This started when I had a car full of stuff and people so it was rather weighed down. On the highway the sound I thought was my exhaust got louder. Upon cruising in neutral it turned out it wasn't the exhaust.

I thought the back of the car was weighed down causing more air to go under the car and resonating something but I still hear this noise when its just me in the car. It seems to be coming from the back of the car.

-It doesn't seem like the brakes because the noise is there regardless of whether or not I step on the brakes
-I can hear it at any speed, even at 20mph, but it does get faster and louder with speed
-Could be the tires themselves but I rotated them just now and the sound still its there and coming from the same spot
-It goes away when I'm going around a turn

Any ideas on what it could be and tips on how I can figure it out? Ive meticulously searched the underside of my car and tires.

Heres a video link to the noise. You can hear my exhaust and then I throw it in neutral and you can hear it. This is on the highway at 75mph. At 0:17 you can hear it.

VIDEO0007 - YouTube


Thanks

 

Couldn't really tell from the video......but the description is sounding like a bearing issue.

I'd check them - all four as it sounds like the rear but I can tell you "sounds" travel - I had a "squeek" on turns that I was SURE was from the front, I was wrong, a bushing in the left rear trailing arm is the issue....too bad you can't get those anymore on a 3rd gen ....bone yard time.

 

Well its a humming thats a little higher pitched than the exhaust.

Researching it, thats what it seems like is a bearing. I recently replaced both front bearings with my rotors so I'm assuming and hoping its from the back. Ill jack up the car and check for that.

Thanks

 

Got an IFR temp reader? If so check the temp of the "hubs" after a drive, one side hotter than the other ?

Again this is just my "guess" based upon the description - others might chime in. We all read things slightly differently

 

I do have one actually. Thats a good idea. I will try that was well.

 

I jacked up the car and shook the tires as well as spun them around. Nothing, no play, no weird sounds.


I tested the temps. I pointed at the rotor since id have to reach around for the hub. Unless Im supposed to point directly at the hub?
The readings for the tires were all around 130 degrees except the back left which was 150 when I first read it and then quickly dropped down. I dont think these are significant enough to say anything is causing excess friction.

Does it still seem like a hub or is there something else?

Is like a sound you would hear from poorly designed rims that would make a noise going through the air. If that makes sense. But this has just occurred and it happened when I had quite a load on my car.

 

I usually go for the hub so I'm not guessing at a possible brake drag issue....yes, some heat would still travle to the hub.

Is the noise still there, part of your comment has me wondering?

Can you rotate the tires and see if the noise moves?

 

The noise has gone down but it's still there. Sometimes louder than other times but not as loud as the first few days.

The noise didn't move or get better when I rotated the tires though. I tried that after the second or third day that it happened. Still comes from the back. Maybe right side.

It only sometimes stops when i go around turns but I noticed that when I hit a small bump and one of my tires was airborne for a second it stopped. Don't know which one. I think something is rubbing when the weight of the car is on it but looking and running my hand around it, I can't find what. This all started when I had the trunk weighed down with stuff originally.

 

Im gonna go with a bad wheel bearing and replace the back two I think. The sound seems exactly like its described and it would make sense that the bearing goes bad after putting a larger load on the rear tires.

My car has abs and its a bit tricky to find which hubs are compatible since the other 5th gens dont have abs. How do I know by looking at the hub? Is it because of the ridges along the hub?

 

5th Gen Accord EX and some LX had ABS. The ridges are the gear pulsers used by the wheel sensors to detect the rotating speed of the wheel, which sends the pulse information to the ABS control unit.

This Honda bulletin list the part numbers for vehicles with ABS and w/o ABS.

Honda Bulletin 98-018

There are various aftermarket suppliers such as Beck/Arnley, Timkin, etc.