Elvis1977

I have a 1998 accord 4-cyl. (108K). My car has a slight idle vibration especially noticeable in the mornings but gets better as i drive. Vibration is only noticeable at idle in or out of gear. When rpm's are raised above 1000 , all vibration is gone. This slight vibration is mostly coming from the steering wheel and dash. The problem started after i changed the timing belt and balancer belt. The Honda Dealership claim everything is normal. All markings on the belts are correct. Motor mounts are ok. Throttle body cleaned out well. New pugs and cap. New idle control valve.
The vibration is slight, but is driving me nuts. Is this NORMAL HONDA BEHAVIOR or is there a problem? IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM???
HELP IS APPRECIATED. THANKS.


Modified by Elvis1977 at 9:38 PM 10/21/2003

JimBlake

Ours, too; '98 EX 4-cyl automatic 23k miles.

Only in gear - park or neutral it doesn't do it. And it's worse in winter, but still only when the engine's cold. Idle speed is OK (stable). The vibration is noticeable, but I won't say horrible...

spankey167

Well for my 92 accord it vibrates real bad in reverse. Found out that my rear motor mount is shot to hell... You guys might check on that as well.. Is there any weird idling though?

LookingForVTEC

first guess would be ignition timing might be a little off

Monkey Fing a Coconut

i had the same problem with my 93 accord lx 5 speed, when i turned on the a/c it got worse, but now with my h22 the problem has ceased and i'm still using the same mounts as with f22 so my guess its the accord engine/trannys that this occurs in, just get an h22 and problem will go away...

HONDADNA

I would recommend checking the EGR system. If the EGR valve is slightly open it will cause a rough idle. The EGR lift voltage should be below 1.3 volts. If it is greater then that, remove the valve the clean off the carbon build around the valve.

mwkirchner

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LookingForVTEC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">first guess would be ignition timing might be a little off</TD></TR></TABLE>

Ignition timing is handled by the ECU ... timing is controlled electronically nowadays.

mwkirchner

We get a lot of people complaining about this at work. I feel this way about it. How long do you actually idle the car? When you are sitting at a stop sign? When you are sitting at a stop light? Why is there so much concern about a slightly rough idle? You can feel slight vibration ... but if you look at the tach you will most likely see that it is steady. We get people who complain about this and they will have 150,000+ miles on the car. We suggest that if it bothers them that bad ... replace all the motor mounts. When they get the price to do this ... they all of a sudden can learn to live with it.

If an idle is jumping around etc ... then be concerned. If it just vibrates slightly ... do not sweat it.

Elvis1977

Jim,

Your problem is easy. I have a 98 accord 4-cyl. with 108k. I remember going through the same situation as you. Since your vibration occurs in gear only then try this:

1) USE CHEVRON TECHRON GAS ONLY : 87 octane is perfect
2) clean out throttle body well

My problem is in or out of gear. The slight vibration is driving me nut. By the way, since you only have 23k on your car do you want to sell it? E-mail me.

Thanks.

Elvis1977

Yeh I understand what your saying Mike, but I had no vibration prior to the timing belt and balancer belt operation performed by a HONDA dealership that claims everything is normal. I spent 650 dollars and now i have a slight idle vibration. Do you work for HONDA? Is this a normal engine reaction after timing and balancer belts are changed? Thanks for your comments.

JimBlake

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Elvis1977 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">1) USE CHEVRON TECHRON GAS ONLY : 87 octane is perfect</TD></TR></TABLE>No Chevron stations in my part of Ohio. Techron additive is available, there's even a small supply on my garage shelf...

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Elvis1977 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">2) clean out throttle body well</TD></TR></TABLE>It's really clean & shiny inside, since the mileage is so low.

Basically, I just wanted to say that I notice a vibration in gear. To me, it seems normal considering it's a kinda big 4-cyl, under the load of the torque converter. The torque converter load is higher when the tranny fluid is cold, too.

But I did think of something else for you...
The rear engine mount is vacuum-operated. The ECU makes it loose at idle, tightens it while driving. This tells me that Honda is aware of something, because they needed to resort to this. Mine works, but maybe you can check yours?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Elvis1977 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">... By the way, since you only have 23k on your car do you want to sell it?</TD></TR></TABLE>We inherited it with really low miles. My wife's aunt didn't drive much. My daughter's driving it to school now... I know she'd rather have the GS-R, but then I'd have to get enough to buy me a new WRX.

Elvis1977

Hi Jim,

I know exactly what your going through with your vibration in gear. I noticed this same problem when my engine had low mileage. I remember using only chevron gas (87 octane) with Techron and the vibration went away. I remember shifting the transmission from neutral to drive several times and i could notice a difference. In neutral it was very smooth, and in drive a slight vibration noticeable on the steering wheel. Too bad there are no Chevron's in OHIO. That gas runs well in my honda. I believe my rear mount is working ok. The part that puzzles me is that this slight vibration did not occur until i changed my timing belt and balancer belt. The HONDA dealership who charged me 650 dollars claim everything is normal.

mwkirchner

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Elvis1977 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Yeh I understand what your saying Mike, but I had no vibration prior to the timing belt and balancer belt operation performed by a HONDA dealership that claims everything is normal. I spent 650 dollars and now i have a slight idle vibration. Do you work for HONDA? Is this a normal engine reaction after timing and balancer belts are changed? Thanks for your comments. </TD></TR></TABLE>

You say you did NOT have any vibration prior to timing belt/balancer belt replacement. No matter what they are telling you at the dealership ... the problem has to stem from that. The balancer belt is most likely the culprit. If it is off just one tooth ... you will get vibration in the engine. During a timing belt/balancer belt replacement ... you get the timing belt, balancer belt, water pump and all the external belts changed. The only 2 things that can cause your problem would either be the timing belt or the balncer belt. The timing belt being off will cause the car to be sluggish if installed a tooth off in the retarded state and will cause a ping if installed in the advanced state. The balancer belt will cause a vibration if not in time ... period.

I can tell you this ... at the dealership I work at ... if we do a job like that and the customer has paid to have it done ... we will check and double-check the timing on BOTH belts to be sure they are not off. You would be wise to maybe go back to the dealer and ask to talk to the Service Manager and if you do not get satisfaction with him ... go higher. You paid good money to get that work done and it kind of sounds like they are trying to blow you off.

HONDADNA

Technician hates come backs because they redo it for free. Prehaps, this is the reason the technician is saying its okay. I recommend taking mwkirchner advice.

NathanMorris

normal with age. In automatics, it's just because the rear motor mount losens up during this stage and allows the motor to move around a bit more. At least that is how it has been explained to me in the past. Otherwise, just the bushings are probably beat to heck.

- Nathan

Elvis1977

Thanks for your comments. You sound very intellegent. Listen to this. I also did not believe the HONDA dealership who did the job so i took my car to ANOTHER Honda dealership in town and paid 250 dollars of my own money for them to break down the covers and examine the timing belt and balncer belt to see if they were istalled correctly and insure they were not off a tooth or so. And guess what? Both belts were installed correctly. All markings were correct. I had just blown 250 dollars for nothing. The foreman who drove my car said everything is normal. BUT WHY AM I GETTING THIS STUPID SLIGHT IDLE VIBRATION ESPECIALLY IN THE MORNINGS!!!!!!!!!!! I't was not there prior to the timing belt and balancer belt operation for sure. The only thing i can think of is that they had to take off the drivers side motor mount to ge the covers off and did not install id back correctly. But, I examined it carefully and it is correct. People think i am crazy, but i tell you the slight vibration especially in the steering wheel is present. IS THIS COMMON WITH ACCORDS? AFTER BELTS ARE CHANGED at 104K? WHen i increase the rpm over 1000 ALL vibration is gone. Why is more idle vibration present in the mornings on cold startups and get better as i drive???? I hope you can figure this out for me. It's been driving me nuts for 3 months now. If you want you can also e-mail me at : sanaie67@atcassociates.com. Thanks.

OzzieAccord

This happend with my '95 too. It went into the shop running sweetly. It had the timing belts replaced and then vibrated real bad. I took it back three times. The second time they found that the balancer shaft belt was out by a couple of teeth.

Fixing that helped but it was still nowhere near as smooth as before. On the third return they loosend all the engine mounts, let it settle and then did them back up.

That helped a bit more and now there is only a slight vibration at idle, which increases in strength after about 30 seconds. Makes me think it could be a rear mount problem - leaking vacuum maybe?

-Bionic-

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by OzzieAccord &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">leaking vacuum maybe?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah that would def. cause an idle vibration.

Elvis1977

Hi ozzieAccord,

Yeh me too. I took my car to a HONDA dealership and had my timing belt and balancer belts replaced and i noticed a slight vibration especially on the steering wheel and dash. It was very smooth prior to the operation on the belts. If it is the rear mount for the both of us, then why was it not vibrating prior to the belt change??? Where exactly is your vibration?? How do you put up with it? Does the idle vibration go away when you incease RPM's over 1000? Thanks for you comments.

accord91lx

well you keep saying it is a slight vibration... from the way I see it, your Accord has over 100,000 miles on it.. and its only SLIGHTLY vibrating... GET OVER IT. Start it up, Rev it over 1,000 RPMS and deal with it. IF you dont like it, then dont touch the steering wheel. Problem solved. Now if it was a violent shake I'd understand.. but a "SLIGHT VIBRATION" is nothing to bitch about. my $0.03

JimBlake

Since it was smooth before the belt change, look at what happenes during that work.

I think you have to undo an engine mount or 2. Then put it all back together. Maybe(?) it's just really sensitive to small adjustments in the position of each mount. Mine vibrates like I said, but it's my first automatic tranny since a '71 Opel. So I just shrugged & assumed it's normal. Maybe there's some magic position of the mounts that's kinda hard to achieve.

Sometimes loosening the mounts, shaking the engine a bit, & tightening them up will make it better. But if it's real sensitive thats a pretty haphazard way to adjust them.

Elvis1977

EASY TO SAY, BUT YOU DID NOT PAY $650 OF YOUR MONEY TO GET A VIBRATION THAT WAS NOT THERE TO BEGIN WITH. OR MAYBE YOU HAVE NO CLUE OF HOW TO SOLVE THIS VIBRATION THAT MANY HONDA OWNERS HAVE.
MY .01 WORTH!

Elvis1977

If it is your engine rear mount like you suspect, then why was it runnung perfect with no vibration prior to the timing belt and balancer belt change???

brads94accord

hey elvis1977 which dealership did you take the car to? i live in your area, i live over in powder springs. if you can't figure it out, there is a shop that my family has been taking our cars to thats in lithia springs @ bankhead hwy & thorton road right behind the waffle house called autoville (hondaville). they specialize in hondas and toyotas. they do a really great job, they don't rip you off, and ask for ronnie if you go in there he's a really good mechanic and he would be able to help you out. he was the repair department foreman of ed voyles honda on 41 one for a long time.

Elvis1977

I think your name is Brad. Hi my name is Anthony. Good to meet ya. What a real surprise to know you live near me. I live on Atlanta Rd. near Paces Ferry Rd. You say you live in Powder Springs. That's real close. Do you want to meet? If so e-mail me at: sanaie67@atcassociates.com. By the way, I took my car to ED VOYLES HONDA where RONNIE used to work.