danz75

This is for a 98 Accord EX 4cyl A/T

I can't seem to get my finger on this one and was wondering if anyone has experienced this or knows what is going on.

After driving around for awhile and the car is warmed up, there seems to be a very soft whoop whoop sound coming somewhere from the front. I have done the following work in order to find the problem:

Front wheel bearings were changed Dec 05. It is probably not a wheel bearing case because the sound is different from last year when the wheel bearings were going out.

Brake pads and right CV joint replaced a month ago. Both CV joints feel tight.

Tires were rotated and rebalanced.

I drained the A/T today and refilled it with fresh fluid. The last time the A/T was drained was June last year so the fluid looked clean and there was very little fine shavings on the magnetic plug.


So, I'm still at a loss as to what may be causing the sound and unsure if it is a serious issue or not. So far, everything seems normal. A/T is fine and steering feels the same.

Any ideas?


Modified by danz75 at 12:54 AM 10/14/2006

hondadude

sounds like a tire problem, one way to check is to roll slowly thru a smooth parking lot and see if the steering wheel has a slight kick to it, or if you feel the rear 'lumping' along. Look the tires over a broken radial belt will show up on the tread as a worn spot.

danz75

The freeway near my house was recently repaved and so it is very quiet. When I go over this new stretch, the sound becomes audible but if I go over the older roads, the road noise drowns it out till it becomes very faint.

I will try what you suggested today and let you know. I initially suspected tire as well but since I had all 4 rebalanced and rotated and the sound is still coming from the front, I figured it probably wasn't the tires. Is there any other way to tell other than to unmount the tires and inspect both tires and wheels?

TheMuffinMan

iTrader: (1)

the whistles they go "whoooop whooooop"?

Tire pressure?

danz75

I just checked the tire pressures a few days ago and they're at 36-37 cold which I is on the plate on the inside of the door jamb.

danz75

Today, I put the car on stands, took off both front tires, and turned the engine on, I had a friend step on the gas pedal lightly to about 25mph(on the speedometer). the sound was very slight and I put my hands on the control arms and felt the whoop whoop vibration. I had him turn the steering left and right and then let it run idle while I tried to isolate the sound.
I was suspecting the hub or somewhere around the area but i was wrong. Turns out that it is coming from the A/T. The right CV joint while it's spinning does not seem to rotate smoothly. there's a sort of bounce which correlates to the sound and vibration that i was describing. I'm not sure what its called but it's where the CV joint get connected to the transmission.
it's not too bad yet but I'm trying to explore my options. Do I get it to a transmission shop to get them to check it and repair(rebuild) it? or do I get a rebuilt transmission and get it installed?
If I should get it checked out by a transmission shop, would anyone be able to recommend one in the Everett - Lynnwood , WA area? If rebuilding is not a good option and I should look for a new or reman one, where would be a good place to look for this?
How much would a repair or rebuild job cost? Would it be better to replace the transmission? The car 98 accord ex 4cyl has 127k mi and everything seems to be in good condition which is why I would rather fix it since I've maintained it well eversince we bought it rather than buy another used one and have to rediscover the history all over again.

Suggestions???

TheMuffinMan

iTrader: (1)

I don't think 98 auto's are covered by the extended warrenty, but that only goes to 100k anyways. I would say have your current tranny rebuilt!

danz75

Unfortunately, the extended warranty does not cover mine and it's 127K mi anyway. What is the estimate for rebuilding a tranny? Are there any good shops in the Everett - Lynnwood, WA area?

rollercosta123

its gonna cost alot

danz75

Seems like these are the options I have.

1) Get the thing rebuilt for $2200 but seems like no one knows if the job will last.

2) Replace the tranny with a new or remanufactured one. Cost - I'm still trying to find out.

3) Trade the car in. I really don't like this option because the car has been very well maintained ever since I've had it. I know the history well and trading it in for another used car is like opening up a new can of worms.

What do you guys think?