2003 rear vibration at 40 mph while accelarating

[jbroda]

My 2003 CR-V with 115K miles vibrates in the rear while accelerating and it is mostly noticeable around 40 mph. I rotated the tires and the vibration stayed in the rear. Based on my research in this forum, it is probably the the propeller shaft. I took it to a local mechanic and he checked the run-out on the drive-shaft and he said that it looked fine to him. He took it for a drive but he said that he could not narrow the vibration down to the drive-shaft. Instead he over-inflated the tires and that somehow lessened the vibration. Any suggestions on how to proceed? Thanks!

[BigIslandV]

My first question is... Have you done a drain and fill of the rear differential fluid, ever?

['Curly Q Links']

My first suggestion was going to be 'transmission shudder' or tranny shutter' which is caused by neglected tranny fluid. The first drain-n-fill will tell you if that's the problem, then do it twice more to get the old juice OUT.

Make sure to use DW-1 as a replacement fluid.

It's excellent.

[jbroda]

My differential and ATF fluids should be in good condition. I replace them regularly with Honda recommended fluids. Current mileage is 112,000 miles.

3x drain and refill ATF: Jul 18, 2009 at 91,138 miles
1x drain and refill ATF: Sep 19, 2010 at 102,240 miles
1x drain and refill ATF: Jul 30, 2011 at 111, 417 miles

rear differential fluid: Sep 28, 2008 at 82,995 miles
rear differential fluid: Jul 30, 2011 at 111, 417 miles

[jbroda]

The transmission fluid should be still good. I did 1x drain and refill a month ago.

Yesterday I dropped the propeller shaft. The u-joints felt notchy and did not feel smooth like a "baby's wrist". The notches appear to be at the 0 degree angle positions. It seems like they are the "default" positions for the u-joints. Should they be there or not at all?

Anyway, dropping of the propeller shaft did not eliminate the vibration at acceleration.

I had two independent mechanics try diagnosing the problem and they could not find the cause of it. All the suspension components looked fine to them. The last one said it felt like a drive-line problem and suggested taking it to the dealer, since all they see are Hondas. I have an appointment for Thursday.

Is it possible that the notchy U-joints caused some damage to the transmission (i.e. torque converter) and hence the vibration?

Originally Posted by 'Curly Q Links'

My first suggestion was going to be 'transmission shudder' or tranny shutter' which is caused by neglected tranny fluid. The first drain-n-fill will tell you if that's the problem, then do it twice more to get the old juice OUT.

Make sure to use DW-1 as a replacement fluid.

It's excellent.

[sgtsandman]

No, the u-joints wouldn't cause a transmission problem. Though, I would look at getting them replaced. Rockford Driveline has the u-joints. It's not a must do right now thing but I wouldn't put it off too long either.

[06whtcrv]

Originally Posted by jbroda

My 2003 CR-V with 115K miles vibrates in the rear while accelerating and it is mostly noticeable around 40 mph. I rotated the tires and the vibration stayed in the rear. Based on my research in this forum, it is probably the the propeller shaft. I took it to a local mechanic and he checked the run-out on the drive-shaft and he said that it looked fine to him. He took it for a drive but he said that he could not narrow the vibration down to the drive-shaft. Instead he over-inflated the tires and that somehow lessened the vibration. Any suggestions on how to proceed? Thanks!

Try rotating the tires. Start with back to front. Then put the spare on to see if you can narrow it down to just one tire.

[jbroda]

I took the car to the dealer and they've determined that both front axles (half shafts) need to be replaced. According to the Honda service specialist, one axle is too lose while the other is too tight. I have not replaced them yet.

[chiph]

Hmm. The symptom for bad CV joints is clicking noises when making sharp turns. Unless they're really far gone, they shouldn't be making noise when going straight.

Did they say how they found this out?

Chip H.

[jbroda]

There's no noise, only vibration when accelerating. I did not ask them how they determined the cause. Maybe by elimination. Earlier I had the tires balanced and rotated. Then, I removed the propeller shaft. I also changed the ATF.

Originally Posted by chiph

Hmm. The symptom for bad CV joints is clicking noises when making sharp turns. Unless they're really far gone, they shouldn't be making noise when going straight.

Did they say how they found this out?

Chip H.