I noticed the slight high pitch whine sound also this weekend coming back from Vegas. My only occurs right about at 80 mph, before and after is no problem. And always when giving it a little gas pedal pressure. I'll probably bring it to the dealer's attention next time I'm in there.

 

Have there been any updates on the noise issue, my car has been at the dealer for approx. 2 wks or so, and they just got a cable from Japan which they will be installing sometimes this week?
It sucks

 

I have exactly the same noise only I think it comes in at 72 and goes out at about 80. It is when under load ie: you can get it to go away by letting up on the gas. Also have a whine when very cold at about 35 mph. Had it in to the dealer and they could not hear it!! Was to busy to test drive with them but will have it back soon. Was not there when new.

 

My rl vibrates at highway speeds like it has a tire out of balance. The dealer has made numerous attempts to find the problem - seems not to be the tires as we have tested many tire combinations and nothing seems to help. Most recently tried new drive shaft and brake rotors - NG

Great car but very annoying if you have to spend a lot of time at 70- 75 mph! Anyone else have the same problem ?

 

Mdrxl, I have complained of the same problem but my dealer says they can't feel it. Problem is it is most noticable at 80 mph and they don't test drive that fast. Weird thing is that it comes and goes, some times very noticable. Seems to me like it is a phased vibration of some sort.

They couldn't hear the whine either but I am going back to take the tech on the road with me.

 

Yep, same problem here in regards to the vibration. Dealer re-balanced wheels and it improved somewhat, but still not the rock solid smooth ride I would expect of a car that weighs as much as the RL.

High pitched whine at low speed comes and goes, but I can drown it out using the radio volume control.

 

Thanks trophytime - there is definitely some kind of harmonic vibration that starts around 65 mph and comes and goes depending on road surface and speed. The smoothest highways are the worst for the vibration. The smoother the road surface the more you feel the vibration - probably because the road noise from the tires is minimal and the problem is not masked - you can feel it in your left foot if you have it on the floor and you can feel it in your seat and the center armrest. I think Acura knows they have a problem - they need to get it fixed or the RL will never be a serious long distance car - 50 large is a lot of money for a running around town car! Makes you crazy if you are faced with several hours at highway speeds - I've been resorting to driving my pickup on long hauls - it's much smoother!

 

I agree. So far after about 3K miles I do not have this type of vibration. However, it is a fact that, should it eventually arrive and not be fixed, I will be dumping my RL.

 

I still wouldn't rule out a tire or rim problem. Every car I've ever owned has vibrated at one time or another...it's always been a tire or rim problem...rotating tires with no obvious signs of wear can also cause a car to pull just like an alignment problem. Also, fwiw, my last set of tires on the Honda purchased from one Honda dealer included one that out of specs for "drag" (I don't remember the correct term for this) and was diagnosed as such by another Honda dealer when I took the car in for an alignment...the Honda was pulling. The set I purchased before that on the Honda were purchased from a Sears store and were never right...the car jiggled for 50,000 miles. I blamed the Honda since it was getting old with high mileage until the dealers down here began selling tires and I bought that last set from Honda...and the Honda rides fine now...I'm left with the impression that the tires Honda sells are perhaps "better spec'd" than what can be purchased elsewhere...and I'm talking about the same brand...I've had too many problems with new tires through the years...have always used Michelins. My plans are to stick with tires purchased through the Honda and Acura networks because of my suspicions about what's being sold elsewhere.

My RL has 23,000 miles and the OEM tires seem to be a bit quieter and softer riding than when new, and I've not noticed any undue vibrations...ie bottled water or coffee in a thermos doesn't rattle in the cup holders and so forth.

 

My original post is a bit confusing because I said the tires bought directly from Honda possibly are better spec'ed than tires bought elsewhere...and I had that one tire terribly out of spec! Let me clarify a bit...

Almost every set of aftermarket Michelins purchased for the Honda (459,000 miles) through various tire shops in several states have resulted in the Honda exhibiting some vibrating or noticeable roughness. And, no matter where purchased, I've always had the tires balanced and rotated at Honda because they do a better job than the tire shops...I pay to have it done in spite of getting free rotations at the tire shops. I can't tell you how many times I've asked the Honda service department to check the rims because of this. With the last set purchased from a Honda dealer, with the exception of that one out of spec tire (and Honda replaced both front tires), the car exhibits none of that "jiggly" or rough ride...it's smooth. This is what leads me to speculate that there is a different set of standards for tires being shipped directly to Honda...better quality control, if you may. I've only had one other set of Michelins on the Honda that rode as well...these were purchased at a Sears in Charles, WV...and it was a sad day when those wore out and had to be replaced.

...this is just my personal experience with one brand of tires, on one automobile, since 1994.

fwiw...

 

[FONT=Arial]I have an Acura RL, 2005 and it has 29,000 miles. It's one year old and has had a whining noise all the time. The Rear End, Rear Axles, Drive Shaft, Front Axles and Transmission have all been replaced. Still the same noise. To contact Acura and complain call 1-800-382-2238, press #1 and enter 115089. Doug will answer. Fill his ears full. Acura will not admit there is a problem and will not try any further to locate and fix the problem. I am filing suit under the North Carolina Lemon Law. If you are in NC call 1-888-453-6667 for the Lemon Law Attorney.
Harold

 

Mr RL is over one year one and smooth as silk past 90 MPH. I believe the problem(s) noted in this thread must be related to tires or rims, or some specific problem that is not tied to the design of the car. Friends who bought an RL not long after I did have no problems either. However, if I had a similar problem and it was not being addressed quickly, I know I would raise hell.

 

It's not the tires. That has been checked. It gets worse when the vehicle gets warm on a long trip.

 

Anybody here with the A-Spec wheels or the Tech opt. I want to know if this is a wheel or tire problem. Also, is this happening for the '06 as well?

 

The dealer will not admit it's a problem nor will Acura. They say it is an issue inherent to the design of the vehicle. I have 29,000 miles and have been trying to get it fixed since the day I bought it. The rear end, rear axles, drive shaft, front axles and transmission have all been replaced. Still the same noise. It is not normal to have his noise on a car this expensive. I have hired a Lemon Law attorney so we will see what happens.

 

FWIW, the only other person I know that owns a 2005 RL is having the driveshaft replaced because of the same symptoms that almost everyone in this thread is describing. The scuttlebutt is the driveshaft was redesigned at some point after the 05 RL went into production because of this vibration problem. Sometime in the June or July 2005 timeframe is when dealers started installing them. I don't know much more than that. I'll have more information after the driveshaft has been replaced.

I have what I think is the same problem. At exactly 75MPH I hear a high pitched noise that almost sounds like a faint whistle. It sounds like a high pitched tone played through a fast moving fan. If I take my foot off of the accelerator it goes away. When I place my foot on the accelerator, it comes back.

I tried everything to diagnose it. I rolled all the windows down and back up thinking it was a window seal. I turned off the radio and the AudioPilot feature thinking the noise cancelling might be causing the car to produce a sympathetic harmonic vibration. I turned my cell phone off thinking it might be bluetooth wireless interference from the handsfreelink bleeding through the speakers. None of this worked. It is still there.

So, I'll wait and see what happens with this other RL.

 

I do not believe you can turn off the active noise cancellation feature. Try placing your thumb over the mic and see what happens.

I have the same high pitched noise, but on my S2000, it's the differential and driveshaft whine and it's perfectly normal.

 

Yeah. You can turn it off in the audio settings menu. The same menu you adjust the sub, treble, bass, centerpoint, etc. It's near the bottom of the menu. I think the early reviews of the concept car said that you could not turn it off, or to use marketing nomenclature, It Is Always On. However, they did include the ability to disable it in the production car.

 

I was under the impression that AudioPilot was to increase the volume of the music versus ambient and/or outside interference.

 

The drive-shaft of the current generation RL has not been redesigned. However, several TSBs have warned dealers about problems arising from spotty quality control, especially early on. However, there are plenty of us who are not experiencing the problem noted in this thread with the RL at 75 MPH or any other speed. (Unfortunately, that's small consolation to those who are having the problem.) Lastly, the active noise cancellation (ANC) cannot be turned off except by an informed technician. The audio feature that can be defeated in the nav/menu system is not the same thing. Of course, you can always put thick cotton (or your finger) in the mic hole in the overhead console to partially (and only temporarily) negate the ANC's effect.

 

Redesigned or not you are hearing what came out of an Acura service techs mouth, paraphrased ofcourse. I hesitated to pass this information along in the first place but I, like a few others, am not interested in seeing my 50 large purchase go into the $hitter a year after I purchased it. If you are not experiencing it, congrats. I know Acura will stand behind their product but the service department at the dealership might just forget to mention that a customer probably needs to get this work done.

The ANC and audiopilot....well, I somehow (foolishly) convinced myself they were the same when I knew better. I went out to my car earlier to eject a DVD and I thought 'let me look at that description again'. Sure enough I was totally and completely and utterly and whateverly wrong. I sat in the car smacking my forehead for ten minutes. I figure that is penance enough. Right?

I sat down at the computer to write this follow up and saw you had already communicated this on my behalf. Thanks.

 

My 05 RL recently had the new driveshaft installed. Interesting to note that it is in fact a different part number from what the car originally came with - seems to confirm there are issues. Vibration remains the same despite the best efforts of the Acura dealer - they have been very supportive but this car has yet to run smoothly at highway speeds - I don't notice any unusual noise - just the vibration.

 

For those with the 2005 RL and the whining noise. The noise is coming from the transfer box that delivers power to the rear wheels. Acura won't admit there is a problem and won't fix it. I have filess suit under the North Carolina Lemon Law. Will wait to see what happens. In the mean time, go to your dealers and pester them to fix it. That's the way we will get it fixed is if enough complain. It's a shame to buy a $50,000 car and have the noise. This is my last Acura. I have bought two others, a 1999 TL and a 2000RL and no problems. This vehicle is not ready for market.

 

You're correct. You can turn off AudioPilot but that's not the same as ANC -- which cannot be turned off.

Edit: Sorry Earl. I didn't read all of your replies before responding.

 

No problem-o. I deserve worse.

I set the cruise control for 75MPH and placed my finger over the mic just above the front cabin lights and a low rumble faded into the cabin. Presumably this is just road noise but it did seem to flutter along with the high pitched noise. When I removed my finger the rumble faded out almost completely and the higher pitched noise remained. The difference in noise level is impressive. Now I feel slightly disconnected because I know the rumble is there but it is being cancelled by the out of phase signal from the ANC.

 

The tech from Acura jsut told me today, that the sounds comes from the transfer of power to the rear. He said is a design problem, just like the old tranny in the TL's. Acura is well aware of the problem, and will fix the problem in the near future. To me, I won't buy the RL until all bugs are fixed. Probably for mid '07 or '08. Good luck guys with your cars.

 

Don't know who the tech is you talked to but the people at Acura Client Services in CA claim there is no problem and it will not be fixed. That's why I have filed a claim under the North Carolina Lemon Law. They won't fix it until forced to. Good luck. No more Acura's for me.

 

Anyone who buys an RL and has the problem that a number of people have described, should, in my opinion, have their cars fixed or replaced by Acura. (Yes, I am one of the people without the problem and my car has been on the highway as much as it has in the city, maybe more. Nothing but happy motoring day in and day out.) But boy, if I had that whine, I'd be in Acura's face pronto.

BTW, my vehicle was purchased the day after introduction of the 2005 model, so I still don't believe it is in the design of the driveshaft or any other part of the car. My friends' RL (bought only a few months after mine) has almost 30,000 miles on it and it too has no problems with a whine or any other defects. Both of our cars have had all the TSBs performed without a hitch as well, though admittedly we have a great dealer.

 

You are probably not putting your rear drive in use. Do you live in the southern states?

 

I have a 2005 RL that I bought june of 2005 and I loved the car until this high pitch noise that started at high speed and now I hear it in town at speeds over 35 mph. I took it to the Acura dealer and I was told they have no idea where it is coming from. I hate the car right now, all what I hear while driving is that humming noise that is driving me crazy. It seems Acura does NOT know what to do about it. This is the first Acura I bought I want to trade so bad. I am talking to the dealer about trading it and I found out that the resale value of the RL is horrible. Time to go to Lexus or Infiniti after 25 Acuras in 18 years.

 

Rudeman60. I have the same problem with my RL. I notice that the colder the outside temperature is, the more pronounced the sound is. I hear you dude. I wanna trade my RL now too.

 

Find out if your state has a lemon law. Give the dealer three tries and then file under the lemon law. It works. I know from personal experience.

 

What will the lemon law do for this case?

 

FYI: This post is not to discredit hdcshpe333 or anyone's elses claim concerning the whining noise.

I'm new to the Acura RL, having had 4WD SUVs for the past 15 years. The last two were a Mountaineer and a VW Touareg with AWD. They both had the same whining sound that appeared under similar conditions as described here. FWIW, I believe I heard it last night in the RL, but I've only had the car for 3 weeks and haven't had a chance to drive for long periods at sustained highway speeds.

I'm just wondering if this 'turbine whine' is an unfortunate side affect of the AWD technology? Here's another thing to consider: I have tinnitus (ringing in ears), and I'm very sensitive to high frequency sounds. Are certain folks more suceptable to this whining noise than others? That would explain a lot IMHO.

The one major difference I've noticed with the RL vs. my SUVs is an increase in road noise. This is true even after I replaced the crappy OEM tires with the recommended Michelin Sport A/S. I assume it's due in part to the fact that the car body is closer to the pavement. The Touareg was exceptionally quite in this respect.

 

I think I was the one initially who started the "class Action law suit" thread regarding the noise issue...and after 4 months and the car being at the dealer for more than 6 weeks and replacing all sort of things, the noise is gone at higher speeds, yet still remains at lower 15-40 mph, and last I was told by Ed at Acur client service, that this is it, Acura can not do anything about it. So, I contacted a lemon law attorney,in SD and his reply was that if you can drive the car from A-B point without causing any harm to me , I don't have a case, the trade in for this car is horrible, cant loose 8 grand at this time. I would go back to my Lexus in a heartbeat if I could, never again will I buy an Acura again.

So, best of luck to you all regarding the noise issue, but so far Acura will not replace or trade in the car....It is extremely frustrating.

I doubt hdcshpe33-that lemon law will work for you but there might be some way it might for you, best of luck, please keep us updated.
My dealer is located in Escondido, california (Acura of Escondido). Funny thing is that they keep telling me that I am the only one with this problem, and I keep telling them have a look at these threads....

 

I hear the noise at the aforementioned 70-75mph range. Definitely drivetrain related and SH-AWD related. Since there are about 22,000+ RL's on the road, I am sure Acura is reviewing this issue, if indeed it is an issue. Nobody has called me. I get more info from this site than Acura.

I will most likely bite the bullet and get an extended warranty. I like the car too much to move onto something else. People where I work have issues with their new Lexus GS300's (Rattles & NAV) and M35x's (electronics glitches). I think build quality industry wide has suffered. Cars are very high-tech and the race to create the better, faster and more techno advanced cars only buys more trips to the car dealer and higher prices.

Keep us all posted on additional developments.