DuckDodgers

I've got the infamous 55 mph shake. From search it seems the CV joints are the usual culprits. So to try to diagnose, I jacked the car on the passengers side, turned the wheel until the steering lock engaged, and the grasped firnly at 3 and 9 o'clock and tried to shake the wheel. I got a very slight movement and a clicking. Shaking with hands at 12 and 6 o'clock was not possible at all. Duplicated this on the driver's side.

Anyone have an good thoughts? I'm hoping I'm wrong, since I'm at 55,000 miles and not a racer. Otherwise, how long do I have before they really start shaking? I remember the old rule of thumb on CV joints is they'd click when turning before failure...I'm not trying to unduly prolong the replacement, but $800 to $1100 is gonna hurt a bit right now (other car is in Honda shop for about a k's worth of fix), and after reading the DIY, I'm not interested because of a couple of issues.

DuckDodgers

Dealer say Acura doesn't provide new or rebuilt assemblies...

Service writer swears by the accelerate until shake occurs and let of gas, if it stops, it's your inner CV joints...

Any comments?

DuckDodgers

Anyone, Bueller...Bueller...

nbtx

Crawl underneath and wiggle each drive shaft at each CV joint - make sure it's in neutral so there is no torque on the shafts. I bet it's an outer joint because they have to flex more than the inner ones. Also look for a breached CV joint boot - Good luck hunting...

DuckDodgers

Joy, thrill...already confirmed the boots are all good...now on to the wiggles...

IDOSEO

And what if it doesnt stop when you let off the gas?

DuckDodgers

Don't know...I assume that would imply wheel balance issues, some sort of harmonic.

zookie

Have you checked to make sure it is a drive train issue? I assume you have, but just in case...

Bring the car up to speed, when it starts to shake, push the clutch (on manual transmission) or put car in Neutral. Does it immediately stop shaking?

If so, you do have a drive train issue and I personally wouldn't mess around with it. I've had one go out before and wrecking the car is a fairly high probability unless you are lucky. I was lucky.

Just had to replace both front axles on my TL last week. Runs great now but did cost about $750. Don't know if TSX axles are cheaper or not.

Good luck!

moda_way

contact Excelerate. He's go the axles for very reasonable, then you just gotta install which I did a thread on.

DuckDodgers

Yea moda...I read your thread and it's just enough for me to farm out. I just don't have the opportunity to do it right now...and it is at the upper range of my comfort zone anyway. I'm looking at the level 0 axles and having them installed...I'm checking everyone's prices and right now am actually leaning toward the Acura stealership who is willing to install my axles at a flat rate...and who has all the fiddly parts that might be needed...and who is willing to use my Redline to refill the M/T...all on the flat rate in about 3 hours...

Now, I'm no shrinking violet, having installed a supercharger on a BMW before, and done all sorts of things to vehicles over the years...but my time vs. cost balance on this one is clearly on the pay side because of a number of other issues cropping up. Thnaks for the note.

Nogard13

I'm in a similar situation. Here is what I'm looking at:

I have a 2007 TSX w/Nav and 34,250 miles on it (still under warranty, but barely). My car starts to shake at around 30-35 MPH and gets worse as I speed up, more so when it's cold out and before the car has warmed up. It continues for 5-10 minutes after the car has been sitting for a while, like overnight, and then gets better, but doesn't go away entirely. I have changed the tires, rotated/balanced them multiple times, and done an alignment - all to no avail. I'm considering taking it in to the stealership for them to diagnose and possibly fix under warranty.

I have eliminated the tires from consideration by rotating them and still getting the vibration. It doesn't vibrate in the back, only in the front, and it sort of feels like the car has unbalanced wheels for the first 10 minutes or so of morning driving (when it's still cold). It does it on asphalt and on cement roads and I've tested it on different stretches of roads, some of them recently paved (and that feel smooth in my wife's Corolla).

My guess is CV joints or possibly the transaxle (seeing as it "fixes" itself after a while). I'm assuming I'll have to leave the car with them overnight for them to test in the morning (when it's easier to feel) so I hope they can give me a loaner.

Does this sound right to you guys? I'm usually pretty good at troubleshooting these issues and know my way around a tool box and a car, but why do work myself if I can possibly get the stealership to do it under warranty, right?

zookie

Nogard13, I'd try the same thing I suggested above. When the condition is happening, hit the clutch or put the car in neutral. So, at 30-35 MPH and as you accelerate. See if it instantly stops.

It should not take them long to diagnose CV but could if it is something else. For CV, it only takes a few minutes to take off the wheel and test. Assuming they have a tech ready.

I'm not saying yours is the same, but I had an almost identical condition. It ended up being the inner CV on both axles. Had to replace both axles to fix. Definitely get this done under warranty. While you're at it, see what it costs to warranty the drive train to 100k miles.

Nogard13

I have tried this and it still does it when in neutral (5AT). That's what makes me think it's not the transmission but the CV or the axle.

I made an appointment for next Monday. I think they charge $90 for the diagnosis but they waive it if the repair is done under warranty (or if the paid repair is done with them). I'll argue that when I get to the stealership on Monday afternoon (they are keeping my car overnight to diagnose in the cold morning and giving me a loaner).

Thanks for your help!

zookie

I agree it does not sound like transmission. You can do a simple check on CV yourself if you are comfortable jacking up the car and trying to move the wheel around to see if there is any "play". Do you hear any clicking sounds when turning? Take it to a vacant parking lot (good luck this time of year) and make 360 degree circles. Windows down so you can hear. Try left, then right. Listen for clicking, popping, etc. Or any sounds when you suspension compresses as your travel on roads with humps/bumps?

How old are your tires? What kinda are they? Potentially you have flat spots or they are out of round. Can you tell if the wear on them is not correct? One would hope your tire shop who has rotated and balanced them would check for these, but it sure like a tire related issue.

I don't know that I would do this long term, but just to test, add an extra 3-5 PSI of air to each tire. Then test and see if it goes away.

Could be completely different, as each case is unique, but I have had very similar problems in the past and the issue was the tires. If it's CV joint, I'd say outer, not inner, but the dealer will confirm.

Good luck!

Nogard13

I haven't jacked my car up yet (mostly because I'm too busy around the house on my free time). I have tried driving around in empty space with the wheel completely turned, checing for clicking noises, and I dont' hear any. I have just failed to put it up on jacks and shaken the wheel at 3 and 9 o'clock.

The tires are fairly new (maybe 6-7K miles on them). They are Yoko Avid V4s (in the stock size of 215/50 R17). The problem was there before I changed the tires, but I also had warped rotors in front, to which I attributed the shake to first. After I fixed the rotors (done after the new tires were put on), the shimmy went away while driving (not only while braking). Of course, it was during the hot summer months of July and August. It started to come back, pretty minor, and has gotten progressively worse as the months have passed.

The good thing: it's a lease. My lease is up in April and, if I can't figure it out, the car is going right back to the dealer and I'll find something else to drive around in

npolite

So is this a common issue on the 1st gen TSX? In the past the only time I have ever had to change an axle is when the CV boot cracked open and started making a squeaking sound like a squeaking bed. Did Honda cheep out on some material in the axle to cause this? What is the usual mileage when these are going?

rtea2008

iTrader: (2)

could it be the control arm? i'm just giving it a guess

zookie

Nogard, how did the appointment go today?

Nogard13

I dropped it off late yesterday afternoon so they could test it this morning. They gave me a call this morning and here is what they said:

The tech drove the car this morning and noticed the vibration. He drove for about 15 minutes (10 miles or so) and the vibration stopped a little after half way through the trip. The car felt normal afterwards. They checked out the CV joints, axles, and transmission upon returning to the shop and found them to be in serviceable condition (he actually said they looked good for a car with 34,000 miles). They checked the balance of the tires and found them to be balanced. Having not felt the vibration in the rear tires, and since I told them that I had felt it in the tires that are in the rear when they were in the front and had them rotated (the vibration is felt only on the front tires, regardless of which tires are in the front), they are diagnosing it as a tire issue (the weight of the engine, on the tires, on a cold night, produce a flat spot that lasts until the tire warms up to operating temperature).

I have googled the tires and have found a few other forums where people complain about the tires flat-spotting on them, and having the same issues as I'm having in early, cold morning starts. I called the tire shop where I purchased the tires and they told me that low-profile tires are prone to this, some more than others (I guess Yoko's are more prone than the stock Michelins), depending on the stiffness of the sidewall and the compounds in the rubber.

The stealership did do a quick load test on my battery while it was in the shop and it failed, so they replaced my battery under warranty. So, if nothing else, I got the piece of mind of having a brand new battery.

Also, I was given a 2010 base TSX loaner. I drove it to work this morning using the same route I normally drive and I could also feel a bit of the vibration until it warmed up. It wasn't as bad as my car, but it was there and it was noticeable. I did not feel it at all last night when I picked the car up, so I guess there is some truth to the flat spotting of the tires. (BTW, I prefer my 07 to the new TSX, even if it has a few features I wish that I had in mine).

I hope this helps others out there that might be facing the same issue.

LuvMyTSX

My 04 tends to shake a bit until it warms up, too. I figured long ago that it is a flat-spotting issue with the tires. It seems to happen with all the tires I've had.

xaznperswaesonx

fyi .. movement while grabbing the wheel at:
3 and 9 o clock = inner and/or outer tie rod end
6 and 12 o'clock = wheel bearing

you said the dealer balance the tires, did they balance your tire with a regular balancer machine or a road force balancer? if its a road force balancer , you probably got a bent wheel, wheel bearing issue, tire seperation (early stage), and/or tire not mounted properly on the wheel. New tire has marking on them , some has half a circle dot, full circle dot, or a circle ring imprinted on them. Those mark are the tire's high point, which needs to be lined up with our wheel's valve stem location.

This is the info I know. Good luck!

cal_cyborg

Hi all,

I guess there is no one solution for this problem.
My story goes something like this......I recently bought a 05 TSX from a local dealer (non-Acura) with 61K miles on it. I made a mistake and didnt test drive it on the highway. The car felt good on the city roads, so I made the deal and bought it. But once the car reached 65mph the vibration started and got worse if I speeded up. I checked the tires and saw they gave me new tires but some unknown brand (GOODRIDE tires). I thought the vibration could be because of these low quality tires. So today, I upgraded them to Continental Extreme Contact DWS. The ride became much smoother but I still got the vibration on the highway. I am very upset. I am still under the 60 days used vehicle warranty period. I am planning to take my car to another tire shop this weekend to pin point the problem. Do you guys think if the problem is identified, can I go to the my dealer and ask them to fix it? Any thoughts or ideas will be really appreciated.

zookie

There is typically not a one solution for most problems since we can't see the car in person. That's why we share! Hopefully someone's experience helps someone else.

That stink's about your TSX. I don't think I would have even replaced the tires if faced with your issue. It would have been the dealers problem from day one. Since you are still in the warranty time frame, I would definitely be making it their problem now.

Good luck!

Simba91102

It is unfortunate that your new ride is not perfect, but..... one or more things could be responsible for your vibration. It may have been exacerbated by the tires that the dealer provided, but since you didn't rebalance them, you can't tell if they were out of balance. Have you traveled just one section of highway? I've found the TSX to be pretty susceptible to vibration from tires slightly flat spotted when cold on some sections of some highways. You may have a wheel out of round; balancing won't necessarily cure that. You don't mention any problems when you use the brakes, so a warped rotor or loaded pads are unlikely (and don't usually show up until you put your foot on the brake anyway). I agree with the advice to not let the dealer off the hook, but if you don't get satisfaction from the purchasing dealer, you may have more luck with an Acura dealer (though you'd have to pay).

cal_cyborg

I went to a different branch of the same tire shop. They did a good job of balancing it properly. The guy said the all the 4 tires were off-balance. All of the vibration went away. I drove back at around 95 mph and didnt feel anything. There are still very little vibration which I think are ok. As you said...I think TSX is susceptible to vibration..suspensions might be too sensitive...Neways I will update you guys...For me, i guess proper balancing cured my vibration.

Stevestr

I have an old thread around here from around July 2008 where I describe my experiences. Mine were that at ~55/65 MPH I would get a severe vibration. Go any faster and it would go away. Go any slower, put it in N, etc. and it would go away.

Took it in and they first tried to pass it off as balancing on the tires. Informed them the tires were just balanced. Service department said they rebalanced again and still (and finally) noticed the vibration. Inspected the car further and they diagnosed inner CV joints. Both were replaced for ~$1,000 so take a long gulp and be prepared if that turns out to be the diagnosis.

I'll be sending positive vibes your way that it's not the CV's. I don't drive my car that hard and mine lasted until 98K. Now my trannie is making a slight whine so the days on the road for this car may not be long. <sigh>

DuckDodgers

Moda, did you add the stock dynamic dampers back onto your Level 0 HeelToe axles?

IDOSEO

Haha sounds like my dealership. I've been in for over 5 balances because thats what they think it is. I took a mechanic for a ride one day, and he said he noticed it. Had to reschedule and they had the car, and said the tires were out of balanced hahaha so making it the 6th time and over a year of having this problem (even under warranty) they still deny that it is anything else.

I do not have any other acura dealerships around so I'm kind of SOL. Im thinking about going ahead with the AAMCO or some other transmission shop to get a quote on replacing the axles because this is getting old.

I also put my snow tires on and the vibration is still there so my old tires weren't the issue. My brakes arent warped, there is no play in my axles (last time i checked when the problem was really bad)

Who can I trust to do this correctly? I'm thinking about going to my buddies shop and doing it myself but I've read JTso's thread and it doesn't sound fun.

DuckDodgers

OK, so here's the update...it is NOT THE CV JOINTS! It's the intermediate shaft bearing located in the carrier to the inboard of the female end of the right drive axle.

Here's the skinny in long form:

Started noticing a slight vibration in the 55-60mph range during moderate or greater acceleration, this was about 5 weeks ago.

Started looking around and found the CV joint seemsed to be the most likely candidate. tried the various diagnostic tests (3 and 9 o'clock wheel wiggle...slightly positive and (in hindsight) normal at that very small amount, manual check of boots (good) and shaft movement (slight and normal)) but never considered the intermediate shaft.

Had the front wheels balanced to rule them out, and by now (3 weeks ago) the vibration had intensified quite a bit (in hindsight, this was the clue it wasn't the CV joint...it worsened too quickly) and moved to 55-70, with the most intense between 60 and 65.

In all cases, the vibration abated immediately with throttle release.

Today the dealership was going to replace the axles, but the tech was not quite convinced the CV joints and axles were the reason for the shake and did one last test drive and under the car poke about. Tech found the underside of the car pretty spotless except a greasy spot on the intermediate shaft carrier...BINGO...

Tech lifted the car and we together verifed the axles were easily within standard for movement and that the carrier bearing was rapidly going south, thus the rapid intensification of the vibration.

Final report after I get the car back tomorrow...only possible fly is if the bearing going hurt the right axle...otherwise I'll have a set of Lvl 0 axles for sale soon.

DuckDodgers

Quick note...intermediate shaft is covered under the 2006+ 6/70 drivetrain warranty...

DuckDodgers

Now, after intermediate shaft replacement, they are going to replace the right axle too...still some vibration and it appears that the bad bearing damaged the cv joints as it vibrated.

IDOSEO

What do you mean?

6/70 drivetrain?

How long are the drivetrain covered?

DuckDodgers

Turns out that, starting in 2006, Acura covers drivetrain for 6 years/70,000 miles (in the U.S.). Your service writer can confirm covered items, but my axle and intermeditate shaft were covered items.

jordan jefferson

i just bought a 2004 rsx w/ 190,000 mi on the chassis. somethings not right in the front end. it often makes creaking/stress noises when steering, sometimes. car is lowered 2 in. on "teins" supposedly. iv yet to hear any of the tell-tale "clicking while turning" noises but I'm very suspect of the cv joints. put the car up on jack stands and shook front tires ( but only while holding them at 3 n 9 o'clock because until i read ur post thats quoted above , i didn't know that shaking while holding 12 n 6 would diagnose bearing. gonna try that tomorrow) and there wasn't really any noticeable "play" in-n-out or up-down. however , when i give a 1/4 or 1/2 spin clockwise then counter-clockwise then clockwise n so on, theres a very distinguishable split-second delayed "clunk" as the tire halts to stop n changes direction. i HIGHLY doubt this is not a problem. am i correct..?