'99 wagon makes odd noise after driving through water

I have just acquired a '99 Accord 4WD wagon (this is an imported JDM
model). We had to drive through some light flooding on the way back from
the dealers and I noticed that every time we went through some water, a
moment later there would be a rising jittery squeal for 2-3 seconds from
the front of the car. It sounded like the noise a gravel chip in the
brakes, or a slipping belt might make, but it did it consistently. I am
wondering what it might be. Could it possibly be the ABS doing something?

Thanks for any assistance or even vague speculation...

Nigel

 

Nigel,
The best thing to do would be to look under the hood while the engine is
running to determine if any belts are slipping. Also, turn off the engine
and check the tension on all of the belts. During the next scheduled oil
change, have the mechanic check the items under the car to see if water
may have gotten past one of the seals. Do your brakes now work correctly?
Jason

 

The brakes are fine, I was suspicious of them immediately, but no
problem. I'll check the belts once my translated manual turns up and
tells me what sort of tension they are supposed to have on them. The
noise has not recurred; its only associated with driving through 5cm or
so of water.

How do ABS systems sense wheel rotation, anyway?

Thanks,
Nigel

 

It's my guess that water got past a seal or into the brake system. After
the water dried up--the problem went away. It may be difficult to find the
source of the problem since it no longer exists. You should ask your
mechanic to place your car on a lift and take a close look at all of the
parts under your car.
You should ask the service manager at the local Honda dealership about the
parts that are most likely to have been the source of the noise.
Jason