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Help me diagnose what is causing my Odyssey to vibrate while driving

18K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  Tony4509 
#1 ·
I consider myself pretty well versed with all things mechanical, but I have not been able to figure out why my van is vibrating so much.

I bought the van used with 23,000 miles. My wife primarily drove it for the first 7,000 miles of us owning it and she complained about this vibration among other things, but I blamed it on her hating even the idea of a van. Now it is my daily driver and, yeah, it's annoying.

What does it feel like?

The sensation is like driving on a rumble strip on the highway, only reduce that harshness by about half. I feel this sensation through the pedals, the steering wheel and even listening to anything that would generally rattle a little bit in the cabin. THE VEHICLE IS VERY INCONSISTENT WHEN IT DOES AND DOES VIBRATE, THIS IS NOT A CONSTANT PROBLEM. The vibration also does not make it feel like I'm not in control of the vehicle. It will still track straight if I take my hands off the wheel. I feel this sensation when:

1. Driving at speeds from 15-80mph
2. Turning right (but not turning left for some reason)
3. Coasting (both in drive and in neutral)
4. Braking (sometimes)
5. Eco mode or full V6 mode
6. Freshly paved roads or older roads

What have I done about it all?

At first, I thought that it was due to the rear OEM Michelin tires being worn down to 2/32 (fronts were 5/32). So I replaced them all with Firestone Destination tires (speed rating is the same). I also had the vehicle aligned at the same time. The only thing that was wrong with the rear camber was off .02 degrees (negative).

The vibration got a little better, but still persisted.

Then I did a transmission fluid drain and fill. This helped with some slightly rough shifting, but did nothing for the vibration.

Then I went to the dealership to see what they could find out, but when I got the vehicle back, they declared that they did a transmission computer update and that I needed to get my tires road force balanced. Of note, the dealership also gave me a printout of my alignment stats and tire stats and it said that front camber, front toe and rear toe all were out of specs. But they also said that my rear camber was ok. Everything was the exact opposite from the print out that I was just given at Firestone 150 miles prior...

At this point, I went back to Firestone to get my tires road force balanced. The technician tells me he only had to adjust the two front tires by adding 1/4 oz on each one. The vehicle still exhibited the vibration as I drove away.

I scheduled the van to go back to the dealership shortly thereafter. Since I felt like something was awry with how my alignment numbers didn't mirror each other between Firestone and the dealership last time, I took the van to get an alignment from Firestone on the same morning I was dropping it off at the dealership. The difference in distance was only 1 mile between the two places, so I knew I'd have some ammo if they produced another diagram and try to tell me that I needed an alignment now. After giving it to them all day, I get a phone call around 6pm telling me that the van is ready to pick up and that they had two technicians drive and look it over and could feel no vibration at all. As discouraging as that was, when I went to pick it up, there was no service technicians even available to talk to, just the cashier that I got my keys from.

So where do I go from here? I asked the dealership to tell me if my brake rotors were warped or had uneven wear (and got no answer on that) but my vehicle doesn't pulse or feel noticeably different when braking. I asked them if the CV Joint or axles were worn or damaged (no answer). I asked them if the struts were bad (no answer). They did tell me that the transmission was "fine." And I guess that may check out seeing as how the car still vibrates while in motion and in neutral. But what else could it be? I'm stumped. The only thing I can think of is that one of my struts is "bad" (but at 32,000 miles?!) but how can they even test that?

My next step is that I will probably take it to a different dealership, but I have a sinking suspicion that it will always come back without a problem being found. I may also convert my brake rotors to the new style (45251-TK8-A02) to see if that may help, but I'm not holding my breath.

Let me hear your opinions!
 
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#2 ·
If you get the vibration when coasting in neutral then that only leaves a few possibilities...wheels, tires, rotors, hubs, bearings, or axles. How many miles are on it right now? If the wheels and tires are not the problem that only leaves rotors, hubs, bearings, and axles.

It sounds like it could be wheel bearing. Since it does this when you turn right (but not left) I'd suspect the left front wheel bearing. When you turn right it puts extra load on the left wheel. What I would do is jack up the vehicle, set the parking brake, put it in Drive, and then get out and see if you can hear it at one wheel or the other. You can also try spinning the wheel by hand and see if you can feel it. Also, grab the wheel on each side and try and wiggle it to check for any play in the bearing. Also grab it at the top and bottom and do the same.
 
#3 ·
I've got nothing to lose by following your suggestions as these are all things I've seen a friend who owns an alignment shop do before. But I figure that these were all things that a mechanic would've done at the dealership (although I am very pessimistic about what happens back in the garage of those places).

I recently replaced a rear wheel hub on my Prelude and although the vibration was noticeable throughout the car, the noise that came with it was also unmistakable. I do not hear any noise in the Odyssey, so it makes me wonder if it really is the hub.

Is there any way this could be a suspension related problem? Saggy spring? busted damper?
 
#4 ·
The front bearings on the Odyssey are press-in style and not easy for the DIYer. I usually remove the hub and take it to someone to have the old bearing removed and new pressed in. They do make tools to do this on the car but they are a little pricey.

Remember that these dealer shops are flat rate shops and are there to make money. Their job is to get your vehicle in and out just as fast as possible so that they can get the next one in. If flat rate for a job is 1 hour then they are hoping to get you in and out in that or less. If they spend more time than that they're losing money. I highly doubt they jacked your car up and ran it in drive to listen for the noise.

So, that's the first thing I'd do at this point. I'd jack it up and put jackstands under the control arms so that the suspension sits as it normally would and then put it in drive and listen. You can often get away with jacking one side and putting it in drive since most of these cars will spin one tire while the other sits stationary. If your van makes other noises doing this try turning off the traction control.

I just don't see a suspension problem causing this, especially if it does it while coasting on a smooth road. I suspect wheel bearing or axle. If it's neither of those then the only thing left would be differential in the transmission.

Did you ask the dealer about transmission "judder?" Is your PCM on the latest software update? I've seen problems sort of like this be cured by software updates to the PCM.
 
#6 ·
Thanks...I have to slow down and think which gen forum I'm in. The Gen 3 Ody's were press in. You're correct. The Gen 4 is bolt on. That makes it easier to change but the checks are still the same.
 
#7 ·
I like to think I've had every kind of vibration there is and have solved them all, but I'm not so sure about this one. With the four new tires it should have smoothed out but it didn't. Like Mr. Clark, I'm thinking constant velocity joint on one of the axles. Look under the front end and find the 'bellows'-like rubber bearing cover on each axle. Look for a grease/dirt build-up on them or even an obvious tear or other opening. Even if there is no obvious problem, the axles should be examined to determine if there is any damage to the bearings or shafts since it is a used car and there is no telling what may have happened to it. When everything is in good condition, the Odyssey is an exceptionally smooth vehicle - you should be enjoying it rather than hating it.
 
#11 ·
Yup. I had the exact same issue with my rears. I had a slow leak in one and got a freeway vibration that just wouldn't go away. I guess the tires would dampen normal wheel movement eat different rates due to softer sidewalls in the under inflated tire and that's how it gets telegraphed to the chassis.
 
#10 ·
I think what I will do is take the 20" OEM wheels off of my wife's Pilot and put them on the Odyssey and see if this makes a difference on a test drive. I wouldn't think that it would be an issue with the tires or rims, but I did notice yesterday that after parking the odyssey in the direct sunlight (so that the passenger side tires were receiving all of the sunlight, therefore probably had higher tire pressures) that the van vibrated much more than I experienced before. I'll report back later.
 
#12 ·
I'm having the exact same vibration problems. Totally has me stumped too. I've had it to the dealership 4 times now and they can't find anything wrong, but do acknowledge the vibration is there. The tires are also new and have been balanced twice. My only difference is that I get an almost constant humming noise while driving. I know it's not the tires because it makes he same noise even on my gravel driveway. Have you found a solution to your problem? I'd love to know what is causing this.
 
#13 ·
Last week, I did another drain and fill of transmission fluid. This time, it was around 3.7 quarts that I emptied. However, I replaced 8oz of Honda DW-1 with Lubeguard Platinum. After driving for over 50 miles now, my problem has became even stranger.... All of the vibrations I felt through the steering wheel, throttle pedal and seat seem to still be there... but I don't actually feel them coming through the steering wheel or throttle pedal and they're toned down through my seat. I can feel them still, like I said, but it's almost like there is a buffer now between wherever they are originating from to my body where I used to be able to feel them. It is very strange to describe. I have seen some other members who commented on receiving a torque convertor replacement and how that cleared everything up, but I am unsure if my dealer will ever work with me on replacing that problem. My 3 year/36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty JUST expired, but I am thinking that a TC falls under the powertrain warranty, which is much longer.

Has anyone else found anything else to fix this vibration/shudder?
 
#14 ·
... My 3 year/36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty JUST expired, but I am thinking that a TC falls under the powertrain warranty, which is much longer...
Sounds like a complicated problem. Sorry no new ideas on that.
But regarding your warranty, I would think that if you brought it in while it _was_ under warranty and they could not fix it, but the problem persists, that it should still be covered. I would at least look into that. If it is a "wear item" you'd be out of luck, but if it ends up being something that would have been covered, it still should be.
 
#17 ·
I have a 2006 Odyssey with 120k and a vibration that occurred mainly when coasting over 55mph, but it would also happen when on the freeway on a slight right curve at times as well. Would vibrate the steering wheel just a bit and you could tell it was in the drive train. I initially thought it was warped rotors(cause I don't coast!) and replaced rotors and pads. Not it. Long story short, my mechanic ruled out everything else and figured out the driver's side front hub and tie rod was the problem. He thought I maybe hit a bad pothole that caused it. Not sure if it was a contributing factor, but that wheel bearing went out about 4 years ago and it was replaced on a road trip in Chicago. Anyway, if you've ruled out drive shafts and the other suspension components, replace the hub!

Good luck.
 
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