Every few days when I start my car, there is a loud noise and it only
lasts for about a second. It sounds like something could be
collaborating… I’m not sure. The sound resembles the noise when I
slide on ice and the ABS kicks in, that sort of loud grinding noise
and sounds like it is coming from the same place. I am unsure if it
has anything to do with that though. It only does this once when I
start the car in the morning, and won’t happen again 3-7 days later,
and doesn’t seem to be effected by where and how I drive.

When I do drive, I also hear a clicking noise when I go over large
bumps or cracks in the road. The clicking lasts for about 5-10 clicks.
It won’t happen every time either, just randomly. It has also started
to happen right before I come to a complete stop.

I have also noticed that when I start the car, and turn the lights on,
some of the lights on the dash won’t be on, and then a few seconds
later, they will pop back on. Other times, when I turn the lights on,
for about a second, none of the lights on the dash will be on, and
then they will all come on.

One last issue, when the car starts, sometimes the engine RPMs are
going really fast, and sometimes pulses up and down really fast. Other
times, it starts high and gradually goes to normal or it just starts
normal and sounds like nothing is wrong.

Does anyone have any advice or possible troubleshooting solutions to
the problems noted above?

Thanks

 

You need to determine the source/location of the noise. Can I assume it is coming from somewhere in engine bay? Open the hood and stand over the engine while your buddy starts the engine. Listen for the noise and attempt to locate it.

Is the noise coming from the front, rear, or middle of the car? I recommend that you put the front end on stands, pull off the front wheels, and carefully inspect the suspension components and brakes.

You may have a faulty dashlight brightness controller:




Try cleaning both the IACV and FITV on the throttle body.

 

RonJ,

Thank you for all of the info!

Yes, it is definitly coming from somewhere in the engine bay.

It sounds like it is coming from the rear right tire.

Thanks again for the help so far.

 

In this case, put the rear end on stands, pull off the rear wheels and brake drums, and inspect both the rear suspension and rear brakes (compare right and left sides).

 

When the dash lights aren't on, check if the tail lights are on or not. This will tell you if it is the dash light circuit (usually the brightness controller like Ron said) or the whole tail light circuit.

 

[UPDATE]

The weekend after I wrote this, my car failed to start at all (it was cold) which was fixed by filling the gas tank with a couple bottles of Heat and letting the car sit for a few days to let the weather clear up a bit. After I started driving again, all of my original problems started to come back one at a time each day. I’ve also been having an issue with the steering wheel that I forgot to include in my previous post. When I start the car in cold weather, it feels like the power steering has been disabled. Then after the car warms up, the problem goes away. Not really a big issue, but it seems that it would also do this when it wasn’t that cold outside, so maybe not the weather, not sure. It just seemed to happen more often in cold weather.

The moan that I hear at startup now happens more often, just about every other day. This is something that has been going on for a couple years now, but seems to happen more frequently after making it through a winter season. Once again, it only does this the first time I start the car in the morning, and then won’t happen again for a few days.

I’ll get in the car, turn key, engine turns, engine starts, then a half a second later is when it will make the moan sound and will only last for about a second, then I start to drive and everything seems to be fine and drives like nothing is wrong.

I am 90% sure that the moan is the same sound that the brakes/ABS make when I slide on ice and definitely sounds like it comes from the same place. The days that I would slide on ice, the sound wouldn’t happen in the mornings after. It seemed like each time I did slide, and heard the moan, it would reset the cycle and I wouldn’t hear the noise a few days later.

Any suggestions on troubleshooting or possible causes are always appreciated.

 

Weird.

'Moan' at start-up with a power steering-equipped sounds like air in the system/low PS fluid to me (my Mustang's PS pump would actually 'Moo' when the fluid got low). Check your power steering fluid level. Does it make the same noise when you turn the wheels? If it's only during start-up, some air is getting in the system somewhere and the pump 'burps' the air off when it finally circulates the fluid. Or, the fluid's low enough that it trickles back into the system, creating air in the lines. Whatever the deal - check your PS fluid both with the engine off and cold, and then with it running.

If not, and it's only during braking and start-up, and you're sure you have ABS, you could have an ABS module going out or maybe the power brake system is just low on fluid as well. ABS typically uses a small electric pump, and if there's air in the system or low fluid, it'll make noise also. Some older ABS systems tap into the PS pump and use a servo to regulate pressure on the pedal from inside the brake booster, which causes the pulsing that most older ABS systems experience.

Since I have neither PS or ABS on my Honda, I can't be sure of the set-up. RonJ or mk378 know way more about Honda set-ups than I do.

 

Given the episode of hard steering, I completely agree with this focus on the power steering pump and gearbox. Start by checking the fluid level and whether the belt on the pump is loose. You should also consider flushing the power steering system and refilling with genuine Honda or Honda-recommended power steering fluid.

 

If the fluid level is OK the pump could still be faulty. Take the power steering belt off and start the engine. If you still hear the noise it is definitely not power steering related. It is very important not to use the wrong fluid. Most generic PS fluid is not suitable for Honda systems. Use Honda fluid or a type that is specifically labeled as "suitable for Honda" not just "all major brands" (Is Honda a major brand, or not?).

I'm not sure if a '94 has an ABS pump. Cars that have an ABS pump will make noise when the pump cuts on, either when the ABS is activated or once in a while to rebuild pressure. This noise can be considered normal unless the pump is so bad it doesn't work. In that case the ABS warning light should come on.