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Rich's 2003 Honda Accord 2.4 Tourer Auto


Rich
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Drop links were done 2 years a go and are rock solid, the rear ARB bushes were also done. I didn't do the front as the subframe needs to be dropped a little to access the bolts.

 

Isn't clicking the outer CV joints rather than the driveshaft themselves? I think it's the inner ones that are usually the culprit on the Accord.

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I'm certain I can feel it underneath my left foot when on the foot rest and it's this side that I could move the driveshaft back and forth a little. I think this is the side that has the half shaft as well so I believe a little play is acceptable? I think if this play was bad it would also cause steering wheel vibrations but this seemed to stop after swapping the wheels over.

 

Can the steering rack knock if that's worn? I can't think what else it could be.

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You know I said when leaving work the clunk I got had gone, well it hasn't! It did it again today. Pull out of my space at low speed, steer right and I get a clunk. Get home and stop in the road and then reverse in the drive (at an angle) I get a clunk.

 

I assume the TRE are checked with the geo and the top mounts were checked when the shocks were replaced?

 

I can feel the clunk under my foot. So what else could it be - bottom ball joint, the other upper wishbone that wasn't changed or something else?

 

I have also been losing a small amount of PAS fluid but it's such a slow leak I can't find where it's coming from.

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When I took it to the garage before Xmas and they replaced the upper wishbones on the N/S they said they spent hours checking everything but couldn't find any noises so came to the conclusion it was the shocks. This cured the loud knocking but not the clunk I was also getting. As this only happens occasionally it's obviously not bad enough to find it when on the ramps so I'll just have to wait until it gets worse.

 

How can you check the bushes then?

 

One compliance bush was replaced at the end of last year, which Joe did, the other side was done just before I bought the car and they both look fine. I could replace the other upper wishbone to rule it out and both bottom ball joints but considering how much I've spent on the car recently I don't want to replace parts I don't need to. The ball joints will mean taking the hubs out to press them in and the boots do look a bit worn so I think they'll need doing soon.

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It'll be a case of waiting for it to get worse I think.

 

Had a great drive to Norfolk last night with the new tyres on. I was in the passenger seat for the first hour and I couldn't feel any knocking, clunking or the gear changes. When I switched to the drivers side I think I felt a couple of small clunks but I'm not 100% sure.

 

I could definitely feel the gear changes though. It's like the transmission pauses for a second while it decides what to do and then changes up or down but it's intermittent, sometimes it's really smooth and I don't notice the change at all. I found enough gearbox oil to do a change leftover from 3 years ago. It should be ok to use as oil doesn't go bad but it'll be for 500 miles and then I'll buy some fresh fluid to change it again and go from there.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I don't think the Accord gearbox has a strainer filter? I've seen them on other Honda's but there is nothing on the parts diagrams to show there is, just the external filter.

 

It's actually getting worse now, yesterday I was slowing down for traffic lights when they changed, so I went to accelerate again and the car really pulled back before lurching forward. It's like when you change down in a manual car and the revs are too high.

 

I've got enough oil to change it again although it's been open for a couple of years. If it makes a difference I can buy some fresh fluid to replace it again. I'm wondering if it's a sensor though.

 

The knocking that is still there is also getting louder and is happening more often. When we were away I was sitting on the passenger side a lot and couldn't feel it. But it's there on the drivers side under my feet so I'll have to bring the car back in to see if it can be found. The upper wishbone was replaced 5 years a go on that side so I'm wondering if that needs replacing, even though the garage who changed the other side last year said it's fine. The only other thing that I can think of that would also knock at low speed when steering is the bottom ball joints.

 

I'm starting to think I should've replaced the car when problems started last year and got something newer.

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I hope not what with the money I've spent on it but if I had known I'd still have issues after throwing £1,500 at it I would've fixed it cheaply and moved it on. It's costing £320 a year in tax now and I just put £68 of petrol in filling it up. The only upside is that will last me a month cos my mileage is low.

 

The knocking is getting worse so I need to bring the car in again to try and find it. I'm assuming you can't diagnose gearbox issues but I'll work out how many miles the current fluid has done and replace it with fresh stuff. I'm loath to do it at £50 when it was only done 3 years a go but I don't have much choice.

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Doesnt sound  like a fault that an oil change will fix , I assume it has plenty of oil in the 'box

 

I am thinking the same, the oil is still red/pink and it's on the maximum so hasn't lost any. It should be good for another 30k miles I think.

 

All I can think of is it's position sensor, number 20 - https://www.lingshondaparts.com/honda_car_parts_selection_pfk.php?block_01=17SED01&block_02=ATM0300&block_03=443&block_05=hcr But I don't think the symptoms for this failing match what the car is doing.

 

I think it sounds more like a solenoid is faulty from what I've read, the gearbox has 2 of them - https://www.lingshondaparts.com/honda_car_parts_selection_pfk.php?block_01=17SED01&block_02=ATM0710&block_03=443&block_05=hcr

 

From what I have read old/dirty fluid can make them stick and not function properly but it was changed about 15k miles a go along with the filter. They are very expensive to buy new but I can't find any used, I'd probably have to source a used gearbox if they did need replacing.

 

I've not had the CEL come on but I'll scan it for codes anyway.

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I met up with a guy from the Honda forum who has the HDS to check the codes a normal reader can't. He charged me £30 so I might have to meet him again and go from there.

 

If I hadn't of just spent £1,500 on the car I would just replace it but I'm not going to get that money back selling it now.

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Have you done the basic checks first and looked for blown fuses, bad electrical connections and split vacuum pipes?

 

No I haven't but how would blown fuses and split vacuum pipes affect the gearbox?

 

I can never grasp how to use a multi-meter so haven't checked any connections. I'd rather someone who knows what they're doing check things like that.

 

I'll see if we can find this knocking noise first and then get the gearbox looked at before fixing that.

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You can normally check the solenoids on the car but reading up on this it looks like a troublesome gearbox

 

As in all of the Honda auto boxes are troublesome or the symptoms point to the gearbox being troublesome?

 

I'll have to read on how to test solenoids but looking at some photos on ebay the top one is easy to get to, it's under the air filter box, the other might be trickier and would need the battery tray removed.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-Accord-2-4-Automatic-Gearbox-/252742908478

 

Looking on ebay and auto trader there are hardly any of these cars for sale now, those that are have over 100k miles. I'm wondering if I've made a mistake spending so much on the car and should've got rid last year for something newer!

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