Hi All,

This is my 1st post here as I recently bought a 1997 RL Premium with 55K miles on it. The car runs normally except when I startup the car, a strange noise (grinding kind) comes from or around the engine for about 1-2 seconds and then goes away. Sometimes during driving I experience the same noise for a couple of seconds. The noise seems to come from the top left part of the engine if you are looking straight at the engine.

I would really appreciate any help or feedback to isolate this issue.

Thanks

 

When you start up the car does it make this noise or does it happen once you move the car past 5 MPH?

If its the latter, its the ABS pump doing a diagnostic check and its normal. It happens one time after every startup and 5 mph has been reached.

 

It happens when I start the car and the car is stationary. It does however sound like a pump but its quite loud.

 

I don't know if it is the same thing but I had a 98 RL with 60,000 miles that had a simular noise from the engine. It turned out to be the timing belt tensioner. Ask your Acura dealer about this because they told me it was a product improvement (not a recall) and replaced it for free.

Hope this helps...

 

Hi There

Sounds like the ABS system to me. I have a 97 which does the same sort of thing, loud whirring/pump sound coming from the passenger side area of the engine bay. Freaked me out when I first bought the car 18 months ago.

My ABS works intermitently. Often the pump sound happens a couple times and then stops and my ABS light comes on (indicating that ABS is not working). Other times it only sounds once and the ABS system is working.

I believe my ABS issue is with the pressure reservoir, which can't always maintain enough pressure for the ABS to work.

Hope this helps.

Lexx64

 

Thanks guys for all your help. I am much relieved now because I believe it is the ABS pump that makes this sound. However its good that my ABS light doesn't come on which makes me believe that the ABS is working normally.