2001 Accord - loud rear road noise over 40MPH

Hello,

I have a 2001 Accord EX (4-cyl). While driving there is rear
undercarriage noise at all speeds. The sound is a low frequency
vibration that varies with the current speed being traveled. The
sounds appears to becoming equally from the rear left and rear right
corner of the car. There is no connection to RPMs or engine activity.
The faster the wheels spin, the louder is gets. At 40MPH the vibration

hits a painful, headache inducing, frequency. The faster I go the
higher the frequency. 40MPH is bad, so is 65MPH, but the sound is
always noisy. Back seat passengers really notice it.

A full tire rotation made no difference. Now what?

Thanks!

 

Time to raise both rear wheels and rotate them by hand, paying attention to
the feel and sound of each. I think you have a wheel bearing going out.

Mike

 

Thanks Mike. Will do. What might a repair like that run?

 

I would expect in the $200 US range, but I'm not sure what type rear
bearings the '01 Accord has. There is no need to replace both if one fails.

Mike

 

Ok. I dropped it off at PepBoys tonight for early bird Sunday service.
We'll see what happens.

Thanks.

 

When was the last time you serviced the rear brakes?

 

PepBoys? I hope for your sake they don't screw up. Franchise-type
companies like PepBoys and Midas are generally to be avoided. Find a good
private mechanic who works on Japanese cars instead.

 

Rear brakes got new pads about 6-8 months ago.

 

Just to clarify... If the hub is supported by an inner and outer
bearing (simple spindle suspension), I would replace the pair even if
only one was going bad. Honda's do have inner and outers, yes?

JT

(Now wondering if that's the case on his '83 "baby")

 

Not a big fan either, but they are just a 3 minute walk down the
street, and being a single guy it is extremely convenient. Anyway, I
am still is research mode so I have not authorized any repairs (yet).
I just want to hear their diagnosis.

 

Yes - the pair on that side would be replaced. I meant the left side would
not have to be replaced if the right side is bad, the way shocks and
bushings are done.

Mike

 

Just checking.....good luck.

 

I replaced a rear wheel bearing assembly on one side last year. ~$150
at a dealership. In my case the sound was coming clearly from the
passenger side.

 

okay...i have the same problem, noise that changes with speed. narrowed
it down to the drivers side rear wheel bearing. now can i just change
that one or do i have to do BOTH front adn rear drivers side, or BOTH
rears? also, is this a DIY friendly changeout?

 

Only need to do it on the faulty wheel.

 

Thak - Did that resolve your vibration? I still have been unable to
diagnose the source of mine.

 

Yup. 8 months and 20K+ miles later, still smooth.

 

Ok, so I got my diagnosis this morning. It is *definitely* the rear
passenger side wheel hub and bearings that need replacement. Makes
sense as that is what most of you predicted it would be.

For my '01 four door (4 cylinder) Accord EX sedan, dealer says the part
(single hub/bearing assembly) is $96 and for 1.5 hrs labor is $140
bringing the total to around $240. I know I could shop this price down
a bit but I'd rather just get this over and done with - unless I'm
getting royally screwed.

What do you think about $240 total? Is that fair, about right, or way
too much? I'd appreciate some feedback before scheduling an
appointment.

 

You may be able to get it done a little cheaper, but how much will it cost
you in time and effort to save a few bucks. When I needed mine, it being
something I didn't know anything about, I sought a mechanic to do it. The
dealership wanted about $250. Independent foreign car mechanic 5 minutes
drive from home said he would do it for $225. That's what I paid. If the
dealer were more convenient I would have paid their higher cost, just for
convenience. The mechanic who fixed it for me was a 5 minute drive and easy
to get a neighbor to pick me up and drop me off.

Having seen it now, I would probably venture the next one on my own.

 

If this is a drum brake, then this price matches exactly the
OEM one at www.hondaautomotiveparts.com, except with
shipping the online price would be a bit more. Evidently
disk brakes are used also on this model (or else I am
missing something).

So the dealer is being fair here.

DIY-ers should recognize that, IIRC, the parts departments
of dealerships will mark up prices above, say, the $96 for
the wheel bearing assy. above.

Always nice to have some real life price data for the
archives here. That helps people.

Sounds fair for a dealer.

An independent shop might do the labor for less, but not by
much.

I think you're getting a fair shake here, plus the expertise
of the dealership.