Honda Car Forum

Hi all! I have a serious reoccurring problem with my 1996, Honda Accord
(2-dr, 5-speed). At 230,000 kms, it is in need of it's 7th wheel bearing.
About three years ago, the Px side rear bearing started to act up; I
replaced it. A year later and 30,000+ kms, later, the same bearing went
again. And again, the same bearing one year later. About two weeks ago, my
front driver's side started to act up. I replaced it today as it was really
starting to get loud. To my surprise, on the drive home, the whining sound
is still there but not as loud. The mechanic at the dealer stated on the
invoice that he checked the right rear bearing and it indeed needed to be
replaced (again). However, I don't think he checked the driver's side rear
bearing as it is also making noise (I am getting good at diagnosing which
bearing is acting up). That will make is seven bearings in only 115,000
kms!
I have spoken with 4 service managers or Honda mechanics way back when I was
only on my fourth bearing. All state that this is highly unusual. One told
me to contact Honda Canada. I did. They may as well have laughed at me, as
it was quite clear that even though they admitted it was unusual, there was
nothing they could do and I should be complaining to a service manager.
I am not willing to let this go. I have owned 6 different Honda vehicles. I
have only ever changed 1 bearing before - eve r- and that was on a '79
accord; it need new rotors and the bearing had seized onto the rotor; the
bearing was still ok. All of my previous cars have lasted to the 400,000-km
mark too. I also own a 90-hp Honda outboard motor and various other Honda
products. I believe I am entitled to a little more customer loyalty.
Does anybody have some suggestions or contacts for my next step?
One more thing and this may sound a little funny. Through the course of
speaking to other people about this problem I have heard an interesting
diagnosis from two different people. They state that a bad ground can cause
premature bearing failure. The logic is that the engine is on rubber
mounts - electrically isolated from the frame. If the frame builds a static
electric charge, the only course it can take to the engine is to arc through
the bearings. It sounds so ridiculous that it might actually be true.
Ironically, one of the first things I noticed with this car was that I
always got one helluva shock whenever I exited the vehicle. Whaddya think?

What did you do to your Accord? Does it still use original springs and wheel?

MajBach wrote:

> Hi all! I have a serious reoccurring problem with my 1996, Honda Accord
> (2-dr, 5-speed). At 230,000 kms, it is in need of it's 7th wheel bearing.
> About three years ago, the Px side rear bearing started to act up; I
> replaced it. A year later and 30,000+ kms, later, the same bearing went
> again. And again, the same bearing one year later. About two weeks ago, my
> front driver's side started to act up. I replaced it today as it was really
> starting to get loud. To my surprise, on the drive home, the whining sound
> is still there but not as loud. The mechanic at the dealer stated on the
> invoice that he checked the right rear bearing and it indeed needed to be
> replaced (again). However, I don't think he checked the driver's side rear
> bearing as it is also making noise (I am getting good at diagnosing which
> bearing is acting up). That will make is seven bearings in only 115,000
> kms!
> I have spoken with 4 service managers or Honda mechanics way back when I was
> only on my fourth bearing. All state that this is highly unusual. One told
> me to contact Honda Canada. I did. They may as well have laughed at me, as
> it was quite clear that even though they admitted it was unusual, there was
> nothing they could do and I should be complaining to a service manager.
> I am not willing to let this go. I have owned 6 different Honda vehicles. I
> have only ever changed 1 bearing before - eve r- and that was on a '79
> accord; it need new rotors and the bearing had seized onto the rotor; the
> bearing was still ok. All of my previous cars have lasted to the 400,000-km
> mark too. I also own a 90-hp Honda outboard motor and various other Honda
> products. I believe I am entitled to a little more customer loyalty.
> Does anybody have some suggestions or contacts for my next step?
> One more thing and this may sound a little funny. Through the course of
> speaking to other people about this problem I have heard an interesting
> diagnosis from two different people. They state that a bad ground can cause
> premature bearing failure. The logic is that the engine is on rubber
> mounts - electrically isolated from the frame. If the frame builds a static
> electric charge, the only course it can take to the engine is to arc through
> the bearings. It sounds so ridiculous that it might actually be true.
> Ironically, one of the first things I noticed with this car was that I
> always got one helluva shock whenever I exited the vehicle. Whaddya think?

Also, are you using a quality replacement bearing or a cheap jobber part
from CanadianTire, NAPA etc? Those parts only last 30,000km if your lucky.
At least with the factory part they manufacture them to TRY and get you
through the warranty period!
Craig,


"Sean Dinh" <seannydinh@znet.com> wrote in message
news:3F0F35B2.515A252C@znet.com...
> What did you do to your Accord? Does it still use original springs and
wheel?
>
> MajBach wrote:
>
> > Hi all! I have a serious reoccurring problem with my 1996, Honda Accord
> > (2-dr, 5-speed). At 230,000 kms, it is in need of it's 7th wheel
bearing.
> > About three years ago, the Px side rear bearing started to act up; I
> > replaced it. A year later and 30,000+ kms, later, the same bearing went
> > again. And again, the same bearing one year later. About two weeks ago,
my
> > front driver's side started to act up. I replaced it today as it was
really
> > starting to get loud. To my surprise, on the drive home, the whining
sound
> > is still there but not as loud. The mechanic at the dealer stated on the
> > invoice that he checked the right rear bearing and it indeed needed to
be
> > replaced (again). However, I don't think he checked the driver's side
rear
> > bearing as it is also making noise (I am getting good at diagnosing
which
> > bearing is acting up). That will make is seven bearings in only 115,000
> > kms!
> > I have spoken with 4 service managers or Honda mechanics way back when I
was
> > only on my fourth bearing. All state that this is highly unusual. One
told
> > me to contact Honda Canada. I did. They may as well have laughed at me,
as
> > it was quite clear that even though they admitted it was unusual, there
was
> > nothing they could do and I should be complaining to a service manager.
> > I am not willing to let this go. I have owned 6 different Honda
vehicles. I
> > have only ever changed 1 bearing before - eve r- and that was on a '79
> > accord; it need new rotors and the bearing had seized onto the rotor;
the
> > bearing was still ok. All of my previous cars have lasted to the
400,000-km
> > mark too. I also own a 90-hp Honda outboard motor and various other
Honda
> > products. I believe I am entitled to a little more customer loyalty.
> > Does anybody have some suggestions or contacts for my next step?
> > One more thing and this may sound a little funny. Through the course of
> > speaking to other people about this problem I have heard an interesting
> > diagnosis from two different people. They state that a bad ground can
cause
> > premature bearing failure. The logic is that the engine is on rubber
> > mounts - electrically isolated from the frame. If the frame builds a
static
> > electric charge, the only course it can take to the engine is to arc
through
> > the bearings. It sounds so ridiculous that it might actually be true.
> > Ironically, one of the first things I noticed with this car was that I
> > always got one helluva shock whenever I exited the vehicle. Whaddya
think?
>

On Fri, 11 Jul 2003 17:45:30 -0400, "MajBach" <majbach@sympatico.ca> wrote:

>Hi all! I have a serious reoccurring problem with my 1996, Honda Accord
>(2-dr, 5-speed). At 230,000 kms, it is in need of it's 7th wheel bearing.
>About three years ago, the Px side rear bearing started to act up; I
>replaced it. A year later and 30,000+ kms, later, the same bearing went
>again. And again, the same bearing one year later. About two weeks ago, my
>front driver's side started to act up. I replaced it today as it was really
>starting to get loud. To my surprise, on the drive home, the whining sound
>is still there but not as loud. The mechanic at the dealer stated on the
>invoice that he checked the right rear bearing and it indeed needed to be
>replaced (again). However, I don't think he checked the driver's side rear
>bearing as it is also making noise (I am getting good at diagnosing which
>bearing is acting up). That will make is seven bearings in only 115,000
>kms!

I guess you'd have noticed if you had a dragging brake? No noticeable tire
problems - like cupping or extreme uneven wear?... wheels are running true
and well balanced? I can see where, with a high mileage vehicle, one might
expect an occasional wheel bearing failure but the repetition might point
to a problem with the installation - possibly misalgnment on the axle,
wrong lubricant or water getting in. Have you seen one of the failed
bearings to see if it's showing signs of corrosion or water mixed with the
grease... or uneven wear?

>I have spoken with 4 service managers or Honda mechanics way back when I was
>only on my fourth bearing. All state that this is highly unusual. One told
>me to contact Honda Canada. I did. They may as well have laughed at me, as
>it was quite clear that even though they admitted it was unusual, there was
>nothing they could do and I should be complaining to a service manager.
>I am not willing to let this go. I have owned 6 different Honda vehicles. I
>have only ever changed 1 bearing before - eve r- and that was on a '79
>accord; it need new rotors and the bearing had seized onto the rotor; the
>bearing was still ok. All of my previous cars have lasted to the 400,000-km
>mark too. I also own a 90-hp Honda outboard motor and various other Honda
>products. I believe I am entitled to a little more customer loyalty.
>Does anybody have some suggestions or contacts for my next step?
>One more thing and this may sound a little funny. Through the course of
>speaking to other people about this problem I have heard an interesting
>diagnosis from two different people. They state that a bad ground can cause
>premature bearing failure. The logic is that the engine is on rubber
>mounts - electrically isolated from the frame. If the frame builds a static
>electric charge, the only course it can take to the engine is to arc through
>the bearings. It sounds so ridiculous that it might actually be true.
>Ironically, one of the first things I noticed with this car was that I
>always got one helluva shock whenever I exited the vehicle. Whaddya think?

The engine is not isolated from the body though, or the starter would never
work, the alternator would have a hard time and the ignition would have an
awful weak spark, if any at all. All the Hondas I've seen have a heavy
ground strap from the battery to frame to transmission mount and a smaller
one from one of the valve cover studs to the front valance. Even without
that there are other ground paths such as the speedometer cable or the VSS
sensor wiring - not what you'd want of course. Reminds me of a story about
VW Rabbits, where the main engine ground strap would lose contact and the
speedometer cable would melt and seize.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

On Sun, 13 Jul 2003 13:28:57 -0500, "Jafir Elkurd"
<jafir@nospam.no.spam.hotpop.com> wrote:

>The bearings in a 96 Accord should all be sealed units, with no chance for
>improper lubrication. The only thing I can think of would be improper
>installation or maybe taking the Accord rock crawling...
>

I'd be more inclined to suspect a wheel/tire imbalance for the bearing
going bad. It's easy to live with a slight imbalance in the rear and tire
shops often do not do a good job of tire/wheel balancing. Not long ago I
had to have a flat fixed in an emergency and asked for a rebalance but it
was never right and I had to go to my usual tire shop to get it done right.

Rgds, George Macdonald

"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??

"MajBach" <majbach@sympatico.ca> floridly penned in
news:TeGPa.19212$Tx.979769@news20.bellglobal.com:

> Hi all! I have a serious reoccurring problem with my 1996, Honda
> Accord (2-dr, 5-speed). At 230,000 kms, it is in need of it's 7th
> wheel bearing. About three years ago, the Px side rear bearing started
> to act up; I replaced it. A year later and 30,000+ kms, later, the
> same bearing went again. And again, the same bearing one year later.
> About two weeks ago, my front driver's side started to act up. I
> replaced it today as it was really starting to get loud.



Silly question: Do you have aftermarket wheels?


--
TeGGeR®