Nedmundo

My TSX is a 2010 base with 6MT with 38k miles. At around 34k, it developed an intermittent rattling/buzzing noise. It happens sometimes when accelerating, and sometimes over rough pavement, and can disappear for a couple of days at a time, only to return. When I took the car out with a dealer tech, of course, it was silent. (My dealer is surrounded by smooth roads.)

From the driver's seat, it sounds like it's coming from the far passenger's side of the dash near the tweeter. From the passenger's seat, however, it sounds like it's coming from the gauge cluster. So, by moving my head around and having my brother ride shotgun, I think I've narrowed it down to the center stack, possibly the stereo. It rarely lasts more than a couple of seconds at a time, so it's difficult to pinpoint.

Could this be the glove box rattle others have reported, with the sound coming out of the center HVAC vents? Anyone else have something like this?

Thanks in advance.

spyked

No rattles yet in 11 CBP except when passenger headrest is up from the lowest position sometimes. Good luck! I know how dealers can be. And remember: a rattle that you know is often better than the rattles the dealer can create when trying to fix one. Keep that in mind

JLMore

If I sound like I am insulting your intelligence, forgive me...
But I have to tell you, I go absolutely nuts when I hear a new rattle/sound in my TL! I will ask the passenger, where are your keys? Where did you put your cell phone? etc., etc. My passenger will usually think I am crazy. They will ask, "...what exactly do you hear...I hear nothing..." To which I reply, "...trust me, I know my car inside and out and something, probably only audible to dogs, is now making noise..."
I will check the glove box, I will reposition my keys (I put them in a little cubby hole near the drivers right shin), etc.
One day after several minutes of not being able to determine where the rattle was, I discovered that my "sun pass" (Florida's electronic toll road device that is stuck to inside of the windshield via small plastic cups) had became a little warm in the sun and had come loose just enough to produce a slight rattling. While my passenger thought I was over reacting (I probably was), I just don't like to let anything go unnoticed because I don't want a bigger problem to evolve. (Plus I think I am, honestly, clinically hyper-sensitive...and little sounds that most people brush off, cause me to go into search-and-seizure mode!)
So, maybe...just maybe, your car is running perfectly and something you may have stuck somewhere is actually the culprit.
Oh, yes, and another time I heard my passenger seat rattling--with no passenger. After I analyzed the situation (all while driving carefully), I found that the umbrella that I always keep behind the passenger seat had moved just enough so the tip of the umbrella was touching the metal bracket that holds the passenger seat to the floor. So it was a tiny tiny noise--a tiny rattle that would only sound when I would hit a tiny bump in the road, but something my elephant ears can detect!
The best thing to do is have somebody like me in your car, while you are driving so I can either a) find the thing that is making the rattle or b) at least confirm that I can hear it too!
Good luck. And I hope you find that it isn't your car but something in your car that just needs to be tucked away properly!
(And no, you cannot call me crazy!)

MrOtocinclus

I can relate to everyone here. My current '11 TSX has an intermittent high pitched sound. At first, I thought it was the automatic volume correction so I turned that off, but it remained. Then I thought it somehow had to do with my icebox intake, so I removed that, but the sound still comes back every so often.

In another thread I've read that it could be related to the transmission. I have no idea how I can confirm that, so I figure I'll just have to live with it for now. I will say that the transmission in my '09 was smoother, and I enjoyed the paddle shifters a lot more.

Good luck with the fix.

TSXV6Guy

If you do not have a CD in the stereo, try putting one in... in my case, it was the CD mechanism that was rattling on rough roads, and when I put a CD in the stereo, the rattle was gone... .

I should say that my '10 TSX is the car that I had most (small but annoying) problems with, especially rattles... So far I managed to get rid of most of them, but with a lot of work and time. Next car will probably not be an Acura...

Nedmundo

I have played CD's since the problem started, but I didn't pay close enough attention to any effect, which is difficult anyway because it's intermittent. I will definitely try it again.

Rattles definitely test my patience! I have extremely sensitive hearing, which is annoying sometimes, but helps for my hobby of playing bass in rock bands. My brother is a professional musician and recording engineer, which is one reason I had him ride with me and listen. He heard it right away, and looked immediately to the center console.

I have removed just about everything from the front of the car to eliminate those variables, but I probably need to try even more. I'm determined to get to the bottom of it, and I'll let you know if I do.

Thanks all. A'zine rules.

yakapo

I get a similar rattle from the bottom of the dash (where you put in the cd's). Do you have the tech package?

I eliminated a rattle by having them replace the "oh sH%#" handle on the driver's side.

MNTSX6MT

Mines an 09 base and I have a faint rattle/buzz in what I thought was a similar location to what you describe but it turned out to be the sunglasses holder.

MNTSX6MT

turns out I was wrong. The rattle is coming from the the strip of plastic that holds the Homelink buttons, etc. putting pressure on the sunglasses was just enough to get the rattle to go away but after further investigation it became clear that the plastic strip was the culprit.

TSXV6Guy

^ yep. you need to take it out and put some friction take around it and it will stop the rattle.

Kramerica

Yes, saw this post and thought I'd chime in. The area around the sunglass holder/vent thingy by the garage door opener buttons is where I was getting a rattle. I took it in ('09) and they said that the microphone was loose so they fixed that as well as put some foam tape up there to secure it. Solved.

The tech said that they had a car in after mine that day with the exact same problem.

Put your finger on that when it begins to rattle so as to eliminate it as a possible culprit.

Nedmundo

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll give them a try, but I'm now fairly certain it's coming from inside the CD player. I've even made a video recording with hi-fi stereo audio to play for the techs next time I take it in, but the problem has been less serious for the past couple of weeks.

Problem is, all the roads around my dealership are mirror smooth. I might need to visit the dealer in Philly near the airport -- no danger of smooth roads there!

PyroDave

you could also try out elite acura in cherry hill, thats who i went to for my brakes last week, i go to school in west philly. have you noticed if there is a difference as to whether or not there is a CD inside the drive?

Nedmundo

Thanks for the tip on Cherry Hill. No, it doesn't matter whether a disc is in the player. It rattles regardless.

Nedmundo

Well, I'm not 100% positive yet, but I think this is it. That strip is really loose, which seems like a design flaw to me. I'll have it fixed next time it goes to the dealer. Thanks all!

(Of course, now there's a click/clunk in the driver's door that sounds like it's coming from the lock....)

Paphunkt

My rear view mirror buzzes around 2700 RPM. Squeeze it and it helps for a few minutes.

afax226

The rattle in my 2011 comes from the passenger seat. I can only hear the rattling sound when the passenger seat is empty. I think it comes from the structure inside the passenger seat back. If I force the passenger seat head rest towards the window, the rattling would be gone. It's super annoying.

Any suggestion?

cris_crozz

weird... i have the same issue. rattles when im by myself in the car but it's quiet when i do have a front passenger.

kamalu

the passenger seat rattle is due to the seat bracket that is directly bolted to the car body (you can see two bolts if looking at the front of the seat). To resolve the rattle, all you need to do is remove the two front bolts and place a small strip of felt, foam rubber, etc between the bottom of the bracket and the exposed car body (no need to remove the seat, just remove the 2 front bolts, slightly lift the seat, and you will see that the carpet is cut to expose the car body beneath the bracket). Placing an 'insulating' felt/rubber/etc large enough to cover the exposed metal under the bracket will resolve the seat rattle once and for all.

jvhartwig

I just for the first time last night had the what sounds like the glovebox start to rattle in my 2013 Tech. tried turning up the radio, so I wouldn't hear and I still could... I then proceeded to get closer and closer to insanity. While driving I started firing stuff out of the glove box till it was empty... and of course it continued. I hope one of these fixes works. The car barely has 15,000kms and I'm not sure I could continue to drive it with this vibration. It literally sounds like someone dropped something down the heat vent which better not be the case considering last weekend it went for it's first undercoating... please god let it be an easy fix, lol, sorry had to vent a bit

ceb

I'd opin that the undercoating is the culprit. There is no need to apply aftermarket undercoating to modern cars. It merely plugs up drain holes and traps moisture.

tsx-pwp-nj

I recently brought my car in for service and left just the ignition key with the tech. Driving home a new rattle was heard that was driving me crazy. Turned out that if you have just the ignition key in and not the usual set of 10 or so keys weighing it down a rattle is heard. At least in my car.