So we have been wrestling with a bizarre clicking for about 20-30,000 miles. Its a 2003 4cly manual civic. We bought it used. Car now has 81,000 miles. So it has been to the shop before about the clicking and no one can find it.

Ok here is the description. It ONLY happens in 2nd gear and ONLY when you turn right. We can't reproduce it in any other gear. Its so odd.

So today we asked them to check it AGAIN. This is a Different tech. He pops out with a bad wheel bearing on the opposite side of the car. Says sounds can travel like that. I'm like wtf. $250 to change the one side. Says the grease has broke down and the ball bearing are now banging into ea other causing the noise. That its pressed in he says so u can't do it yourself. He says he checked the CVs and they are just fine.

So can this seriously be possible? How can a noise on the right be a bearing on the left. I'm not buying it. Plus how can the bearing noise only be in second in a right turn. Can this really be going on for 20-30,000 miles without getting horribly obvious the cause?

Please any ideas u can offer... Thank u!

 

When you turn right, the car's weight shifts to the outside (left) and puts more strain on the left wheel bearings. So that's the standard answer for bearing noise that gets worse when turning.

Lift each wheel of the ground and turn it by hand with the engine off and transmission in neutral. It should be almost absolutely silent.

It is sometimes helpful to have someone stand outside and drive past them while they listen to see where the noise is coming from.

 

Ok when u put it that way that makes sence.

Though, Is it normal though that it would only happen in second gear. We drove in a huge parking lot doing circles both ways going through all 5 gears. Only had it happen in second. Speed was no factor, but gear was.

 

We had the car up in the air with the front wheels off the ground. Very SECURELY!!!! We actually ran the car through the gears. The noise was barely there... same conditions second turning to the right. With the car off in Neutral we could hear no noise when we turned the wheels by hand and turned right to left! I'm about ready to research getting a microphone and attaching it to a video camera and sticking it in the engine bay in diff places, so the noise can really be heard. If I was dumb enough i would ride a bike next to the car while it was driving and see what I can hear