Rob D

My '05 TL has 180k and there is a clicking sounds coming from the left front tire when I make a hard right or left hand turn. I'm assuming CV issue but my colleague, who had the car previously, said he was told it has to do with the traction control sensors and not worry about. The car is still very tight and doesn't pull so I'm wondering if I should worry about this since I only hear the sound when the steering wheel is really turned over.

Appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks

ez12a

jack the car up and check the CV boot. If it's leaking grease you'll need to fix it anyway and can be the cause of your clicking noise.

BaucE

I think, someone needs to get under your car to inspect it.

Rob D

Thanks guys....I've made an apt for later this week.

I hate cars

A CV joint can look fine and still be worn out and clicking. If it does it mostly when you turn and under throttle, it's the CV joint. Sensors can't make a noise unless the reluctor ring is rubbing against something in which case it needs to be fixed. If you don't have any warning lights on, chances are slim to none that it's a sensor.

Rob D

Thanks Hate.....that's what I was thinking. Any idea what it will cost to replace?

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

cost to replace an axle?? depends on where you go. indy shop $200 for parts and labor (note parts will be aftermarket unless otherwise specified). dealer...you really want to know? i had BOTH of my axles replaced at 50k miles at the dealer under my mechanical breakdown insurance...cost me $250...cost the insurance over $500 (after some negotiating on the price of parts). OEM axles run about $200 or so. labor is where you get nailed (book time vs actual time). others have gone with aftermarket axles for less than $100 (parts only) and either had no problems with them, or they failed a yr later. so figure out how much you're willing to spend and who is going to do the work.

joelmatt89

iTrader: (1)

Your post doesn't say what the conditions you are driving in. It is completely normal for it to do this on a cold day when you first start driving. The grease that acura packed those cv's with has a low viscosity at low temperatures and does not lubricate properly until it has reached operating temp. Do you notice it after you have been driving for a while? I am not saying to ignore the issue, but if it goes away after driving for 5-10 minutes. I would not worry about it in the least. It may do it more as the cv ages, but there is no reason to replace the cv if it isn't doing it once the car has warmed up, you would be better off packing it with a different grease.

Rob D

Thx Trigirl. I generally don't mind aftermarket on non-critical items but axles....I'd prefer to play it safe.

Joel - I live in the Chicago area so definitely cold. My mind is telling me that it does it even after driving home 30 miles but I'll confirm that tonight.

Appreciate everyone's help.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

@joelmatt-noises out of axles are NOT normal. i don't care what the conditions. when mine clicked it was anything under 40* and then it would go away. this started at 42k mi for me. didn't do that the first 3 winters i had the car. then the infamous click. i left it alone. then my car was at the dealer overnight for an unrelated issue...they found out about the click without me telling them.

rob D- good luck on the fix. with the miles on your car...your axles were bound to go at some point. at least they held out until then. mine

joelmatt89

iTrader: (1)

You are wrong, read up on the grease they use in the CV joints it is rated for very high temperatures but not under 5 degrees celsius. It shouldn't be a big surprise that it clicks when it isn't being properly lubricated. When they were new you may have not noticed the clicking but as they wear over time you will notice it more and it will last longer. If you drive in a very cold climate all the time this could cause premature wear. But if you cannot make it click once the grease is at it's normal operating temperature (above 5 degrees celsius), or after 5-10 minutes of driving there is really no reason to replace the half axle; it is working exactly how it should be. Just because your dealer found out that your cv's had started to wear means nothing. Any mechanic with half a brain could tell you they were beginning to wear, I don't know the exact situation or what the sound was but if it wasn't doing it after it had warmed up an honest mechanic would tell advise that they were fine to be driven on for many more miles. Bottom line is they did their job which is to make themselves money, not save you money. If you want to replace CV's every 42k just because it clicks when it isn't being properlly lubricated (big surprise) and pay the dealership to do it be my guest. I am just saying you could do it half that much and be perfectly fine.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

^^^well FYI my axles weren't replaced until 50kmi (only one was clicking, the other was the inner CV which caused shuddering/vibrations). and i was covered by warranty.

and my dealer did say that it would be fine to drive on them but they would only get worse as time went on. so not all dealers are out to get you...they never said is was imperative that it gets repaired right there and then. the main reason for getting it done was the vibration that i was feeling from the inner cv on the other axle. it was annoying. so while they were in there...might as well do both of them.

5*C doesn't really register for us english system based Americans. i'm gonna say that it's way lower than 40*F. when they were new....there were no noises. anyway...i want to see any evidence of a new honda axle with this high temp grease in the CV joint that audibly clicks on turns in cold temperatures. oh wait i have them in my car now...they sure the hell don't click like the worn one did. just sayin'

do yours click???

I hate cars

The problem here is a good CV joint won't make noise even with no lube. To make noise, there's excessive clearance. The metal parts may be warming up enough to tighten the clearance and stop the noise, it might not be grease reltated at all.

I'll take a look at the grease low temp rating but it's pretty hard to imagine anything not working below 5c. Many TLs were sold in areas that get colder than that and they would have warranty claims all over the place if it were normal to make noise in the cold. I had mine in 12F weather for a couple months back when it had 70k on it and no noises.

Some people need to replace the axles more than others. It's based on driving style more than anything else. I purposely try not to accelerate hard when I have the wheels turned hard in either direction. I'll accelerate gently and get on the gas as I'm straightening the wheel. So for the person that does most of the acceleration in a straight line, the axles may never wear out. Mine have 107k and they're fine. If you tend to pull out from sharp corners from a dead stop hard all the time and especially if you have a 6mt you could possibly go through axles every 40-60k.

Lastly, if I lived in a cold climate and on the small chance that viscosity is too high for my average temperature, I would remove the boot, clean the joint, and pack it with some good synthetic grease that will "flow" much better. I've never done the TL before but many times you can push the boot back with the axle in the car.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

^^^I think you probably can do that but you'd have to cut off the clamp they use to hold it in place and probably replace with a hose clamp or something else after.

I hate cars

I used to do that all the time when I did it for a living. We did pretty good with that service because we usually got the cars the dealers were trying to sell a whole axle when it was just a tear in the boot and there was no clicking yet. You can buy a boot kit which comes with a new boot, grease, and a clamp. The clamp is a low profile design, not exactly sure what it's called but it's a high quality band clamp probably better than stock clamp that's easy to install with the axle in the car. I'm sure you can buy the clamp separately but I've only bought it in the kit. If grease is one of the problems here, using a synthetic grease and a $5 would probably be the cure. Talking about this makes me want to pull mine off, clean it, and regrease it.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

we'll do mine too...be by in 15...

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

if it was the viscosity of the grease that honda uses...then wouldn't the millions of honda/acura owners be having these clicking issues?? the accord we have is an 03, and there are ZERO clicks with turning in cold weather (sub 30 degreeF). my TL after the replacement of my axles (only one of them clicked), ZERO clicking with turns last winter (which was colder than usual with plenty of 20 degree morning start ups).

i understand the concept of the specs of the grease and that the car warms up it goes away, but ANY type of noise in my mind out of the ordinary in a car is not "normal".