I have a 2008 Fit Sport with about 115,000 km. I get an intermittent buzzing vibration that lasts about 1 second or less that seems to be coming from the front right wheel. It happens usually within the first 1-2 km after the car has been resting/parked (ingnition off) for at least an hour or first thing in the morning. It usually happens when the car hits a bump like a slightly lowered manhole cover or a small pothole while the under light to moderate braking to a gradual stop (like at a stop sign). All three conditions seem to be required simultaneously for it to happen (in first 1-2 km after siting, moderate to light braking to a stop and hitting a bump). It doesn't seem to be weather or road condtion related - happens in wet, dry, hot and cold. It's not the ABS - at least not full on ABS. I live in snowy Ottawa so I know what ABS feels like. Because it's intermittent and not reproduceable with consistency, I have not been able to reproduce it for the techs at the dealership. I've seen some stuff on other sites but not here about the ABS pump or wheel speed sensors, but it doesn't describe the buzzing/vibration sound (unless it is in a post at page 70!) - best comparison I can think of is someone pulling a heavy spring from the side and letting it vibrate. It's driving me nuts! Any help much appreciated!

 

The only noise I've experienced close to what your describing is the ABS.

When I'm in NYC or other bumpy places or steep hills and have to come to a complete stop under heavy braking is when I feel it. Doesn't happen often but once and a while.

If it's happening over rough road conditions all the time then maybe the ABS sensor is too sensitive or defective maybe? Don't know.

 

Possibly the spring on that side is binding a little in its mount when cold, and the combination of forces makes it go twang. At least, that's what the car guys said on Car Talk for a very similar sounding problem when I happened to be listening the other day. (Something about the upper strut mount not permitting the spring to properly float, IIRC.)

It does also sound kind of like ABS, but since you're familiar with what ABS is like and say it's not that, I think you're probably correct about that. Also, ABS should not be activating under that particular set of circumstances (but not e.g. once things have warmed up)...and I'd imagine that most obvious failures of wheel sensors and the like would cause the ABS light to illuminate.

 

Thanks to both of you. I'll aks the tech to look at that possibility of the spring not floating. And you're right to note that the ABS light doesn't go on when it happens so it probably isn't the ABS system that is at fault here. The car needs new shocks in the rear - would it make sense to change the front too? Would that make any difference to the spring float. Any suggestions on alternatives? Tokiko blues keep coming up in the posts - i dont do anything beyond "spirited" driving on the way to work, but the stock Honda parts are expensive, so the incremental to go to these seems small. Do you think its worth it?

 

You need new suspension components already? If my calculations are correct, you have approx. 71,000 miles which you should be okay. Usually the fronts need replacing first as they carry most of the weight. How do you know the rears need replacing?

 

Same thing happens to me. Exactly the way you described. And sound like driver front wheel. I have tein coils installed and it did it before and did it after...

 

I had a similar noise happen twice from the right front wheel this past winter.

Car was parked during the day after a 50 mile morning highway run. Both times had snow on the ground and temps were near freezing. This was definataley not an abs noise. Buzzing noise which was quite loud and startling

I never did find the cause and the problem went away.

Still a mystery!