Hi, all -- looking for other Honda/CRV owners who may have had a similar problem. My brand new 2004 CRV (2WD, automatic trans) w/ less than 300 miles makes a *clunk* sound when it goes over bumps in the road, but only when the car is cold. The sound goes away after a few (like, less than five) miles, and stays gone for the rest of the day, presumably because it sits in the sun in the parking lot at work. The sound is like a cowbell -- clunk. It appears to be coming from the front. I've not been able to determine whether it's coming from the driver or passenger side, and so far I'm unable to reproduce it at will consistently by going over bumps on purpose. I've gone back to the dealer once, and they replaced the strut. Obviously I still hear it in the morning. I did a search in newsgroups on Honda clunking sounds, and I read stories of owners who've gone back to their dealers up to a dozen times, replacing this and that with little or no success. So, before I go back to the dealer again and have them replace the bottom of my car piece by piece , I thought I'd post as much detail as I could in the hopes that somebody else had an experience with similar details and can advise. Thanks!
(Bob) wrote in I had a problem with a 2003 where there was a loud BANG in the right front every so often when I took a right turn. They first tried replacing the tie rod...didn't work. Ended up being a loose strut (or so they said).
(Bob) wrote in I had a problem with a 2003 where there was a loud BANG in the right front every so often when I took a right turn. They first tried replacing the tie rod...didn't work. Ended up being a loose strut (or so they said).
(Bob) wrote in I had a problem with a 2003 where there was a loud BANG in the right front every so often when I took a right turn. They first tried replacing the tie rod...didn't work. Ended up being a loose strut (or so they said).
"Cow bell clang" makes it sound a lot like exhaust system heat shield or something related to that. Maybe a bolt is loose or a weld is broken. After the system warms up, the metal expands and tightens up whatever is loose. Problem is, if you go to the dealer with this diagnosis, that's all they will look at. But you should be able to put the car up on a stand and bang stuff around until you find the loose parts. Hope this helps. Elliot Richmond Freelance Science Writer and Editor
"Cow bell clang" makes it sound a lot like exhaust system heat shield or something related to that. Maybe a bolt is loose or a weld is broken. After the system warms up, the metal expands and tightens up whatever is loose. Problem is, if you go to the dealer with this diagnosis, that's all they will look at. But you should be able to put the car up on a stand and bang stuff around until you find the loose parts. Hope this helps. Elliot Richmond Freelance Science Writer and Editor
"Cow bell clang" makes it sound a lot like exhaust system heat shield or something related to that. Maybe a bolt is loose or a weld is broken. After the system warms up, the metal expands and tightens up whatever is loose. Problem is, if you go to the dealer with this diagnosis, that's all they will look at. But you should be able to put the car up on a stand and bang stuff around until you find the loose parts. Hope this helps. Elliot Richmond Freelance Science Writer and Editor
I climbed under the CRV and tapped around the exhaust system with my hands but didn't really find anything. I'll poke around again tonight or tomorrow morning after the car's cooled down. Allow me to take the subject in a different direction: I'm scheduled to take the car back to the service department in a couple of days. I'm worried that my story will turn into one of those "mysterious sounds that they can't figure out", and all they can do is keep switching parts out each time. I've had the car for less than a month. Less than 300 miles. I was lucky enough to have saved up the money to pay for the car in one go but haven't actually made the payment yet. Is there any option other than keep going back to the service department that I should be aware of? Thanks again for any input.
I climbed under the CRV and tapped around the exhaust system with my hands but didn't really find anything. I'll poke around again tonight or tomorrow morning after the car's cooled down. Allow me to take the subject in a different direction: I'm scheduled to take the car back to the service department in a couple of days. I'm worried that my story will turn into one of those "mysterious sounds that they can't figure out", and all they can do is keep switching parts out each time. I've had the car for less than a month. Less than 300 miles. I was lucky enough to have saved up the money to pay for the car in one go but haven't actually made the payment yet. Is there any option other than keep going back to the service department that I should be aware of? Thanks again for any input.
I climbed under the CRV and tapped around the exhaust system with my hands but didn't really find anything. I'll poke around again tonight or tomorrow morning after the car's cooled down. Allow me to take the subject in a different direction: I'm scheduled to take the car back to the service department in a couple of days. I'm worried that my story will turn into one of those "mysterious sounds that they can't figure out", and all they can do is keep switching parts out each time. I've had the car for less than a month. Less than 300 miles. I was lucky enough to have saved up the money to pay for the car in one go but haven't actually made the payment yet. Is there any option other than keep going back to the service department that I should be aware of? Thanks again for any input.
====================== Join hondasuv.com so you can search. You'll find it. If not, Post and you'll get answers. It's a bit slow due to summer, but very lively compared to some forums. 'Curly'
====================== Join hondasuv.com so you can search. You'll find it. If not, Post and you'll get answers. It's a bit slow due to summer, but very lively compared to some forums. 'Curly'
From: (Bob) wrote: "Everything is operating to spec. We couldn't duplicate the noise." Man, how I hate those words! As to your problem, does it do it when the frame shifts, like when you're moving slowly in a parking lot and when you brake, the sound occurs? Or, moving in reverse and when you brake to change gears, it pops? If so, it sounds like the sound could be emanating from your strut mounts. They're notorious for making an annoying, quick pop sound when going over bumps and when the car changes motion. It's not a safety hazard, but annoying, yes. If it's any consolation, my Lexus RX 300 makes that noise. It's worse when the car is cold. Just wait until winter. Well, mine may be way off base, but since you asked....
Hi again. Thanks for everyone's input. The dealer called and said that the sound is normal -- other customers have brought their CRV in, and the technician knows what I'm talking about. I made the technician drive a new CRV with me, and he was able to reproduce and point out the sound to me without my coaching. Apparently there's space between the strut and its mount, and if you hit a bump just right, it'll make the noise I described. It's a little louder on mine than the other CRV we drove, but it's the same. He also told me that even when the car is warm, if I hit a bump just right, I'll hear it, too -- this bit of detail I didn't tell him, so I'm some what reassured by this. He tried to reproduce the sound on a 2003 CRV and was not able to. Supposedly the dealer contacted Honda, but Honda doesn't think it's a big deal. So basically the technician says it bad design. I guess that's that.
Hi again. Thanks for everyone's input. The dealer called and said that the sound is normal -- other customers have brought their CRV in, and the technician knows what I'm talking about. I made the technician drive a new CRV with me, and he was able to reproduce and point out the sound to me without my coaching. Apparently there's space between the strut and its mount, and if you hit a bump just right, it'll make the noise I described. It's a little louder on mine than the other CRV we drove, but it's the same. He also told me that even when the car is warm, if I hit a bump just right, I'll hear it, too -- this bit of detail I didn't tell him, so I'm some what reassured by this. He tried to reproduce the sound on a 2003 CRV and was not able to. Supposedly the dealer contacted Honda, but Honda doesn't think it's a big deal. So basically the technician says it bad design. I guess that's that.
Hi again. Thanks for everyone's input. The dealer called and said that the sound is normal -- other customers have brought their CRV in, and the technician knows what I'm talking about. I made the technician drive a new CRV with me, and he was able to reproduce and point out the sound to me without my coaching. Apparently there's space between the strut and its mount, and if you hit a bump just right, it'll make the noise I described. It's a little louder on mine than the other CRV we drove, but it's the same. He also told me that even when the car is warm, if I hit a bump just right, I'll hear it, too -- this bit of detail I didn't tell him, so I'm some what reassured by this. He tried to reproduce the sound on a 2003 CRV and was not able to. Supposedly the dealer contacted Honda, but Honda doesn't think it's a big deal. So basically the technician says it bad design. I guess that's that.
Just as I thought! I got one right! All three Toyota's/Lexus I've owned have made this sound. I've heard it in my son's Civic, but not my husband's Grand Prix. As I said in my earlier post in this thread, be prepared for winter...it gets worse. Again, just annoying and not dangerous. You know how many cars they'd have to fix only to have the problem re-occur? It's a 'live with it' problem. Why it only happens in Japanese made cars is curious. I'm no fan of American badged cars, but none of the ones we've owned have made this strut mount noise, while all of our Japanese made autos have. I was devastated when my Lexus started making the noise and the dealer gave me the "operating to spec." garbage. Good luck living with it.
