Hi. I am hoping you can help me. I drive a 1996 Honda Accord EX 4 cylinder, "unmodified" 205,000 miles 5 speed... No real issues. Drives amazing for a car that is 18 years old..

Yesterday I was driving in University Heights San Diego. I was driving the speed limit and without any warning signs or yellow painted areas I bottomed out super hard on a dip in the road that was obviously put there to slow keep people from speeding, there were 4 more in a half mile area....

My car started "whining". I was super freaked out that I had just done serious damage to my car. I immediately checked the oil and the transmission fluid as those were the first things that came to mind. Both were fine... <side note I am a computer tech not a mechanic, I really don't know much about cars>

Here are some specifics of what makes it "whine" : decelerating at speeds below 40 mph, also down-shifting at these slower speeds make the noise.
It never makes any noise while accelerating at any speed. Never on the highway.
This morning i did some more "testing" and realize I get the same noise at any speed in any condition if i turn on the interior fan used for heat or AC.

So I assume I damaged a fan, can anyone help me get a idea on what this is. I have friends that are mechanics but they both have the flu and aren't available.

Thanks so much...

Mike

 

Just went and saw my mechanic. It was the main engine fan, I bottomed out so hard the front got bent enough to touch the fan slightly. Very loud noise. He unscrewed a few things near the radiator, and we physically pulled the body area with our hands and weight and unbent it....

no more noise... much less stressed out....