Hi All,

Today I noticed what I believe to be a sound that always occurred, but was much louder. The sound comes from somewhere near the steering console when the car is started via the dash button, or stopped. Prior to crank on start, and after engine stop. Attached video plays the sound twice. The first time is shutting the engine off, and the second when starting again. I'm 99% sure that this sound has always occurred but today it got much louder and more of a whine to it. It sounds like something actuating/moving. The weather has been very cold here and while normally this car is parked in the garage, it has been outside the last couple of nights. This is a 2013 Honda Accord LX.

Can anyone tell me what this sound is so I can investigate further?
Thanks,
Rob

 

Sounds are tough to diagnose even with video. The noise sounds like it is inside the car. To be sure, open the hood and have an assistant start the car. Listen for that sound in the engine bay. The sound might be louder and just resonating into the car, because the car's interior doesn't have many components that could make that noise. The hvac controls and possibly the electric power steering are the only two items that come to mind.

When the car is running, try changing the fan speed, vent/defrost settings, and temperature settings (the combined or dual zone) and listen for that noise or a quieter version.

 

@PAhonda Thank you for your reply. After some more searching I found a few threads (across multiple groups) that had videos with the same sound. The consensus is that this sound is the steering column lock mechanism, unlocking on start and locking on stop. The lock has a motor that actuates a metal slide into the steering column. Another commonality is that it happens in colder temperatures. I suspect that this happening is an early warning sign that the motor is starting to fail and the strain is greater in cold temps. This car has been in frigid temps before and this is the first time we are noticing it. I'm pretty handy when it comes to fixing cars, but this mechanism is designed to be difficult to replace (non-tamper bolts etc.). Also, I never look forward to working around the airbags. I'm hoping this goes away when the temps get above 20F and doesn't come back.

Thanks again!!
Rob

 

Hopefully it goes away, but experience says that failing items don't fix themselves. I find looking at the shop manual procedures and youtube videos will determine if I want to attempt the repair myself. I definitely don't recommend doing a job that you aren't confident in attempting.

Good luck.