My car is a 1997 Honda Accord SE.
Automatic
137,000 miles

This afternoon, all of a sudden, I started hearing a clicking sound when pressing the brake peddle while the car is in park. I have never heard this before (and have owned the car for the past 9 years).

It feels like it is coming from the gear shift area.

I searched DIY and didn't find anything. I searched General Tech Help and found this post: https://www.hondaaccordforum.com/for...pressing+brake

In this post they reference the Shift Interlock Solenoid. Is that the likely culprit? Is there a way to check it out? If it suddenly becomes loud, is that a sign of it getting ready to fail? If it does fail, is there a way to manually override it?

Thanks very much!!!!
Jeff

 

Yes.

Yes if you want to pull the center console. Might be able to lube it? Never really tried...just live with it on the 95.

Normally they don't fail, just get loud with time.

Yes you can by-pass it, just know that the car will go into gear without pressing the brake-Small children warning!

 

You can also insert your key to mechanically unlock the shifter if it becomes a problem.

 

This may be totally unrelated....

Today as I was driving I suddenly heard a rattle that seemed to be coming from inside the center of the dashboard (near the radio or gear shift). I pulled all the junk out of the compartment and the noise persisted. I opened the glove box and the noise did not change (get louder).
The rattle seems to occur as I go over bumps.

I do have a suspension issue (sounds like a creaky bed spring) that I am trying to figure out, but this rattle doesn't sound like it is related.

I had a similar issue w/my Subaru which turned out to be a motor mount being loose (after a head gasket repair). I checked under the hood to make sure I didn't leave any sockets or anything foolish lying there after doing an oil change. I also looked to see if there were any mounting brackets there, but didn't see any.

I am only posting this as a follow-on because it is weird that these two noises have come up w/in 2 days of each other. Is there any chance they are related?

Thanks all!

 

PA-I spaced on that "Easy" fix/by pass.

jjpcampbell-Could be realted? It's hard to describe sounds in words, so hard to call. Interlock getting old/loose/mis align'd/ect could be the source....again, you can always pull the console to confirm/inspect. Not too bad just a slight pain.

The "creaky bed spring" sound. Have you located the corner (LF, RF, LR, RR) it is coming from? Pushing up/down on each corner of the car, can you hear it or is it only while driving.

 

Thanks for the responses!

Oddly enough, the "new" rattle is gone now. I'll keep monitoring that sound. I'm now thinking something could have fallen into the vent... I will pull out my Haynes manual and try pulling the console.

The creaky sound came up when it got cold (about a week or so ago). When it warmed up, the sound when away or minimized. When it got cold again, the sound came back.
I can not reproduce the sound when pushing on the corners of the car. It seems to only occur when the car is moving. When driving, it sounds like it is coming from the front right, but I haven't confirmed this from outside the car.

When I am driving, if I wiggle the steering wheel back and forth I can get the sound to occur easily. If I do the same thing w/the car NOT moving, no sound.

Things that have been done:
Sway bar end links
Upper control arm bushings (both left and right)
Lower ball joint (both left and right). Boot on the right is torn.

I don't know when the shocks were replaced (I've had the car since 60,000 miles). But when I push down on any of the corners, I get no bounce, so I'm thinking they are ok.

I just read on this forum about the front radius rod bushings. I am going to look for those this weekend.

Any other suggestions are appreciated!

 

Sway bar bushings?
I don't know why they would be silent when you push down on one corner. But should be kinda easy to work some grease into them.

 

JimBlake,
The bushings, "looked" ok. I didn't see the same cracks as I did on the end links. But they are probably original.
I tried spaying some silicone spray on them... and that didn't seem to make much difference (I sprayed a few other spots too so if there was a change in sound I can't isolate what caused the change).

I will try popping them off and getting some grease on them.
Thanks

 

Sorry to continue this here. I'm thinking this should now be a separate thread but am not sure whether I should do that or if that would be up to a moderator....

I have not yet been able to get under the car again as it has been too dark and cold (and I have no garage)....
However, these past two days have been much colder (10 Fahrenheit) overnight and my car has NOT been making the noise. So it was making noise when the temp was in the mid 20's, not making noise in the mid 30's and not making noise in the teens.
Is that a clue to something or a coincidence?

 

I'm thinking its a coincidence, I'd go more for humidity or water than temps. Especially since the "colder" it got it quit, the colder the temp the harder the rubber? At least that is my line of thought for now,,,,