Squeak is gone!

Well, I can't believe it, but they actually found the noise that's been driving me crazy for months and had me ready to swear off Hondas.

I first posted this problem under the "squeak-creak in steering" thread. The van had a terrible squeak on impacts that seemed to come from the base of the windshield/strut tower area. It was apparent only when the ambient temp was below 70, and of course hardly at all when I brought in in for a ride with the serviceman.

Last Tuesday, I left it all day with the dealer, and it seemed to be gone when I picked it up. The mechanic was gone, but the manager told me something about reinsulating a panel, tightening a gusset, etc. Sounded great, til the next morning, when it was worse than ever!

By the time we brought it back Wednesday afternoon, it was warm enough that the noise disappeared. We left the van overnight(just to prove that my wife and I were not nuts), so they could hear it in the AM.

When I called the next AM to see if they heard the noise, one service manager seemed irritated, but assured me the mechanic would test drive it when possible.

When I called Friday to find out when I was getting it back, another service manager told me " the tech couldn't believe how loud it was in the morning," and that the problem was a "too tight pinch weld in the cowl". Nothing structural, but it sure made it feel like a hunk of junk.

When I picked it up, I was nervous about what I'd hear that first bump, but after a hundred miles of driving this weekend, I can say the evil squeak has been exorcised! I love the van again, and am ready to start tackling other road noise.

I have to give them credit for finding the noise, as these seem to be as elusive as electrical demons. I also have to give credit to my wife, who implored them to find the squeak so as to save our marriage!