[Hondacivic1234]

I have a 2006 Honda Civic that was driven by my father. It’s a 1.8 litre with a 5 speed manual. It has been making a growling noise for about 6 months now, it hasn’t been driven much since the noise began. The car needs a clutch as well so he has given it to me to fix. The noise starts around 30kmh and gets quite loud around 70. It sounds like it’s coming from the back. I jacked up the back of the car and the wheels feel solid. No play and spin freely. The front is the same. I suspect it a wheel bearing but I can’t figure out which one to replace with no signs of wear.

my second thought is transmission related. I tried several different things, neutral, clutch in/out and different gears. The only thing that changes the noise is speed. I jacked up the front of the car and put it in gear, no noise. I will be pulling the transmission to replace the clutch so I would like to diagnose the noise beforehand so if it is transmission related I can do all the repairs at once. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[jn2k108]

Does the noise disappear when you are turning on a clover leaf.


Sent from my iPhone 13 Pro while on the toilet.

 

[Hondacivic1234]

Turning doesn’t seem to make a difference. But I haven’t driven it much as the clutch is nearly toast.

had to google clover leaf. We don’t have any on or off ramps similar to that her. I can’t think of anywhere to turn like that at higher speeds here

 

[ASM5150]

I'd be curious to hear what the expected life span is of Honda wheel bearings.

Don't recall hearing about them failing very often.

 

[Hondacivic1234]

I'd be curious to hear what the expected life span is of Honda wheel bearings.

Don't recall hearing about them failing very often.

I don’t image they do fail very often. the car has maybe 100k miles on it. I’m going to try pull the calipers off next weeks to get a better feel for the bearing condition. I just can’t think of anything else that would make the noise. It isn’t the tires as it has two sets. At lower speeds it sounds like loud tire hum and at higher speeds it’s more or a growl.

 

[scottyrocks]

The noise starts around 30kmh and gets quite loud around 70. It sounds like it’s coming from the back. . .

my second thought is transmission related. I tried several different things, neutral, clutch in/out and different gears. The only thing that changes the noise is speed. I jacked up the front of the car and put it in gear, no noise. I will be pulling the transmission to replace the clutch so I would like to diagnose the noise beforehand so if it is transmission related I can do all the repairs at once. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!

Based on what you wrote here, if the noise is road speed related (and coming from the back) - iow, not affected by shifting gears - then it is most likely wheel related, and not engine or transmission related.

Get a stethoscope, remove the rear wheels, and, one at a time, place the stethoscope as close to the bearings as you can, spin the wheel, and listen. Try different spots to get the best sound. Load could make a difference, but if one side makes appreciably more grunchy noise than the other, you will have found your problem.