thegabrielles

Well, I have read through several posts and have not found exactly whats going on with my TL. So I need some help.

I have an intermittent moderate vibration above 65-70mph. When it starts it seems to last until I slow down, when I speed back up sometimes it comes back sometimes it doesn't. I have heard of tires acting weird but not this weird. It doe snot matter if I have been driving for 2 mminutes or 30 minutes so it is not a flat spot on the tires. Anyone with any ideas?? It is a 04AT with 12k miles.

KJSmitty

My 04 AT TL is the same.... About 10K miles and the original El-42s. Some times it will vibrate, others not. Mainly between 65-80 (and beyond).. No pattern or consistency. Normally a mechanical issue would not come and go. I still believe its the crap tires with belt issues. My dealer wants to replace them with the "newer" EL-42s but I have read way to many complaints stating after the swap the vibrations were even worse, not to mention unwanted rim scratches..

thegabrielles

My tires do Flat spot when they sit for a while but this is a new vibration. I figured it could not be mechanical, but I had not heard of even these crap tires acting this weird. Believe it or not I am not that far from new tires anyway, maybe I should just bite the bullit and get them early. I have only had the car for a few months, made three payments and now looking at $$$ for new tires. OUCH!!!!!

92NSX

I hadn't noticed this same type of problem until my manager asked me about it. He has one also and said he gets it at about 75mph. I took on interstate and got to speed and did notice it then.
Upon taking it to the dealer for unrelated issues I brought it up. They drove and said all wheels/tires were within specs but two of them were slightly out of balance. They re-balanced them and now all is good.

Hybrid

Sometimes if more that one tire has a problem, when the problem tires are "in sync" the problem will show itself as a vibration. If the vibration comes and goes as you go around a long corner at speed, this is possibly the problem. As an example, if two tires are slightly out of round, as long as the "flat spots" aren't hitting the pavement at the same time, you won't notice a problem. But if they hit at the same time, a vibration will be induced. (More problems than flat spots could cause this). When you go around a corner, the inside tires rotate less than the outside tires, changing the vibration. And because no two tires are EXACTLY the same diameter, and most roads aren't exactly straight, vibrations can come and go anyway.

thegabrielles

I did not mention the vibration is noticibly coming from the front...none from the back. I will probably just settle on it being these tires. The tires dont go in and out of "sinc" driving down the interstate, they would under areas where there are more turns. Like I said, I have never heard of a car doing this. I need to make an appointment with the dealership for rattles anyway, I will have them take a look at it at the time before I do anything. Thanks for the ideas.

chkelly

i get it EVERYTIME at 2000rpm. Usually around 40mph. Had the car for a week and this is really pissing me off. I didnt pay 34k for this

willz822

My vibration is slightly different. When at idle, I can feel a slight/minor vibration thru the steering wheel and the floorboard. The vibration is more noticeable when I step on the gas, it goes away slightly when I let off the gas and just coast. Not enough to the point that I'm concerned but irritatitng nonetheless. It's a 6MT by the way.

rets

thegabrielles,

Do you think it's RPM related to your case? Or it's just the crappy EL42s and flatspotting causing the problems?

Thanks.

thegabrielles

I tried taking the car out of gear (put it in nuetral)and also tried downshifting both by the shifter and by accelerating, nothing makes any difference. The only thing that makes it better is to slow down below 4-5-5- and then speed back up, that works sometimes and sometimes it does not. This is not a flat spotting problem though.

Nodoze2004

I am experiencing this intermittent issue as well. Here is a rundown:

Car Info:
6MT Full Apec Package 18" OEM Wheels Yoko AVS's 2500 miles (issue #2 was not present for the first 1500 miles)

I have 2 distinct vibration issues with the car at this time.

Issue 1: Flat Spotting (not concerned about this one)

In the morning I notice a 45 mph vibration as the tires warm. This issue is the same one everyone was talking about with the EL42's. On the way to work this typically clears up rather quickly. This issue is more than likely attributed to the fact that roughly 60% of the cars weight is being supported by the front tires. In other words I do not think this issue will go away regardless of the tire.


Issue 2: 70-100 Vibration (I am VERY concerned about this one)

This issue is the one that I am experiencing intermittently. Some days it is VERY distinct kicking in at around 75 and getting progressively worse all the way to 100 (I did not go any faster but am assuming it would continue to get progressively worse). What I do not understand is that it only happens sometimes. Some days it is evident, on others it is not there at all. I ran a test the other night on this and tested hitting the gas, then letting it coast, and in both cases it was present. The interesting part is that under acceleration the issue was lessened, where as during the coast (from 95 back down to 80) it vibrated badly.

I am really really hoping the second issue is related to a tire balance problem, but am concerned as in my opinion if it were it would happen each and every time I drove the car.

Words cannot explain the sick feeling I get inside when Ethelle is not running right

thegabrielles

Well, who ever figures it out first ...POST IT!!!! NODOZE2004 sounds like we definitely have the same problem.

Vanwall

Same problem here. I have a 6 spd manual with about 3000 miles.

I just drove about 550 miles today and the problem came and went. I belive I may have two/more bad tires.

I have had the car back to the dealer 3 times over this issue and they are basically saying the car OK.

I'm going to get different tires (not EL42's) in the next couple weeks. I will post my results.

6mtV6

I just felt the same vibration today when I was driving on the highway. It only happens when it's 80mph and over. It never happen before. Just today. It's not really that bad.
It never happen on my 5at TL and that TL had the older EL42's. My 6mt TL has the newer EL42's. I'm thinking that it has nothing to do with which EL42's you have. Some EL42's are good and some are bad. Doesn't matter if it's the newer one's.

xlilbluux

i read something about being at a high gear at low rpms causing the vibration. such as being in 5th on the auto at like 1500rpm or 6th gear on 6spd at a low rpm also. it happens on my accord when im going around 60-70ish, but once i hit 80+ everything is smooth.

Davidoconn

I started the other post titled Driveline Vibration. If you read it you will see similar tales of woe. I have the same exact problem everybody else describes. It does not happen all the time, and it is not a wheel balance problem where the wheel shimmies. The vibrations can be felt through the steering column and floorboard.

Had the tires replaced, did nothing. Called Acura who acknowledges that there is a problem, but they have no cure other than to tell the dealers to replace the tires. The tires are not the problem, it is deeper than that. I do have a flatspotting problem if the car sits for more than a few hours, but that goes away after a few miles.

thegabrielles

Like I said this is a weird problem, I know I have to many miles on mine to think they will replace the tires for me, but it just does not feel like tires to me. I still need to call and make an appointment, I was hoping somebody would posta great fix and all would be good. But there is still hope. I am going to call tomorrow and see how soon they can get it in.

Nodoze2004

UPDATE!!

I took the car in yesterday in for a few issues (one of which is the 80+ vibration we have been discussing). In speaking with the service tech I asked if others complained of the vibration and if any have taken in their cars for this issue and was advised that he had a number of cars come in for this. I asked what the suspected cause was, and surprisingly he blurted out transmission almost immediately (maybe he still had this on his brain from the 2nd gen TL). I drive the 6MT, and do NOT think this issue is transmission related in any way (but that is just me).

I also asked him if the issue is resolved in the 2005 model, and was advised that it was!!!

So on to the service...

The issues which they were slated to address were as follows;
1. An outstanding alignment issue (car persistently pulls right)
2. The vibration
3. My rear wing (which is coming off the car)
4. Glue behind the guages!

Acura Solution..
1. Aligned the car (it was out of spec on the right side)
2. Balanced the tires (the front right was out of balance)
3. Completely replaced the rear wing (impressive)
4. Ordered a new guage set (impressive)

The results...

Well the car STILL pulls to the right, but not as hard. The vibration, while not as evident, IS still there. I took it to 85 and was impressed at first (as I was accelerating) because the issue appeared to have been resolved. Then as I laid off the gas I felt a wobbling of sorts indicating that it was indeed still present.

I think this rules out the possibility that it is resolved with a balance. I also think that some people may not even notice the vibration as it stands post balance. As is always the case I am looking for it, and thus do indeed feel it.

Overall I was really impressed with Acura's service this time around. I received no less than 4 phone calls to update me on the progress as the car was being worked on.

thegabrielles

Well, I signed up on-line for an appointment, still have not recieved a call from them on day/ time and then called yesterday, I had to leave a message with the receptionist and never recied a call back. I will try again today to make my appointment. The wife "let" me drive the car yesterday an I had no vibration the entire time I drove it so I am sure it is going to be fun getting them to find a problem.

It sounds like you are having a heck of a problem nodoze, I guess I should appreciate my little problems. Good luck and keep us posted.

thegabrielles

I am driving a loaner today (13Oct) hoping they can find andf repair the problems. Wish me luck.

JohnDoe2

My car seems to only vibrate under load.

When I remove my foot from the accelerator, the vibration stops.

Does this indicate it is NOT the tires or alignment but either engine/drive line/exhaust/etc.?

thegabrielles

Well, the dealer decided I needed to have my tires balanced. I called yesterday afternoon and they said they thought that would help, I asked how much weight change was made on the tires and the rep said he did not know. I told him I did not agree and they could keep my car until today so the service manager could drive it and maybe do have some other ideas, meantime the wife is driving a blue 04TL loaner. We wilol see how things go today.

6mtV6

Has anyone that has the vibrations changed tires and has the vibrations go away?
I remember when I had my 2k1 Maxima and I was driving on the highway and the whole car was vibrating really bad. I pulled over to a gas station and saw that I had snow stuck on my tires.
Another time was when I had my 2003 Accord Coupe 6mt and the car was vibrating badly on the highway. When I got home I saw that I had gum stuck on my front passenger side tire.

xboylive

Folks, there are many TLers with a similar type of problem.(search forum see whats been tried already) The dealer so far can not fixed this as per posts indicate !!! Please please complain to ACURA CLIENT SERVICES... number is on the back of your ACURA card. You will get a call back .... and you will get a survey as a follow up. As per ACURA I was told this is a Harmonic Vibration, which ACURA is aware of.. also I have seen a few post of 05s with what appears to be similar issue... again please let ACURA know directly of your concerns/complaints not just the dealers maybe they will respond ..... THANKS xboylive

mr_rhino

It may welll be harmonic vibrations as some have indicated, but I don't think it's in the drivetrain. If you look through all posts, you'll notice that these vibration problems occur regardless of whether they're on a 5AT, 6MT, original PVC EL42 tires, newer TU2 EL42s, or basically any other wheel/tire combo. That leaves only the engine and the suspension as common denominators. If it was the engine, the vibes would be a function of RPM, not MPH. But from what I'm seeing on the posts in this forum and for myself, the vibe problem is a function of MPH. Don't let anyone fool you by saying that all tire balancing is the same. Most installers have probably never come across a suspension like that on the TL (not complex by inspection, but likely poorly modeled in terms of computer simulations by the designers.) IMHO, the TL suspension is ultra-sensitive to external vibrations that would set it into oscillation (i.e. - "harmonic vibrations"). Make sure that the tires have been balanced on a Roadforce GSP9700 (not older Hunter equipment that balances the tire without a true load on the tire. I have yet to find an Acura dealer on the east coast that has one. Most other dealerships do!) Dynamic balancing without a simulated load on the tires is worthless. Others have indicated that the tires/rims have been observed to "flop" all over the place when putting their car up on lifts and bringing the (at least front) tires up to highway speeds. The quality control on the most tires and rims may leave alot to be desired, and that lack of quality is magnified by a car with a suspension like the TL. There may be some good batches of tires and rims out there, or possibly (by chance or through a more-knowledgeable installer) the tires/rims for some vehicles were initially aligned with eachother to counteract (partially or completely) their defects. There's also the colored dots/stripes on some tires that most installers have no clue what they mean. Addressing the vibration problems is like peeling off layers of an onion - one at a time. While there may indeed be some problems with vibrations in the drivetrain, address this issue first with the right type of tire balancing.

Please see the thread that I posted: http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97744 .

-Rhino

thegabrielles

I picked up my TL yesterday afternoon, and I am disappointed. The answer I got was that the vibration did not seem any worse than any other TL so everything is fine. I was told I could bring it back and ride with the Service manager and "show" him the problem but unfortunately I did not have the time yesterday. They did balance the front tires and then rotate them to the back but I think it is the same or worse. Of course my loaner TL was fine so maybe that is why it felt worse. That was the first shot at fixing it so I will give them another oppurtunity before I go to another dealership or to Acura with the problem.

They added insulation to my B-pilar on the passenger side to stop the rattle and the wind noise from the drivers door I was again told it is not any worse than any other TL drivers door. Of course I said it is different than the passenger door, that makes it a problem. They suggested they could "lube" the seals and that may help but again I did not have the time so I will have to return to the dealership another day.

caha14

I had the same problem on my '02... The vibration miraculously appeared one day and never went away after more attempts to fix it than I care to mention.

Neither the dealer nor Acura Client Services did anything to resolve it, and clearly the problem hasn't gone away. Eventually I was told that "all Type-S TLs do this", just as you were told that all 3rd Gen TLs do it. There is an '05 owner in this forum already complaining about vibration.

grktl

I have the same problem with wind noise. They claim they hear the noise when they test drove the car, (which by checking mileage) they didn't. They say that everything is up to specs but my passenger side door has no wind noise.

As for tires, I have the same vibrations and everytime I get the same answer. We balanced the tires and everything is fine. (again no extra miles on the car) I told the dealer this is the last time they touch my car without an Acura Rep there.

I do have the newer bridgestone tires. They want to get me new tires again, and I have told them I'll only except Michelins as the 05 with navi's. I'll be waiting for a call on Monday from them.

Last chance before I call Acura!

thegabrielles

Well, this being my first new car and the first time I spent anything close to 33k, I think I might just want to go back to my cheap a$$ fords. I have two one with 240k miles and another with a LOT more, of course the 533hp will tell you there has been some work on that one. But if this is what my experiance with a 30k ACURA is going to be like I guess at least I knew what I was getting with the Fords...

My TL was driven by the service manager, in fact he drove it home that night to make sure there was no problem, I approved him doing it by the way. Nut it just seems crazy that a problem is ok just because all the other TL's have the same problem.

We will see what happens on my next appointment, It will be another week and a half before they can get me in. I will call on Tuesday to schedule another appointment. Taking the TL (vibrations and all) up to the North Georgia, North Carolina Mountains for a long weekend. Hopefully my three year old son will be screaming "woo-hoo go faaster Daddy" like he always does.

thegabrielles

I brought back this thread to show everybody what ahs happened so far with my vibration issue, the new thread was started for the trip to the shop but if you look at my post #13 a solution was suggested.... if you have any comments post on that thread and this one can die out again... See Ya'll!!!

https://acurazine.com/forums/car-talk-5/nyc-auto-show-tons-pics-101007/

kingbrad

Which tires do you have? We had the same problem. The dealer replaced the tires with a new set of the EL42's. It was ten times worse and so loud. We broke down and got the michelins and sold the other tires on ebay. What a difference .... the car drives incredible now. Good luck. 04 TL NAVI

kingbrad

We had the same problems. Broke down and got the michelins. Car is perfect now. We had no luck with the dealer replacing for the Michelins only would put the EL42s. May NO difference but made it worse. Good luck on getting the Michelins.

grktl

Do you still have wind noise? Mine is awful, bluetooth is of no use to me as it keeps on getting worse.

bklynpanman

what model michelins??

MrGQDieselNY

Acura needs to get there sh** together, hopefully in a few months things will change.

mporter410

I had the same problem after I put new 17inch Mille Miglia wheels and PZero's from the Tire Rack. I called them up and explained the problem and they said they would pay for a rebalance of the wheels. I made sure I took it to a local shop that uses the Hunter Road Force balancer. The technician was really nice and he found that all 4 of my new wheels were out of balance :wtf: He had to add 1/2 to 3/4 once to each wheel. The good news is he didn't have to do a full road force balance to get them right. Now the car is rock solid all the way to 100 with no vibration.

By the Way, Tire Rack claims to Road Force balance all of their new tire and wheel packages, but after my experience I don't believe it.

Nodoze2004

Do you have any pictures of your ride with the Mille's on? I was looking at those wheels (in anthracite) but ultimately did not make the purchase and left the A-Spec wheels on!

mporter410

I do have some pics of my ride with the new wheels, and will post them in the next few days. The wheels are the Mille Miglia Action style and you can see them at the Tire Rack website.

thegabrielles

I updated the my other thread but I will post here as well.
The latest and greatest, is that the dealership replaced my 15k mile EL-42 with some brand new EL-42, the problem is worse and the tires are louder. I have another appointment set for monday. I think I will start pushing for another tire replacement (maybe Perellis or Michelan) Something has to give, this dealership has made attempts of replacing suspension parts, motor mounts on other cars and has not been able to fix these vibrations. But they are still willing to try. Hopefully things will work out soon. I will follow up next week when I get the car back. Good luck to everyone with the vibration!!!

GUMP

I Really Think You Should Give Up..i Have. There Is No Fix So Far For The Vibration. I Had A Wicked One This Morning Since The Temp Dipped Below 3o Degrees. And As Usual, IT Got Worst When I Hit 1500 Rpms, Which Leads Me To Believe That It's Not Just A Tire Problem. I Have A Lawyer And I'm Just Sitting Back Now And Waiting. I Can't Afford To Keep On Going Back To The Dealer. I Just Don't Have That Type Of Time On My Hands.