Help !
I've had the CL for about 10 months, 10,000 miles and have been consistently hearing this very noticeable staticky rattle coming from the dash on the driver side when going over road irregulairities. It seems to be coming from inside or behind the instrument panel. I've tried all kinds of pushing, pulling and didn't help. Brought it to 2 different dealers and they heard it and think it's "normal." One dealer told me to drive another CL on their lot since he strongly believed that the rattle is there too. Of course that wasn't the case but he still refused to do anything about it. I even spoke with the regional manager that happened to be there. Called Acura TLC and that moron(the manager of the regional managers)just basically told me to try another dealership. I personally think that Acura service is pretty poor.

Anyway, my point here is not to complain but to find a resolution. First, is there anyone out there experiencing a similar problem ?
Second, any fixes ? Third, does anyone know of auto repair shops that would even investigate a rattle ?

It's driving me crazy and I know cars rattle. THere are definitely other rattles in my car that I don't care to fix but this one is just so annoying. Anyway, sorry for the long post but any help/info would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

I don't have this particular rattle but I do have many others. Have you tried tightening the screws above the instrument panel? I have heard this helps.

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2001 Acura 3.2CL Type-S
Satin Silver/Ebony
No Navi

35% tint/Wheel locks/Splash guards/PIAA 19169 bulbs/K&N 33-2178 air filter/Mobil-1 5W-30 oil & filter/One scratched rim

 

yes, i know what you're talking about... seems like little 'clicks' when i go over bumps

yes, someone here in this forum mentioned that tightening the screws on the panel will help rid this problem. it certainly worked for me.

look above and you'll find 2 philips screws... just tighten it.. thats it


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2001 CL Premium w/ Navigation (purchased 4/01/2000)
Satin Silver, Black interior

-Comptech sport springs
-18x8.5" Altstadt/Zivell Speed alloy wheels (+41mm offset)
-225/40/ZR18 Pirelli P-7000 Supersport (front)
-225/40/ZR18 Pirelli P-Zero (rear)
-Raybrig road lamps
-APC 9005 hi-beams


1994 Honda Civic EX
0-60 in 4.26 days

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Akim711:
-18x8.5" Altstadt/Zivell Speed alloy wheels (+41mm offset)
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do they rub???




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2000 accord v6 coupe
eibach springs and 18 inch momo's

 

Dacura,
Believe it or not, you may want to check the sunroof. When that puppy is at it's peak of 'SQUEAKING', it can make you think there are rattles all over the car. Just a thought. I would have a dealership put their fancy lube and see if that takes care of it ! I thought I was losing my mind and it was the fu#king sunroof the entire time !
Just my two cents !

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2001 CL Type S Black/Ebony w/NAVI, PIAA bulbs, Tinted windows, JL Sub-woofer/Fosgate 250 watt amp, otherwise pure stock
1998 Accord Coupe EX-V6
Black Currant Pearl, PIAA bulbs, tinted windows, Fosgate 500 watt amp, Eclipes 6X9's,JL Sub-woofer, otherwise PURE stock !

 

like a screw bouncing in a glass jar ????its driving me crazy...i think its near the fuse box stop the car open the door and pound on the dash area under the steering wheel i here it then i will track it down soon

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'01 3.2 CL typeS
satin silver metalic
Llumar platinum plus
tint 20% all around

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'98 ACCORD V-6 sedan
16" coupe wheels
215/55/16 nitto's
20% smoke titanium
black chrome kit

 

Thanks for the response.

I tried to tighten the 2 philips screw on the panel. They were already pretty tight. That didn't help.

I ruled out the moonroof since I had the experience on my last car (3.0 CL) and thought the rattle was coming from somewhere else. I realized later that it was from the moonroof so I know how that sounds.

It's a static sound. Loud when I go over irregular surface on the road. It sounds like something is rubbing against the plastic inside the instrument panel.

Is the instrument panel easy to open up ? Has anyone tried it ?

 

dacura................I hear the same rattle. Just got back from my first long trip to N. Carolina where it was cold and a lot of "rough" mountain roads. Tons of noises I don't want to hear! REAR SEAT, SPOILER, REAR PLATE, DASH. The rattle behind the dash sounds like a click or a loose rubbing piece of plastic. I'm going to try to pop the plastic face plate off and put foam insulation (weatherstrip) on all the contact areas and check for loose parts. It sounds like it's near the turn signal indicator light. Dealers won't do shit because it's time consuming and no money in their pockets..............

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CL-S PDG, TR Typhoon Wheels, Solaris 9005, guards, nose mask, V-1 & remote.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?...493&p=31386570

 

to add to your frustration, when I first took delivery of my car, I would hear what sounded like a screw rolling around whenever I turned. Sometimes it stopped for days (i figure got stuck in a nook or cranny) and other times it would drive me insane. After 3 attempts to have the dealer manager hear the noise, he finally heard it. Turned out to be a lose screw rolling around the AC vent system. I asked for the screw back - as a memorial for weeks of intense frustration in my car.

Anyway, now no more noise, yet the AC fan blower does sound different now. Can ya'll hear your blower (above passenger's feet area) when your ac is on? Is it obvious or is it quiet?

My point is when the tech was trying to find the screw, he kept banging on the passenger side plastic, dash, and molding to find it. wonder if the ac blower is off centered now.

- sigh

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-Ult

 

YES!!! i had that exact same thing... My friend was driving my car and wanted to test the cornering... and when he swerved, it sounded almost like a marble or something rolled from one side to the other... but that was the only time i heard it.. yes, i guessed that it got stuck somewhere up there...so i just forgot about it. should i have it checked out?? i do hear some random rattles come from around, but the rattles from the gauge cluster were gone ever since i tightened those two screws...

and an answer to someone elses question... (sorry it took so long)... 18x8.5" w/ 41 offset... no rubbing. it fits perfectly. the dimensions might have to be different for a Type-S though.. I just have a premium.

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2001 CL Premium w/ Navigation (purchased 4/01/2000)
Satin Silver, Black interior

-Comptech sport springs
-18x8.5" Altstadt/Zivell Speed alloy wheels (+41mm offset)
-225/40/ZR18 Pirelli P-7000 Supersport (front)
-225/40/ZR18 Pirelli P-Zero (rear)
-Cleared lights!
-Polarg M-4 road lamps
-APC 9005 hi-beams


1994 Honda Civic EX
0-60 in 4.26 days

 

bc01cls - I think you have the same noise I'm having. Let me know how you make out with opening the plastic. I can't stand it anymore. It's so annoying.

thanks for all your responses again.

 

Anyone have an update on this? It has started to happen to me and its pissing me off. I have looked under the dash, on top of the dash and even started to take the dash apart, no luck. It sounds like there is something that is laying on something else but isn't heavy enough to not bounce when the car is running at a certian rpm and vibrations make it rattle. I know its behind the spedo and I am not sure I can get back there.



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2001 Acura 3.2 CL Type-S
Comptech Springs
Custom AEM CAI
Apexi V-AFC

 

I'm so glad that I'm not alone in my misery...I'm pretty sure you're describing what I'm hearing in my car. It started about a month ago (I've had my car since April 2000) and it seems to be real bad when the road isn't like glass. I've tried pushing on various pieces of plastic in and around the dash/ac/cd area. Nothing so far. I'm going to try and tighten the screws discussed earlier.

I haven't broken down yet and called the dealer, but I'm at my wits end. I posted a note on this very same subject about a month ago, but I didn't get this kind of response.

My question is, would we be having these problems if our car was built in Japan instead of the US? I'm thinking not.

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2001 CL-S, Silver Satin. Soon to include Comptech headers

 

I have a screw driver in my glove box now since I've been mucking around those 2 screws under the instrument panel lately. But honestly, it's not helping no matter what I do to those screws so I doubt it's that.

WebToker - I saw the dash pictures of your car. It doesn't seem like it can rattle much from there so maybe mine is from the outside as well. Saw your pics from under the hood, the windshield wiper motor rod. Do you think it's that ? I have a staticky sound coming from somewhere. I think you mentioned a sound of a screw in a glass. I don't think they're the same sound.

 

I have a sticky sound too. Sounds like there is two objects laying on each other but not heavy enough to not bounce at certian vibrations. My wind shield is getting replaced tommorrow so I will be able to see whats up with that area. I can't get a good enough look to confirm that it is the source of the problem but I will know for sure tommorrow.


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2001 Acura 3.2 CL Type-S
Comptech Springs
Custom AEM CAI
Apexi V-AFC

 

dacura...........tried to pry off the dash plate but it won't come off. Afraid of breaking it so I guess I'll just play the stereo louder!!

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CL-S PDG, TR Typhoon Wheels, Solaris 9005, guards, nose mask, V-1 & remote.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?...493&p=31386570

 

webtoker - any progress on your search ?
It's driving me nuts.

 

I think I may be experiencing the same noise. To me is sounds like two pieces of vinyl rubbing together. Sometimes it's there, other times it's not. It's very frustrating. I just broke 2000 miles too, so the car is still a baby. I never drive it on rough roads either. If you ever get it fixed I'd love to know what it was.

Aaron.

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2001 CL-P 4pumped layin' flat

 

Aside from the 2 screws, it could be "arcing." Wires rubbing against each other behind the steering column.

 

Wow this is damn old....anyway i had this problem. Mine was the defroster grill moving around slightly in its housing. I popped it out, stuck some foam strips along the sides and popped back in. It sits tighter now and...no more rattle.

 

heh, the dash rattle has awaken

 

I experienced the same thing this morning going to the airport.

Vibration from my dash

It stopped but I'm sure its not gone.

 

Mine rattles only when cold out. Never in the summer,but mine is up where the dash meets the windshield

 

He he... I had this same problem. I had a huge Bolt rolling in the lower AC vent below the seats. It took me and my wife couple hours to "extract" that bolf!...

Still I had this lose clip rattling somewhere below the dashbord.

Nashua

 

oh well, after living in the valley [north holywood] and driving over the canyon everyday im pretty use to hearing shit rattle, it really dosent bother me because we did not buy a 40 or 50k car, not everything is going to be hand presion delt with, parts move and rattle throughout the cars life span. if its really getting to you there is one definite way to get rid of it. If you DYNOMAT your car it will cut all outside noise by 10 db. Check it out

 

OMFG i just started hearing the rattling noise in my car too. On the driver side where the instrument is and that sound it's pretty loud. I tried tightening the screws but that didn't help and I also gave it a nice whack with the hand but that didn't solve anything. The passenger side also made noise too including the moonroof. Do you think the dealer can figure this out? Cause yesterday I almost went psycho!?!?!??!

 

i have the same rattle.
i thought it was driver side suspension parts. cause i have changed so much.
but it is not.

like a loose shock...or a balljoint.

it only happens on slight bumps.

i have looked everywhere but the dash.

 

turns out that the noise was coming from my defroster vents. It seems that the plastic vents expanded and when cold it makes that awful sound but when warmed up it's quiet like a baby sleeping.

 

Cool. I've got a rattle that sounds like the dash on the passenger side. Only happens when it's cold out. I didn't think to check the defroster vents...

 

I had a rattle that sounded like a little birdie over road iregularities. Dealer found loose transmission mount bolts. Tighten them up and birdie is dead. Just a lead for you. Hope it helps.

 

Dash Rattle FIX...

Check the HEAT SHIELD under the car! My rattle was a clanking thin metal on metal sound and I couldnt find it for the life of me. Put the car on a lift and found the shield was cracked, resecured the shield, rattle GONE!
Good Luck

 

Are you refering to the catlytic converter heat shield?

 

Mine was rusted in two, rattled and twanged like hell so I just removed the whole shield.