Sime

Now, I'm really confused.

Driving to work the other day on the expressway, at about 80mph, I start getting this really weird vibration through the seat of my pants...kind of like when you drive over those cut marks in the expressway shoulder that are designed to wake you up if you nod off to sleep. The vibration happens intermittently when in gear under cruising conditions, but it gets more intense the faster I go. At speeds under 60mph, it is not noticable.

So, I put my clutch pedal in and the vibration gets stronger. It always happens when I put the clutch in, but only sometimes when the car is under power cruising (or accellerating/decellerating). Now, I've already had both half shafts replaced under warranty due to the CV problem, had the Clutch TSB done...all this all completed only 1500-2000 miles ago. The vibration is different to the vibration I got when my CV's were fried.

If it helps in the diagnosis, my new clutch feels weaker than the original, and last week, I had this ticking sound from somewhere in my car when I put the clutch in coming to a rolling stop. Couldn;t find where the ticking was coming from. Checked the brakes and all was fine. Still has the ticking sound though.

Does anybody have an idea what this may be? Is it the differential? My car is currently at the dealer right now being diagnosed and I'll get it back in the morning. (Took it in this morning 8/27). They didn't call me today to report any problems which could mean one of four things:

1. They couldn't reproduce the problem (most likely! )
2. It was nothing major and they fixed it easily
3. It is major and they're not going to cover it under warranty
4. They didn't get to look at it yet

My car has the KG/MM springs, OEM dampers, 18" wheels. Will they say this problem is suspension related. It seems like the drivetrain to me. Could it be something they did not fit correctly when they did the clutch TSB originally?

Thoughts most apppreciated!!!

Thanks,

Chazmo

Ticking? Vibration? Hmm... At the risk of asking ignorant ?'s....:

1) Think maybe you just knocked the wheels out of alignment, Sime?

2) Maybe there's some linkage (U-joint?) in the drivetrain that's lost elasticity or something?

Can't really give you a good armchair diagnostic. I do think that if the shaking continues with the clutch in, then either the clutch is fried, or the problem is in the drivetrain/suspension...

Sorry, best I can do.

John MI blk/blk '01

Sime,

I had the tsb done recently for the decel buz. The clutch engagement definately feels weaker. I too have noticed a tick sound since the clutch was replaced, however, as soon as I press the clutch pedal the sound disappears.

I can see why your confused about the vibration especially because it is erratic and it doesn't matter whether or not the clutch is engaged. It sounds like a problem with the install of the cv joints and not the clutch. Do you notice any vibration when you rev the engine in neutral?

John

Sime

Thanks for the suggestion Chazmo. I don't think it's the wheel balance as I had them balanced only 1500 miles ago. Besides, the problem I have feels decidedly different than when your wheels are off balance. It definitely feels like the problem is with the drivetrain.

Not sure about the linkage thing....

John, from what I recall, there doesn't seem to be a vibration with the car in neutral and the car is at rest. It seems to be when the car is moving. But I could be wrong...

Thanks anyway!

chipperman

Something is out of balance here. I had a similar problem in my Subaru that we finally fixed today after two years of replacing almost everything. It turned out that the driveshaft was bent ever so slightly and you couldn't see it until we put it on a lathe. Just the teeniest bit. Wierd harmonics when running. No idea how it happened. Check it out. Good Luck.

Sime

Well, some progress.

Got a call from my dealer today and they said they needed my authorization for 8 hours of labor to remove and refit my transmission. If it was a warranty item, they'd pay....if not I would have to wear the $700 odd in labor and parts.

Well, that dog was certainly NOT going to hunt. No guarantees that it even was the tranny anyways! So, I called AHM and started a case file on my problem.

About 2 hours later, the service rep calls me and says...."I think we found your problem". Me:

So, he says "Well, we looked at your driveshaft (propshaft, not the half shafts) and we found that of the four bolts, TWO were completely missing, and the other two were held on by a few threads". So, that was comforting to know!

When they did the inspection for the half shaft replacement 3 months ago, the first thing they did was replace the driveshaft from a new S2000 to see if that was out of whack. It's evident that when they put my S2000 back together, they tech goon only finger tighened the nuts and then forgot to torque them!!! Wonder if the same thing is about to happen on the other S2000 as well!

So that would explain the supposed loud 'thunk...tink...tink..tink' sound I heard last week ( bolt and nut being flung out at high speed), and then the unbalanced gearshift. I haven't got my car back yet (get it tomorrow afternoon as they had to overnight the bolts in), but I HOPE that's what it was.

Pray for me!

The Unabageler

never trust honda dealerships to do good work.

OTOH, glad to hear they found the problem! Now you need to get them to check your differential and transmission for collateral damage. And they better foot the bill for that too. I would demand a replacement propshaft to start, as it wouldn't suprise me that at the very LEAST the CV joints were damaged as a result.

Chazmo

Great that they found out what it was, Sime. Also great that they fessed up to you about it. I guess you should be glad! If the driveshaft had dropped while you were driving... Well, it wouldn't be pretty.

Mind telling me why you needed half-shaft replacements recently? Was that TSB work, or something else. Just curious, really...

I'll be your car'll feel very, very different (like new) when you get it back! Tnx for keeping us posted.

Billman250

I'm a machinist that fabricates driveshafts every day. Two bolts missing and two bolts loose? DEFINITELY your problem. This will cause the shaft to shift from it's center. Major shakes man.

Sime

Sounds like a plan. I think I'll have a firm word with the Service Director of Surburban Honda...maybe even the dealer owner.

So those bolts being loose/missing...........educate me if you will please Unabageler....how could they have damaged the propshaft, or even the differential / half shafts? Because of the bouncing bolts, or maybe the out of balance propshaft?

Also, HAD the driveshaft become completely disconnected (at one end) at say, 70mph, exactly WHAT would/could have happened to me, or the car?

Is it possible that the driveshaft could have ripped up into the cabin taking me out in the process?????

To think of it, it was only a matter of time before something really bad happened!

Now, I'm freaked out!

Cheers,