I figured I would ask here, since everyone can relate to the cold weather down here. I'm getting a really weird "whinning" noise, really loud, from the rear, when accelerating in 2nd, 3rd, 4th ect. - It's extremely loud, but I figured it's just due to the cold weather, the fluid isn't at it's normal temp. It's coming from the rear. I've done several searches, and came up with the conclusion, it's the sympton of a failing diff?

Good thing I have a 100k mile warranty if so. But is anyone having this occur with the cold weather?

 

Is this only happening when the car is still cold (ie: not w/ 3 bars on the temp gauge)? After it reaches 3 bars, does the sound go away? At what RPM are you shifting (3k, 5k, 7k, 9k, etc)?

~Kim~

 

yeah, we need more info. i am in boca and my car hasn't been whining. although i have been since the chill made it this far south!

 

If it's "extremely loud", I wouldn't drive the car! Please have someone qualified listen to it (e.g. Honda Dealer, Jap Tech, Honda Golden Wrench). From your description, it could be the differential, wheel bearings or possibly the CV joints.

Answers to these questions may help with an armchair diagnosis.
How many miles are on the car?
Have you ever changed the differential fluid? If so, at what mileage(s)?
Does the loud sound disappear when the car warms up?

Good luck with this.

 

Just a little over 32,000 miles. The fluids from my knowledge have been changed, the car is "Honda Ceritifed Used". It just started doing it, and it does it after the car is completely warmed up. It's pretty loud, you can't hear the radio unless it's passed half. And this is in the majority of the rpms, when you get on it, you just hear a really really high pinched and quieter whine, but your cruising, it's an extremely loud pitch whine.

Regardless of where I shift, it's still present. To give you an exact idea of what it sounds like, picture this:

If anyone is familiar with B-Series engines (IE. B16A, B18C, ect.), you know the sound when you go in reverse that Honda is known for? That sound when you accelerate in reverse a little. Well, that is what my car sounds like when in any gear going forward!

Does anyone in the area have experience to really diagnos the issue before I call Pompano Honda for a warranty claim? I would be willing to make any drive within reason for someone to look and drive it to make sure everything is ok.

Shrug... - Just my luck... The car drives perfect tho, just sounds like a damn race car coming down the street, hehe.

 

And it only happens upon accelerating? If it happens during deceleration, then you most likely have the infamous "deceleration buzz" popular among MY00 and MY01. If not, it could be your rear differential or JV joints.

 

I hope I'm wrong, but I have this awful feeling someone's been doing a lot of clutch drops with this car before you got it. Or, they have had "gears" put in incorrectly.

 

To be honest, the owner that had the car before me babied it. It was some older person, with alot of money that simply traded it in for a "new" model. The car has only seen one extra set of tires and the "new" tires have nice thread on them. So I don't think he did alot of clutch drops, and I wouldn't dare attempt it even myself, being I know the S2000 diff is decently weak.

I just think it's all in bad luck, and being the diff is made by Mazda/Ford (?) so I hear, that doesn't help either. I've babied it like gold myself personally. I'm taking it into Pompano Honda tomorrow for the repair.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by mav
And it only happens upon accelerating?

 

That's the typical "used car" story... Owned by an older person, never VTEC'ed it blah blah. Where's my ? Unless the previous owner was a close friend of the family, they lied to you. This is why I would never buy an used car, especially an used S2000. You just never know what the previous owner did or didn't do... I feel very very sorry for whoever owns MY01 5149 now.

BTW, avoid Pompano, take it to Rick Case.