jeich182

I notice a slight vibration at med to high speeds (45 to 80) that I can feel though the steering wheel and in my seat. But it varies in intensity without a pattern I've been able to discern yet. At first I thought maybe it was wheel(s) being out-of-balance or a defective tire but the inconsistent nature of it makes me wonder if it could be VCM? A coworker with a SH-AWD TLX noticed the same thing in his. I'm hoping it's the former because if it is VCM and I'm going to have to 'live with this' for three years, the TLX/Acura and I are going to have a serious problem.

BookemDanole

I have this same vibration. It really seems like it happens when the VCM kicks in. It appears that most people on this forum find the VCM imperceptible when it engages, but I definitely feel a slight vibration as you described. I'm hoping that this is just an issue that they can fix. It's not horrible by any means, but I would much rather be without it as others seem to be.

jeich182

I'm hoping so, too. Although, I'd be just as happy to take a 1-2mpg hit and disable VCM altogether. I think they should provide that option.

BookemDanole

I think it would take a much bigger hit than that. I'm curious how many others feel it. If everyone felt it, I would be less optimistic about a fix; but if it is just a couple of us, then maybe there is a fix. Glad you started the thread.

jeich182

My logic was opposite, unfortunately, but I hope yours is right. To me a widespread problem would get attention before an isolated one. But maybe it isn't isolated, me, you, my coworker, and ____? I really hope it isn't VCM and I'm stuck with it. A $40k car should be exemplary in smoothness at all speeds. I don't want to feel any vibration/roughness.

MR. S

New Owner Experience:

Aug 24th: Received delivery of my 2015 Acura TLX

Sept 22nd: Service: steering wheel vibration at highway speeds
> rebalanced tires, tech compared to similar vehicle and determined consistency

Oct 11th: Service: same vibration issue as before. Drove with tech this time, and he confirmed vibration down to 10mph. Dealer held car so GM can test drive… same result, he then test drove two comparable vehicles and felt similar vibration on both, although to different extents. Next, they brought in outside assistance from an Acura Representative (because that’s what a responsible dealer should do when they find a problem that can’t be solved by in house techs). The Acura Rep determined “Normal operation at this time”. So just so everyone knows, normal operation in the 4 cylinder model means there may be vibration in the steering while driving I assume.
Very politically correct. No real safety issues, so no worries.

Oct 16th: Where do I stand now? Working with dealer on a potential swap into a 6 cylinder. Not the vehicle that I wanted or needed, and will cost more, but have you ever driven a vehicle for an hour with a vibration from the steering wheel? Your hands fall asleep! Seriously, I’ve never experienced anything like that before (driving for 33yrs), extremely uncomfortable and annoying.

INVOICE STATES:

“CUSTOMER STATES:. STILL HAS A VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS
TECHNICIAN TEST DROVE VEHICLE AND CONFIRMED VIBRATION FELT THROUGH THE STEERING WHEEL
COMPARED CUSTOMER VEHICLE TO SAME MODEL AND CONFIRMED BOTH VEHICLES FEEL THE SAME WHILE DRIVING. TECHNICIAN SPOKE WITH ACURA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND FOUND BOTH VEHICLES ARE OPERATING NORMALLY. ACURA REPRESENTATIVE TEST DROVE BOTH VEHICLES AND DETERMINED NORMAL OPERATION AT THIS TIME.
NO REPAIRS PERFORMED.”


SO BE AWARE BUYERS: Your new 4 cylinder may have has a slight vibration in the steering wheel. You may not notice it on a test drive, but you will and you will regret this purchase. I do.

My Regrets: Since this is basically a “second” car for me, I only test drove the 6 cylinder because that’s all the dealers had in stock during the first week of release. MY ERROR was assuming that Acura would not skimp on overall ride quality between the 4 and 6 cylinder models. I was extremely wrong in my assumption.

Note: I do not blame the dealer; they have been very professional at all times. Unfortunately they have their hands tied when they recognize a problem, bring in outside assistance, and the representative of the manufacturer determines that the vehicle is “operating normally”



TALLY: I FELT THE VIBRATION, THE DEALER TECH FELT THE VIBRATION (ON TWO TEST CARS), THE GENERAL MANAGER FELT THE VIBRATION (ON THREE TEST CARS) AND THE ACURA REPRESENTATIVE DETERMINED THAT THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION. THAT’S THREE YES, AND ONE NO.
SO MUCH FOR DEMOCRACY!

Bidpool

I just bought TLX a AWD a 2 weeks ago and it has an obvious shake at high speeds . Back to the dealer and a new set of tires. The shake is still there. The car is at the dealer now and I was told they replaced what I will call the drive shaft They tell me it's better but not corrected I am not sure what will happen from here but am not hopeful

wmba

I'm a new member who has been considering a TLX SH-AWD.

However, when I started looking at them in early September, only I4 and FWD V6 models were available. So the very amiable salesman thought I should get prepared by driving an I4 right then and there. I disliked that model so much, I never got to the highway! I'll detail my reservations on an appropriate thread.

Germane to this one though, the salesman got me to drive a V6 FWD. I didn't like that one too much either on city streets, simply because every time I gave it some real gas from a red light, the right front tire spun and howled in pain! I'm not used to wheelspin at all having owned Audi quattros and Subarus for 26 years. Cannot imagine that V6 FWD in snow and ice.

On the highway, as soon as I reached 95 km/h and on up to 120 (73 mph), some sort of cyclic vibration began, which seemed to really come from the rear of the car. Nevertheless, the steering wheel vibrated too. I assumed out-of-balance rear tires causing a car-wide tremor because there seemed to be a lot of noise from the rear, at least compared to what I'm used to.

The salesman, who used to be a Honda mechanic, reached over and held the steering wheel, and agreed it was vibrating. Hmmm.

Because of the double fiasco I experienced with the I4, he must have really wondered if I was a jinx!

Just to clarify, I drove the SH-AWD on Sept 29, and it did not have this problem. However, as I note from posts above, others have experienced vibration on the SH-AWD.

Something's up. I'm a recently retired mechanical engineer, and having read 3 pages of threads over the last week, my interest is piqued as to how Acura is going to respond to the myriad teething problems this new TLX seems to have. Not enough refinement work to eliminate sympathetic resonances seems the likely culprit here.

I quite like the basic car, because it seems solid and quiet (except when it isn't!). It is a bit ponderous compared to my Legacy GT despite being only about 200 lbs heavier, and isn't very agile, the turning circle is huge just like the Accord, but I probably need to slow down and enjoy the quiet anyway! And I've been put off by Audi, Mercedes and BMW being incapable of engineering a remote start, which I require.

I love the Honda V6 engine, you see. It's a gem so far as I'm concerned - therefore I do hope Acura can eliminate the car's initial shortcomings. There's a very good car in there trying to escape! I have the luxury of time to wait for solutions.

jeich182

To expand on my OP as to when I feel the vibration:

Speeds: ~35-80mph
Engine temp: Hot
Gear(s): High gears
Throttle: Light (maintenance)
Vibration felt: Steering wheel and gas pedal

It's pointing to VCM I'm afraid, though I could be wrong. I'll be making an appointment next week for a few things that need to be looked at and this is number one. If they can't fix it they should give the option for it to be disabled. When we pay this much for a car no "feature" should detract from the driving experience and induce vibrations, especially in a '$40,000' car.

cbb143

I have an 05 MDX and it does it at low-med speeds...glad this post is up because I thought I was the only one.

tlxsteve

If I have a slight vibration, I do not feel it. TLX I4 Tech drives great with such a smooth ride. My longest 400+ mile trip was excellent with no issues at all.

I also drive in turnpike/highway traffic to work both ways daily with varying speeds. I find the ride smooth at whatever speed.

Maybe the roads down here are smoother?

jeich182

What in the heck does a 10 y/o MDX without VCM have to do with a new TLX which does?

jeich182

Question for Acura: I drive in Sport mode all of the time. Why on earth is VCM part of Sport mode operation? Seems counter-intuitive short of giving drivers an option to turn the "feature" off (which is what should be done). I'd imagine it's impossible for VCM to engage in Sport +, however the car isn't drivable in Sport + in day-to-day conditions due to very aggressive throttle tip-in and the forced rev-matched downshifts the 9HP is not capable of making fast enough during hard braking.

I've read that VCM can be disabled by disconnecting one of the oil pressure sensors but unless there's a way to trick the sensor, you'd be driving around with a CEL.

Honda/Acura is pretty good about letting you disable "features"/nannies you don't like, why not VCM? At the very least don't make it part of Sport mode so you can have a *daily-drivable* IDS mode without it.

I intend to take the car to the dealer this week to see whether the vibration is maybe a defective engine mount or something else. Hopefully it is and can be fixed, otherwise I'm not inclined to live with this for another 3 years of driving.

cabose369

My wife is actually complaining about having this issue with our 2014 RDX. Exactly as described by the OP. Except she started noticing it after the VCM stayed closed when it should have activated 2 cylinders and caused massive car shaking and a check engine light. Dealership replaced some of the rocker arms. Now she complains that she feels the vibrating at highway speeds in the seat, pedal and steering wheel.

Rocketsfan

Hmm... I've logged a over 1000 miles at interstate speeds and haven't noticed what you guys are talking about with regard to the vibration. If it's there, it isn't enough to have gotten me to notice it. I wish I had remembered to "look" for it when I went out of town yesterday, but I forgot. But like I said, if it was happening, it wasn't enough to warrant my attention because I didn't notice it.

jeich182

Another observation. When the vibration both starts and stops there's a very slight blip of 100rpm up and down.

Mr Hyde

Is this while coasting? or when getting on the gas after you have been coasting?

In regular local driving (at least here in NY), VCM shouldn't really be activating at all.

My wifes MDX has VCM, and the only way I can tell when cylinders are shut off is by looking at the MPG suddenly spike. I really tried paying attention, but I can't feel, or hear anything that would let me know what was happening mechanically.

cabose369

Yes my wife has said the exact same thing.

BookemDanole

I still definitely feel it, although it is definitely not very strong. However, it is noticeable enough to me that I will have it checked out when I bring it in for my first oil change. For me, it certainly appears to be happening when it goes into VCM. I can see the MPG spike and it is when I reach a speed over about 40 and maintain the same speed.

jeich182

My car is in today for this. So they want to drive it with me; the tech rides along, wants me to drive. I'm explaining the vibration in very basic terms, seeing what he has to say. He goes on this diatribe how "The car is all drive-by-wire now and it's the high gears causing the vibration and how it's the first car in the industry that will cruise at 1,100 RPM so that's why it does it." My BS meter is starting to warm up here for obvious reasons (not to mention we're at 1,600 RPM). So I ask why would it come and go in an on/off fashion? It won't do it in the same gear/RPM when it's not warm or up steep hills. He repeats "Well it's the high gears, first car in the industry to cruise at 1,100 RPM." So to lead him to the real problem he obviously isn't realizing I say well I think it might be the VCM. His response "Well if you think this is bad you should feel the vibration on the 4cyl models in high gear." I said those don't have VCM. He says "No they don't." Mistake trying to justify vibrations to me in a $40k 'luxury' car.

The funny/odd thing to me is many Acura customers are more plugged-in to the brand and what's going on than others. So what they don't realize is the service writers and techs often make themselves look rather dumb to customers who know the ins and outs of these cars, at least at my dealership anyway. It's frustrating.

jeich182

Voicemail from the dealer. "Car is ready, drove another on the lot, it's the same, no codes are present, come pick your car up."

When I got there I asked to speak with the manager and stated my opinion on the issue:
Basically that 'a vibration is not a "feature" and that a $40k car shouldn't have any, period. It's not a bad vibration but enough to be annoying and detract from my experience/enjoyment driving the car.'
They then said that Acura is aware there is an issue, is working on a fix, but they don't know when it will be done (not sure why the service writer didn't tell me this first). Hopefully that's the truth.

CheeseyPoofs McNut

I concur with Steve - my i4 tech drives perfectly smooth on the freeway. Took it on a 300 mile trip a few weeks ago and it was a smooth cruising machine!

jeich182

There's a new thread for the 8DCT. The only things the Honda 8DCT and ZF 9AT have in common are probably the fluid and size bolts they use to mount to the car (if that).

randomRon82

According to this video.... it sounds like "it is what it is"

jeich182

So they basically engineer a vibration into a $40k car that competes in a luxury market space where smoothness is king.

weather

^^ It seems like that eh?! Maybe the approach of using turbo technology to gain fuel efficiency would have been a better strategy than the VCM....or at least have the ability to turn it off for people who would rather drive a smooth car instead of saving 10$ in fuel per month.

Having the ability to turn it of would still allow Acura/Honda to meet its CAFE standard and give drivers what it wants WHEN/IF they want....a win win situation once again. If they could have the VCM active only when the TLX is in ECO mode, that would make sense no?!

TSXV6Guy

From past experience on 2 different cars: most vibration issues that are speed-related are likely related to wheel balance and/or tire issues.

1) check whether the wheel sits properly on the hub. (this is applicable to aftermarket wheels)
2) Check for bent wheel and/or defective tire and/or incorrect tire sizing.
3) if 1 and 2 are eliminated, then check for wheel balancing. Different shops have different machines that are more or less calibrated and maintained.

Sometimes, the balancer will write "00" and then when the tire is taken out of the machine and put back on, it's no longer "00"...

Best is to use the hunter road force machine, which will also address issues with rubber softness variation within a tire.

jeich182

This isn't. It starts and stops, it won't happen when the car is cold, and won't happen during acceleration.

BookemDanole

Exactly

MR. S

update: put 500+ miles on this car over the past week. the vibration continues, i just want to make potential buyers aware of this problem. It is unacceptable and Acura needs to address this.

jim256

This thread is discussing the 6 cylinder and VCM for the most part now, but I see in your first post that you have the 4. So do I, and I don't notice any particular vibration, roughness, or unusual steering wheel feeling at any speed. I did have a 4 in a Honda before the TLX, and have a 4 in a Lexus ES hybrid now, as well. Maybe I'm used to 4's, but I don't understand the dealer and tech saying "they all do it" unless it's a very subtle issue. Has anyone considered a bad tire or tire belt? Balancing will not cure an out of round or belt issue.

jeich182

Always was intended to discuss the V6 and VCM, hence the title. Not trying to be snide by pointing that out but this issue is very important to me as someone else's may be to them. For however much Acura monitors these boards (we know they do) we all owe it to ourselves to keep the problems organized in their respective threads.

jim256

Agreed--just trying to give MR. S. help since he posted (off base) to this thread twice, but he does have a 4 cyl model issue and he has not posted it anywhere else in order to get any feedback.

jeich182

I'm noticing the vibration/rumble is actually more objectionable at lower speeds; starting around 28-30mph. Seems more pronounced from 30-50 than highway speeds but is still there even on the highway.

jeich182

We had a fairly significant cold front come through yesterday and I notice today the VCM vibration seems worse.

Today I spoke with the General Manager of my dealership. I told him about the VCM issue I was having and that it's taking away from my enjoyment of driving the car. He immediately wanted to know how I could be sure it was VCM and wanted to make sure his service staff didn't tell me that. I said no they didn't directly tell me that other than acknowledging that a vibration is present. He asked then how I could be sure. I told him first that I'm a huge Honda/Acura enthusiast with an engineering background and that I know a lot about the products. Then I told him it only happens when the car is warm, when cruising, and it comes and goes in a binary fashion (either on or off). After checking one more time to make sure his people didn't tell me it was VCM he said Acura is aware of the problem [vibration], I'm not the first customer to bring up the issue at my dealership, and he asked that I be patient while they work on a fix. I reminded him that I'm making payments on what amounts to a $40k car with a vibration that really makes me not enjoy driving it sometimes. He sympathized, reiterated that Acura is not the type of company to let issues like this linger, again asked for me to be patient while they work on a fix, and that they'd let me know the minute one is released but had no guarantee whatsoever when that would be. So that's where I am as of today.

weather

^^ Don't hold your breath on the VCM issue. I had a problem with a rear clunking noise in my RDX and the same line....Acura is working hard to solve these issue....guess what, it is still not resolved after 2 years. I want to hope that Acura will address this issue but I think it is an engineering problem and not cheap or easy to solve.

You know, Acura went the route of teh VCM rather than Turbos to get their fuel numbers down but I am not sure this strategy is working well....At least, if they could at least install an ON/OFF switch to disengage the VCM for those who don't give a crap about saving 1L/100km, we could OR make teh VCN active when the car is in ECO mode.

Acura...are you listening?

Tonyware

What I find surprising is that some cars have this vibration and some don't. All cars have been loaded with the same software, so I doubt its the software. But, that doesn't mean during assembly of the car or making of its parts, things all went well. Maybe some cars have been assembled with wrong torque on some engine mount bolts, or the parts from A to Z for the VCM are not all of the same quality. Isolating the VINs that the issue exists is the key in solving this.

So you guys who have issues, post the last 5 digits of your VIN and lets see if there is a pattern emerging... ?

jeich182

This is what I'm scared of, they're just pacifying me. I suppose I have to give them a little while in case they really are working on something but if there's nothing in a few weeks I'm going to push to have them take the car back and put me in a 4cyl (although he seemed to suggest the 4cyl has a similar vibration issue even though it doesn't have VCM).

As for Acura [proper], at the very least disable this awful "feature" in Sport mode. If I'm willfully driving in Sport mode I don't much care about 1-2mpg on average. That would solve my problem right there; could be as simple as changing a "1" to a "0" in the firmware.

9SpeedTran

I agree, I have not (yet) experienced this issue and drove maybe 100 miles on the highway ranging from 60 to about 80, and I could definitely see the VCM kick in when the mpg monitor went to 60 while I was lightly pressing the gas pedal. But no vibration at all, smooth as buttah. ;-)

jeich182

If your car is like mine the REAL vibration will happen between 30-60 (again cruising steady state, warm engine). Once I hit 80 I can't feel it anymore whether VCM is on or not.

Last 5 of VIN: 03175 (note that SH-AWD VINs seem to start over again with the sequence numbers, unless it's a fluke that I observed on two that I saw)