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View Full Version : oh oh ....first problem with my EP, any ideas....



DTR
10-06-2003, 04:13 PM
well about a week ago i noticed this little noise from the front end of my car and ever since its gotten louder and louder, the noise to me seems to be coming from the steering wheel/steering column and the best way to describe it to you is taht it sounds like "non-lubricated rubber rubbing" as wierd as that sounds, i have come to the conclusion that it might have something to do with my steering wheel and column and possibly my power steering, maybe a CV joint but either way im taking my car to the dealer on Wednesday to get it checked out, i just wanted to kno wif anieone else had experienced this or might know the cause, again i am no mechanic so, any feedback would be cool, thanx.....

civicSIracer
10-06-2003, 04:41 PM
damn man.. you too. i have teh EXACT same problem with mine.. it just started to do it and it get progressivley worse each day. i need to go to honda too.. :sadm:

DTR
10-06-2003, 04:46 PM
you dont have any idea as to what it might be.......i talked to one of mie friends @ werk and he went to Automotive skool and what not and he actually was a tech at a honda dealer and he was kinda baffled to....any how ill let u kno what happens as long as you let me know what happens when u take ur car to the dealer

hobbs03si
10-06-2003, 04:50 PM
I have a similar noise like that except it sounds to be comming from whole dash area. Let us know what ur dealer does to fix it. :)

trk
10-06-2003, 06:04 PM
Originally posted by DTR
well about a week ago i noticed this little noise from the front end of my car and ever since its gotten louder and louder, the noise to me seems to be coming from the steering wheel/steering column and the best way to describe it to you is taht it sounds like "non-lubricated rubber rubbing" as wierd as that sounds, i have come to the conclusion that it might have something to do with my steering wheel and column and possibly my power steering, maybe a CV joint but either way im taking my car to the dealer on Wednesday to get it checked out, i just wanted to kno wif anieone else had experienced this or might know the cause, again i am no mechanic so, any feedback would be cool, thanx.....

I have the exact same sounds --- seems to be after rain and/or hard driving on a humid day -- when it dries out ... sound goes away (or at least gets a lot quiter). Let me know what your dealer says -- mine said, "I cant hear anything, so i cant fix it." -- total BS.

JSIR
10-06-2003, 08:12 PM
Is it a clunking type of noise when you turn the steering wheel in slow parking lot turns?. I had that problem and the dealer had to swap my driver side strut/spring assembly unit, the noise has been gone for over a year. They first tried to lube the part, the noise went away for a few weeks but later returned. It only went away permanently with the new assembly. Something about the unit being too loose and too much play in it. Only solution is to replace it. It took a couple visits to the dealer but they eventually did it.

Joey

DyNastySi
10-06-2003, 08:28 PM
DAMN...I have that same noise when I make slow left turns. I have springs on the car now. Dumb question...but do you guys think there gonna void my warranty cause I lowered it?

IchBinEinSiR
10-06-2003, 08:52 PM
Keep us posted, I am still waiting to see the Honda Canada Rep., as the dealership doesn't have a clue, and won't try too hard either. They even go so far as to say that when they asked Honda about swapping out a strut assembly that it reportedly has never been done...

What do you think of that JSIR?

DumbNewB
10-06-2003, 09:04 PM
I have the EXACT same issue! The weird thing is I only here it when I make right turns only not left turns, just right turns. It just started happening and I have no idea why.

DumbNewB
10-06-2003, 09:06 PM
Will the dealer say anything about the springs... I would like to know.

JSIR
10-06-2003, 09:59 PM
Originally posted by IchBinEinSiR
Keep us posted, I am still waiting to see the Honda Canada Rep., as the dealership doesn't have a clue, and won't try too hard either. They even go so far as to say that when they asked Honda about swapping out a strut assembly that it reportedly has never been done...

What do you think of that JSIR?

he, he, he, typical manufacturer warranty representative answer. There have been many reports of this same problem. Do a search and you will find other threads on this subject. I first heard of it from the CTR guys in Britain, when I had the noise one of them told me they got it solved by replacing the spring/strut assembly, they did both on his car. Thus I started bugging my dealer. The noise got pretty consistent so I could replicate the noise by driving in certain parking lot situations. Wasnt much my dealer could say other then they would try to fix it. They had to repair it first before replacing parts. If the noise came back they would then replace parts. They lubed it up and the noise went away for 3 weeks but then returned. They ended up replacing my driver side spring strut assembly. Thing is, the parts take forever to arrive, I waited several months and they could not get the parts. So my service manager took one out of a new car they had on the lot and must have gave that car my defective part.

Tell your Honda rep. to call London Honda in London, Ontario and speak to Chris Butters about how they fixed the noise on a 2002 Honda Civic SiR for a guy named Mazzotta. Chris actually drove my car and was directly involved in getting the problem resolved.

BTW, my dealer installed my Eibach Prokits for me, they dont look down on aftermarket parts and they dont try to blame parts for warranty claims. They sell and install almost any aftermarket part you can think of. My dealer is pretty cool about that, not all are like that though. Some dealers look down on stuff like that.


Joey

IchBinEinSiR
10-07-2003, 06:35 AM
Thanks JSIR, I have been through the same process as you, lubing, inspecting, rubber spring booties... still makes the noise. I started a thread of my own a while back, and have read through several of the similar threads that can be found on this site. In fact a service rep at my dealership had already told me that the strut would be replaced, and had ordered the part. While I was waiting for it she "left" Honda, and the new service rep wants the Canada rep to see the car before they do any work...

I have printed off several of the thread responses, indicating the problem and how the other dealerships dealt with the problem:

REPLACED STRUT(S)

JSIR
10-07-2003, 07:06 AM
Originally posted by IchBinEinSiR
Thanks JSIR, I have been through the same process as you, lubing, inspecting, rubber spring booties... still makes the noise. I started a thread of my own a while back, and have read through several of the similar threads that can be found on this site. In fact a service rep at my dealership had already told me that the strut would be replaced, and had ordered the part. While I was waiting for it she "left" Honda, and the new service rep wants the Canada rep to see the car before they do any work...

I have printed off several of the thread responses, indicating the problem and how the other dealerships dealt with the problem:

REPLACED STRUT(S)

yup that is how it's repaired properly, make sure they replace it as a whole assembly too - spring & strut, not just struts. On my car it was just the driver side making the noise, the passenger one has been fine.

I've got Eibach prokits on it now which my Honda dealer installed for me. I do get a spring tension kind of noise first thing in the morning some days as I pull out of my garage, but it only happens once and goes away, and it doesnt happen every day. I think that's just the Eibach springs moving a bit after being parked ( my garage has a funny slope to it), which isn't a big deal. Other than that everything has been fine.

Joey

evostu
10-07-2003, 07:09 AM
This is a known issue on the UK EP3 as well.

We have had lots of people on www.civictype-r.co.uk that have had either their front shock assemblies replaced or their entire steering racks.

Hope this helps?

EvoStu.

DTR
10-07-2003, 07:09 AM
well i was getting the noise heavily with my 17" rims on it but now that i put the stock SI rims back on it i havent really heard it, so it makes me worry that theyll call me a fukkin liar, but im still gonna sak them to give it a check out..

JSIR
10-07-2003, 07:50 AM
Originally posted by evostu
This is a known issue on the UK EP3 as well.

We have had lots of people on www.civictype-r.co.uk that have had either their front shock assemblies replaced or their entire steering racks.

Hope this helps?

EvoStu.

that's where I first heard of the repair for this noise, it was coincidental that my noise started just as I was reading some of the posts on the UK forums. My dealer also said they had never heard of the problem before, so I had to suggest to them how to fix it based on what I read on the UK forums. They have some good info over there on those forums too.

evostu
10-07-2003, 07:55 AM
Originally posted by JSIR
that's where I first heard of the repair for this noise, it was coincidental that my noise started just as I was reading some of the posts on the UK forums. My dealer also said they had never heard of the problem before, so I had to suggest to them how to fix it based on what I read on the UK forums. They have some good info over there on those forums too.

We have a massive following in UK/Europe now and our faults/fixes section pretty much cover every single failing of the EP3.

Glad to know that our knowledge has crossed the Atlantic to help you guys.

Ahhhh the joys of the internet.

EvoStu.

K20A3Si
10-07-2003, 09:14 AM
the noise started for me today.....is it a serious problem?....i just got my car back, i dont want to loose it again:'(

DTR
10-07-2003, 11:07 AM
i just want to re-iterate the sound that i was hearing, it was a "rubber rubbing" sound, not a clanking or popping sound taht you would get from a CV Joint, but its gotten warmer in Chicago fo rthe past couple of days and when the noise started it was actually rather cold, so im wondering if the cold weather had anything to do with it, so i dont know, cus now im taking it to the dealer, its warm and theres no noise, so, worse case scenario, i might have to wait for the noise to come back, ill keep u all posted...

IchBinEinSiR
10-08-2003, 07:43 AM
My thanks to JSIR and the contact name in London! I went to the dealer yesterday on my way home, and went over the printout of our thread, and as a result I have an appointment this Friday to have a new strut assembly installed!:D

The weekend should be noise free.

JSIR
10-08-2003, 12:46 PM
Originally posted by IchBinEinSiR
My thanks to JSIR and the contact name in London! I went to the dealer yesterday on my way home, and went over the printout of our thread, and as a result I have an appointment this Friday to have a new strut assembly installed!:D

The weekend should be noise free.

Good man, glad I saved you some headaches cause this warranty stuff can be frustrating. I'm just surprised they have a part for you so quickly. good stuff !. Let us know if it works.

Hope you took out the choice words before they read the thread

Joey:cool:

sniperSI
10-08-2003, 01:00 PM
Is it a loud sound or a very low rubbing made only every now and then that sounds like its coming from behind the steering wheel. I brought my car in for that, they said my speaker power wire was laying on top of the steering shaft and making a rubbing noise.

IchBinEinSiR
10-08-2003, 09:15 PM
In my case it was a very distinct noise coming from the passenger front tire/suspension area, a sort of metallic noise.

As for delivery time, they called the Toronto depot as I waited, and they were told the part could be delivered by Thursday. Perhaps they have a little stockpile in case they get more problems... I wonder why there is no bullitin?

team ERA 5
10-08-2003, 10:36 PM
i have the same sound.....RUBBER AGAINST RUBBER SOUND...it went away but keep us updated..

blackthreat
10-09-2003, 02:24 AM
same problem here, rubber agianst rubber, just started ever since it's been getting cold. It sounds like it's coming from inside the firewall. It is absolutely bothering the shit out of me. It is more aparent when under load,like excelerating or braking. It sounds like a bushing of some sort is not lubricated and it is rubbing agianst something when turning. But not full turning of the wheel, just like suttle movements, like strait line driving. Oh ya and that clunking noise has got to be something with the top mounts of the stuts because i have tein ss and it still does it and the only thing i kept is the top mounts. those dealers are full of shit

i-WERKS
10-09-2003, 06:10 AM
All along i though it was something I did. For me it only happens when i'm driving in a straight line and turn the steering wheel about 2-3 degrees left or right. If I turn any more than that then the noise stops. It's a squeeky noise like rubber rubbing against rubber like everyone described. But it comes and goes for me. It happens for a couple of minutes and would stop for a couple of days.

DTR
10-09-2003, 07:07 AM
well the dealer called me, and guess what they told me......"the drove it around and didnt hear the sound" and i was afraid taht they wouldnt hear it BECAUSE it got warmer here( it went from low 40's one week to upper 70's and low 80's the next week!!!) so the head tech told me to wait until it got cold and as soon as the noise came back and became consistant bring it right in. so what do i have to do now.....wait til it gets cold, but on a good note , i havent heard it again but i believe it definately has to do with the temperature, but i'm glad that other people know what i'm talking about, especially "i-werks, Team ERA 5, and blackthreat" so ill keep you guess posted as to what happens as soon as it gets cold here in chicago and i take it back to the dealer.....

Also, does anybody have a link to any site that posts up any defects or recalls on the EP, just out of curiosity

02SilverSiHB
10-09-2003, 07:38 AM
suspension related...moving to suspension

trk
10-10-2003, 05:55 PM
Originally posted by DTR
well the dealer called me, and guess what they told me......"the drove it around and didnt hear the sound" and i was afraid taht they wouldnt hear it BECAUSE it got warmer here( it went from low 40's one week to upper 70's and low 80's the next week!!!) so the head tech told me to wait until it got cold and as soon as the noise came back and became consistant bring it right in. so what do i have to do now.....wait til it gets cold, but on a good note , i havent heard it again but i believe it definately has to do with the temperature, but i'm glad that other people know what i'm talking about, especially "i-werks, Team ERA 5, and blackthreat" so ill keep you guess posted as to what happens as soon as it gets cold here in chicago and i take it back to the dealer.....

Also, does anybody have a link to any site that posts up any defects or recalls on the EP, just out of curiosity

this is *EXACTLY* what happened to me... im gonna take it back once it gets wet or cold or humid or whatever the fuck causes it ...

team ERA 5
10-22-2003, 11:44 PM
sooooo guys what happend? mine came back today....im really thinking it might be the bumpstops? or i could be totallly wrong my struts might be blown i dont knoooo :'( :'( :'(

chunky
10-23-2003, 02:46 AM
I had that sound. it was coming from the steering wheel. I just sprayed some silicone lubricant into the area behind the steering wheel. it helped, but didn't completely eliminate the problem. oh well, i barely hear it ever now.

IchBinEinSiR
10-23-2003, 09:57 AM
Well, they swapped out the strut assembly and voila, the "thunk" sound from the suspension ceased to exist... wonderfully replaced by a worse noise sounding like a bearing or better yet an axle. Loudest while turning and decelerating.

I had my alignment done after the strut replacement and AGAIN, they screwed it up so it pulled left, again! That puts me at 4 alignments in 16000kms... :mad: :mad: :mad:

I wrote a letter to Honda Canada...

DTR
10-24-2003, 11:53 AM
ive had only one alignment @12K but thats cus i had hit a very bad hole, i need one now because i got the alignment with new rims and i just put my stocks back on, anyhow, the noise from my car just came back since our chicago weather has just dropped into the 40's @ night and the low 50's during the day. so im gonna take it in next week. the noise actually has gotten louder and it happens when i accelerate and move the steering whell slightly to the left and right, ill let you guys know what happens after i take it in and get it back.

DTR

team ERA 5
10-25-2003, 02:21 PM
thank you DTR mine has gotten worst too....it use to go away at high speeds but now when on the freeway goin 60-80+ i could still hear the damn squeeking sound when turning my wheel..so obviously it is gettin worst..man i thought it was my control arm but it isnt touching anythin....DTR is your car lowered??? because mine is....tell me what honda says...thanks a lot:'(

JBS02
10-25-2003, 07:13 PM
I've also heard the sound (rubber against rubber) off and on, more so during slow manuevers when its cold out.

Another slight problem (for now) is that when coming to a stop and turning the steering wheel very fast, the power assist feels like it is lost for a second or so. Steering effort briefly becomes very heavy.

Wonder how much an '04 steering rack is?

4g63dsm
10-26-2003, 02:49 PM
do all of you that have tis sound , have lowering springs on your cars?

DTR
10-27-2003, 01:15 PM
im actually still stock, i had 17's on for a while but put my stockies back on for the winter ahead so lowering the car as being a cause is out.

styllinep3
10-28-2003, 05:34 PM
wait are you guys that you are hear this sound before a drop or messing with the suspension. i never heard a sound till i screwed with my suspension and dropped it. ever since then i have that same popping "rubber on rubber" sound. i never took it back cause i fugured i caused it but, what me and my friend figured out is, it is the bumps stops. a little white lighting grease cures it for a month or so then its back . i think i needed to trim them for the install of the springs and never did. so i just deal with it and ill fix it when they come out with direct fit shocks. (if they ever do lol) . but as far as before that i never heard anything. sorry for you guys that are. i say if you didnt drop it take it back.

gabe

IchBinEinSiR
10-29-2003, 07:57 AM
There are direct fit shocks (well assemblies)... MUGEN

blanblu
11-13-2003, 12:52 PM
Originally posted by JSIR
he, he, he, typical manufacturer warranty representative answer. There have been many reports of this same problem. Do a search and you will find other threads on this subject. I first heard of it from the CTR guys in Britain, when I had the noise one of them told me they got it solved by replacing the spring/strut assembly, they did both on his car. Thus I started bugging my dealer. The noise got pretty consistent so I could replicate the noise by driving in certain parking lot situations. Wasnt much my dealer could say other then they would try to fix it. They had to repair it first before replacing parts. If the noise came back they would then replace parts. They lubed it up and the noise went away for 3 weeks but then returned. They ended up replacing my driver side spring strut assembly. Thing is, the parts take forever to arrive, I waited several months and they could not get the parts. So my service manager took one out of a new car they had on the lot and must have gave that car my defective part.

Tell your Honda rep. to call London Honda in London, Ontario and speak to Chris Butters about how they fixed the noise on a 2002 Honda Civic SiR for a guy named Mazzotta. Chris actually drove my car and was directly involved in getting the problem resolved.
.
.
.
Joey

I haven't even hit 1000 miles on my 2003 and it's been making this noise, I just didn't know what it was at first so I ignored it but, anyway, is there a service bulletin for it yet? not sure if it's the same issue but the only way I can describe it is:

I come to a complete stop, turn the engine off and let the car sit for 3-4 minutes... I turn it back on, slowly pull out turning left, within 2-3 seconds I hear a rubbing sound coming from the front... the same thing happens if I go right (although not as pronounced)... but ONLY if I've been stopped for a few minutes... I took it into the dealer and was able to reproduce the sound with 2 techs in the car... they both heard it, I had the car in the dealer for 2 days and they called me to tell me they couldn't figure out what the problem was cuz another tech wasn't able to reproduce the sound... I picked my car back up (cuz I needed it)... they had backed it into a parking spot and as I pulled out steering left, there goes the rubbin' again... it's really ticking me off cuz the other two half-arsed techs heard it! and it makes NO difference if the car is cold or warmed up... I called them back and yelled at them :mad: but I want to get this fixed... but what do I tell them? :confused: any suggestions? oh, everything stock here btw... sorry...

Tenacious G
11-13-2003, 01:26 PM
Originally posted by IchBinEinSiR
I had my alignment done after the strut replacement and AGAIN, they screwed it up so it pulled left, again! That puts me at 4 alignments in 16000kms... :mad: :mad: :mad:

I wrote a letter to Honda Canada...

LOL ... i've been in the service dept. three times in nine months for various issues, but each time my alignment has been off-center. my dealership seems to play jokes on me because initially the car would pull to the left. after taking it in, the car would proceed to pull to the right. one more time and vice versa. i think i'm getting punk'd by my service dept. it's not a serious pull, but aggravating nonetheless.

EDIT: i also had the clunking noise when making slow right turns. i had the strut replaced and have been noise free for a couple of months now.

team ERA 5
11-13-2003, 07:58 PM
does anyone know how to fix this? i got annoyed yesterday because it came back so i got pissed and sprayed wd40 all over my damn shocks hahaha...anyways>>> im just saving up for aftermarket shocks! to solve this problem ... when are the tokico or kwb's commmming out! hopefullly they are a lot cheaper than koni yelllow....and fit our cars perfectly with no modification...

IchBinEinSiR
11-13-2003, 08:50 PM
This is my last reply... (I bought a Pro5), the sound never left, had various other problems popped up and I became totally sick of the whole ordeal. It was easy for the dealership to say that they were doing the warranty work, so what's my beef, but they weren't getting it fixed!! Put together the complete lack of knowledge by the technicians and the complete lack of support/knowledge from Honda Canada and you have a major cluster-fuck. An average of 2 visits a month for 9 months or about 18 over the space of 4-5 months and 9000kms = one piece of shit car, a lemon, one I have given to someone else to screw with. I don't think I would ever buy a Honda again...

siep
11-14-2003, 09:46 AM
Originally posted by blackthreat
same problem here, rubber agianst rubber, just started ever since it's been getting cold. It sounds like it's coming from inside the firewall. It is absolutely bothering the shit out of me. It is more aparent when under load,like excelerating or braking. It sounds like a bushing of some sort is not lubricated and it is rubbing agianst something when turning. But not full turning of the wheel, just like suttle movements, like strait line driving. Oh ya and that clunking noise has got to be something with the top mounts of the stuts because i have tein ss and it still does it and the only thing i kept is the top mounts. those dealers are full of shit
Same exact description that I've noticed with my car. To hear it better, have your e-brake on and try moving forward a bit while turning your wheel slightly back and forth. You'll hear it clearly. :(

Ocelaris
11-16-2003, 03:33 PM
The problem lies with the upper bearing mounts (upper perch etc...), the older version, i.e. 2001 civics had at least bearings, but we got the shaft and only have two pieces of rubber which literally grind against each other. I know that's the problem because for my KW coilovers they released an upper bearing to replace the stock ones. The purpose is because especially with heavier spring rates the rubbing just gets worse... I plan on getting those soon. You might try getting the earlier mounts, they may have bearings in them. The first thread is the KW answer to our upper bearing problem, and the second is a thread describing the changes from 2001 to 2002 civics (we the same basic suspension as the EM/ES civics).

http://www.7thgencivic.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=116883&highlight=upper+mount


http://www.7thgencivic.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=96198&perpage=15&highlight=upper%20mount&pagenumber=1

team ERA 5
11-17-2003, 01:30 PM
i called up showstoppers and chuck said i was supppose to remove the old lil rubber piece the stocks springs came with....i think thats why i get that damn annoying rubber to rubber sound

team ERA 5
11-17-2003, 10:34 PM
well imma go to a shop because im not messsing with my suspension on my own and imma have them put the rubber piece from the stock springs on and then go to honda and buy a new upper bearing mount or upper spring perch (does anyone know the part number). whatever its called and have them replace that...if the sounds still there! imma buy me some new struts..

Ocelaris
11-17-2003, 10:40 PM
well imma go to a shop because im not messsing with my suspension on my own and imma have them put the rubber piece from the stock springs on and then go to honda and buy a new upper bearing mount or upper spring perch (does anyone know the part number). whatever its called and have them replace that...if the sounds still there! imma buy me some new struts..

If you had read my post, the second link is an entire thread an 7thgen on howto fix your problem, and the parts that you need, and the differences between the years, and which ones to get... Here is a clip from that thread, I don't guarantee that it's the right part, but read that 3 page thread, and you will know for sure...


Front:
------
369032 Part 9 (BEARING, FR. SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNT) $13.98 X 2
369034 Part 10 (MOUNT, R. FR.) $23.45 X 1
369034 Part 11 (MOUNT, L. FR.) $23.45 X 1

Rear:
-----
36557 Part 1 (WASHER, SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNTING) $0.27 X 2
22692 Part 2 (COLLAR, SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNT (DUFFY STEEL PARTS) ) $0.45 X 2
369095 Part 8 (RUBBER, SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNTING) $4.74 X 2
369097 Part 9 (BASE, RR. SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNTING) $18.62 X 2
369099 Part 10 (AL, SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNTING) $3.80 X 2
369101 Part 11 (PLATE, SHOCK ABSORBER MOUNT) $1.79 X 2
369103 Part 12 (RUBBER, RR. SPRING MOUNTING) $9.71 X 2
369105 Part 13 (COVER, RR. DUST) $7.22 X 2
369109 Part 15 (PLATE, BUMP STOP) $2.15 X 2

DTR
11-18-2003, 09:19 AM
Frankly i havent gone yet, simply because the waether hasnt gottin cold enough here in chicago to hear the noise on a more consistant level. but as soon as it does get cold im taking it to the dealer, fuk it its warranty work(my cars still stock) so let them "fix" it. but ill let u guys know what happened. if someone beats me to teh punch let ME know too.

team ERA 5
11-29-2003, 12:23 AM
its the tie rods....honda fixed it..well the actually sprayed a lot of wd40 on the steering rack and it went away...

cease
11-30-2003, 06:17 PM
the "rubbing noise" just started on my ride. mines comming from the rack and pinion rubber boots. im going to put some cooking oil lets see if that works