[socketwrench54]

My 2010 i-VTEC ES auto has an unknown issue with the near-side suspension. There are are large amplitude, relatively low frequency (~ Hz, not high frequency such as engine speed) vibrations when going over a pothole or uneven road at speed (> 10 mph). This causes the car to scuttle across the road slightly, making it hard to control. I can't tell if it's definitely coming from the front or rear when driving, but passengers say it feels further towards the rear. This does not occur with low speed (speed bumps and rough roads) and the suspension feels OK when rocking the car up and down when stationary.

It passed its MOT and had a check over at a main Honda dealer a week ago. Nothing was noted, so either they didn't thoroughly check the car over or the cause isn't obvious without digging deeper into the car; I'm hoping it's the latter because the garage has a great rep in the area!

Has anyone else had something similar?

 

[Farqui]

Welcome to :civinfo:

How many miles have your dampers covered?

What tyre pressures are you running and do the tyres have plenty of tread?

What size rims and tyre profiles are you running?

What make/model of tyre? - Goodyear Eagle F1's are highly recommended due to their soft sidewalls, they also grip well

The Civic rear beam axle is known to feel harsh but decent dampers and tyre set-up can greatly improve the ride.

 

[socketwrench54]

Car has done 90k miles. I'm unsure if the dampers have ever been changed, so assume worst case is 90k.

225/45 R17, 32 psi, ~ 4-5 mm tread all around. Unsure of the brand (will check tomorrow), ~ 3 years old.

I've been considering going for 16" wheels when it comes to buying new tyres to minimise the harsh ride (unsure how much of a difference this makes? I've read conflicting views).

It's going back in to the garage tomorrow with a clear "take it for a test drive and you'll notice the issue" instruction, so I'll task them to see if the dampers have been changed. Harsh rides are one thing, but it's the way the rear bounces across the road and requires a lot of steering control when driving over rough roads, even when going in a straight line!

 

[M8TJT]

Have you tried the bounce test. Push down on it and it should just return with perhaps just a tad of 'overshoot'. If it bounces, the shocks are shot.

 

[socketwrench54]

The bounce test showed some very slight bouncing, but nothing extreme.

Got it back from the Honda dealer this afternoon and they said the near-side rear damper is on its way out. Quoted £330 to have only that side replaced! A local independent quoted £285 to have both sides replaced. It looks like this will be an expensive month...

I'll keep you all updated on how this improves the ride.

 

[M8TJT]

Going by your username you should be able to do it yourself for the price of a couple of shockers. Less than £100.

 

[cb550]

I'd say anyone who can remove the road wheel could almost certainly remove /replace the shock absorber. Cheap as chips as well. Of course no guarantee to fix your problem, but if done d.i.y- therefore cheaply, after 90k miles the shock absorbers must be well past their best (assuming them to be the originals)

 

[socketwrench54]

Ha, yeah the username gives it away that I prefer to wrench on my own cars, but I’m currently injured so won’t be able to do this for the foreseeable future. Cheers guys, I’ll try and rope in a few friends to give me a hand.

 

[socketwrench54]

The resonnance and associated poor handling has been solved by replacing both rear shock absorbers. It feels much better to drive, albeit with a stiffer ride than I'd like. I'll keep you updated if anything changes, but in the meantime I'll be looking into improving the ride.

Cheers for the help everyone!

 

[M8TJT]

Glad you are now sorted bud, and thanks for finishing off the thread with the fix.