1991 Accord LX (2dr 5spd) - TECH HELP NEEDED!!!

[jimmym86]

This is very strange and would like other opinions on what you all think it might be. This is happening to my sister's car and both her and my father described it the same (I have not driven it yet).

The Problem:

From my sister and father's explanation...While you are driving the car and not accelerating (coasting) or inbetween shifts (with your foot off the accelerator), it feels like you have a flat tire (makes bumping sound) and the car pulls to the right and you are able to feel the vibration through the steering wheel as well as hear it coming from the front of the car. But once you step on the accelerator it acts normal. It does not matter if you have it in N 1 2 3 4 or 5...once you let off the accelerator, the event described above occurs(regardless of MPH).

Now the odd thing is it does not happen all the time. Sometimes the car will drive 3-4 days without a problem. But once it happens, it will continue to drive that way the remainder of the trip/day.

Thoughts:
I KNOW its not a flat tire...
I don't think that it could be the driveaxles (cv joints) b/c if it were it should be happening consistently and mainly while accelerating through turns...
I don't think it could be any part of the suspension b/c of how inconsistent the problem occurs and how it corresponds with the throttle...

My only thought is that it could have something to do with the transmission...either something where the driveaxles connects to the transmission or something internal. I was probably going to check to make sure the transmission fluid is full, in good condition, and possibly drain, flush, and refill it to see if it helps.

ANY suggestions/opinions on what could be causing this would be greatly appreciated as I am pretty stumped right now!

Thanks!

[mpumas]

The cheapest first thing is to move the front tire to the rear and bring the rear tire up to the front. Then see if you still have the same problem. Could be a tire belt has become detached.

[Igovert500]

This is so odd, this exact same problem just started occuring on my family's Subaru. Exact same thing. At higher speeds the vibration is much more noticeable. At first I only noticed it at 60+, now I can notice it at speeds as low as 30. It doesn't happen when accelerating or braking, only when coasting. The second you get back on the gas it goes away. And it is intermittant as well. I've literally had it happening for an hour straight on the highway. Pulled over for gas, started it back up, took it out, and it didn't come back for a few miles. Sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not.
Rear driver's side tire.

I havn't yet had the opportunity to do much invesigating either. I'll let you know if I find anything.

[jimmym86]

Originally Posted by Igovert500

This is so odd, this exact same problem just started occuring on my family's Subaru. Exact same thing. At higher speeds the vibration is much more noticeable. At first I only noticed it at 60+, now I can notice it at speeds as low as 30. It doesn't happen when accelerating or braking, only when coasting. The second you get back on the gas it goes away. And it is intermittant as well. I've literally had it happening for an hour straight on the highway. Pulled over for gas, started it back up, took it out, and it didn't come back for a few miles. Sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not.
Rear driver's side tire.

I havn't yet had the opportunity to do much invesigating either. I'll let you know if I find anything.

I'll do the same for you...Is the Subaru RWD or FWD? I'd say if yours is FWD as well, there is a good chance that it could be something to do with the tire (belt), but you'd think something wrong with the tire would occur all the time and not sporadically. Definitly has me stumped!

[jeffcoslacker]

I think you are going to find the hub bearing damaged on the side it pulls towards...It's rare, but I have experienced a few hub bearing failures in which the bearing would try to bind and seize intermittantly, exhibiting a stong steering pull to that side accompanied by a thumping sound or sensation....changing the direction of the torque loading (i.e. giving it gas) will bring them out of it when this happens....

In one instance (going way back here kids) I had a car brought to me ('81 Chevy Citation) with the EXACT same complaint. I asked her how long it had been going on, she said several months, getting more severe as time went on...

On the rack it didn't seem to have any unusual rolling resistance or noises, etc, and the brakes and halfshafts were fine, and couldn't duplicate it on a test drive. Unable to tell her anything useful, we cut her loose and told her to bring it back when it was doing it more frequently.

When she brought it back, she warned me that it was now quite severe, and if it did it the ONLY way to deal with it was to give it gas, then steer out of it while accelerating. I took off for a ride, trying to fit that nugget of info into any problem I'd experienced before, and couldn't find a fit, and the car was driving perfect up to that point.

Then, at about 50 mph on a big four lane road, I took my foot off the gas and looked over my shoulder to see if I was clear to change back to the right lane, and felt the wheel suddenly take on a life of it's own...the car was leading left and even though I was steering to the right easily (no binding), it continued to "slide" to the left, and just before I hit the barrier I remembered what she said and gave it some gas, at which point the condition cleared itself, the car drove normally, and I had control again.

It did this a few more times on the way back to the shop once it did it the first time. I was amazed she'd been driving it that way for so long and hadn't wrecked yet. I didn't get to see the pieces after the hub was pressed out (sent it out to be pressed)...but I remember the guy asked me on the phone with some concern if someone had really been driving it that way...I told him yeah...ME...he said when he was setting it up to press, as soon as he put any pressure on the cage, the inner section fell apart and dropped out...it was that close to loosing a wheel.

Had a Jeep that was a shop vehicle do something very similar...again, it was tracked back to the bearings in the front hubs. It would slide around on the road crazily like you were on ice when you hit the brakes sometimes, other times it drove fine.

My gut tells me you will find your problem to be a similar situation.

[Igovert500]

Well mine doesn't pull at all to either side yet. But the vibrations can get pretty serious. The first time it happened I was up around 90mph and I thought I had just lost a wheel...it was that bad. I've had less violent tire blowouts. I'll check it out when I have a chance.

Also the Subaru is AWD.

[jimmym86]

Thanks Jeff! I would never had thought of that. I will let my dad know and have him give that a shot. I will be sure and post up the outcome.

Thanks again!!!

[mpumas]

When you find out what is causing the problem, tell us. We want to know.

[LILT23]

I Can Tell You Guys Thats My 91 Wagon Was Doing That Also But At Different Times... I Found It Was The Front Rotors Causeing The Whole Problem From Heat Warp ... Now Don't Hold Me To It But If There Is A Warp It Would Pull And Feel A Vib When You Are Driving ... I Changed Both Rotors Problem Gone No More Vib Or Pulling


Hope That Helps You Out A Little More

[ProMan]

You should check if the wheels lug nuts are tightened asap. It's very possible the nuts are loose.