Hi everyone,

New member here, thanks in advance for any advice you might be able to provide! I've been a member of several other car forums (3000GT/M3/RX8) and I know everyone hates when the new guy comes in with a stupid question, but I've tried searching this forum and google but can't seem to find any appropriate information on the issue I'm experiencing.

My wife's 2012 RDX seems to be having some sort of problem with the turbo. We purchased the car 2 years ago and when we initially bought it, the car seemed to have a ton of power when you would lay on the throttle and when you let off, you'd hear a very noticeable sound from the BOV. For the past several months, the car doesn't seem to have the same acceleration that it did previously and I noticed that there is no sound coming from the BOV when you let off the gas. And to be honest, when you really hit the gas, it almost feels like there is no turbo kicking in at all, rather it's just the tiny 2.3 engine working extra hard to provide the acceleration.

The turbo gauge seems to be working, but I'm not hearing any sound whatsoever coming from the actual turbo. We took it to the dealer and the service guy basically said "It seems to be working, it might just be due to the difference in gas they sell during the winter months". It's definitely not the gas, but he said they'd charge me $150 to do any type of diagnosis on it, which seems crazy.

So, has anyone else experienced a similar issue or have any ideas as to what the issue might be? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

My first thought on that is a possible boost leak. Check the obvious - make sure all hoses are connected, clamps are solid, no cracks, etc. Also possible that perhaps the BPV isn't closing all the way for some reason - this could explain the lack any noise. It's not too hard to remove and inspect with a set of hand tools.

 

When you say "Service Guy" are you talking about the Service Adviser who'm you book your service appointments with? If so, most of them couldn't diagnose an empty gas tank. SOME of them are actually good at their jobs, into cars, are friends with the mechanics, and actually know what they're talking about. Him even suggesting gas as the problem makes me think he's an idiot. BUT......and this is a BIG BUTT so you know I can not lie and you other members can't deny, To have a good diagnoses from the actual Acura dealership is the best route to go.

I have no idea what it is without actually driving it, scanning it, and looking at the fuel trim levels and boost pressure. A good idea would be to first check the spark plugs to see if you're running rich or lean. Then go from there. You can look up online how to read a spark plug. Any suggestions as to what the problem would be, is just a literal guessing game without having more information.

But seriously, take it to the dealer. $150 and you'll know what it is for sure. With that knowledge you can see if you can find the part online and see if it's a fix you can do on your own. If it isn't, you can take it to another garage that has a good reputation and save some money on the actual labour.