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Honda Accord Coupe Wheel Vibration
palmcoastg35
Member Posts: 15
With only 1K miles on my new 2008 Honda Coupe 6-cyl with Nav, I am experiencing "Wheel Vibration." It is mostly coming from the rear when I reach speeds of 60 - 65 mph. I also get it slightly in the front.
Has anyone experienced this also? I have heard that with the weights on the inside of the wheel sometimes the wheel goes out of balance, but i only have 1,000 miles so far.
I have an appt. next week, but wanted to get some insight before going to the dealer.
Thanks,
Joe
Has anyone experienced this also? I have heard that with the weights on the inside of the wheel sometimes the wheel goes out of balance, but i only have 1,000 miles so far.
I have an appt. next week, but wanted to get some insight before going to the dealer.
Thanks,
Joe
0
Comments
Would you know what they mean by " variance of 10% "
CAUSE: Discovered all four wheels out of balance. Peformed 4 wheel balance and road force variance test, All tires have over 10 lb of road force, Honday is investigating this concern.
The service manager ( 17 yrs with Honda ) is a close friend of the family and she said that it could be related to the Suspension, Wheels and/or the Tires. My son is a Master Tech and has speculated that the suspension might be the concern. Honda is currently looking into this with their engineers.
Question Golfrski: Since you replaced the tires already, my only thought would be the wheels should be replaced next, did the dealer offer to do that?
I wonder how many other buyers have this problem? Maybe we could put some kind of feeler out to the car community ......
I'm glad it worked out for you, that's interesting what you have uncovered, I have the LXP 4cyl 16" rims, maybe it has to do with the coupe and the 17" rims or sup. me us updated and thanks again.
move over the the VCM forum.. you will never get this fixed sorry to say.. its not tires, wheels or axles.. this is a directly related to the VCM operation.I had 3 sets of tires replaced and motor mounts inspected, test etc and the axle inspected as well as the front and rear ends... in the end, Honda said this is a by product of the VCM operation and there is NO FIX "they say" I was also told this by Honda techs and engineers... sorry i wish it was the tires really I do.
I hate driving the car knowing that this problem will never go away.
:mad:
I would guess that certain Accord VCM's kick in prematurely or tardilly and aggrevate the harmonics of the wheel/tire revolution. steering rack, drive axles, rotors, or a combination of these. Interesting finding the other day;
I drove about 100 feet with the emergency brake fully engaged, then road another 100 feet with one foot on the brake and the other on the accelerator (figured I would true the rotors a little) then de-activated the VSA. It eliminated shimmy for a few miles, and when the shimmy returned it was below 45 mph which is rare in my case
It could also be that the ECM/VCM needs a software update or a re-flash to it
good luck
1. Spin balance-- not corrected
2. Road force balance on Hunter GS9700 machine-- not corrected
3. Wheel & tire replacement, Hunter balance and four wheel alignment-- not corrected
4. Wheel & tire replacement again, road force balance, tire pressure adjustment to 35psi-- not corrected
The car seems ok (shimmy somewhat noticable, but not horrible) for 1-2 days, then it returns ferociously. I'm at my wits end. A case was opened with Honda Motor Corp. between visits 3 & 4. They are slow in responding and basically treating the issue casually. The dealer had implied that they would get me out of the V-6 and into the 4 cyl. with the same payment. Later on after conferring with other staff, they offered me the 4 cyl. at a lease payment of $160/mo. more than I pay now (flat out insult!)
I'm on the cusp of Lemon Law. Has anyone pursued this? Has anyone gotten their shimmy corrected? If so, what was the fix?
I still get the shimmy and vibration in the rear but the dealer has been working to try and fix the problems. What can we do?
I would be curious to find out just how many people are experiencing this throughout the country?
Thanks - PalmCoastG35 :lemon:
I get a 4 wheel alignment initially and then front thereafter.
Every 12k to preserve handling, ride, tire wear.
Will do another 4 wheel at higher mileage, about 75k.
I had 4 occupants in the car and the wheel vibration was not even noticeable. I traveled on the same road as I usually do, testing at speeds of 60; 65; 70; 75 and 80 mph. Also, the road noise was not as prevalent as it is when I am alone in the vehicle.
It makes me believe that the suspension/tires on the roadway might really be the main cause. When I drive by myself, the vibration is much more noticeable. I am planning to call the dealer on Monday to let him know of these. .... :confuse:
I have to tell you about an owner in New York who had a problem with his car so he decided to take action. He parked his "Lemon" on the main street in front the dealership (legally) and he strung LEMONS (fruit kind) from front of the car to the rear on both sides of the vehicle. He then hung signs on the vehicle inside the car stating that this vehicle was a lemon and the dealership would not address his problem.
Since the vehicle was parked in a legal spot, he moved it back and forth to prevent the dealership from saying it was abandoned. I was a police officer at the time and was called to this dealership and asked to have the owner remove the vehicle. After speaking with the owner, I offered to help him. So I went inside the dealership and told them we cannot do anything and if they did not help this guy, his friends were all coming down to park their cars (same models) in the front with lemons also.
You have to see how quick the dealership offered the owner a new car ! Typical street justice with a twist! :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
I have numerous arguments with my wife about how Honda Coupe 2008 is not an enjoyable car to drive. That "ECO" sucks since I am getting the same mileage I got from my Infiniti 2003 G35 Coupe. I have decided to wait until the new Hyundai Genesis Coupe comes out and test drive that one. Beside it has more horsepower 310hp with premium and it looks sharp. Here is a reprint from Popular Mechanics News.....go here and check out the photos
http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/automotive_news/4255139.html
NEW YORK — Imagine, if you will, a rear-drive sporty coupe powered by a 212-hp (223 hp on premium fuel) turbocharged 2.0-liter four-banger with 217 lb.-ft. of torque. Sounds like great fun. But then you realize it's a Hyundai.
What's this? Hyundai is not exactly known for building fun-to-drive rides. And then you find that there's a 306-hp (310 on premium) 3.8-liter V6 with 263 lb.-ft. of torque to be had as well. Suddenly the Korean manufacturer has caught up with the performance technology—and personal tastes—of the car-buying public.
I think Honda service places are instructed to pretend they don't feel it when test driving with you in the car. I think they are getting a lot of people coming in to complain about the same problem and are affraid to own up to it.
We drove back from DC to Richmond one night, and the vibration kicked in full force... My wife got a migraine (probably from the vibration she was noticing for 4 hours) and threw up, while at the same time my feet and calves were numb from the constant vibration.
Every time I bring it in to the dealership to be serviced, they don't feel it... They tell me it's road bumps.
I can still detect the road bumps... they are separate... There is an underlying frequency of vibration that is there no matter what the road condition is, and it varies in intensity depending on the speeds.
Someone has even mentioned the lawsuits going on about it, and I'd love for someone to post more information about that so we can all get on board.
I replaced the factory tires (michelin Pilot mxm4's)... They were crap, and rated at the bottom of the list in reviews and test results.
I put on awesome tires (bridgestone taranza serenity's). Great tires, reduces the road bumps, quieter ride, but DOES NOT reduce the existing vibration at all. Not one bit.
I've had these tires and rims tested extensively, and they check out fine while not on the car.
So what are we left with?
Axles, CV-joints, transmission... What else?
I'm calling Honda America and going to fax them all of my printouts of all the people complaining of the same problems... I'm going to ask that they provide a loaner until this issue is resolved with my car.
I will post my findings.
If anyone else has information on this, 2008 and 2009's please post it.
SJ
Please let me know what you find out!!!!
If anyone else has gone the BBB route, please tell me what the results were.
I've spent a lot of time and money trying to resolve this!
Thanks!
Dignum
The problem has been determined to be the VCM (variable cylinder management). It's affecting LOTS of people to various extents (like from subtle to rediculous).
The VCM is causing the vibration. A poor design and malfunctioning of it rear mount hydraulic comensator. This crazy little thing is supposed to counteract the vibrations by adjusting it's angle... In some vehicles it's misfiring and doing a bad job. I'd say, design flaw.
Here's the thing.... Honda admits that it's vibrating, but says that it's normal for it to bump when changing from 6 to 4 to 3 cylinders and back.
What they will not admit is that the pulsing and vibrations never stop in some cases... ever...
Here's what I suggest:
Contacting the American Honda Motor Co. directly is futile... They'll run you ragged and then just tell you they cannot help you.
Your vehicle should be "bought back" from Honda.
Contact the BBB, Better Business Bureau auto complaints dept at 800-955-5100.
Be prepared to provide them at least 3 service reports that are identifying the problem. Get started now. Tell the service departments that your VCM is malfunctioning and causing a steady constant vibration, and that you'd like it fixed. They won't be able to fix it. There is no fix. They will tell you it's normal.
They'll contact Honda and establish a case for you. Honda will start to respond.
I hope this helps.
Well, my problem was fixed by discovering one of the front brake rotors was out of balance. A service tech. must know how to check the balance on the balancer.
My rotor was replaced with a new one, but, not before my tech. checked the balance of the new one to make sure it was good. He also used the Hunter GSP road force balancer and made sure all was right with the wheels/tires and their balance, etc.
My problem has been cured. The regional service mgr. had mentioned to do this since he had run across a rotor being out of balance. Could be more out there.
I have owned many Hondas and many cars overall. The starting point for steering wheel shimmy should be the checking for proper balance of the rotors and then using the Hunter balancer with the high tech road force programs, etc. THEN if that checks out good, and you still have a problem, it is time to look at some other issues. But, start with what the most obvious cause could be....and if the proper testing equipment is used, AND used by a well trained technician then either your problem will be found or you'll know to now move on to the next most obvious problem that could cause steering wheel shimmy.
Good luck.
I just leased a 2010 Accord Coupe V6 EXL automatic. I immediately noticed strange vibration, surging, pausing, lurching sensation especially driving at highway speeds. I brought it in and they did a tire rotation and wheel balance. Dealer told me to drive the car for 500 miles because when the car sits on the lot the rubber needs to get "worn in". I bever heard of this before. The problem has not gone away. I thought the vibration might be due to a more sport suspsention, but I am convinced its not that and may be due to the dreaded VCM vibration problems documented here, I have tried driving the car on very smooth stretches of road. Example driving at a steady 65-70 mph the car will kind of buck, lurch, surge, cut out sensations. Sometimes it almost feels like riding over train tracks with surges thrown in. This is a three year lease. Do I have to live with this?? Any info would be greatly appreciated. My email is dino13@bellsouth.net. Thank you
They use active engine mounts and noise cancellation via the stereo subwoofer to try and smooth over the odd noise and vibes created during the various cylinder modes. Some people have said that it improved after some miles, possibly due to the engine mounts breaking in.
On the highway, try using the cruise and see if that doesn't seem smoother in regards to the buck/surge/lurch. For mine using the cruise on the highway seems to help a lot. If you are used to a smooth automatic, forget it - my crude astro awd van has a smoother automatic (not ride) on the highway.
If it seems abnormal - try being a customer at another dealer and test drive another V6 or two. Maybe see if some of people in for service have that model and talk with them. You should jump over to the VCM group and read back through the postings, as they all are on the 08 and newer v6 accords with VCM. This now includes the 2010 coupe v6 with automatic - the manual one doesn't have it.
If your state has a period in which you can cancel an agreement, I suggest you look at your options if you can't tolerate the way it acts.
Also back brakes were at 15% last week. I only have a little over 20 thousand on my car. Now I am trying to get Honda to either pay for the brake job or at least partial.
I had an 03 Accord Coupe and the transmission went out twice in it. The first was after they flushed it. The second time unknown.
Old article with interesting info (pg 2 talks about runout):
http://www.popularmechanics.com/how_to_central/automotive/1272406.html?page=1
Having said that, I am assuming alloy wheels (dealers typically charge $400 plus each for OEM rims). Steel wheels used on models with hubcaps are cheap anywhere but at the dealer. This is why people still steal wheels off cars - darn near impossible to find recent alloys at salvage yards.
So if you are on the hook for the repair, maybe someone in your area does this:
http://www.awrswheelrepair.com/remanufacturing.html
Good luck on the brakes - there is a forum thread here all about the accord rear brakes. But to be fair, my 1990 Dodge Spirit ES with four wheel disc ate up the front ones about every 20-25k. But I also traded a 1993 Accord EX 5sp with original brakes and tires at 53k...
For 1200.00, I'd look up the cheapest set of four alloys that look decent and fit from The Tire Rack or similar. But since you want to trade, maybe you can trade it as it is if the damage is not visible and only causes a vibration? If you aren't trading at the same brand dealership (or a chain that includes a Honda dealer), they can't easily check the service records.
The issues with potholes gets more pronounced on cars with lower profile tires, as they don't absorb as much of the impact. The 08 and newer accord sedans have 50 series tires on larger rims, versus the older generations that have 60 series on smaller rims (more tire sidewall).