2017 RDX Tech AWD. 95k miles, just had the timing belt / water pump service done and replaced the serpentine belt and tensioner at the same time. Mechanic found nothing of note during the maintenance work.

One month and maybe 600 or so miles later, and a noise is now sometimes present under the hood. When things are quiet, turning the wheel hard to the right and accelerating (like when turning at a stop light or similar) will cause the noise to briefly appear. I have heard it do similar when turning left. It always seems to occur when the steering is under more load (slower speeds), but it is absolutely not the usual suspects (brake pad, loose caliper, or anything at all to do with the suspension)... The reason I am confident that it is related to something in or on the engine is because the 'chatter' will speed up / slow down to a certain degree depending on engine speed and it has done it while sitting at idle in park.

I'm wondering if it might be alternator related since I do know that the electric steering will put a decent draw on the electrical system under more load but wondering if anyone has encountered something like this before and has any thoughts.

 

Wouldn't hurt to get the alternator tested, and do the battery while you're there.

 

The battery was replaced about a year ago, so I'm not suspecting that (at this point - you never know, though). I will be having the tensioners for both belts re-checked, and may have an Acura mechanic tell me if the specific intermittent noise may be the "chirp" that is referred to in a TSB that ultimately results in adding a spacer behind the crankshaft pulley (although, I believe that issue is a constant chirp once the motor has come up to operating temp and that doesn't seem to apply here either because it comes and goes).

I will be keeping an eye on dash lights to see if there -is- an alternator problem that presents as a charge-related issue of some sort, and may end up having the alternator tested more pointedly if I don't come up with a conclusion before that.