Reader Question

Hello Austin,
I was reading on your site about a fellow who was experiencing a problem with his 1999 Jeep Cherokee. Here is the link to the thread.. Noise and vibration with my Jeep Cherokee

I am experiencing the same problem (all the way down to the speed at which he experiences the noise – 65-70 mph). I wanted to follow up to see if he ever got back in touch with you to let you know how/if he resolved the problem.

Your information was thorough and informative and I’m hoping he took a moment to let you know the outcome (and that you’d be willing to share that with me).

P.S. I replaced the two front tires and had a “factory” alignment of all 4 tires. I also had the lubricant changed in the front and rear differential and transfer case. I’m still getting the sound (although it’s perhaps somewhat less than before).

Thanks in advance,
J.

Howdy J.

If the noise changed…or you think it changed, I would switch the new front tires to the rear of the vehicle and see if things are worse or better…or stay the same. I am still going on my hunch that this is a tire tread noise issue. Keep me posted.

Blessings,
Austin Davis

Reader Follow up

Hi Austin,

I wanted to follow up with you regarding the problem I was experiencing with my Jeep (see the thread above). After much frustration, I took the vehicle back to the original mechanic who replaced the front left wheel bearing. He looked at it and thought something might be wrong with the bearing in the front differential and recommended another mechanic who specializes in these issues.

Brought the car to the new mechanic and got a call from him a few hours later. He replaced the front right wheel bearing and the car rides perfectly silent now!!! Apparently the sound/vibration from a bad bearing on that side travels right through the shaft and can deceivingly sound like it’s coming from the differential. So it rides fantastic now and for only $225 to replace the bearing!

I thought you would find it interesting and perhaps helpful for anyone in the future.
Thanks again for all your help,
J.

Reader Question I have an old Honda Accord, 1999 standard EX model. It’s had a
problem with oil for a number of years and no one seems to be able to find the cause.

It’s not burning it, no blue smoke under load or when revving the engine, and no white tail pipe. There are no drip spots under the car when parked. It seems to be most noticeable with highway driving however this could be due to the amount of time the engine is actually running as opposed the strain on the engine. The amount of oil is significant, up to 4 liters per 1000 km.

I would think that much oil should show up somewhere. I’m not a backyard mechanic and I have some one else change my oil. The mechanics who work on the car don’t seem to know what’s happening but say there is some oil around the back of the engine near the oil filter but not enough to drip. The valve cover gasket have been replace twice in the last year when they were replacing valves. (possibly damaged from low oil?)

As I said I understand if you don’t have time to respond to this email, I just thought you might have some suggestions on where to look for the missing oil.

Thanks for your time.

Murray
Nova Scotia,

Howdy Murray,

I would suggest you do a little more investigating on this issue. Either the oil is physically leaking from the engine and onto the ground, or it is being consumed by the engine and leaving out of the exhaust system. Some internal oil consumption is normal and might not be visible to the naked eye as smoke out the tailpipe.

The amount you mention is pretty significant though, so I would look harder for a physical oil leak at the engine. Remove all plastic splash shields from under the engine so you can get a clear view underneath.

Buy 2 cans of CRC BrakeKleener from your local auto parts store and spray off any oil spills from the engine. This cleaner is non flammable, dries almost instantly and there is no need to wash the engine with water afterwards.

Some very common oil leaks spots on these vehicles are around the distributor, there is a small rubber oring that leaks, and inside the timing cover where the timing belt is are two seals that can leak and not be readily visible because they are concealed by the plastic timing cover.

I would also check the PCV system and make sure you have plenty of vacuum and there are no restrictions. This is how the engine breathes, and if the PCV Positive Crankcase Ventilation system is not working it puts excess internal pressure on the engine, seals and orings etc. etc. Your mechanic can check this.

I have seen the PCV systems get completely plugged up with oil sludge and carbon on a handful of these vehicles. We had to use an ice pick and a chisel to remove the sludge from the intake manifold on one Honda that I can remember.

If you don’t have any external oil leaks, and your PCV system is working properly I would suggest you try using thicker weight engine oil and see what happens. You live in snow country, so talk to your dealership or mechanic about how thick of engine oil they would recommend to slow down oil consumption without causing any adverse issues do to the extreme temperatures.

They also make some over the counter oil additives that are designed to reduce oil consumption, one that I have used many times is ENGINE RESTORE, and you just add the can to your engine oil.

You are probably using 10W-30, which is recommended, but it pretty thin oil….you might benefit from using straight 30 weight and a can of RESTORE additive….but talk to a local mechanic FIRST. I live in Houston….it does not get cold here and I am not familiar with your climate.

I would also check your air filter and make sure it is not covered in engine oil and feels oily to the touch. This could indicate internal engine wear if oil is getting on the air filter. A compression test of the cylinders should be done if this is happening to determine if the engine is worn out or needs to be rebuilt.

Keep me posted as to what you find out will ya?

Blessings,

Austin Davis