Hi everyone. I'd like to start off by saying how much I enjoy the forum. I read it quite often. Now, though, I've come down with something I could use a hand with. I've got this small problemo on my 2000 Acura 1.6 EL (read US Honda Civic EX) sedan that no-one I know ("pros" included) seems to be able to diagnose. To start, the car is a 5 pd man w/179,000 Km (112,000 mi) and has been well cared for. What's going on is that from time to time I get some terrific "bong" sounds (like someone whacking a 50 gal drum w/ a wooden mallet) coming from what seems like either front wheel well area. The noise usually seems to come while traveling over uneven pavement (at all sorts of different speeds) when there is a lot of twist on the vehicle (or, some days, once it's made the noise a couple of times, I can reproduce it by taking a wide corner at a highish speed then leveling off and soon after going over a bump, like a manhole cover or something). Sometimes the drivers side makes a racket and some times it's the passenger side but never together. The trouble is, things will be all quiet for a couple of weeks, then, driving on the same (type of) roads, I'll start to get some noise "bong bong bong". Then, after a few days, all quiet again. Of course, I can't get the car to do anything for a mechanic (and they sit there in the passenger seat and look at you like you're crazy – I feel like the guy who watched the ape tear apart the airplane engine - though my wife has heard it while riding with me). I've had 4 different shops put this thing up for an inspection and they all say everything is a-ok. Oh, and I should point out that this car has a double wishbone setup, if it helps to know. I know there are a lot of people on BITOG who know their stuff and I wonder if anyone has an any idea of where to look? Strut mounts? Stabilizer bar? I've gone under the car myself and pulled, shook, jiggled and looked and I can't find "it" either. I think it strange that the sound will alternately come from either side but never together. I know front end probs can be a bugger. Any feedback is mucho appreciated.
Honda front end noise
- Thread starter Nuke_Laloosh
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Bull Durham. Great movie.
RE your question... I have no valuable input.
but... Welcome to BITOG!
RE your question... I have no valuable input.
but... Welcome to BITOG!
That's certainly odd. I have some issues with one of my rear wheels making a loud "clank" noise sometimes, which I've isolated to be one of the hard-to-get-to rear bushings or something to do with the brakes. My front right wheel makes a creeking noise (think an old mattress) every time the spring compresses and returns to its original position. No mechanic I've taken it to has been able to fix the problem. It does it mainly in cold weather. I've been throwing money at it for a couple of years now (stabilizer bar bushings/links, front lower control arms, etc.) and nothing's helped. Gotta love Honda suspension mysteries.
Hope you figure it out, though. In the end, I don't think this post helped much... but welcome anyways!
JHZR2
Staff member
Ive found Honda rubber part quality to be lacking. Wonder if you have a bad bushing or something that has a split, which only shows up under a certain amount of travel, twist, etc?
Most likely bushing, I have that once in a while as well. Usually you can tell if it is rubber parts by spraying water at them and try again before they completely dry. If the sound disappear, it is rubber parts.
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