Honda - Element :: 2003 - Vibrating Sound Throughout The Car When Driving Between 50 - 70 Mph
Nov 2, 2014
About a year and half ago I purchased a 2003 Honda Element and while it's a good car it has one noticeable issue. Whenever I'm driving between 50-70 mph there is a very noticeable vibrating sound throughout the car. More specifically the sound and vibrating seems to come from the the front and rear wheels. Also when I go over bumps or potholes there are prominent clunks up front as well. Would this have to do with my tire rods, CV boots or even struts?
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I have owned this car for about 6 months now and cannot get to the bottom of this sound/action. I have taken it to multiple shops, including the dealer where I bought it from, a Honda dealership, and two other shops (Firestone Complete Auto Care, and a local shop which is goodyear backed.) Here is the deal:
When I accelerate past 50 mph and up to 75 miles per hour, and also when I cruise at any speed between those numbers, my car has a very distinct vibration in both the seat and steering wheel. It also has a sound that matches the intensity and magnitude of the vibration itself. The sound and vibration intensifies and decreases with changes in speed, the sound changes pitch when turning the wheel from one side to another, and the vibration gets worse as I drive up or down hills. This sound also gets louder if I apply the brakes suddenly, but also decreases with the speed of the car.
Things I have had checked:
Ball bearingsRims (One rim was actually bent (steel rims), and now is replaced.)Alignment (This was actually done at least 4 times since I've had the vehicle)Replaced tires (to rule out tire noise, and also the tires were going bad from what I believe is this problem)
I have had this car test driven to try to get opinions and either the shop denies that they hear anything, or say they do not know what the sound could be. It sounds like it is coming from the front right. I have been told by the dealership from where this car came that the sound is "road noise" and should be ignored. I disagree, because if it is "road noise" then it should go away when driving on different surfaces. When I have had my alignment checked, Firestone found that my camber on my front right and left rear were off to the right, but were still within specifications. They also said there was nothing they could do, and suggested if I wanted it fixed, I should take it to a body shop.
Included are a scan of the alignment results from Firestone, and a sound clip of the sound that is captured on my phone. Also, the sound can be heard throughout the recording, but is especially clear at around the 42 second mark.
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Had my catalytic converter stolen, along with the trailing O2 sensor. Muffler shop replaced the converter but did not have the correct sensor so had to order it. My understanding is that the trailing sensor is used to assess the efficiency of the converter. I have the leading O2 sensor installed and the car seems to run fine. Driving a 2005 Honda Element 5 speed. Question: am I running the risk of damaging the engine while driving it without the trailing sensor?
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My 2006 honda element was taken into a national tire and repair service that I use often . Told them to check my brakes for grinding sound. They concluded that the brakes were safe but could remove a rust or glazing for x dollars. I refused after they said again they were safe. 9 days and 400 miles later ( going to pick a cemetery plot for my dad ). I felt something funny on my front end .
(Out of nowhere ) at driving slow to make my appt . BANG, my front tire flies off across 4 lanes of traffic . Luckily I was nearly in front of a repair shop. They took it, I and told them to repair it and got a ride to my appt. The next day it was done for 400.00 .. It needed a new wheel because the holes were elongated and various parts . Upon returning to my initial repair shop to get a wheel alignment. They feel it could not be their fault when they removed my tires initially because of the 400 miles since they checked my brakes .
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My driver side airbag suddenly deployed while driving - Honda refuses to acknowledge this as a safety issue and will not cover the repair expense.
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I have a 2007 Honda Element. When I am driving at slower speeds (<20mph) and turn sharply the vehicle shudders very hard. What is causing this?
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My Element sputters and/or stalls after driving through standing water in the roadway as during a heavy rain. Not really deep water, just normal roadway puddles and gutter overflow. Does not happen in light rain, but has happened after a car wash with an undercarriage wash. Feels like the car is running out of gas, sputtery, no response when giving it gas, may or may not stall. After driving a few minutes, the problem goes away.
Two mechanics, including the dealer, have looked at it and can find no obvious reason, but of course it never exhibits the problem at the shop. Both mechanics say this could be umpteen different causes.
I've only owned the car about 10 mos (purchased used through dealer with warranty, one owner, clean carfax, pristine maintenance) and this has happened maybe 5-6 times. ~112k miles.
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I found today that when I depress and release the brake while my car is in park, there is a clicking sound coming from the gear shift. It only occurs in park and other works fine. I have done some research and some say that it is the solenoid in the Brake Transmission Shift Interlock.
if this is the case? If it is, is this something that I should get fixed and could fix myself? I am fine with the clicking, I just don't want to not be able to shift the car into and out of park.
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Honda Element 2003 187K miles ... The problem started awhile ago when I went out of town for 4 days and came back and the care would not start. It has been getting worse now to the point that it is less than a day and I have trouble starting it up. I will have to jump the battery to get the car going. The Honda service center has checked the battery and alternator several times and they are good. I keep thinking it is an electric problem but i can turn everything off and it still happens.I really can not afford a car note and I have kept up with all my on schedule maintenance for the car. I have had to redo the motor mounts before, brakes, and fuel gauge switch in the last year. The dealer is suggesting to replace the alternator anyway but why if their test says it is ok. The battery has been replace in 2010 also.
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I recently brought it in for the air bag recall. They replaced both front airbags.
Now they say I need a controller module. Does that mean the air bags won't deploy in a crash?
Are the deployed on impact electrically or mechanically?
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I have a 2003 Element in very good condition. I have religiously taken it to my local Honda Service and the car is maintained in accordance to the manufacturer's guidelines. My Element has 113,000 miles and has not had any problems until recently. On numerous, but inconsistent occasions when I turn on the engine, cold and warm, the idle is lower and the engine quieter than normal (almost feels like the engine is not on). When I begin to drive, it doesn't bolt out and gradually moves slowly. I could drive for several blocks and it appears normal until I come to a stop; the engine dies and I have to restart. This does not happen all the time, but when it does, it's only the when I turn the ignition and the engine turns on and the idle is lower than normal. When the engine is turned on and the idling is higher, I don't have this problem. I have taken this to my Honda service on two occasions and they could not find anything abnormal. I asked them to check the fuel line; they said they did (don't know if they actually did or just told me they did).
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My 2003 Honda Element's radio has been messed up for several years. The speakers are fine but the radio must be disconnected from the antenna because it is impossible to stay in tune. How difficult is it to lift off the face plates on the dash and try to reconnect the radio. Additionally, the lights on the speedometer appear to be getting ready to burn out.
The light behind the defroster dial has been out for a while and now the light behind the heater dial needs a few good taps for at light to appear. Can my husband and I repair these things or should we take it to the dealer or some kind of car radio and dashboard expert. Will it cost a fortune or will it cause further damage if we try to do it ourselves?
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I have a 2003 Honda Element with 124,000 miles and it runs like a gem. I purchased it at 99,000! It has slowly developed a dull thunking sound in the left rear (seems to be left rear). I hear this sound when traveling at lower speeds on bumpy surfaces. I don't hear the sound at highway speeds nor do I hear it when my brother (who is a mechanic) stand on the back bumper and jumps up and down really hard after removing everything from the inside of the car. We have had it up on the lift to look at everything underneath and there is nothing thunky when wiggled.
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Recently I started hearing a rattling/grinding metallic sound coming off the right rear while driving slowly. This sound is not reproduced when braking.At first it started while doing sharp right turns only, now its ever present while driving. I showed it to a mechanic he says rotors needs to be replaced. Is he right? 2003 Honda Accord V6....
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The "D" on my 2004 Honda Element has been flashing lately. It has been happening occasionally for the past couple of days. Most of the time when I notice it, I stop, restart the car, and then it stops flashing. The flashing also continues even when it's in park or reverse. Most people on other forums say that it is a transmission issue so what specific transmission issue it is most likely.
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I put my Honda Element in storage for 6 months while traveling. Upon my return I found the battery was dead (expected that) and have that fixed, But, the big problem is the engine light is on steadily, and the car hardly drives. It "pulses" , or wants to go, even with brake on. I have to put it in neutral at stop lights, as I am afraid it may take off. When idling, it pulses. I accelerated while in neutral and the highest i could get it to go was 5k, pulsing the entire time. Someone suggested I put a product into gas tank called Heat.
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I have a 2004 Honda Element with 115,000 miles. The transmission is going. Is it worth it to put another transmission in it? How long does a rebuilt transmission last?
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Three times this winter my car failed to start on cold mornings after sitting in the garage all night. When I return later, it starts perfectly. I have all the interior light turned off. Even though my battery and alternator checked out OK, I went ahead and replaced the battery. The connectors were cleaned and scuffed up for better connection. I had my brake pads replaced last week and once again they said the electrical system and battery were good. This is such a mystery as it only fails to start 1 out of 100 times.
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Whenever I am on wet pavement, and even on a slight incline, my Honda Element shudders a bit before grabbing the pavement. I have the original tires that came with the - used - car, which I bought three years ago. It's not a big problem, but is a slight irritant. Is it a problem with the tires or something more serious?
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No problems and then at 82000 with no warning, the clutch froze and wouldn't go into gear. I coasted into the dealer and learned, after analysis, that one spring had broken. The clutch still had 40% on it, but one spring had snapped. I saw it. They replaced with a Honda Clutch disk with new pilot bushing, throw-out bearing, rear main seal, pressure plate, and manual transmission fluid. This description is taken from the invoice.
So, my question is, could my driving have caused this? A friend, the other day, said I am waiting too long to shift to 2nd and it could cause the problem, he thought. I usual shift around 3000, but now am shifting from 1st to 2nd at 15mph per manual. I thought the only problem with delaying shifting was poor gas mileage, as long as I didn't go into red, which I don't. I want to prolong the life of this new clutch and want to make sure I am treating it gently.
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My 2008, standard transmission, Honda Element just turned over 100,000 miles recently. Over a year ago the engine started making a "hurrr hurrr hurrr hurrr hurrr" noise and shaking the whole car while I'm sitting at a light or stop sign without touching the gas pedal. If I turn the air on it will stop, but starts up again if I turn the air back off. It doesn't do it all the time, and of course didn't do it when I took it to a mechanic to have it checked out in June. They hooked it up to check for engine codes, and got nothing, so they weren't really sure what to fix since they couldn't make the engine do what I was describing. They did bring a whining noise the engine is making to my attention, and suggested replacing the alternator and 2 associated belts in the engine. While they were in there fixing things, they noticed the lubrication looked contaminated - like water had somehow gotten inside - but couldn't say how.
Unfortunately, my car is pretty much right where it was before visiting the mechanic - only now I notice the constant whining that gets louder when I press the gas pedal, as well as the occasional shaking and "hurrr hurrr hurrr hurrr hurrr." People who ride with me notice the whining too, and whenever the engine starts shaking they think I should have it looked at. to which I reply, "yes, I have. fat lot of good it did me."
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