Honda - Element - Noises :: 2003 - Left Rear Thunking When Traveling At Lower Speeds On Bumpy Surfaces
Mar 9, 2014
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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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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So recently my R has started making noises that sound like they're coming from the rear end. It's hard to describe noises with words, but the noises are seemingly random except they occur more a lower speeds (5-15 mph) and I don't hear them at all above ~35 mph. It sounds like it's coming from the rear axle area, but it's hard to tell. The noises themselves are kinda like thunks, or pops or clicks.
The type of noise actually changes a lot as well: Sometimes it sounds like a popping noise a spring will make with being loaded/unloaded, sometimes it sounds more the thunk you'd get when a loose metal part shifts and hits another metal part. Sometimes is more like a groan you would hear from a large metal ship under stress from a wave or the like...
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Well a picture says a thousand words so that plastic cover?/roof tonneau?/whatever is rattling when the top is up. Its a bit annoying when everything else in the cabin is tomb quiet so im going to try to remedy it tomorrow with some adhesive silicone. The same stuff that prevented leaks into my trunk will now be used to stop rattles (I hope).
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Girl next door has a 2010 Chevy Impala w/31k mi. Has a buzzing noise from LF while traveling. This is not a clunking CV joint, so don't tell me that. Not a wheel bearing, okay.
This occurs while traveling straight at 20 and up. I jacked LF up. Noise very noticeable on left while in forward gear, but not reverse. Noise more audible in cabin than outside. In neutral, spun wheel by hand, no noise. Compared right side, same tests, no noise.
New brakes last year. Brakes look real good as do rotors. Consulted three mechanics, none have ever heard of this before.
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It started happening after our week vacation at the beach. Not sure if the salty air caused this or what. We mainly notice it at lower speeds on bumpy/gravel roads. No noise when the sunroof is open.
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I drive 2007 ES350, lately I am getting clunking noises from rear, inside or underneath the trunk, when going over bumpy roads. I have removed everything from the inside of the trunk except for spare tire and tools in foam, etc.
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2004 Honda CRV just over 100k miles.
Brakes are now about 8 months old (less than 1k miles/month). Tires are also about that old.
Other new stuff (done by dealer about 4 months ago) includes: ball joints, wheel bearings, control arm.
I had to take it to a mechanic (not a Honda-only mechanic) to get a safety inspection in order to register it in the new place I'm living and he said "Everything looks new!" I had asked him to look specially at the brakes due to the noise described below. He said they seemed fine.
The issue I've been having is as follows: when the car is hot, i.e. after driving 100+ miles , and when traveling at very low speeds, the brakes make a sort of groaning sound. I recently made a 400-mile 1-day trip; no noise when exiting, pulling up to the gas pump, etc. But as soon as I got into the city where I was going, and did a lot of stopping and starting, I would get a noticeable groan coming to lights, stop signs, etc. No noticeable change in brake function. When I just get in the car to make a quick trip after it's been sitting for a day, or a few hours, I do not get this noise.
So, honestly, I'm not worried about safety, just very puzzled. The noise is definitely a recent occurrence--starting about 5 months ago. I would love to have it fixed, but would prefer to be able to direct a mechanic's attention to something specific rather than giving carte blanche to take apart the front end again!
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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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I have a 2003 Honda CR-V with 150,000 miles that, up til now, has been a dream car. Now, at moderate speeds (30ish) it occasionally starts vibrating like I'm driving on a very washboarded road. It immediately quits if I let up on the gas. I don't notice it at higher speeds (freeway driving) or when going very slowly. It seems to initially be brought on by hitting a bit of rough road. I think it feels like it is in the rear of the car and it seems more noticeable on the right (passenger side). We had new shocks put on the FRONT about 3-4 months ago and I think the problem coincided with that but my husband disagrees and says he noticed it before then. We took it to our usually wonderful and reliable shop and, as could be predicted, they could not get it to replicate the problem. We took it back again and they drained and replaced all the transmission fluid thinking that might be the problem. It still does it, although I think it does it a bit less. It also seems to me that the car, which never had a very smooth ride, is even stiffer and bumpier than before. What's going on? Could this be a drive train issue? Transmission? Should we have also done the rear shocks at the same time as the front?
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For a while my G35 has been making a thunking sound from the front end when either I go over bumps or I apply the brakes lightly at speed. It happens on both the right and left side (i.e. if I go over a bump with my left tire, it happens on the left side, with my right tire, on the right side, etc). Before I take it to mechanic need to determine if it's something I can fix myself.
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I'm a mechanic but work only on cars so I'm a little shy on diagnosing trucks. I have a 2001 7.3 f250 4x4 short bed, when I give it gas I can hear a clunk, when I let off of the gas I also hear a clunk. Also when traveling at high way speeds I can feel a strong vibration when I very lightly give it gas but the vibration goes away as I give it more gas.
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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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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 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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Just had control arms all replaced under warranty and it's still making chattering noises in the front suspension on broken rippled surfaces same as before ?? Front shocks were also replaced 6 months ago ...
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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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Having read the very informative Phaeton Suspension Self Study Guide. What is the speed at which the Phaeton automatically goes into 'low level' mode?
According to the above schematic, the car will automatically lower itself after traveling at 87 MPH for more than 30 seconds. Great on the Autobahns of Germany, but inducing potential license loss elsewhere.
Would be good if we could invoke that mode at a slightly reduced speed.
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My wife has a 2002 Hyundai Elantra that has a rotational noise coming from the left rear wheel. We just got it back from the shop where they replaced the left front wheel bearing and rear brakes/rotors, and the right/rear wheel bearing was replaced about a year ago. It's a thumping noise that speeds up proportionally to the speed of the car. Normally I'd expect a bad tire or warped rotor, but the tires are relatively new and we didn't notice the problem before we took it to the shop last week (though it's possible we weren't hearing it over the wheel bearing noise they fixed). Is it possible we got a bad rotor, or the shop did something wrong? Or could this be something new entirely (which would be entirely typical for this car).
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The lower speaker grill is cracked, with one side pushed in and the other side pushed out. I would like to "iron" the crack back to a flat condition and see if it will be acceptable. If not I will need to get a new speaker grill. I looked, poked, and prodded, but cannot see how to gain access to the speaker. It doesn't appear to snap in. Is it secured from the back side?
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I have a 2009 RX350 with 51,000 miles (just 1000 over warranty). The left rear strut developed a bad leak and has begun making the noises associated with the failed strut. I will be changing out both rears and have two questions that I cannot find info for on the web.
1) I noticed the 2 latches on the side covers inside the back area to remove the panel and expose the rear strut tower, are these the only two latches I need to remove to access the upper bolts, or are there hidden screws or things I need to do to remove the panel?
2) What are the torque specs for the rear strut bolts?
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