I have a 2003 Honda Accord v6 with 51000 miles on it. It has generally been a good car. Nevertheless, I am having a front end rattling problem latlely.

If I bear left for turn left, I hear a rattling sound at medium or fast driving speeds. This sound is coming from the front end of the vehicle. It only happens when I bear for turn left not while driving straight of turning right.

I have checked for a loose heat shield or loose lug nuts--they are okay. The Haynes Manual says to check for :
loose suspension bolts
loose wheel nuts
worn control arm bushings or tie rod ends
damaged shock absorber mounts or
lack of lubrication at balljoints or tie rod ends.

I have not checked for these yet.

Being that it happens only when I bear or turn left, one of these be more likley than another? Has anyone out there had a similar problems?

Thanks for your help.

Driveway Tinkerer

 

A bad wheel bearing will make a groaning noise when you side load the wheel it is in. Hard to diagnose a noise with nothing but text. It is like having a deaf mechanic.

 

I agree, diagnosis on-line can be a challenge.

The abnormal sound is a tin-like rattle that first led me to believe it was a loose heat shield. It only occurs when I bear or turn left and disappears when I straighten the steering wheel.

If it rattles rather than clunks, does this eliminate some ot Haynes list of possible causes listed previously? Conversley, could it add other causes to the list?

Driveway Tinkerer

 

The tie rods move in and out of the steering rack and the knuckle pivots. That is the only thing that really changes when you turn besides loading the suspension. I have encountered backing plates causing symptoms like this. Try reafin on it a bit. Maybe you have a rock in there or something.

 

maybe its the brakes, the pads chattering, the springs can get loose. maybe the dust shield is rattling. i know on some axles there is a pin that can rattle. did u check to see if it could be something like the sway bar bushings. not sure they would rattle but when one starts to break or a pc comes off it can be hard to dx. i had only 1 side break off several yrs ago and it had very odd symptoms. they r such a large bushing and if 1 side is still intact its hard to dx them.

 

I examined the front suspension components and found nothing wrong. Nevertheless, I noticed the the brake rotor dust shield (sheet metal) seemed to be too close to the disc and the gap seemed to close when I turned the wheel (left). I bent the dust shield back and the noise seems to have disappeared. I heard nothing after an extensive road test. The real road test wiil occur this evening when my wife road tests the car --just to make sure I am not imagining the noise away.

Driveway Tinkerer

 

CV joints? when they are going out, they usually click/rattle during certain turns...

 

I was going to suggest that. But an Accord with only 50K shouldn't have gone through a CV joint already. Might be the brake shield as you observed. I've had that problem on my wife's Nissan before. Dinked around with just about everything before I realized it was the stupid brake roter shield. Pissed me off

 

The abnormal noise it gone. It appears to have been the sheet metal dust shield on the inside of the front left rotor. I bent it back and the noise is no more. It is even wife approved!

Thanks for all your help.

Driveway Tinkerer