What's up forum, I'm a super Noob to this site, and have a quick question.

I have a 98 Accord coupe EX V6 I recently just bought, and it has the sunroof which makes a flexing sound when going over around speed bumps or any driveway. It's extremely annoying and makes the car feel cheap.

The car has 120K miles on it, and is in excellent condition so I can't understand why the body makes so much noise, it's almost like things are rubber together.

Even though I love this car and the way it looks, it seems like the quality is not as good as the 94 Accord I previously owned and bodies are not as solid. The 98's for some odd reason have more issues with reliability than previous Gens, maybe because they are made in the US??? I know my 94 had a vinyl headliner with the headliner mounted rear view mirror, while the 98's got cheap using a cloth material and windshield mounted rear view mirror.

BTW my 94 got stolen, and had almost 200K miles on the odo, and everything was original on the car, nothing was rebuilt, AC still worked too. It was the most reliable car i have ever owned, and I loved it so much.

I appreciate your feedback, thanks!

Welcome to the site.

Maybe your car has been wrecked or maybe it's b/c it's older than mine, but I don't hear the sounds you describe. Maybe the sunroof shade is loose? Are you hearing the sound with the shade and sunroof open or closed?

98Accorder:

Perhaps the previous owner struck potholes large enough to swallow a bus. Perhaps they went trail-riding with it, up in the mountains. Who knows? :dunno:

Have your dealer (or your favorite mechanic) inspect the entire suspension system, front to rear. Ball joints, bushings, bars, struts, the whole nine yards. Replace/repair, as necessary.

Condition of your TIRES? Brand? Are they properly balanced? Four-wheel alignment? Brakes okay? :dunno:

My '02 is rock solid. Serene and quiet as the city morgue. Then again, it has only 82.7K miles. And it has NO sunroof.

Everything seems fine, and the car has never been in accident. I definitely notice that it's coming from the sunroof, because when I play with it open/closing, if I slightly have the sunroof open, it wont make any noises, but soon as I completely shut it, I hear it flexing.

I'm just gonna go to the dealer and see what they say.

thanks

I'm guessing its prob. something to do with the sunroof assembly and not the body structure. There are lots of parts contained in the sunroof assmbly that could cause the noise. Hopefully the dealer can pinpoint the noise quicky esp. if they are familiar with this problem. Otherwise they may run your car over rough railroad tracks or roads without slowing down so they can hear the noise. Happened to my brother who complained about rattles in his Civic and he went along with the tech for a ride as a passenger. :D

Have you thought about doing front/rear strut braces?

I have the same issue with my moon-roof. I hear the rattles you are describing and it rattles with the sunshade open or closed. The rattle isn't as loud with the shade closed but you can still hear it and once the sunroof is opened in the vent position or the pushed back position, the rattle disappears. I have been wondering what is causing this and how to get rid of it for a long time. I usually stick my hand back there and play with some of the parts to try to shut it up but that doesn't seem to work very well. :scratch: Let me know any information you find out!

To All:

From an engineering standpoint, whenever you remove part of/all of a structural member, in this case, part of the roof, flex/distortion is an inherent result, under torsional loading. Aside from eventual gasket-leak issues, leading to body corrosion, this is WHY I bought an "LX" version. Sun/Moon roofs are sexy and "cool." They enhance profit margins. But in the long-run, they are a liability to the owner.

I had a terrible rattle/loose/flexing sound on my 06 and after almost going insane trying to find it I figured out it was the sunroof.

I had some Shin-Etsu grease (was about $20 at my local dealer) applied it to the sunroof rubber seal all the way around and the problem completely went away. I'd suggest applying it to all the rubber seals on your doors as well and I guarantee you will have less "flexing" noise. It's very easy just dab it on a rag and rub it into the seals as if you were rubbing lotion on skin.


One other note Honda has been making Accord's in the US since the 80s. My 91 was made in Marysville, OH and was a wonderful car and I love my 06 as well.

The noise is normal. Get some of the Honda silicone grease or use di-electric grease, tilt up the sunroof and lube the rubber with a very thin amount of the grease. Don't leave excess.

The roof does move around a little and the rubber seal squeaks a bit.

The '98 here has done it since it was new.

Sometimes just cleaning the weatherstrip and waxing the body opening by waxing with the roof open will stop it.

The factory sunroof doesn't compromise the structure of the roof at all, it actually makes it stronger as the sheet metal is folded over and turned into a small box section around three sides of the opening, it's not just an unsupported piece of sheet metal hanging there. The sunroof module also adds some structure as it's bolted to the underside of the roof and basically cross braces the opening.

FredSVT:

I will concede that Honda's (factory) sunroofs are unquestionably some of the best I've seen. As a general rule, they seldom have a problem (leaks, wind noise, etc.). As you state, they also feature a reinforced installation.

That said, I have seen a lot of exactly the opposite. My neighbor's 2001 Dodge Dakota extended-cab SLE has leaked since day one, despite being in the shop a half-dozen times. UAW may as well have duck-taped it to the roof or used chewing gum to seal it. Then again, perhaps a poor example...involving a lousy Crapler Corporation Product. Another neighbor's 2003 Mitsubishi Galant constantly jams because of factory misintallation. Having seen the headliner removed, I would never want to be in said Galant in a rollover event.

Mine makes the same noises, sometimes. I have tried the Honda seal grease, and it helps. I have not tried the waxing of the inside where the seal touches the paint. Also, I added a front strut tower brace, and many creaks noises were reduced...
Usually, opening and closing it, will reduce, or eliminate the noises.
Sometimes, this noise can sound like it coming from then engine compartment, or under the car...

Mine make the same noises. I have tried the Honda seal grease, and it helps. I have not tried the waxing of the inside where the seal touches the paint. Also, I added a front strut tower brace, and many creaks noises were reduced...

Out of curiosity, how much did you pay for that brace?

Not that much (Summit Racing (Less than $100 at that time). I'd start by tightening up the OEM brace first. Including, inside the vent/cowl, for the hidden nuts...
Upper strut bar. Possibly this one ($109):
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/NEU-35-20-96/