Hello everyone!

I just registered for this forum today and this is my first post. I'm hoping to get as many knowledgeable answers as possible, because the mechanics I've taken my Accord to (3 so far) don't seem to know what to look for.

I have a 1996 Accord EX. I've had it about 1 1/2 years now. My mom gave it to me when she bought a Honda SUV. My Accord now has just over 95,000 miles on it, and I've already had to replace the transmission, radiator and have electrical work done to get certain things to work right. I was so excited when I first got the car because I've known about Honda reliability for many years, but my experience with this car up to this point has been disappointing at best. I'll try to explain my latest problem/concern the best I can, and I hope those of you who know Accords well will be able to tell me what might be going wrong.

First, the entire car feels as if the wheels are attached to the frame by scotch tape. Every morning when I start the car and roll out of my apartment complex the entire suspension system makes loud CREAKING sounds when I go over the 3 speed bumps on the way out of the complex. On very cold mornings, the creaking noises are even louder and sometimes they even CREAK when I go through the first intersection in the dips before and after the intersection. I have never owned a car, new or old, that made that much noise just from going over bumps. I would never have expected something like this from a car known for its reliability.

As I drive the car, the noises seem to dissipate and eventually fade almost completely. I've spoken with a couple mechanics and I've come up with some possible scenarios.

1. At 95,000 miles I'm pretty sure the shocks (struts) are worn out. I feel it because the car just doesn't absorb bumps well and it doesn't handle very well either. There's a very scary "swinging" motion when I hit turns at moderate to high speed that feels like the car is going one way but the suspension system is going another.

I'm sure I need to replace the struts. I've put KYBs on my two previous cars and was totally amazed at the difference they made, so I'll probably do the same with my Accord.

2. Springs. I never thought about it before, but one mechanic told me springs wear out. I suppose it's possible, but would they make such a racket when going over bumps when they're cold?

3. Bushings. If bushings are made of rubber, they could be so dried out and worn that they are no longer providing the cushioned barrier between the metal parts of the frame. But would they creak that loud?

4. After I had the transmission replaced, I fully expect the car to grab the gears and improve acceleration, but that hasn't been the case. When I try to accelerate, either from a dead stop or when travelling at low speeds, it seems like there's a looooooong delay before the gear actually "grabs" and pulls the car forward faster.

I've had to replace broken engine mounts on BOTH of my previous vehicles and they were both done around the same time (75.000 to 100,000 miles). My last mechanic who did the radiator and major tune-up said they were fine, but they don't FEEL fine to me! Besides, I doubt he even bothered to look.

Would broken engine mounts cause or contribute to the noise?

Another critical question I have about engine mounts is: If some or all of the mounts ARE broken, what are the possible damages to the connecting parts? (transmission, wheel axels, etc)

Also, who is the best "TYPE" of shop/mechanic to take my car to? Who would know where and how to check these types of problems?

I'm thinking a place that specilizes in transmissions or wheels/tires who work on suspensions, etc. General mechanics just seem to be guessing half the time, and I find it hard to place my trust in a mechanic who says stuff like, "Well, it could be this or it could be that, but I'm not guaranteeing anything...".

Thanks guys. Any advice you can offer is VERY appreciated.

Ollin

 

Alright to start off that creeking noise when you go over speed bumps on a cold day its normal because its cold out and the shocks need to get their work out .

Hitting Corner at high speeds and car feels like its going to tip or something that could most likely be the tires you have on it.

Example: my girl hadd 185-65-15 before and i'd be afraid to hit the turns because if feel like the front dips to one corner and the rear wants to slide. she needed to get new tires so she got 205-60-15 and it made a hell of a diff because the tires are wider and no longer see that problem.

Also if you really think you shocks are bad you would actually feel it like if your going over a speed bump and the front end just like wants to smack the ground thats an indication that ur shocks might be worn.

i have a 94 accord with OEM shocks and never been replaced and i have 142k on the car now and the shocks are still good and there are alot of pot holes around me i try to avoid them tho.

If you would like to improve your suspension and steering look into stabalizers and sway bars example i got a Neuspeed Front Sturt bar and it eliminates body roll in the from havent gotten around to getting the rear upper strut and the rear lower strut but i will eventually.

i dont think springs will make a racket noise if anything you will see sagging of the car (front sits lower then back or side to side vice versa)

About the tranny not grabbing fast enough u gotta realize its a 4cyl 2.2 vtec and u cant expect it to pull like a v8 lol but if it is significant drag them try swapping the tranny ECU and see if that makes a diff.

TO check for your engine mounts being bad you can have a buddy sit in the car with the car on and his foot on the brake and shift gears and see if the engine tilts ALOT meaning like (3-4inches to front or back) the engine will shift but it shouldnt move sooo much. Engine mounts might contribute to this noise but usually its just dry shocks

You can take your car to NTB (Nation tire and battery) and have them check out your suspension just dont take it to pepboys and shyt half the time the either underESTIMATE or OVER ESTIMATE and are not accurate and try to find a way to dick you lol

 

Quote: "Alright to start off that creeking noise when you go over speed bumps on a cold day its normal because its cold out and the shocks need to get their work out"

Thanks for the info, accordislow. Btw, mine is too (slow, that is).

I searched some of the threads on creaking noises and suspension questions, and some mention ball joints. Others mention bushings going bad. I think it's pretty safe to assume I need new struts, but I've never heard or heard about struts making loud creaking sounds like that.

I've had bad/worn struts on my last 2 vehicles but neither of them felt like they were "bottoming out" when I went over bumps. I DID feel every freakin' bump in the road though, exactly the way my Accord is now.

I just mention the body roll thing b/c I was thinking about it, but I'm really just concerned with getting rid of the loud creaking sounds and stabilizing the suspension system. It feels very unsafe in its present condition, not to mention the ride and the noises are annoying as hell.

About the tranny: if the engine mounts are bad (and it wouldn't surprise me if they were) that would account for some of the delay in acceleration.

I'm glad you brought up Pep Boys too. I actually left my car there last night but went back and drove it away later, and I never brought it back to them. They just didn't inspire any confidence in me. I'll look into the NTB suggestion.

Thanks!

 

First off the car is 10+ years old so some creaking and moaning is normal. However the likely culprit is all of the rubber parts on your suspension need to be replaced. Also I would check the rear suspension to see of the sway bar links are broken. as that will cause the car to sway at speed. I have a 94 LX and upon inspection I can see that a lot of the rubber parts are nearing replacement. The car jas 143K on it.

IF your tires are over inflated it will also cause the car to "dart" around with the sligtest input in the steering.

Struts on accords rarely go bad unless they have been abused. My struts are still good and they are the original ones on the car.

P.S. replace that timing belt if you have not done so already as you are past due

 

Ball joints. Read other post.

 

Thanks for the input.

Yeah, at 10 years old I expect SOME noise. But this is beyond anything I've heard before. I need to find a schematic or diagram showing the construction of my suspension system or something similar so I can identify all the rubber parts that might be going bad.

Where are the ball joints? Is that something Big O Tires (NTB affiliate) can check for?

Thanks for the tip on tire inflation. They were at 32 PSI, which is the recommended pressure for my vehicle, but I thought they looked underinflated so I have them up to 36 PSI right now. I'll drop that down to 32 right away and see if that helps.

The timing belt has already been replaced, but thanks for the reminder.

 

IF you go aftermarket on your ball joints use either TRW or MOOG parts. They are excellent quality and reasonably priced. ANy Tire shop can do this but I would take it to the Honda dealer and have them inspect it. They will without a doubt tell you everything wrong with it.