as to why
the sound started only after driving 4-5 miles was that it took some
time for the grease in the boot to be less viscous - *who knows*. the
motor mount was also cracked - but he said that there is no urgency to
replace that. he changed the axle, along with the boot and we took it
for a test drive - *NO SOUND* . thanks everyone - (^_^)

 

alright....glad i could help. good luck with that car in the future