I dont know if you have been paying attention to my past threads but I have been dealing with this vibration problem in my TL-s for over 3 weeks now.

I have balanced (three times), done two alignments, put 4 new tires, and new rotors/pads all around.

After a grand of dicking around... I still have the freaking vibration!!!

Today I took it back to have the alignment re-done (they screwed it up the first time, the car ended up pulling to the right. It's ok now). Still had the vibration.

Took it back to the tire shop and asked to rebalance and look for a possible bent rim.
The tech found a tire out of balance, but no bent rim.
I think he is BS'ing me because I had the tire off last night and put it on with the weights in tact.
I also know that a bent rim would be hard to balance, thus the technician would have attempted to re-balance them again.

I am running out of options, patience and money!!

If it is a bent rim, then how much would a stock one for a type S go for?
The car vibrates when I place the transmission in neutral in highways speeds, so I don't think it is the drivetrain.

I need help!!!!!! Any advice on as to how to takle this? I really dont have the $$ right now to deal with this.
Right now acura can take this TL and shove it up their rears... I am not pleased with this over-priced accord at all.

 

drive car into river...collect insurance on stolen vehicle

 

Umm... I dont want to be anyone's bitch in jail... lol...
Thanks for lifting my spirits a bit!

I mean, How frequent do these rims get bent up?!?!
I purpously avoid pot holes or ridges on the road. Argh...

 

Trade it in for a new ride!!

 

Rims usually dont' get bent, but my friend has one on his BMW. You need to get a new rim if that is the case, rather than trying to bend the rim back (which I don't know if they can do.)

 

spl1011, I feel your pain... I went through the exact same thing last summer with my TL-S. The car used to drive perfectly, and all of a sudden, I started to notice a steering wheel shimmy at 60-65 mph. In addition to that, I had another shimmy when I applied the brakes. I described the situation to my dealer, and although I was convinced that there were 2 different problems (warped rotors + something else), they thought that replacing the rotors and pads would take care of everything. It didn't, of course. The brake pulsation was fixed, but the misterious shimmy continued.

To make a long story short, I replaced a rim ($262 list, to answer your question - got it for $230), 4 tires and went through a bunch of rebalances. This took about 3 visits to the dealer. Finally, they agreed to keep the car until they figured out what was wrong. After 23 days, they tried replacing the intermediate shaft (which didn't help), shift solenoids on the transmission, and finally, they replaced the tranny (a known problem with the TL-S as you obviously know, but not something that was bothering me at the time) and ball joints.

I picked up the car, and the problem was still there. At that point, I decided to involve ACS. My case manager was rude, unprofessional, and needless to say, very unhelpful. He behaved like a true stonewalling bureaucrat. The guy didn't even return calls or follow up with me like he had agreed to. Meanwhile, the dealer, who was really trying, replaced the inner tie rod ends. After all this, the problem was a bit better, but still there. Sometimes it was better than others, but I did notice it to be consistently there when coasting down hill on the highway (in D5, D4, or N). It was mild enough for people not as picky as I am to not notice it. My wife rarely felt it when she drove the car.

In the end, the dealer gave up and said that this was a characteristic of the Type-S... very interesting... If it is normal, why did they try all the stuff they did? I mean, why not just say "we have no clue what's wrong"... I know that this vibration is not normal. Besides, the car didn't do that (in my case) until 20k miles. How many miles on yours, by the way?

The bottom line: I got rid of the car 11 months after this ordeal started. After owning 3 Hondas and one Acura, I was so displeased with the way this situation was handled that I jumped ship (but I still like to hang around here ). The rattles and other issues were enough of a nuisance, but I realize that all cars have their little issues. What really did it for me was the way I was treated by Client (Dis)Services. I can forgive a lot of things (the rattles and even the shimmy, which again, wasn't too bad in the end), but I will not put up with poor customer service and borderline disrespect, particularly after paying so much for a car. I mean, Chrysler customer service has treated me much better!

One thing that I never got the dealer to check out, which I thought could help, was the steering system, I don't know... the rack preload, power steering, and the torque-sensing system. I am not sure if that could have been the problem, but it was the next logical step, given that virtually every item in the driveline was replaced.

Sorry for the long story, but hey, I thought you should hear this (or read it, anyway). Maybe you can use this to make some suggestions to your dealer. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

Are yo sure it is the rims and/or tires??? Let us isolate this oart of the equation, why don't you go back to the dealer and have them place a new set of rims on the car, drive the car around and see if the vibration persists. if it does then you knwo your rims are okay and it has to be alignment and/or some other component of the suspension system.

Where are you gettting your alignment done. Are they doing it manually or digitally. If manual, try to find a shop that will do digitally. Most new NTB and Sears stores have digital readers and alignment machins... these machines are far mor accurate than the manual machine currently being used. I feel your pain, I would be pissed if after I spent $30k on a ride and then when something fucks up I get the run around from te very same fucks who sold me the car.....Good Luck and I hope it works out for ya....

 

Are you sure it is the rims and/or tires??? Let us isolate this part of the equation, why don't you go back to the dealer and have them place a new set of rims on the car, drive the car around and see if the vibration persists. if it does then you knwo your rims are okay and it has to be alignment and/or some other component of the suspension system.

Have you had the car dropped or put new springs and/or shocks on the vehicle. Maybe one of the shocks is worn..... Look at your old tires, is there varying wear?? Maybe a spring was put on pside down. I don't know, but it seema fair that you should look at every possible characteristic before jumping to conclusions.....

Go to the dealer and have them:
1. Check suspension components
2. Put new rims on the car and ride it.
3. check alignment
4. tell you what the fuck is wrong with your car.....
5. Maybe look into seeing if your car qualifies as a lemon in your state....

Where are you gettting your alignment done. Are they doing it manually or digitally. If manual, try to find a shop that will do digitally. Most new NTB and Sears stores have digital readers and alignment machins... these machines are far mor accurate than the manual machine currently being used. I feel your pain, I would be pissed if after I spent $30k on a ride and then when something fucks up I get the run around from te very same fucks who sold me the car.....Good Luck and I hope it works out for ya....

 

Caha14... thanks very much for your story.
It will help me in dtermining my problem. I am really sorry to hear you didnt find a fix for it though!!

To make matters worse for me, the car has almost 54k miles on it (I bought it used with 38k), so the warranty is out.
I have been trying to do my isolation and work myself in order to save cash. Also the Acura dealership here is disgusting (Tim Smith Acura in Fort Walton beach, FL). Their customer service is way behind par and an anal raping to boot in terms of charges. For example, I asked if they could balance the tires. They didnt do a damn thing. Nor did they tell me they didint do a damn thing (the weights werent touched. and only after the fact did they tell me their equipment cannot check for bent rims - after I spent 40 bucks.

IndoMFP,
My car is STOCK! Minus the Rotoras that I put on that have less than 100 miles on them. As I mentioned before, I had the alignment checked twice already and no problems. They are using an analog system using IR technology and will be getting a digital video sensor-like system installed in a few months. I got the alignment done at the Toyota dealership where I bought it off the used car lot. They give you a book of coupons after the purchase and it contains 6 free alignment checks :-).

As Caha mentioned, this started all of a sudden after 15k miles of silky smooth driving. My vibration does get bad enough that my passengers can notice it, if they feel for it.

This is not normal for any car - be it worth 13 to 30+ thousand dollars.

 

ummm... the car was running smoothly for 15k miles and then only started doin' the weird vibration *after changing the rotors*?? think about what you just said... it was silky smooth...and the only thing i have changed recently has been the rotors --- around 100 miles previous...

????

 

I mentioned earlier in the post that I bought the car with 38k miles on it. It now has close to 54k. I have owned it for over 15k miles already.

I put the rotoras on this past Thursday and Friday and have driven it less than 100 miles since then.
I have noticed the vibration problem for over a month now, well over 2k miles put on it in that time (long road trips).
The addition of the new rotors and pads are the most recent things I have done to the car. I got another alignment and balance on Sat. No dice - damn thing still feels like a washing machine on spin.
Sorry for the confusion, man. When I get frustrated I tend to just babble... lol.

I did make a slight break thru this morning...
I think I found the bent rim. I jacked up each tire and spun it, looking at the both inside and outside edges of the rim from an angle as to get a nice frame of reference.
The other three are true and straight and just follow the curve as it spins. The rear driver side however has a slight dip in it that is slightly noticeable. Im hoping thats it!
What really really REALLY pisses me off is that it has been looked at by 3 professional mechanics and after telling them to look for this (and paying good money!), I find it. Granted I am an FAA licensed mechanic and an engineer, just looking at something spin isn't rocket surgery! lol... "mechanics" like those are what give technicians bad raps...
I guess I better start rim-shopping.
Ill keep ya posted.

 

so you had the vibration before the rotor thus requiring the change of the rotors?? I would buy new rotors and put OEM rotors on the vehicle and see if the problem is reoccuring...regardless this is unacceptabel from an Acura product... fiel a case withthe BBB and the state lemon law folks...

 

Along with the vibration problem I had warped rotors, which needed to be replaced (and pads) as well.
The brake vibration is easy to spot, heck , it would shake the car creaping up to a light or a stop! You would feel the car wobble! lol... But now the new Rotoras are on, the brakes are smooth.

BUT THE HIGHWAY VIBRATION STILL PERSISTS!!
I slapped the spare, replacing the tire that had the suspected bent rim - the car still shakes with the same symptoms I have mentioned before!

This is really throwing me off the deep end!

Does anyone else know what could cause this, maybe even suspension wise? Just to reming folks, I have changed tires, done several balances and alignments, and replaced brakes.

Anyone had problems with tie-rod ends, or the steering rack?

I doubt it is it since I feel my ass shaking at about 45 and up, then at about 60 or so, the steering wheel starts to vibrate. WTF....

I should have bought a Kia... lol...

 

Do our cars have wheel bearings? I know in my previous rides that bad wheel bearings can cause alot of problems, especially mysterious vibrations. One way you check it yourself is to jack up each side of the car and physically grab the tire and wiggle it back and forth. If you get any side-to-side 'wiggle' your bearings are either shot or need repacked and greased. Even if you cant detect any side to side play in the wheel, I would make it the next thing for the dealer to check.....that is of course if our cars have wheel bearings, which I'm sure they prolly do. Good luck man.

 

Part of the problem is that it can be more then your wheel area that causes the car to shake when driving. My girlfriends car did the same thing, she took it to the dealer over and over and they checked everything and the problem was still there. I ended up taking it to a friend of mine who doesn't rely on the computer in the car to tell him if something is wrong, he ended up telling her that she had a problem with her Anti-Lock break system, she took it back to the dealer and told then exactly what to look for and they found the same problem. Replaced the ALB system and the shaking went away.

My 02 Acura TL-S is Idling wrong, when I am waiting at a red light the car shakes, I took it in to the dealer and they hooked it up to the computer and the computer said nothin was wrong. He tryed to tell me that the car is supposed to idle like that. These computer things are more problem then they are worth.

 

Before you found the problem I was about to suggest swapping the wheels front to rear and side to side to see if the vibration changed.

 

This is a good idea. Did you try this already? If this dosn't help, then you know its something in the suspension.

 

That is a good suggestion. I plan on swapping the front left with the rear left.
unfortunately, I have directional tires, so I am very limited.

Last time I went and got them balanced, the guy rotated my tires (ok, with less than 100 miles on them and installed less than 5 days before hand - is the tech hiding something?). I do notice the vibration on my ass before it reaches the steering wheel. But it could just be me.
Im home sick today because I am feeling under the weather. Maybe Ill have some time and energy to swap front with rear and see what happens.

 

spl1011, what ever happened with your vibration problem? Just curious...

 

To share my experience, I had a bent rim + bubbles on tire.
I had to pay 1.2K CAD to get a new tire + new Rim (TL-S A-Spec).
If you are looking for replacing all 4 of them, you will be considering 1.2K * 4 CAD wich would be around 2.5 K to 3 K USD...

 

Oh, hey guys.

Caha14 - I found out that I had a bent rim. But I dont think that was the total solution to my problem. After getting new tires and balancing them, I had them rebalance again asking the technician to specifically check for a bent rim. well, he said the tire was out of balance. Car still shook. I get home, jack up the tire the guy said he balanced, and sure enough it was bent on the back side. Slight, but there.
Found a place that would straighten it out and had it done. Mounted and balanced for 100 bucks. Sure beat buying new rims for about 300 bucks a pop.
The car is good now, but the steering wheel shakes once in a while on the highway. It does it when it feels like it. At a certain speed it will shake and later it will go away, etc. Gets worse above 80 or so, but it seems to do it right at 70 most of the time - which is the speed limit here in FL.
Im thinking it could be a bad bearing(s). When I turn the wheels on a smooth surface, I feel this grinding noise on the floor board and the car gets loud. Also when going straight, between 5-10 mph, it just feels like something is grinding away. I doubt its the new Fuzion tires I put on. It does it at any tire pressure set, and with the car in neutral or in gear. Anyone know the symptoms of bearing failure?

Anyway enough ranting. The bent rim got 95% of my vibe problem. Glad that is over, and from now on I will drive around with a slightly higher tire pressure to help avoid that.
Thanks,

 

Don't think that higher tire pressure will prevent a bent wheel. Your problem with diagnosis was the people who worked on it. Where in FL do you live? Be careful about a re-straightened wheel, if they heated the aluminum up it could be weaker than before......oh and the Fuzion tires...I just don't know

Charles

 

Higer tire pressure helps distribute the forces better. Keeps the tire round, and from bottoming out.
I think I may know how I bent it. I think it was due to me misjudging that fake curb at the head of a parking spot at a parking lot. That was a tough hit on my part.

Depending on the type of metal, mixing alloy used and how it was heat treated, all take into account.
I know that for many metals, it takes heat and time, and sometimes lack of oxygen for heat treat to take place. Also quenching is a concern.
I dont want to give a lesson in metalurgy, but it takes a bit.
Just because you heat something up, does not necessarily make it weaker when it is cool. Thus I am not concerned.
I think folks should be more worried with cracks on rims. Those can kill. I have seen accidents as a result.

I'm very happy with the Fuzions! I think my issue is bearing wear. But those fuzions are sweet. They feel like the stock michellins in terms of ride quality and noise (very quiet), and do not let go on grip. I have yet to hear them squeel like the michellins did on a hard turn. Now the Goodyears I had between the Michellins and the Fuzions were a POS!! Loud, harsh and ok on grip, but would let you go without warning.
Users on Tire rack gave it a great review, and these were Z3, Z4, Camaro, Si and I think a TL-s user as well. They balanced to within 3 grams on the affected rim. Not bad.

Yeah, the guys I took it to were idiots, INCLUDING THE ACURA DEALER, whom I took it too FIRST! I live in Fort Walton Beach, and TIM SMITH Acura are just idiots. Plain and simple. Like I mentioned before, I am ashamed they call them selves "technicians!" But I found the root of the major problem and haven't had another problem with that tire/wheel since then.

How are you folks in Jax doing? You guys were relatively lucky this hurricane season!

 

Just remember that it also decreases the amount of force put on the outer edges of the read and could produce a "wondering" characteristic in straight-line driving.

 

Very true. The center of your tire wears more than the outer edges.

Wandering characteristics are also clues toward worn bearings and/or tie-rods. It can be quoted as a "darty" feeling.

What I meant by higher pressure was like 35 - 37 as opposed to the 32lbs that I kept the stock michellins at (which were the tires I had on when I bent the rim).

 

I have had this problem for awhile now. I don't think it's bent rims or tire pressure. I believe there is a glitch in the steering componet somewhere, maybe it's the anti-lock system as someone suggested was the problem with their girl's ride. I put it off so long thinking it was the rotors, but after replacing the rotor it still happened. I wonder if there is an alert about this.

 

I have this same issue with my 02 TL-S. About 40 MPH I get a vibration in my seat and around 70MPH+ I get it in the stearing wheel and in the seat. I have had balances, rim checks, etc. WTF? I have no idea what it is. I just learned to live with it so far. It is really depressing since I paid 25K for the fuckin car. I am thinking about selling the mofo.

 

I hear ya Burn-one and Antlive.
As a matter of fact, I am still having this freaking issue and it is driving me nuts.
I am seriously looking into my pockets and new car specs to buy another freaking car. I hate to almost say it, but never again, Acura.
I even had a road-force balance done last week! Nothing!
I am coaxing a guy from work with his 2000 TL to put his stock 16's on my car and see if it goes away. At least I know its not the wheels if it doesnt.
Either way, if its not a 200 or 300 dollar fix, Im selling the bitch.
Its a shame because I really like the TL and will have to downgrade with my next car. This one is just costing too much for me to keep trying to solve this problem.


BTW, what kind of ride do you two guys have? Miles? Explain some of the history you have had with it and what not. It would be curious to see if we are on the same boat.

 

i had a similar vibration on my TL and they replaced the wheel bearings

 

it can be many things. if you can rule out its your rims by swapping out rims to try, there are many other things that it could be. a worn out.bad shock very hard to diagnose and would cause that. a worn out balljoint, a bad motor mount or bushing, and a tranny and its drive compononts, and bearings.
. it also could just be the tires. tires even when balanced correctly the tread design it self can and will cause that.
dont let a little issue turn you away from keeping or owninig another acura. after all teh cars ive owned and friends have owned, i wont switch. my buddy has had more issues with his ls400 than i have. hes had a tranny bolw, a engine had to be replaced, 3 shocks, window trim, a starter. all by 80k. many others have issues with them. there is no perfect car. stick with it and lets work thru it!

 

I have a 02 TL-S with about 38K. As I said before, I get the vibrations around 40MPH in my seat then again at 70+ in my seat and steering wheel. Since it only happens at particular speeds, I thought it might be a balance issue or maybe a tire out of round. Not sure at this point.

 

could be. the tire may balance fine but the tread could cause it or it could have a slight flat spot causing it.

 

Although many will disagree, it is sometimes better to take a car to the dealer, than these small shops. Most small shop aren't good at dealing with expensive cars. I have learned the hard way paying money to these fly by night places 3 or 4 times and end up taking it to the dealer and they find the problem imediately.

 

mt stock 16 inch wheel got bent and caused a heavy vibration. Just make sure that its not the rim. Either way the shop you brought it to should have told you that the rim was bent when they had the tires off the car for rebalancing.

 

spl1011, i know exactly what you are talking about. mine does the same thing. not all the time, just whenever it feels like.

i've had this car for 2 years and i've learned to ignore the little nuisance that comes up constantly. like the rattles in the dash and sunroof, warped rotors, steering shimmy, rippled window frame tape, separated door panels, clogged windshield sprayer, tranny concern, seatbelt sensor, tire bubbles. i haven't had that many problems with a $15k mitsu i had 10 years ago...

just don't dwell on the little things, they will drive you crazy. it's just a device for commuting. when the time comes, trade it for something else. for me, it won't be another honda/acura.

 

I'm having this vibration at 90 and above speeds. The steering wheel is hardly vibrating but I could feel the entire car vibrate up and down and the wheels feel as if it's going to fall apart. I was cruising through route 80 in NJ and the roads are pretty good compared to BQE in queens. Should I be worried that this will cause major problems to my supension in the future?

 

sounds like a unevenly worn tire

 

I have a 03 CL, but just thought I'd chip in and say that I am having similar issue's, and looking at all the balancing and new tires and mutlitple trips to the dealer and stuff I doubt I'll have the kind of time and money it will require to fix, I guess I'll start with a tire balance and alignment and see if they can check for bent rims. The car has been pulling to the left for a while and vibrates while breaking although breaking vibration has disipated lately, I swear the temp really effects this car, and many things in the steering and breaking systems change with the weather, and of course the rattles get far worse during the winter when everything contracts. Oh well this was the first and last acura I ever get.....

 

My problems seem to come and go with the weather too. Around 55-65 degrees it is smooth, but anything out of this range the vibrations start. Could just be coincidence though. Interesting you mentioned it ...

 

deffinatly sounds like a tire issue. you need to try different wheels and tires to see if that eliminates it. like i said before tires can be balanced and cause vibrations in the car and wheel.