SiliconFox

My 2015 RDX has about 8700 miles (14000km) and it is squeaking very loudly when I turn left (this is when it is most pronounced and easiest to reproduce), or when going straight over bumps.

It can be heard outside and inside (outside loudest).

I took it into Acura just a few days ago and went for a drive with a technician and at that moment (frustratingly) I was unable to reproduce the sound so we did not take any further action and agreed I would keep an eye on it.

The sound seems to emerge reliably after I've driven the car for a bit, and this weekend when it came back I decided I would catch the sound on video and post it here to see if any of you has the same problem or can help me pinpoint the problem for the next time I do go to Acura.

Here are youtube links of 3 brief videos I made reproducing the sound (in 2 of the videos I make 2 left turns where the sound can be heard and in the third video I make one left turn with the sound):

rosen39

Almost sounds like something is making the noise from the front brakes. Have you pulled the front wheels to look at the pads and rotors?

SiliconFox

No I haven't pulled the wheels to look at the pads and rotors. I'll put this on the list for Acura to check when I take it in next time.

mdfree

There is a TSB on the front rotors

richardyc

sounds like the brake, yes, there is a TSB on it. I am surprised the technician didn't bother to spend a few minutes to check the date stamp on the rotors. LinkDeny

SiliconFox

I appreciate your responses to my post. Today it sounds even louder/worse to and from work so I will contact Acura tomorrow and hopefully get it in this week I will make sure they closely examine brake/rotor and whatever else they can look at. Ill post an update after I bring it, and hopefully find out what it is.

SiliconFox

Update: I brought it in this past Monday to the Acura dealership and they were unsuccessful in reproducing the noise. I can confirm that the vehicle was quiet that day as well as the day before (those days were about 10 degrees colder and it had rained the previous days). In summary they performed a road test, lifted the vehicle up and performed an inspection as well as removed the wheels to check for rocks behind the backing plate (I live in Edmonton Canada so theres a lot of left over dirt/gravel from the winter). They said nothing looked out of place, and without being able to reproduce the noise they can not focus their investigation to a specific area.

I did show them the videos I made of the noise and they did watch them. They also did not charge me for the inspections this day.

The car remained quiet on my drive home Monday. However, the following day it was dry and warmer then the infernal noise returned as before, again most pronounced on left turns, and over uneven surface. As I'm writing this today (Thursday) the car continues with these squeaks and grinds. Its frankly embarrassing driving through parking lots and the car begins to squeak and grind.

I think the technicians at the dealership did a good job and I have no disagreements with their initial judgements especially since they cannot reproduce it. But the car is painting a different picture for me now, I mean its been weeks already of squeaking and grinding and i feel its boiling down to poor design/engineering/parts for this type of noise at 8700 miles.

This weekend I will make another video of the noise from the outside of the car where it is loudest and I would like to share it here as well. It looks at this point I have no choice but to wait for the noise to get as bad as possible so it can be reliably reproduced at the dealership since Ive already been there twice for this issue.

Thank you again for reading my posts.

richardyc

actually, you have a sucky dealership. print out this TSB and they should replace your rotors and pads free of charge. this issue affected all 2015 RDX, so yours should be included.
http://www.urvi.net/forumfiles/SB/B16-002.PDF

SiliconFox

Update (Issue Potentially Resolved): the car was grinding louder then ever today (much louder then my original videos) that I just drove straight to the dealership with no appointment and finally was able to reproduce it to the technician. They looked at it right away and noticed that the metal guide that holds the brake pads (front driver side) was very close to the rotor so they moved it and now the noise is now gone. I really hope it doesn't come back. It was my third time back there for this issue and I spent weeks listening to this worsening grinding noise...definitely will seriously think of trade this in for german brand at end of this year.

Thanks to rickardyc for the TSB printout, even though my issue was different.

SiliconFox

Noticed an identical issue/fix to mine in this post: https://acurazine.com/forums/2g-rdx-.../#post14924931

Seems the metal brake guide/spring and disc grinding issue has affected at least 2 of us in this forum. Although my issue is resolved it has me thinking that after several weeks of the loud grinding noise that metal guide itself is grinded down or the backside of the rotor (assuming grinding was on backside) has been damaged and won't cause me problems down the road.

SiliconFox

Update: Well I spoke too soon when I said my issue has been resolved. After 5 days of silence the problem has returned. I was able to make a video from the outside to demonstrate this noise in action(see it below).

I called the dealership and told them the issue has returned and I have an appointment next week (which means I get to listen to the grinding everyday for another week). It will be my fourth visit there for this issue which I at least now know is caused by a metal brake guide/spring grinding against the rotor. Is Acura serious about this car? At this rate Ill be making weekly trips to the dealership to keep the car grind free. Sorry about being so negative guys but I'm just frustrated now.

SiliconFox

Another updated video:

inmydream316

any update?

SiliconFox

Yes I do have an update, I wanted to wait a few days before posting just in case the problem returned like it did before. So here it is:

They fixed the issue again and its been quiet for 6 days now. Interestingly I got 2 different stories on what was fixed so ill list them both: 1) Over the phone they said the backing plate was bent and this bend was holding debris and one or more of these was rubbing the rotor, so they unbent it and its fixed. 2) The paper invoice says the caliber bracket was rubbing the rotor, so they corrected it. They did not replace any parts.

I really don't care what it was as long as it doesn't come back. Such an annoying persistent problem.

Before my last appointment I was so frustrated I contacted the dealership GM and explained & showed him the video I made. I think he came down on the service department because they were much more helpful this time.

rosen39

They probably bent the backing plate (which you could bend with your hand) when they rotated the tires. Then to be able to submit a warranty claim and get paid, they said the caliper bracket was defective. The caliper bracket is no where close enough to be rubbing the rotor. There are stainless steel brake hardware brackets that the pads ride in, and are clipped to the caliper bracket, but I doubt anyone pushed those against a rotor. My money is on the tech bending the backing plate when he did the tire rotation. I have done it myself when not paying attention.

inmydream316

glad it got fixed...i am sure i heard little metal grinding once too so i just want to find out what causes.

SiliconFox

Ugh, its back again! I made a moderately sharp left turn and heard the grinding again and now it wont go away list like before on left turns. The car now has about 24000kms (last time was 13000). I did not do a tire rotation recently, about a year ago when it first occured the dealership (WestSide Acura in Edmonton) did a tire rotation which likely bent the backing plate so could this be the same issue? The plate they originally bent warped again over time?