Rattles, squeaks, ticks, oh my!
10-05-2005, 04:15 PM
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Rattles, squeaks, ticks, oh my!
Regarding Acura TL 2004 and 2005
Do a Google search on "Acura TL rattle" and you can read for hours. The bottom line is that these cars have an unacceptable build quality that impacts the buyer's experience in a significant way.
The primary source of these are the rear deck, sometimes caused by struts (as outlined in other threads) but usually caused by ill-fitting plastic components and some poor design and subsequent repair. The foam and tape method of repair tends to sacrifice long term noise-free operation for a short term fix.
You did not buy a luxury car so that you could crank the stereo to drown out interior noises.
The dealerships are not equipped to remedy these problems in an efficient way. I would be interested to hear from folks who have had ongoing rattle issues with thier car that could not be (or have not been) fixed by the dealerships. Not sure what I am going to do with this information just yet, but the servide depts at Acura are certainly not going to release any trend info to the public, and we consumers need to stick together.
Don't get me wrong, I am an Acura fan, that is why I bought the car, but they have let me down on this one.
Please add to this thread with your rear deck rattle experiences.
Snood.
Do a Google search on "Acura TL rattle" and you can read for hours. The bottom line is that these cars have an unacceptable build quality that impacts the buyer's experience in a significant way.
The primary source of these are the rear deck, sometimes caused by struts (as outlined in other threads) but usually caused by ill-fitting plastic components and some poor design and subsequent repair. The foam and tape method of repair tends to sacrifice long term noise-free operation for a short term fix.
You did not buy a luxury car so that you could crank the stereo to drown out interior noises.
The dealerships are not equipped to remedy these problems in an efficient way. I would be interested to hear from folks who have had ongoing rattle issues with thier car that could not be (or have not been) fixed by the dealerships. Not sure what I am going to do with this information just yet, but the servide depts at Acura are certainly not going to release any trend info to the public, and we consumers need to stick together.
Don't get me wrong, I am an Acura fan, that is why I bought the car, but they have let me down on this one.
Please add to this thread with your rear deck rattle experiences.
Snood.
10-09-2005, 08:51 AM
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Already worked the strut
The strut was fixed already....this is something (s) different. I would add that, in addition to the major noises coming from the back deck, there are a handful others coming from all over the car. It is like the vehicle was assembled by drunk elves.
10-10-2005, 06:08 PM
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We have also found that at the R/R strut area there are two peices of sheet metal that come together at the top. Sometimes the two peices rub each other. What I do is take a screw driver and put it between the peices and turn it to make the sheet metal move away some from each other. Fixed may this way. I hope that maybe this will help you so how. 
I forgot to tell you that this is with the back seat removed!!
10-11-2005, 10:54 AM
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Originally Posted by snood
The strut was fixed already....this is something (s) different. I would add that, in addition to the major noises coming from the back deck, there are a handful others coming from all over the car. It is like the vehicle was assembled by drunk elves.
10-11-2005, 11:36 AM
#7
Drunk DEAF elves I would imagine.
I am fortunate as my TL has only an occaisional tick or buzz, usually revealed on certain roads (of course the ones commute daily) or by weather changes. But other I have been in including a brand new loaner have 'spoken' to me.
I have not been able to isolate the noises to either address them myself, or appropriately demo for the dealer (who has never questioned me once about anything I reported, and eagerly offered to fix). The interior just sounds loose, as if the car was well into its 3rd year. Press on any surface or interior panel and you will hear a tick or a creak. No car I have ever owned has been rattless. But usually they surface after a year or so, not from initial build. It is comical how they spend so much energy making the cabin quieter, install a stereo that appeals to discerning ears, and then ignore the interior noises. I would expect some TL planning committee is right now finalizing the next redesign of the TL interior, and high on the list is making it more solid sounding....if they have a clue.
I think the technology race has superceeded the quality race, in not Acura alone. Throw more stuff in, rather than make it work well. But I confess these rattles, should be minor irritant, and yet they do cheapen the experience of a premium product (or any new car). Acura needs to revisit the compromises it makes on the interior assembly and how they affect the perception of precision engineering they so proudly proclaim. No matter how brilliant the design may be, the execution needs to be as flattering. Simply put, don't tell me how good you are, show me. And frankly, I hear enough already in the interior of the TL.
<beep>
"Set volume level 15"
<beep>
"Set fan speed level 2" ah, there now.....bliss.
I am fortunate as my TL has only an occaisional tick or buzz, usually revealed on certain roads (of course the ones commute daily) or by weather changes. But other I have been in including a brand new loaner have 'spoken' to me.
I have not been able to isolate the noises to either address them myself, or appropriately demo for the dealer (who has never questioned me once about anything I reported, and eagerly offered to fix). The interior just sounds loose, as if the car was well into its 3rd year. Press on any surface or interior panel and you will hear a tick or a creak. No car I have ever owned has been rattless. But usually they surface after a year or so, not from initial build. It is comical how they spend so much energy making the cabin quieter, install a stereo that appeals to discerning ears, and then ignore the interior noises. I would expect some TL planning committee is right now finalizing the next redesign of the TL interior, and high on the list is making it more solid sounding....if they have a clue.
I think the technology race has superceeded the quality race, in not Acura alone. Throw more stuff in, rather than make it work well. But I confess these rattles, should be minor irritant, and yet they do cheapen the experience of a premium product (or any new car). Acura needs to revisit the compromises it makes on the interior assembly and how they affect the perception of precision engineering they so proudly proclaim. No matter how brilliant the design may be, the execution needs to be as flattering. Simply put, don't tell me how good you are, show me. And frankly, I hear enough already in the interior of the TL.
<beep>
"Set volume level 15"
<beep>
"Set fan speed level 2" ah, there now.....bliss.
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10-16-2005, 08:49 PM
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I couldn't agree more. Although I love my 2005 TL Navi, the interior build quality is much worse than past models. Its got a veritable laundry list of rattles, buzzes, creaks, etc. There seems to be a new one every few weeks.
From day one I had a metallic clicking sound coming from somewhere on the driver's side rear door. I mentioned it to the dealer and after driving it around, the technician proudly displayed a "loose screw that had fallen inside the door". Several days later when I went to mount my new plates on the rear bumper, I noticed that the bag in the trunk that holds the plate mount was ripped open and the screws in the bag exactly matched the "loose screw" that was supposedly in the door.
Then I noticed that the door speakers seemed to be vibrating the map pockets in the front doors. I read a post that said to open them to the first position and this helped, but didn't fix the problem.
There has been a creaking noise that eminates from the center console, behind the navi, but it comes and goes. I have also noticed that the rear view mirror will sometimes make a vibrational buzz, but can be stopped by slightly repositioning it. Another common noise I have found appears to be a vibration in the sun visor, specifically the little plastic roller that snaps into the clasp. Again, by adjusting them when they make noise, it will go away for a while, but always seems to come back.
With moderate to heavy bass, the subwoofer causes a vibration inside the interior tail-light housing. At first I thought this might be similar to the issue on my 2002 where the subwoofer cover was actually vibrating against the rear window, but this wasn't the case. I listened to the speaker itself and heard no vibration. Then I gently thumped the rear window with my fist and could hear the vibration in the interior tail light.
Recently, I've developed a rattle in the driver's side door, which sounds like it has something to do with the window itself. I've also got another ticking noise that seems to come from behind the steering wheel, possibly in the steering column, although it is difficult to determine whether this is just the reflected noise from the sun visor or rear-view mirror vibration.
I'll be bringing my list in when I go in for the navi recall and hopefully they can fix a few of them. Like others have said, you expect a few noises to crop up after several years of driving, but all these noises have popped up in just the first year of owning the car.
Disappointing...
From day one I had a metallic clicking sound coming from somewhere on the driver's side rear door. I mentioned it to the dealer and after driving it around, the technician proudly displayed a "loose screw that had fallen inside the door". Several days later when I went to mount my new plates on the rear bumper, I noticed that the bag in the trunk that holds the plate mount was ripped open and the screws in the bag exactly matched the "loose screw" that was supposedly in the door.
Then I noticed that the door speakers seemed to be vibrating the map pockets in the front doors. I read a post that said to open them to the first position and this helped, but didn't fix the problem.
There has been a creaking noise that eminates from the center console, behind the navi, but it comes and goes. I have also noticed that the rear view mirror will sometimes make a vibrational buzz, but can be stopped by slightly repositioning it. Another common noise I have found appears to be a vibration in the sun visor, specifically the little plastic roller that snaps into the clasp. Again, by adjusting them when they make noise, it will go away for a while, but always seems to come back.
With moderate to heavy bass, the subwoofer causes a vibration inside the interior tail-light housing. At first I thought this might be similar to the issue on my 2002 where the subwoofer cover was actually vibrating against the rear window, but this wasn't the case. I listened to the speaker itself and heard no vibration. Then I gently thumped the rear window with my fist and could hear the vibration in the interior tail light.
Recently, I've developed a rattle in the driver's side door, which sounds like it has something to do with the window itself. I've also got another ticking noise that seems to come from behind the steering wheel, possibly in the steering column, although it is difficult to determine whether this is just the reflected noise from the sun visor or rear-view mirror vibration.
I'll be bringing my list in when I go in for the navi recall and hopefully they can fix a few of them. Like others have said, you expect a few noises to crop up after several years of driving, but all these noises have popped up in just the first year of owning the car.
Disappointing...
10-17-2005, 12:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Scythaxus
I couldn't agree more. Although I love my 2005 TL Navi, the interior build quality is much worse than past models. Its got a veritable laundry list of rattles, buzzes, creaks, etc. There seems to be a new one every few weeks.
From day one I had a metallic clicking sound coming from somewhere on the driver's side rear door. I mentioned it to the dealer and after driving it around, the technician proudly displayed a "loose screw that had fallen inside the door". Several days later when I went to mount my new plates on the rear bumper, I noticed that the bag in the trunk that holds the plate mount was ripped open and the screws in the bag exactly matched the "loose screw" that was supposedly in the door.
Then I noticed that the door speakers seemed to be vibrating the map pockets in the front doors. I read a post that said to open them to the first position and this helped, but didn't fix the problem.
There has been a creaking noise that eminates from the center console, behind the navi, but it comes and goes. I have also noticed that the rear view mirror will sometimes make a vibrational buzz, but can be stopped by slightly repositioning it. Another common noise I have found appears to be a vibration in the sun visor, specifically the little plastic roller that snaps into the clasp. Again, by adjusting them when they make noise, it will go away for a while, but always seems to come back.
With moderate to heavy bass, the subwoofer causes a vibration inside the interior tail-light housing. At first I thought this might be similar to the issue on my 2002 where the subwoofer cover was actually vibrating against the rear window, but this wasn't the case. I listened to the speaker itself and heard no vibration. Then I gently thumped the rear window with my fist and could hear the vibration in the interior tail light.
Recently, I've developed a rattle in the driver's side door, which sounds like it has something to do with the window itself. I've also got another ticking noise that seems to come from behind the steering wheel, possibly in the steering column, although it is difficult to determine whether this is just the reflected noise from the sun visor or rear-view mirror vibration.
I'll be bringing my list in when I go in for the navi recall and hopefully they can fix a few of them. Like others have said, you expect a few noises to crop up after several years of driving, but all these noises have popped up in just the first year of owning the car.
Disappointing...
From day one I had a metallic clicking sound coming from somewhere on the driver's side rear door. I mentioned it to the dealer and after driving it around, the technician proudly displayed a "loose screw that had fallen inside the door". Several days later when I went to mount my new plates on the rear bumper, I noticed that the bag in the trunk that holds the plate mount was ripped open and the screws in the bag exactly matched the "loose screw" that was supposedly in the door.
Then I noticed that the door speakers seemed to be vibrating the map pockets in the front doors. I read a post that said to open them to the first position and this helped, but didn't fix the problem.
There has been a creaking noise that eminates from the center console, behind the navi, but it comes and goes. I have also noticed that the rear view mirror will sometimes make a vibrational buzz, but can be stopped by slightly repositioning it. Another common noise I have found appears to be a vibration in the sun visor, specifically the little plastic roller that snaps into the clasp. Again, by adjusting them when they make noise, it will go away for a while, but always seems to come back.
With moderate to heavy bass, the subwoofer causes a vibration inside the interior tail-light housing. At first I thought this might be similar to the issue on my 2002 where the subwoofer cover was actually vibrating against the rear window, but this wasn't the case. I listened to the speaker itself and heard no vibration. Then I gently thumped the rear window with my fist and could hear the vibration in the interior tail light.
Recently, I've developed a rattle in the driver's side door, which sounds like it has something to do with the window itself. I've also got another ticking noise that seems to come from behind the steering wheel, possibly in the steering column, although it is difficult to determine whether this is just the reflected noise from the sun visor or rear-view mirror vibration.
I'll be bringing my list in when I go in for the navi recall and hopefully they can fix a few of them. Like others have said, you expect a few noises to crop up after several years of driving, but all these noises have popped up in just the first year of owning the car.
Disappointing...
Wow you have described virtually all of the noises I'm hearing in my car. I have taken the car to the dealer a few times, but they just can't seem to fix the noises. I put computer accoustic noise foam in the gaps between the window and door frame, which seemed to help the tapping noises I was hearing. However, I can't seem to do anything about the noise behind the nav screen, the reveiw mirror vibration or the tapping noise I'm getting from the rear windshield.
I'm also feeling a vibration from the accelerator pedal and steering wheel, especially at low rpms. The dealer applied the TSB fix, but it didn't seem to help.
Without a doubt the build quality on this car is one of the worst I have encountered. Buying a new car is not an option at the moment so I'll just have to grin and bear for a while. However, this will be the last Acura car I get.
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