Christine Selzer

Hello. I am not a mechanic and am really just trying to get some honest advice. I have a 2005 TSX with ~147k miles and stock suspension. Recently (maybe 6 months ago) had bushings on left side fixed by Acura. Started hearing a new noise, different from before, on the left and mostly when I turned the wheel sharply as in when I was backing out of a parking spot. I can kinda feel the rubbing also in the steering wheel.

Took it to a family mechanic and he said it was my wheel bearings. He also said that I would most likely need to replace the front struts when he got in there because of the mileage (according to his experience, he hadn't looked at them yet). He wants to charge me $2000 for all of this. So 3 new wheel bearings (left, right, and the one in the middle of the right axle) and suspension in the front.

Is this reasonable pricing? I am considering selling the car as the miles are really high and im not sure if fixing this is a guarantee of anything.

THANKS! -Christine

BROlando

Copy and pasted from the other thread.

curls

To clarify, we only have TWO wheel bearings on the front, and two on the rear. You mention "left, right, and the one in the middle of the right axle". That would be incorrect - that's likely a CV joint.


Now... to your symptoms... I haven't personally heard of a bad wheel bearing causing the symptoms you describe. Typically, bearings make a "whirl" noise or faint grinding noise when at higher speeds.
Your description of the sharp turns in a parking lot almost 100% coincides with a bad CV joint (or "axle" or "half shaft").
If you can, have your family mechanic describe WHY they think it's the bearings? IMO, it's not. It's probably one CV joint/axle that's gone bad, because they do after that much mileage.
Replace that (pretty straight-forward, no need to remove all of the suspension!).


IMO your shocks are likely fine. Don't replace them unless you feel the ride has become excessively "floating" or that your handling (especially in corners w/ bumps/dips) has become compromised.
Obviously, if your mech shows one/both are leaking (RARE), then replace them.

curls

BTW, I have replaced two axles/CV joints on my 2004 w/ over 200K miles. I've replaced exactly ZERO wheel bearings.
I feel my statements echo true with the majority of TSX drivers - the axles will go typically well before the wheel bearings.


FYI: If it is an axle/CV joint, price out the cost of a Cardone Select vs a cheap jobber part (not recommended) vs an OEM Acura/Honda axle. I would say that if the Cardone select (their highest, I believe) is reasonable, get that. Cheap axles are a problem!
Obviously if you can, go OEM - those axles last a LONG time, but at a cost.

Christine Selzer

@Curls thanks so much for this. Thanks for the clarification on the CV joint - that one being in the middle of the axle.
Yeah, the symptoms are most heard when I am pulling a tight turn out of a parking space, or a super tight turn when driving normally. I havent heard much while actually driving normally. I was hearing some noise a while back and got the bushing replaced (by Acura) on the drivers side. I don't think the mechanic actually took apart the car, he just listened to the sounds it was making, and he knows, prob trying to do more work than is necessary at this particular time. The fact that you haven't had to do anything with the shocks is reassuring, as this is similar to what I have heard in other places too.

Christine Selzer

Sorry - mechanic being the family mechanic that took a look at my car currently.

curls

I think you misread a small bit - I have not done anything with the bearings. Personally, I changed the shocks to Koni yellows after an accident bent a shock. But I've heard of Acura/Honda shocks being as close to lifetime parts as anything.


I'm 99.99% sure your problem is a CV joint/ axle. If you can isolate it to one side vs the other, you can just have that sides' axle replaced. Pretty straightforward job for most shops. Just the axle nut, a ball joint to be popped (and re-used), lower fork bolt removed and that's basically it.

Christine Selzer

@curls Okay, gotchya about the replacing the shocks and not bearings. I think its on the left side; its when i pull the steering wheel tightly to the left (I guess this could correspond to the right axle thought). I also hear the same sound, just not as intensely when I pull the steering wheel to the right.

I've also been reading that another symptom of this CV joint issue is vibration upon acceleration >30 mph (so maybe between like 40-60mph); I have consistently experienced something similar for a while now, but I am not entirely sure of the speed at which I felt it...

BROlando

Are you hearing this noise if you pull the steering wheel tightly against its stop?

As in...turn to the left fully til the wheel stops...and then pull the wheel to hold it against that stopping motion?

Does the sound only occur when moving? Or does it occur any time the engine is on and you are holding the wheel against the stop?

Scottyknows007

I know I am not in a TSX but I thought I would chime in.. I have replaced both my wheel bearings and my Axle's. When my wheel bearing was going out it was a metallic whirling sound that sounded like it was rotating and grinding. The faster I go the faster the sound and more high pitched it would get.

Now I have a busted boot on my Driver side axle right now and when I make a sharp turn to the left i get a loud popping noise. It definitely sounds like your issue is an Axle issue and not a bearing issue. I would follow Curls suggestion in post #3

Good luck

BROlando

^adding to this....


You may be hearing and feeling the power steering pump groaning because it is being forced to pump fluid through a relief valve against a very high pressure.

This is normal. If the groaning or vibration is very loud, your pump may be going out.

The more often you force the pump to operate against the rack stop, the faster it will wear. Its not good practice to hold the wheel against the stop.

If the above is true, you should have your mechanic check for the noise as described. Have him hold the the steering wheel against the stop. See if he hears what you hear and ask if that's normal.

I'm assuming that he arrived at the wheel bearing conclusion some other way. Maybe the bearings really are bad...in addition to your other problem. Bad wheel bearings usually make a constant rumbling noise which increases with vehicle speed and vehicle weight/load onto the effected wheel.

Christine Selzer

As a follow up: I finally took it into the dealer to find out what the deal was...they couldn't find any source for the sound, and finally put some lube on there and the sound stopped! very weird. only problem, my engine started making a funny noise a couple days before I took it in and I found out it was my drive belt, which I have to fix...so still had to put some $$$ down.