OK, I buy a REAL nice 1992 Honda Civic EX Sedan to bug around in and save gas. Car is spotless, motor is super clean and strong with only 92/K miles. Auto trans shift perfectly, new tires all around. When driving the car and approaching about 35 to 40 mph I get a nazaly sounding, buzzy whine like sound out of the right front area. At first I mistook it for the whhaaaaaaa like sound that an exhaust might make at fast highway speed, but that is not the cause. Its not too too loud, but you can definitely hear it inside the cabin with the radio on, and it gets on your nerves after a while. Once you start to hear it, as you speed up it does not change pitch or increase or decrease in any way. At highway speed, if I pop the car into neutral and let the motor idle down the sound stays exactly the same. As I slow down you can hear it almost until you stop with it getting slower and less loud as you get below 35mph or so until you stop. I feel nothing in the seat like vibration. I feel little or nothing in the steering wheel as far as vibration outside of what I know is normal. Sometimes if its really hot out it seems like you can hear a 'rolling' sound like a bearing working. I've looked over everything on that side of the front suspension and didn't see anything obvious. The trans fluid was clean and smelled perfect. I changed it anyway and there was nothing on the magnetic plug bolt. I replaced ATF fluid with genuine Honda fluid. No change for my effort. I'm thinking outside of a transmission bearing, and if anyone knows that this is a transmission bearing going let me know, I have two things in mind as culprits. A bad hub bearing assembly. I can switch this whole knucle and hub/bearing assembly out without much trouble as I have the tools to do so and can get the part from the salvage yard cheap enough. Second, its possibly something with the ABS system. Maybe a bad sensor, or something buzzing in the pump control unit which is mounted on the other side of the firewall on the passenger side where this noise seems to be coming from. I would not know what would cause it to buzz, maybe a sensor going bad? Any help and suggestions from experience with the same issue would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

your saying if you pop into nuetral you mean like let it coast right? and the noise is still there? sounds to me like a wheel bearing.

 

Yes, put it in neutral foot off the gas completely and leave it coast and the engine go to idle. This confirms to me that its not the motor that its more likely the drive train.

 

yeah, wheel bearings..... quick check, get it up to speed, swerve one way then the other, if the noise changes pitch its the bearing.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by philosofy1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">your saying if you pop into nuetral you mean like let it coast right? and the noise is still there? sounds to me like a wheel bearing.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah

at oP:
I dunno what made uthink it's the tranny bearing...u can exclude that because u popped it into neutral

 

ditto...sounds like a wheel bearing

 

sorry to thread jack but how do you cure or fix the wheel bearing noise...got the same noise (kinda) but when i throw it in neutral and floor it i still have the noise......im really trying to fix this noise and i wanna try the wheel bearing to see if this is it..thanks
edit....i recently changed the front passenger axle...thought this would cure the noise....didnt

 

just get a bearing mine was 55 bucks or so.. took me under 2 hrs to put in..

 

cool, i'll search H -Tech right now and see what i need to do to fix a wheel bearing....thanks!!

 

The wheel bearing is the part that rotates in the hub.

 

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

Yeah

at oP:
I dunno what made uthink it's the tranny bearing...u can exclude that because u popped it into neutral</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well I was thinking that the output shaft is still connected to the trans and spinning so some trans bearings and shafts have to be still in motion even when I'm in neutral.

 

The front hub bearing is not easy to do and you cannot do all of the work yourself. Its not a bolt on operation. We need a bearing press to get the old one out and new one in after we go through all of the work to remove the steering knuckle that holds all of this stuff. I'm just going to replace the whole sterring knuckle and hub assembly with a good replacement from a salvage yard. I can do that for $60 bucks so if it does not solve the problem I'm not out major bucks. I can always take the original to a machine shop with a new bearing and have it swapped out and replace the whole knuckle assembly again. I'd still be getting off cheaper than most ways of addressing the problem.

 

darn, so its not an easy bolt on...ok Hondaman56...i'm hoping this, bearing, is making my noise....i may take it to a shop or do some more research and take off what i can and have the rest done....my noise starts above 60mph also...i didnt mention this....i am just praying its not tranny releated..(big bucks i dont have)....thanks

 

It IS in fact a bad hub bearing. I removed the steering knuckle this evening and when I spin the hub it starts making the noise. Now off the the auto parts store for a new bearing and to have them press that puppy in, and I am on the home streatch. Thanks everyone....

 

I think I have the same problem.

 

congrats!!! i havent touched my car in a week....i'll get a chance this weekend...hopefully i'll be as lucky as you....