Rear Passenger Suspension noise

Taff7Si · 05-14-2007, 11:13 PM

Hey guys, I'm starting this thread to separate this issue with other suspension issues (ex. left front clunking), since this is starting to be a common problem (sticky?).

I videorecorded the noise for those that are having trouble diagnosing this problem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1UPni84NDM

The vid shows me reversing with my camera phone looking up in the back seat

Background: I have a 2007 Si coupe that started making this noise around the end of winter after 3 months ownership. It had gotten worse to the point where anytime I rolled <5mph the rear would creak like in the video. I went to the dealership and tech said it was probably something wrong with the bushings, so I had my RR strut and associated bushings replaced under warranty, and now the noise is gone.

Hope this helps

***mohouse*** · 05-14-2007, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taff7Si

Hey guys, I'm starting this thread to separate this issue with other suspension issues (ex. left front clunking), since this is starting to be a common problem (sticky?).

I videorecorded the noise for those that are having trouble diagnosing this problem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1UPni84NDM

The vid shows me reversing with my camera phone looking up in the back seat

Background: I have a 2007 Si coupe that started making this noise around the end of winter after 3 months ownership. It had gotten worse to the point where anytime I rolled <5mph the rear would creak like in the video. I went to the dealership and tech said it was probably something wrong with the bushings, so I had my RR strut and associated bushings replaced under warranty, and now the noise is gone.

Hope this helps

I have the same issue, and i went to the dealership. They inspected the suspension and said it was fine. They said that the noise was coming from the body seam. I dunno if i am convinced about that.

GALAXY~SI · 05-15-2007, 12:07 AM

Well tell them to fix it or you gonna contact honda no reason the car should be making any noise unless you have an after market suspension like me

blue1 · 05-15-2007, 10:20 AM

It sounds like the lower bolt on the strut was loose...Try torquing it back down and see if the sound goes away.

SIis4ME · 05-15-2007, 10:36 AM

This problem is coming from the rubber mount on the rear strut. take the rear strut out and remove the sleeve off and lubricate the components pit the sleeve back and the noise goes away. I had the same problem with my 07 si sedan fortunate for me it was only the rear driver side shock doing it not both. My noise became worse after I put the thicker rear sway bar on the car. Don't worry it's nothing just the rubbers mounts, you don't even have to do anything just put your radio up and it's fixed, if you have the neccessary tools to do it then fix it.

Taff7Si · 05-15-2007, 12:03 PM

mohouse: you should get it checked out by a more co-operative dealer as your new car should not be making these kinds of noises. Do it before your warranty runs out.

Blueroadster: The suspension integrity was inspected by the Honda dealer technician, and he found no loose components/fasteners.

SIis4me: The strut rubber mount/bushing appears to be the source of the problem as described by my Honda technician as well, hence the replacement of the complete strut and mount/bushings, and now the problem is gone.

a10thunder · 05-15-2007, 12:31 PM

This definitely needs to be a sticky. There's been a lot of posts about this problem. I had my rear shock replaced at 3000 miles.

People have described the noise as clunking, clicking, and popping. The noise is most obvious when you're traveling at low speeds (< 10mph).

When you take your car to the dealership for inspection, do not be vague and say there's a noise coming from the back of the car. Tell them it's the shock making the noise. Some dealers are not aware that this is a common problem. Fortunately, I went to a dealer that was aware. It took them a couple of days to order the shock and the install was an hour.

BTW, rear shock replacement is done through the trunk. The mechanic won't touch the wheel.

***mohouse*** · 05-15-2007, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by a10thunder

This definitely needs to be a sticky. There's been a lot of posts about this problem. I had my rear shock replaced at 3000 miles.

People have described the noise as clunking, clicking, and popping. The noise is most obvious when you're traveling at low speeds (< 10mph).

When you take your car to the dealership for inspection, do not be vague and say there's a noise coming from the back of the car. Tell them it's the shock making the noise. Some dealers are not aware that this is a common problem. Fortunately, I went to a dealer that was aware. It took them a couple of days to order the shock and the install was an hour.

BTW, rear shock replacement is done through the trunk. The mechanic won't touch the wheel.

I totally agree!! Can Webby or any mod make this a sticky. So many people have the same exact issue in the same area in the right passenger rear suspension. The most common causes seems to be shocks/struts. I am still not sure about the "body seam" theory. I scheduled a road test with the dealership for friday, and this is with a different and bigger dealership. Hopefully they can diagnose issue more accurately.

blue1 · 05-15-2007, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by a10thunder

This definitely needs to be a sticky. There's been a lot of posts about this problem. I had my rear shock replaced at 3000 miles.

People have described the noise as clunking, clicking, and popping. The noise is most obvious when you're traveling at low speeds (< 10mph).

When you take your car to the dealership for inspection, do not be vague and say there's a noise coming from the back of the car. Tell them it's the shock making the noise. Some dealers are not aware that this is a common problem. Fortunately, I went to a dealer that was aware. It took them a couple of days to order the shock and the install was an hour.

BTW, rear shock replacement is done through the trunk. The mechanic won't touch the wheel.

From the trunk, you access and remove the top strut bolt, rubber grommet, and washer and that is it. You have to remove the lower strut bolt as well from the outside and remove the strut itself from the outside.

blue1 · 05-15-2007, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taff7Si

mohouse: you should get it checked out by a more co-operative dealer as your new car should not be making these kinds of noises. Do it before your warranty runs out.

Blueroadster: The suspension integrity was inspected by the Honda dealer technician, and he found no loose components/fasteners.

SIis4me: The strut rubber mount/bushing appears to be the source of the problem as described by my Honda technician as well, hence the replacement of the complete strut and mount/bushings, and now the problem is gone.

That's cool...In my area, I learned to not trust the dealer or their technicians a while ago.

Taff7Si · 05-15-2007, 01:29 PM

a10thunder: Mine was the first one my mechanic had seen with this problem, so yes definitely not all dealers are aware of it. Has the noise returned at all for you? We're still not sure whether this problem is due to a defective original part, or it develops over time.

blueroadster: I am a real paranoid guy too, so I was watching them like a hawk the whole time I had my car there

mohouse: take a10thunder's advice and tell your mechanic that it's the strut assembly. That's what I did and I got a replacement right away (after the part got there). The thing is that the shop gets paid less for warranty work, so it would actually be beneficial to them to simply order the part and do a 1 hr install, vs. doing a 2 hr diagnostic and another 1 hr install afterwards (unless they got no work). Just mention that multiple ppl have had their strut assembly replaced to correct this.

a10thunder · 05-15-2007, 02:00 PM

I've gone 1000 miles since the shock replacement and no noise so far. Hopefully, it was just a bad batch from the supplier. Although it was a huge batch since the problem covers '06 and '07 models. If the shock goes bad after warranty, I guess it'll be a good excuse to upgrade to the HFP kit.

Honda should definitely issue a recall for the rear shock. If not, I'll be pretty disappointed with them.

***mohouse*** · 05-15-2007, 03:10 PM

I also noticed that when i press down on the body when i open the trunk, it makes the knocking sound sometimes, (on and off).

blue1 · 05-15-2007, 03:44 PM

Rear suspension clunking and clicking sounds are not caused by the rubber bump stops on the stock strut. When a strut goes bad it still does not cause a clunk or click sound. I'm still betting that the lower strut bolt was not torqued correctly or other things were done to the suspension that have not been mentioned.

srscivicsi · 05-15-2007, 04:18 PM

I had this problem myself. I went and torqued the bolts myself and the noise was still there. I was able to feel and hear the noise coming from the upper part of the shock as I pushed down on the rear of the car. I ended up bringing it to the dealer and showing them the problem. They ended up replacing the shock. The noise is now been gone for 2000 miles. The only thing I wonder is why does it seem to always be the rear passenger side.

Taff7Si · 05-15-2007, 05:49 PM

srscivicsi: That's kind of what the Honda tech did too. He had someone raise and lower the car on the hoist to load and unload the suspension, while he inspected the strut mount from the trunk. He was able to feel a difference in the deflection between left and right.

srscivicsi · 05-15-2007, 06:08 PM

I actually noticed a much stronger vibration from under the car on the upper part of the shock. I didn't feel nearly as much vibration from the bushings inside the trunk.

blue1 · 05-15-2007, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srscivicsi

I actually noticed a much stronger vibration from under the car on the upper part of the shock. I didn't feel nearly as much vibration from the bushings inside the trunk.

How did you test this?

There is a bushing above (in the trunk area) and below (exposed to the environment) on the strut itself..

srscivicsi · 05-15-2007, 07:50 PM

I pushed the car up and down to create the noise while feeling around various parts of the suspension until I found the spot that generated the most vibration.

jb07si · 05-16-2007, 08:57 AM

Mine makes a slight creak at very low speeds, i tried depressing the rear of the car manually and could not replicate the noise. If i get down with my head near the wheelwell and push the car sideways then it clunks. I was trying it with my hand on the shock to see if i could feel any play when i realized the the plastic dust cover for the top of the shock seemed to be the culprit but now i am not so sure after reading this thread...

05-14-2007, 11:13 PM	#1 (permalink)
Taff7Si Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 273 iTrader: 1 / 100%	Rear Passenger Suspension noise Hey guys, I'm starting this thread to separate this issue with other suspension issues (ex. left front clunking), since this is starting to be a common problem (sticky?). I videorecorded the noise for those that are having trouble diagnosing this problem: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1UPni84NDM The vid shows me reversing with my camera phone looking up in the back seat Background: I have a 2007 Si coupe that started making this noise around the end of winter after 3 months ownership. It had gotten worse to the point where anytime I rolled <5mph the rear would creak like in the video. I went to the dealership and tech said it was probably something wrong with the bushings, so I had my RR strut and associated bushings replaced under warranty, and now the noise is gone. Hope this helps

05-15-2007, 05:49 PM	#16 (permalink)
Taff7Si Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 273 iTrader: 1 / 100%	srscivicsi: That's kind of what the Honda tech did too. He had someone raise and lower the car on the hoist to load and unload the suspension, while he inspected the strut mount from the trunk. He was able to feel a difference in the deflection between left and right. Last edited by Taff7Si; 05-15-2007 at 05:56 PM.

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05-15-2007, 12:07 AM	#3 (permalink)
GALAXY~SI Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Chester NY Age: 21 Posts: 12,180 Kurt iTrader: 17 / 100%	Well tell them to fix it or you gonna contact honda no reason the car should be making any noise unless you have an after market suspension like me

05-15-2007, 10:20 AM	#4 (permalink)
blue1 Senior Member Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,566 iTrader: 7 / 100%	It sounds like the lower bolt on the strut was loose...Try torquing it back down and see if the sound goes away.

05-15-2007, 10:36 AM	#5 (permalink)
SIis4ME Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bayonne, NJ Age: 42 Posts: 80 ROMULUS iTrader: 0 / 0%	This problem is coming from the rubber mount on the rear strut. take the rear strut out and remove the sleeve off and lubricate the components pit the sleeve back and the noise goes away. I had the same problem with my 07 si sedan fortunate for me it was only the rear driver side shock doing it not both. My noise became worse after I put the thicker rear sway bar on the car. Don't worry it's nothing just the rubbers mounts, you don't even have to do anything just put your radio up and it's fixed, if you have the neccessary tools to do it then fix it.

05-15-2007, 12:03 PM	#6 (permalink)
Taff7Si Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 273 iTrader: 1 / 100%	mohouse: you should get it checked out by a more co-operative dealer as your new car should not be making these kinds of noises. Do it before your warranty runs out. Blueroadster: The suspension integrity was inspected by the Honda dealer technician, and he found no loose components/fasteners. SIis4me: The strut rubber mount/bushing appears to be the source of the problem as described by my Honda technician as well, hence the replacement of the complete strut and mount/bushings, and now the problem is gone.

05-15-2007, 12:31 PM	#7 (permalink)
a10thunder Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 67 iTrader: 0 / 0%	This definitely needs to be a sticky. There's been a lot of posts about this problem. I had my rear shock replaced at 3000 miles. People have described the noise as clunking, clicking, and popping. The noise is most obvious when you're traveling at low speeds (< 10mph). When you take your car to the dealership for inspection, do not be vague and say there's a noise coming from the back of the car. Tell them it's the shock making the noise. Some dealers are not aware that this is a common problem. Fortunately, I went to a dealer that was aware. It took them a couple of days to order the shock and the install was an hour. BTW, rear shock replacement is done through the trunk. The mechanic won't touch the wheel.

05-15-2007, 01:29 PM	#11 (permalink)
Taff7Si Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 273 iTrader: 1 / 100%	a10thunder: Mine was the first one my mechanic had seen with this problem, so yes definitely not all dealers are aware of it. Has the noise returned at all for you? We're still not sure whether this problem is due to a defective original part, or it develops over time. blueroadster: I am a real paranoid guy too, so I was watching them like a hawk the whole time I had my car there mohouse: take a10thunder's advice and tell your mechanic that it's the strut assembly. That's what I did and I got a replacement right away (after the part got there). The thing is that the shop gets paid less for warranty work, so it would actually be beneficial to them to simply order the part and do a 1 hr install, vs. doing a 2 hr diagnostic and another 1 hr install afterwards (unless they got no work). Just mention that multiple ppl have had their strut assembly replaced to correct this.

05-15-2007, 02:00 PM	#12 (permalink)
a10thunder Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Philadelphia, PA Posts: 67 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I've gone 1000 miles since the shock replacement and no noise so far. Hopefully, it was just a bad batch from the supplier. Although it was a huge batch since the problem covers '06 and '07 models. If the shock goes bad after warranty, I guess it'll be a good excuse to upgrade to the HFP kit. Honda should definitely issue a recall for the rear shock. If not, I'll be pretty disappointed with them.

05-15-2007, 03:10 PM	#13 (permalink)
*mohouse* mmmmyaaaaaah! Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: San Jose, CA / the 408 / Bay Area Age: 27 Posts: 6,968 Mo iTrader: 6 / 100%	I also noticed that when i press down on the body when i open the trunk, it makes the knocking sound sometimes, (on and off).

05-15-2007, 03:44 PM	#14 (permalink)
blue1 Senior Member Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,566 iTrader: 7 / 100%	Rear suspension clunking and clicking sounds are not caused by the rubber bump stops on the stock strut. When a strut goes bad it still does not cause a clunk or click sound. I'm still betting that the lower strut bolt was not torqued correctly or other things were done to the suspension that have not been mentioned.

05-15-2007, 04:18 PM	#15 (permalink)
srscivicsi Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bay Area Age: 30 Posts: 35 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I had this problem myself. I went and torqued the bolts myself and the noise was still there. I was able to feel and hear the noise coming from the upper part of the shock as I pushed down on the rear of the car. I ended up bringing it to the dealer and showing them the problem. They ended up replacing the shock. The noise is now been gone for 2000 miles. The only thing I wonder is why does it seem to always be the rear passenger side.

05-15-2007, 06:08 PM	#17 (permalink)
srscivicsi Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bay Area Age: 30 Posts: 35 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I actually noticed a much stronger vibration from under the car on the upper part of the shock. I didn't feel nearly as much vibration from the bushings inside the trunk.

05-15-2007, 07:50 PM	#19 (permalink)
srscivicsi Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bay Area Age: 30 Posts: 35 iTrader: 0 / 0%	I pushed the car up and down to create the noise while feeling around various parts of the suspension until I found the spot that generated the most vibration.

05-16-2007, 08:57 AM	#20 (permalink)
jb07si Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 28 iTrader: 0 / 0%	Mine makes a slight creak at very low speeds, i tried depressing the rear of the car manually and could not replicate the noise. If i get down with my head near the wheelwell and push the car sideways then it clunks. I was trying it with my hand on the shock to see if i could feel any play when i realized the the plastic dust cover for the top of the shock seemed to be the culprit but now i am not so sure after reading this thread...