Honda CR-V Shakes

wilddog1

I have a 97 CRV with 130K miles.I have owned it for near a year.It has a shake when starting from a stop-more noticeable when you hard accelerate.Also noticeable when you accelerate making a right turn from a stop.Not on a left turn.Shake shows up past the first gear.I have replaced or added new tires,front wheel bearings,two CV axles(new NAPA),4 motor mounts,front differential has been rebuilt,changed rear diff. fluid once.Had alot of mecanics look at this including Honda.Can you help me please??

tidester

Have you had your transmission mounts checked?

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

wilddog1

Yes the transmission was pulled out to rebuild the front differential.

blueiedgod

Yes the transmission was pulled out to rebuild the front differential.

What was it filled with?

What was rear differential filled with?

honda_lover1

have you tried to get an allignment done? It could also be a broken motor mount...have you replaced the brakes? But then again, I have a 98 crv and I've had a shake only when accelerating and I just got used to it...

wilddog1

I have replaced motor mounts-it seem that Honda did not design the early CRVS correctly and because of this there is a major problem.Do you have the same problem?

wilddog1

It was filled with Honda fluid by the Honda dealer.It seems that Honda did not design the CRV correctly and all early CRV'S-1997 & 1998 will have this problem.

lizmac

Did you solve the problem? I also have this problem with my 2003 CRV and am at witt's end trying to solve it. If you have any info for me I would appreciate it.
I also had the rotors replaced, differential fluid changed with Honda oil, front axle replaced, motor mount replaced, transmission mount replaced. What's left?

dps4

Did anybody find a fix for this? I've had this exact problem on my 2003 CRV for about 6 months. It's been to 3 mechanics, including the dealer, who have replaced the tires, replaced both front axles and ruled out the rear differential by taking a test drive with the drive shaft disconnected. The dealer noticed that one of the transmission mounts was "beginning to tear", but he didn't think that was causing the problem, so we didn't pursue it. I've seen lots of suggestions on these forums, but nobody saying that they have actually fixed this problem. Anyone?

lizmac

Nope, no resolution.
I did have the differential changed twice and paid both times. Shees! Mechanics!
I also had the transmission mount replaced - not resolution.
My mechanic actually has a son who has the exact same car. He put his tires on my car and you guess it - no resolution. He also disconnected the drive shaft - didn't work.
The mechanic is thinking about changing the BACK axles, which is quite a job and I don't know if that will help. Let me know if you find any resolution. I will post if I do.

dps4

Thanks for the quick reply lizmac. My V is spending the night at the mechanic's and I don't get the feeling that they really know what to do with it in the morning. I will post again one way or the other when I get it back. I'm at least glad to hear that others are having the same problem. How many miles is on yours? I'm right at 100,000.

lizmac

My CRV is at 112,000 miles but the problem started last winter when it was nearing 100,000. Keep me in the loop.
I appreciate it.

dps4

Okay, so on this latest trip to the mechanic he changed the rear diff. fluid, performed the aforementioned test with the disconnected drive shaft and tried a new front-right axle (both left and right had already been replaced, but he wanted to try again). He said that the new axle improved the symptoms slightly but didn't eliminate them so he put the old one back. His final diagnosis is a problem inside the transmission. His recommendation is to try to get Honda to split the cost of a new transmission. My other option is to drive this one till it won't go anymore and make a decision then. I guess I'll be calling Honda...

dps4

Success!!!

First a recap: Several months ago I got an oil change and tire rotation at Jiffy Lube. I dont' know if this is related to the problem, but I started noticing it shortly afterward, so I think it's worth mentioning. What I noticed was a distinct shake of the vehicle during acceleration that felt like someone or something nudging the side of the car. The shake was most noticeable in the floorboard area - not so much in the steering wheel - and the frequency seemed to correspond to one nudge per tire rotation. It was more noticeable at harder acceleration and especially when turning right. Less noticeable when turning left.

My first instinct was to replace the tires - no difference. I asked the tire store to check it out and they suspected a bad front axle(s). They replaced each front axle - one at a time and then together - and said that it only made the problem worse. They put the original axles back and apologized for not being able to help me out.

I then took it to my dealer who could find nothing wrong other than a transmission mount that was beginning to tear. He thought this was a result, not a cause of the problem so we left it. His final diagnosis was something to the effect that "these CR-V's just aren't the smoothest-riding vehicles". He apologized for not being able to help me out.

I then took it to a mechanic here in town who only works on Hondas. He replaced the rear differential fluid - no fix. Then he disconnected the drive shaft and verified that the problem was actually in the front, not the back. Finally, he replaced both front axles - again - and claimed that it reduced the problem slightly but not enough to call it a fix. This was on Christmas Eve and he was spending way more time on my car than he wanted to, so when he had trouble removing the new left axle, he decided to just leave it on and give it to me at no cost. His final diagnosis was that there had to be a problem inside the transmission. He suggested that I contact Honda USA and give them a good sob story to try to get them to split the cost of a new trany. He apologized for not being able to help me out and sent me on my way with my original right axle and a new (aftermarket) left one.

We called Honda USA who gave us a claim number but told us that the diagnosis would have to come from a Honda dealer, not an independent mechanic. So we went back to the dealer. This time they spent more time with it and were able to convince themselves that even though both axles had been replaced twice by two different mechanics, that one or both of them was the cause of the problem. They insisted that genuine Honda axles would make a difference. I reluctantly approved them ordering the parts with the agreement that if it didn't fix the problem they would put the old ones back and I wouldn't pay for the new one.

Finally... the fix: When the new axles came, they first replaced the left one (which was new aftermarket from the last mechanic) and claimed that there was some difference but not much. They then replaced the right one (which was the original) and claimed that the symptom was completely eliminated. They then put my left axle back, to see if it had any affect. The change was minimal, if at all. They said that it felt smoother with the new Honda left axle than the aftermarket one, but I wanted to see for myself before approving another $800 so I told them to leave the new right and old left. We picked up the car, and I am satisfied. Maybe someday I'll go back for the left one, but not anytime soon.

So the moral of the story: Either the CR-V has a real problem with aftermarket axles or the aftermarket axle manufacturers have a real problem with quality control. If you are having this problem, demand genuine Honda parts. I didn't believe it until I saw it, but I can't argue with the results.

lizmac

Wow,at $800 a pop, what a racket. What makes them different from the generic axles? I am glad you finally solved the problem. I am in the same boat, will need to save $800 to see if the same fix will work for me. Thank you so much for your input, I think that will be my next step. Will let you know if it works for me when I can afford it. At least it's not a new transmission.

motoguy128

Thats interesting. My only guess, is that aftermarket axles have a wider toleraances. Its' even possible that both parts are made by the same supplier, but Honda only accepts axles within the tigtest tolerance, knowing that it has an affect on the chassis NVH.

this wouldn't suprise me, because I have heard that BMW's for example are known for being sensitive to tire rotation. BMW's are known for their precise steering. I wonder if the trade-off for good steering feel, is that even the smallest vibration in the drivetrain or any rotating assemblies, can cause noticeable vibration in teh chassis. Part of what gives Hondas tight steering, it less isolation between the steering system components and the cahssis and suspension.

That's just my best guess however. I'm not a engineer with Honda, so I don't know exectly how their front end design varies from other makes...but it sure has a sweet chassis.

dps4

I was thinking exactly the same thing about tolerances. Also, the mechanic at the dealer told me that "there's no such thing as a new NAPA axle". I think he was saying that they are all refurbished or remanufactured. Not sure if that's true or just him blowing smoke. I was also thinking that there's a distinct possibility that the two non-Honda mechanics may have both gotten their hands on the same aftermarket axle to try out. I can't imagine that there are too many CR-V axles available in the St. Louis area.

blueiedgod

Did the aftermarket axles have balancers on them?

I am not sure if Gen 3 has them, but when I change oil on Gen 2.5, I can clearly see axle balancers around the axle.

dps4

I have no idea. I've not actually looked at them myself. However, I don't think that balance was not the issue in this case. This shaking would begin the moment I stepped on the gas - well before anything was moving fast enough for centrifugal affects to come into play - and would cease the moment my acceleration stopped, regardless of speed. If balance were the issue, I would expect to be able to find a speed where I would bounce down the road like my washing machine. This was not the case.

blueiedgod

So the vibration was only present when the vehicle was accelerating of engine braking, but not when coasting?

That would probably be due to CV-joints...

dps4

The vibration was only present when my speed was increasing (accelerating). The faster the speedometer needle was moving clockwise, the more I felt the thumping. As soon as the needle stopped moving clockwise, the thumping stopped. I never noticed it occurring during engine breaking (decelerating - speedo moving counter-clockwise). Regardless, I assume that you are correct, since a new axle fixed the problem, a CV joint was probably to blame.

vicframe

We've had the exact same thing happen on a 2004 CRV. The shake/wobble/vibration did not go away until both front axles were replaced with OEM axles. We tried two sets of brand new aftermarket axles (two different brands) & they either did nothing or they made the problem worse. We're just wondering if your vehicle had ever been in a collision or hit a curb etc.? The one we were working on had been rear ended & when we looked at the transmission & engine mounts, they had shifted causing the engine & transmission to shift - wondering if this could have caused the axle to prematurely wear out? By the way, thanks for the posts as you helped us!

dps4

Hi! I'm glad my posts helped you out... although I wish we both could have found a less expensive solution. To answer your question... I don't think so. We are the original owners of this CRV and it has not had any kind of collision or other trauma that we know of. However, as I mentioned earlier in the thread I am still a little bit suspicious of that tire rotation at Jiffy Lube. When I first requested that they rotate the tires, I was told by one mechanic that something about their lift would not allow them to perform that service on my vehicle. A few minutes later, his mind was changed by another guy who said something to the effect of "we'll make it work". Because I started noticing these symptoms shortly after that visit, I can't help but wonder exactly what they did to "make it work". To be fair, this is only a suspicion on my part. I am definitely not a mechanic, and none of the real mechanics who have looked at this vehicle have found proof that any damage was done during that visit.

jagen69

Hi

I own a 97 honda crv with 154000km and noticed the same shake. Its happens when i accelerate from 30km after about 45km it kinda stops then it comes back at 115kph. Please let me know if it was the same problem..

Thanks

dps4

That doesn't really sound like the same thing to me. Mine was directly related to how hard the engine was pushing to turn the axles. So it was most noticeable the moment I pressed the accelerator from a stop and it would go away when I reached a constant speed - regardless of what that speed might be.

If yours is shaking inside specific speed ranges, I would suspect balancing or some other tire-related issue.

dps4

UPDATE #2

As mentioned earlier, the configuration with the dealer axle on the right and the aftermarket axle on the left significantly reduced the shaking but did not completely eliminate it. Since then, the small remaining wobble has gotten worse to the point where the vehicle became nearly undriveable last week. I brought it back to our mechanic who found that the left axle was shot and also that the previously mentioned transmission mount was completely broken as was a 2nd engine mount. They said that the broken mounts were allowing the engine to move several inches which probably contributed to the axle failure. So they replaced the axle with a dealer part and replaced the mounts. Now I'm $1400 poorer, but I'm happy to say that the vehicle feels right for the first time in two years.

What I don't know is which came first... the bad axle or the torn mount. I suspect that the two problems fed off each other. The more the axle shook the engine, the worse the mount got... and the worse the mount got, the more stress was put on the axle.

blufz1

Interesting read. I let only the Honda dealer touch my car, including oil changes and state inspections. If they break it:They bought it. .02.

jcihak

Honda dealers are independent contractors. They are no more obligated to repair anything they damage than any other independent garage.

jagen69

My mechanic put it on a hoist took the tires off and i put it in drive and the shake is more extreme and the shake is very noticeable without the resistance of the road but we put it to neutral and rev the engine no shake so its not the engine. we also took the drive shaft off the connects to the back and doesn't change anything. we have changed the engine torque mount already. both cv shafts have been changed but with aftermarket ones. Transmission, diff fliuds changed. tires balanced.

Any ideas?

Thanks

dps4

Well, that would definitely rule out tire issues...

Given my experience, I would strongly suspect those aftermarket axles. But with no load it's hard to imagine that they could be causing a noticeable problem. The only other thing I can think of would be something inside the transmission.

I've said it before and I'll say it again... I'm not a mechanic... so this may be a completely stupid idea... but maybe you could remove the axles and try the same test again? If the shake goes away there's a pretty good chance that a $1600 pair of OEM axles will do the trick.

bill_sw

I recently purchased a 2007 CRV from a non-honda dealer. At speeds above 60mph, it occasionally feels like the rear wheels are going to come off (obviously they are not). I had the dealer look at it and they were not able to duplicate it. It continues to happen. Has anyone experienced the same issue? I purchased the extended warranty, so I just need to be able to speak competently about the problem when I go back in. Thanks

luvmyhonda7

I have a 2003 CR-V I've had it since it was new. I've always taken it to the dealer for all work needed to be done not always right on time but close. Three weeks ago I had to take it in for its 110k service. The first tune up and four wheel drive service. Because of a transfer at work I took it to a new to me dealer. They took the car in and dropped me off at work. I got the car back later that day and gave them about 600.00 dollars. I live about 50 miles from work, all highway. That night as soon as I started to get to highway speed 55 plus the car started shacking so bad I thought that I was loosing a wheel. I pulled over and checked all the wheels and they where all good. I went on home and returned the next day. Now Three weeks later I still have not received my car back and they finally told me last night that they can fix it for 1700.00 dollars. They told me that I have bad front axles,wheel bearings ,trans mount and axle seals. I'm not perfect but the car is well maintained. How does all of this go bad in eight hours while having regular service done? Back up a little, they called me the first day it was in for service and told me that they had to do something called burnishing to the clutches in the transfer case. I'm fair I will pay to have the car fixed. I'm also not stupid I would like someone to tell me how it just happens. I to was told that at first it was the wheels and tires on the car. Funny I work for the largest independant wheel and tire dealer in the world. So I took that set off and put on the factory set and the car responded the same way. The dealer also put on two other sets off of cars they have on the lot and it acted the same. My 01 Odyssey with 140k miles on her has never had bad drive shafts as well as my 93 Del Sol Si that had 120k own it. In family we have a total of eight Honda's from a few thousand to over 200k miles and none have ever had this problem. Sorry to vent, just want some one to give me a explination other than it is coincedence. Thats what American Honda told me today on the phone.

denascar

Nonsense.
I've noticed in the past 2 years that the 'shimmy' in my CRV has gotten worse. Not the ASA certified mechanic at the Honda Dealers, the mechanics at the local independent dealers nor the back yard mechanics can tell me what the issue is with this car. I have had the front/rear aligned, the transmission fluid flushed twice, tires replaced twice and it's getting to the point that I'm ready to trade this POS in. It has a noticable shimmy just before shifting into gear and a hard jerk if you slow down then quickly accelerate in traffic.
Any advice? Otherwise I'm giving up on her and trading her in.
2007 Honda CRV EX-L
105,000 miles all highway - long daily commutes with little sit in traffic time.
No accidents
Serviced regularly :confuse:

denascar

I ended up rebuilding the entire transmission in 2012, realigned the front end, new tires. Flash forward 20 months and this car has started vibrating/shimming again. Have I mentioned that I have replaced the timing chain, alternator, starter, and a/c pump? Very disappointed in this Honda product. So much so I'm going to go buy a 2015 Honda Odyssey. I'm into adventure and making mechanics rich.

denct

Sorry for commenting at such a late date, but I just completed quite a bit of work on my wife's 2005 CRV EX w/manual trans (118,000 miles). At first it was a shake/vibration while accelerating about 20-30 mph. I changed the drivers side front CV/axle with a rebuilt one, the problem improved. So, then I changed the left front C/V axle (rebuilt), that helped some, but didn't solve it. I also replaced the right rear axle w/a new aftermarket one. I then jacked the car up off all four tires and noticed that the right front tire was running out of round (15K on tires). I then suspected the tires to be part of the problem. So, I purchased four new tires. But the shake still didn't go away. The next thing was to replace all three motor mounts & the trans. mount. The front & rear mounts were noticeably worn/torn. After replacing them the car still had a shimmy. I then replaced both front axles with new & had a 95% improvement. Next I replaced rear differential damper & mount. OK NOW!

denct

I believe the shake/shimmy problem started with the front engine mount. This front mount, in my opinion, is inadequate, wimpy, and should be of a beefier design. The broken motor mount allowed the engine to move to much, which produced additional stress on the front axles and bent them. In addition to the axles, the tires began to run out of concentricity which made them wear "out of round" which also contributed to the shake/vibration problem. If your vehicle has a a vibration under acceleration issue, my advice is to start with replacing the motor mounts, then new front axles, then tires if needed. Good luck!

denct

One more thing, My vehicle is "All wheel drive"

pasteles

I have a 2013 crv and its shakes vibration when the vehicle is stopped
the dealer replaced a worn side engine mount not fixed
any other ideas

dbolte

Wow! I have the same issue. I took my CRV in for a noise in the rear and they said it was a bad rear axel. So they replace them (with Aftermarket I found out today) and the when I picked up my car all the sudden there is this terrible vibration when I accelerate just like everyone here is explaining. As well as when I turn. I took it back to the dealer and said " there is something really wrong! This wasn't here before. I just had a noise" They test drove it and said Must have gotten a bad axel so they would re order both rear axels and try it. They did and I just go a call from them saying " the new axels did not fix it. They would have to order the OEM Axels from Honda . Because apparently there is an issue with aftermarket axels on CRV's." You would think since this seems to be a common thing by the looks of this thread.... that they would send out a memo or something and let their mechanics know this. Save us all a lot of headaches!!! Not to mention $$$$ Will keep you posted but it does seem we all Have the same problem and AFTERMARKET AXELS seem to be the problem. Shoud have my car back tomorrow. We will see if that fixed it. My shimmy only started AFTER they put in Aftermarket Axels so that really makes it the suspect, Unlike many others who tried all this other stuff first.

dbolte

But the way I have 240K+ Miles on my CRV

batman71

I'd check engine mounts and the driveshaft that connects the front wheels to the back wheels. My driveshaft had a rusted universal joint.

misshottez

Have you had your lo control arm butchings for the rear replaced

isellhondas

wilddog1 said:

It was filled with Honda fluid by the Honda dealer.It seems that Honda did not design the CRV correctly and all early CRV'S-1997 & 1998 will have this problem.

wilddog1 said:

It was filled with Honda fluid by the Honda dealer.It seems that Honda did not design the CRV correctly and all early CRV'S-1997 & 1998 will have this problem.

No, I don't think so! Nothing I have ever hear of or experienced and the MANY 97-98 CRV's I have driven or ridden in. Something is wrong and it may take a very qualified person to isolate it. Throwing parts at a car in an attempt to fix a problem can get expensive and may not work.