Southbound

I just took delivery of my long awaited and well researched NEW 02 TLS Aegean Blue Pearl. I was all buzzing when my "Autoland" broker called and said the car was ready for pick up with only 16 miles on her. I had already named her "Sweet 16"! She drove sweet all the long way home. (I couldn't resist taking the long way and put about 20-30 miles of EASY driving to get her home) I went out later after it had cooled down for a few hours and when it started there was this "chinklin" "cracklin" kind of sound coming from under the hood right around 2000 rpm. It went away after reving it a few times and holding 3000rpm for 15 seconds. It drove just fine after that without and sounds. Today it continues to make this noise after it has been up to temperature and then cooled off for a few hours. I've got 75 miles on her now. At first I thought it sort of sounded like some kind of exhaust shroud chinklin or something, but now I can almost say it sounds like marbles or gravel chunkling around somewhere? YES IT HAS OIL! It starts out making this noise between 1200-2500rpm. A minute later it is between 1750-2250rpm, and another minute later it is right around the 2000rpm mark only. Then it disappears? When it's at its worst case noisemaking, you can drop below 1500rpm and it will go quiet, or you can go above 2500rpm and it will go quiet. It's almost like I can hear something "switch" off and on during these narrowing thresholds???? BUT I haven't been able to get someone in the car to hold it at the bad point while I have my head under the hood trying to locate the exact source yet (if that's even possible with all the clutter under there)... WTF? This sucks! My new baby, and she's already demanding attention. It only lasts for a couple of minutes idling or about a mile of driving, so the dealer won't be able to duplicate it, but it sounds pretty bad when it's going on. I'll have to wait and see if it settles down or gets worse before I take it into the dealer. I HATE taking a NEW car into the dealer. Usually they just guess around and mess up what's not broken, especially when they can't duplicate it except under certain circumstances. It reminds me of another story I read on this board about somebody with an intermittent problem who had to leave it at the dealer several different times with specific instructions before they would finally admit to the problem... Sorry for the rant, but somebody please TALK ME DOWN! Anybody else heard this kind of thing go on? Any ideas what it could be? My gut is tied in knots and I neeeeeeed to buzz about my "Sweet 16" instead of cringe whenever I start her up... HELP! Also for the Tranny VIN number research. This 2002 TLS was built in Jan, 2002 (this year) The last eight digits are 2A62,XXX. I believe that that is about as high as the 2002 build went. I bought one of the last to be made, I believe. Looking at dealer website inventory VINS, I see that the 2003 models are in the 3A000XXXrange. I believe they put the "3" number before the A to differentiate the 2003 model year. Thanks for the support!

bebber

Sorry to hear this happen to you. I know how frustrating it can be to hunt down intermittent noises. My car squeaks, and I've been to the dealer a dozen different times trying to narrow it down.

I haven't heard the noise you're talking about, but if I would suspect anything, it would be the tranny for two reasons. 1) The noise happens consistently at different rpms rather than at certain speeds, suggesting that it has something more to do with the engine or tranny than the drivetrain/steering/suspension/wheels. 2) The TL trannys have a reputation of premature failure.
Just my speculation.

Southbound

The noise happens in Park or neutral just reving the engine, or while in drive as it goes through those rpm numbers. It's totally rpm related. I just went out and drummed my fingernails on the exhause manifold shroud and it has that tin pan kind of sound that I hear as if there were marbles or gravel inside of there. Sometimes at just the right rpm it almost sounds like a racheting sound...I believe that the sound is coming from that area. Like I say, it starts out with the noise all the way from 1200rpm through 2500rpm and then steadily narrows its range until it just squawks as it goes past 2000rpm and then disappears???? Anybody have a trusted/preferred dealer in Orange County, California? If not, Southern Cal in general. Again, thanks for the support.

daverman

Southbound: First of all, use paragraphs! That humongous chunk of continuous text is hard to read

If it sounds like the sound is coming from the exhaust, have the dealer lift the car and try shaking the exhaust pipe. Sometimes TLs have their exhausts not hanging right from the hangers.

I had a clunking sound coming from underneath the car, and it turned out to be the plastic clip that holds the catalytic converter's oxygen sensor wire to the heat shield on the undercarriage. Check out this thread to read the discussion.

Finally, it could be a loose screw or nut rattling around in the engine bay. You're right, the only way to tell is to have someone rev the engine at a particular RPM and then snoop around the engine bay.

tea elle

If all else fails, crank up "You Don't Love Me-Soul Serenade" off the Allman's box set from 1989.

All kidding aside, I'm really sorry to hear you're having some trouble. I'm sure Acura will take good care of it, but hopefully its something minor.

NSXNEXT

iTrader: (2)

Maybe it's a problem with the catalytic converter. Maybe a piece of the catalyst broke off and is rattling around inside.

T Ho

If not rocks in the exhaust shroud, could it be engine knock?

my2sense

16 miles upon pickup? I'd be pissed. You realize that was 16 miles of hard driven joyriding, right?

My car had 2 miles upon delivery. and I was pissed about that.

dazz

Sorry to hear that Southbound

Have you checked out your heatsheild for the cats? In my mothers old car, you would hear this "clinking" noise only at certain RPM's. She took it in and they said the heatshield was loose. You could even check it yourself. It's just a piece of metal in between your cats and the floor of the car. It's usually held on by three screws. Just make sure they are tight.

I had the same problem with my integra. I took it in and they told me that it was the gasket in between the headers and the cats. Sometimes they just don't set right, and the exhaust fumes escape a little, causing the "clinking" noise. That wasn't the case for my integra, I had a rotted out A pipe, so I don't think you have to worry about that.

Anyways, thats my 2 cents.....good luck