[rodeo joe]

Hi all, I've had my '03 Accord for about 5 years now. Has 115K miles on it. Great car no problems until recently. Ironically, Just after I paid it off I started feeling a vibration when accelerating from 25mph through 35mph. Its a 5 speed manual 4 Cyl VTEC. I had it running on jack stands yesterday and put it in gear. The vibration seem to be in the transmission. Is there a common problem with the Honda manuals that would be the cause of this? I've had the tires balanced and rotated and the alignment done. The same vibration persist. I'm not saying for sure it's the trany. What else could it be? When the car was on the jacks and in gear, I did not feel the vibration out by the wheels, but when I touched trans/diff case I felt it strongest.

 

[Ian1006]

Check all of your motor and tranny mounts.

 

[Ruination]

What are the chances you had the timing belt done recently before this vibration started?

 

[rodeo joe]

Actually, this motor has a timing chain. So no

 

[ImpulseRocket89]

I second inspecting the motor and trans mounts. If one of them is worn out enough and allows movement then it could feel like a vibration through the shifter. Something else to check, if it has one, is the intermediate drive shaft and/or its mount. Are you having any other issues beyond the vibration? Such as trouble shifting gears when getting on it hard?

EDIT: Something else it MAY be is a slight imbalance with the flywheel and/or clutch. However, this would be more noticed at a given RPM range more than speed/gear sensitive. The only Hondas I have ever known to have a transmission vibration issue were all automatics and/or CVT's. There was a big recall on the issue, which turned out to be the torque converter. In the case of yours being a manual this obviously doesn't apply, but there is something else you could check. Just check to see if the shifter itself isn't a bit loose/worn at the ball mount and the linkage connections.

Time to snoop around.

 

[SurferJoe]

Check the trochoid plunger part of the CV shaft nearest to the differential/transmission first.

When they fail, they cause a lot of vibrations that may feel like they are engine-related - unlike the outer CV that just cause an oddball noise or clicking-popping when turning sharply until they get really bad - then all bets are off.

Most people forget that there are two flexible parts to the halfshafts - the outer rotating CV joint and the inner trochoid plunger joint.

PS ::: when you had the vehicle up on stands, if they weren't under the control arms and keeping the suspension loaded as normally, then you changed the dynamics of the vibration/sound and you didn't get a true test of the problem.

 

[rodeo joe]

PS ::: when you had the vehicle up on stands, if they weren't under the control arms and keeping the suspension loaded as normally, then you changed the dynamics of the vibration/sound and you didn't get a true test of the problem.

Yeah I thought about that after, but I was changing the oil at the time and took advantage of the time to try and diagnose the vibration. Right now we are have monsoon rains in the afternoon when I have time so next clear spell I'll crawl back under and do a more thorough check using all you guys good suggestions and observations.

Thanks

 

[ImpulseRocket89]

Check the trochoid plunger part of the CV shaft nearest to the differential/transmission first.

Which is also sometimes called the intermediate shaft, or as you called it the inner CV axle. I've had vibration issues on the few toyotas I have owned with C series transmissions because of the mount to the block going bad.

 

[rodeo joe]

Check the trochoid plunger part of the CV shaft nearest to the differential/transmission first.

Well didn't check it first but it does seem to be the culprit. Got jack stands under the "A" frames and check all mounts then CV joints. there was play in the right side inner joint or as Surfer Joe calls it he trochoid plunger. Spun the wheel while holding it and there was a definite wobble and rumbling in it.

Thanks SJ

Now to find time for the DD to be down. I do a lot of driving in my job and really like the economy of the Acorn over the Rodeo.

 

[ImpulseRocket89]

no problem..... :roll: