brandon0409
New Member
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I have a 2012 Honda Civic LX that I bought from Carmax (I know. There's my first mistake). Ever since about a month after purchase, there has been an unnerving noise coming from the rear driver-side wheel well.
It occurs going over uneven ground, especially speed bumps and humps.
It is worse during cold weather and lighter during constant warm weather.
It has been checked out by my own personal Honda Certified mechanic as well as the actual Honda service garage. And one more time at the place I get my tires.
They all say the same thing. We don't see anything wrong.
The Noise
There are 3 distinct noises. All when going over uneven ground, speed bumps, and speed humps
1: A squeaking / creaking noise (originally thought to be the coil but wasn't)
2: A plunger-type noise. Very loud on uneven road and speed bumps. - Initially thought to be the shock. But that was replaced at the Honda Dealership service garage as the first attempt to fix this noise problem a year and 1/2 ago.
3: The final noise is the worst. And unfortunately very difficult to describe. But I'll try.
- It sounds like loose parts moving around. Sometimes metal on metal jingling around.
Interesting observation (tested just recently).
When the car has been looked at in a professional garage, either for this specific problem or just to get new tires, they jack the car up using a lift. This keeps the wheels and all connections flat and possibly hyper extends them. Basically the wheels do not hang loose.
Each time this is done, usually, 3 days go by where the noises completely cease. Then like clockwork, they return usually with a vengeance.
A few weeks ago, we had the wheel rim replaced when getting new tires. The tire store said the center hole that the axle goes through was completely warped and causes the wheel to wobble like the Grizwald's car on National Lampoons Vacation movies (after the desert accident scene). He showed me this on the balancing machine.
Then after replacing it and installing the new tires, the sounds were completely gone. Then 3 days later they were back and worse than ever.
This past Saturday, I had my brother-in-law (works on cars) jack up the car and look at it. He used a 2nd jack to put tension on the wheel while the car was up. He did a series of tension and release.
He then sprayed a White Lithium grease (looked like a WD 40 can but grease instead) at all of the bushings and moving parts... Just to try something. For the next 3 days, nearly all of the sounds (creaking and squeaking) disappeared (however Noise #3 hung around in a diminished capacity).
On Tuesday Morning I asked my wife if it was still quiet and she said it was just as loud as before he looked at it. And it began as soon as she back off the driveway into the road this morning.
---------------
Does anyone have any ideas what this could be?
I believe that this wheel well may have been the site of a possible fender bender or something before we bought the car but it doesn't show up on Carfax. But there is definite evidence.
It occurs going over uneven ground, especially speed bumps and humps.
It is worse during cold weather and lighter during constant warm weather.
It has been checked out by my own personal Honda Certified mechanic as well as the actual Honda service garage. And one more time at the place I get my tires.
They all say the same thing. We don't see anything wrong.
The Noise
There are 3 distinct noises. All when going over uneven ground, speed bumps, and speed humps
1: A squeaking / creaking noise (originally thought to be the coil but wasn't)
2: A plunger-type noise. Very loud on uneven road and speed bumps. - Initially thought to be the shock. But that was replaced at the Honda Dealership service garage as the first attempt to fix this noise problem a year and 1/2 ago.
3: The final noise is the worst. And unfortunately very difficult to describe. But I'll try.
- It sounds like loose parts moving around. Sometimes metal on metal jingling around.
Interesting observation (tested just recently).
When the car has been looked at in a professional garage, either for this specific problem or just to get new tires, they jack the car up using a lift. This keeps the wheels and all connections flat and possibly hyper extends them. Basically the wheels do not hang loose.
Each time this is done, usually, 3 days go by where the noises completely cease. Then like clockwork, they return usually with a vengeance.
A few weeks ago, we had the wheel rim replaced when getting new tires. The tire store said the center hole that the axle goes through was completely warped and causes the wheel to wobble like the Grizwald's car on National Lampoons Vacation movies (after the desert accident scene). He showed me this on the balancing machine.
Then after replacing it and installing the new tires, the sounds were completely gone. Then 3 days later they were back and worse than ever.
This past Saturday, I had my brother-in-law (works on cars) jack up the car and look at it. He used a 2nd jack to put tension on the wheel while the car was up. He did a series of tension and release.
He then sprayed a White Lithium grease (looked like a WD 40 can but grease instead) at all of the bushings and moving parts... Just to try something. For the next 3 days, nearly all of the sounds (creaking and squeaking) disappeared (however Noise #3 hung around in a diminished capacity).
On Tuesday Morning I asked my wife if it was still quiet and she said it was just as loud as before he looked at it. And it began as soon as she back off the driveway into the road this morning.
---------------
Does anyone have any ideas what this could be?
I believe that this wheel well may have been the site of a possible fender bender or something before we bought the car but it doesn't show up on Carfax. But there is definite evidence.
