Questions and Answers

Honda Accord Questions And Concerns Q. Hi Vince, I have a 1988 Honda Accord LXi. It is a 2.0 liter 4 cylinder, I believe. It is equipped with an automatic transmission, A/C, full power, even a moonroof! It has 148,000 miles on it as well. I've owned this vehicle for two years and since I've owned the car, this matter has gotten progressively worse.

I have been hearing a rattle from the front wheels. The brakes work fine, but there has always been this rattle. Also, when I hit bumps the rattle gets louder, but the overall ride of the car is still pretty nice. But if I apply the brakes over bumps, the rattle is not that bad at all.

A while ago, at an oil change, the mechanic said that I needed some kind of bushings. When I looked into it more, I found that there are many different types of bushings and that the mechanic failed to specify which ones I needed. Could that be the problem? Or is it a suspension problem? How much would it cost to repair?

Also, two years ago when I got the car, the brakes were new, and other than the noise of bumps and all that, the brakes worked great, and now, at speeds of 45 mph and over, the brakes tend to shimmy when I apply them at those speeds. Does that mean the rotors are bad, or just the brake pads?

Two minor issues I'm having today involve the HVAC and the little guard underneath the car in the front.

The A/C problem is unique, you see the A/C works fine. But the on/off switch for it, the one that determines the speed of the blower, does not respond in the 1st and 2nd notches, but it does in the 3rd and 4th. So basically, the air works great in the Middle High, and High settings, but not in the Middle low, and Low settings. Is that a fuse or something?

And the last issue I have is with the little guard underneath the front of the car, approximately directly under the engine. Some bolts came off of it, and the thing broke off on one side while I was driving. I dragged it for a mile or so before I noticed. Right now it's tied on. I was wondering how I take it off, and if I remove any of the bolts for it, will anything fall off on top of me?

Thanks Vince,
Jason
Bethany, WV

A. There are a number of different bushings in the front suspension. The most likely would be the stabilizer bar bushings or the stabilizer link bushings. Also possible but less likely are the control arm bushings and the radius arm bushings.

Radius arm bushings would run, about, $128.00. parts and labor, plus a wheel alignment. The stabilizer bar bushings and stabilizer link bushings would run about $80.00 parts and labor to replace. The upper control arm bushings would run about $220.00 to replace parts and labor.

To replace the lower control arm which includes both control arm bushings and ball joint, in some cases, is about $440.00 parts and labor.

Pulsation or vibration in the steering upon braking usually indicates the front rotors are out of true and either need to be resurfaced or replaced.

The problem with the HVAC blower motor is probably just a bad blower motor resistor. A very common malfunction with this car. The blower motor resistor is located in the next to the blower motor under the passenger side dash.

If the cover you are talking about is the one I'm thinking of, the engine undercover, there is no problem with removing it. That cover protects the bottom of the engine from debris and water. I would run to the junk yard and get one from another Honda Accord and just replace it.