I have a rattle coming from (what seems to be) the underside of the steering column.

It is heard the loudest with stereo and HVAC off. The sound is like a metal ball bearing rolling around in a glass. It is mainly heard when driving on the street (35 and under), and ONLY when there are bumps in the road (i.e., at every bump). It is NOT intermittant.

Brought to the dealer. They say "we can't hear it" So they took apart the column, found nothing, and put it back together.

On the ride home, I of course keep hearing it. Do any of you have similar experiences??

HELP PLEASE!!

 

It may be your key chain. Do you have "stuff" on it other than the single car key that makes the dangly part (technical term) wider than it needs to be? Had similar issue in my wifes Lexus but only when I used her key chain.

 

Yes, I have a similar problem with my TL. It's been at the dealer for two days now while they wait for the parts they ordered. While mine doesn't sound like a ball rolling in a glass, it is definitely a rattle. It also happens when there are bumps or those Bott's dots or reflectors on the road.

The Oakland Acura service advisor originally said she could not hear it, but the other service advisor took it for a spin and said he definitely heard something. The techs ordered new steering column covers (???) and said that because mine was coming loose, this should take care of it. I have no idea whether that will fix it or not, but at least they heard it and acknowledge it to be a problem.

There are at least two more rattles in my car that I cannot figure out and it drives me NUTS. One is near the passenger side door/glove compartment but I haven't been able to narrow it down yet.

I should say that before I took it into Oakland Acura, Concord Acura tried putting felt all around the steering column but it did not solve the problem.

 

DEFINITELY NOT the key chain. I checked that first.

 

Same thing happened with me and then I checked the one of the compartment above electrical outlet compartment and found a small mouth freshner box I had kept which was rattling. Please check if there is something which you kept and forgot about.

 

Nothing anywhere in any compartment.

 

This is my first post. I bought my NBP in November 29th. I'm glad someone else posted something about this as my first service reminder popped up and I am so ready to rid myself of this rattle. Just like you said, it happens when driving at normal speeds but more often on irregular surfaced roads or bumps. I will make someone drive with me when I take it in for my appointment. Same deal, right under the steering column, I tried tilting to no avail. Someone mentioned something about the volume control buttons on the steering wheel might be loose and clicking...but I've taped them all down to test...My decklid rattles way too much when the subwoofer hits as well...hate to complain but that really is my only complaint so far with this ride...for the money this should be a rattle free ride...on the plus side, everything else about this car is awesome....

 

Well, I had a similar rattle that I couldn't localize. I originally thought it was from the steering wheel buttons or the turn signal stalk, but I eventually isolated the problem to the plastic surrounding the three pods. I've attached the pic to show how I isolated the problem. If you bang (with medium pressure) on the area denoted by the white arrow, you may be able to reproduce the rattle. If you bang this area while applying firm pressure to the area denoted by the blue arrow and the rattle goes away, you've isolated the rattle (this is the case in my car, at least). Unfortunately -- although I've isolated the rattle in my car, I haven't been able to fix it.

 

You're the man! I'll check tomorrow. Thanks for the visual!!

 

I've been intermittantly hearing a squeak (or some sort of rubbing sound) coming from around the steering column. I only notice it when going slowly and really noticed it going over some speed bumps in a parking lot. It sounded like something in the front suspension making a rubbing noise. A short time later, going over the same speed bumps, it was gone!

 

Yeah, I've heard that squeak noise too (from outside the car, on the passenger side). It comes and goes... I guess it just depends on how it hits the bump.

 

My steering column is also making that same rattle. It just started today. And yes, it is not a key chain. Also, just like the picture princed posted I'm getting more rattles from there. I know I am very sensitive when it comes to rattles. I think that's why dealers are having hard time locating these noises. It just doesn't bother them, so they won't hear what we hear.

Also, as for you passenger side door rattle, I might have a solution for you. I had the same problem, coming from both driver's and passenger's side. The culprit might be the side map pocket. I'm sure you know they're desigend to swing open. When you close them, that pocket flap is touching the side door panel. Acura already placed this tiny rubber footing to reduce vibration noise, but that's not enough. I bought a strip of adhesive felt (you can find them at any drug store) and put it when that flap meets the panel and viola. No more rattles.

Steering column on the other hand, I have't try to fix that yet. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

I already put the felt along the passenger side map pocket, and Concord Acura put even more felt to prevent the rubbing of the "pleather" material. It made a squeaky noise before, now it's quiet, but somehow or another I still hear rattles. I keep wondering if it's coming from the glove compartment, but I cannot be sure -- especially since it's quiet when I bang on it.

I don't think my steering wheel rattles are coming from the instrument panel area because I don't hear it from up there but rather from below the steering wheel. As such, I am hopeful that tomorrow I will have a quiet steering column. Piece of junk!

You know how when we buy self-assembly furniture (ie IKEA) it comes with a bag of screws and usually has extra bolts and the like? Our cars should have come with an extra box of pins and plastic fasteners so when we pull our trim out we can replace the broken clips! If I wanted a DIY car I would have bought a Playskool one.

 

Yeah, I know what you mean. I order an service manual, so that I may find where to tighten nuts and bolts around the car. I would have to go to the dealer all the time to fix every little rattle...

 

After one week of rattle free driving I too have fallen victim to intermitent rattling in the steerig column area when hitting bumps. It is not very loud or extremely annoying, but something I need looked at. If anyone gets this problem licked please inform us! I don't plan on taking my car in until I can say here, do this. I hate people messing with my ride and I don't want to be the guinea pig for the dealer to make this repair. I'll live with rattle as long as needed to make sure the dealer knows what they are doing and not using my car as a learning experience.

 

O.K. - I think we are talking about the same rattle, not very loud, only when driving on an imperfect street, but annoying nonetheless (and not coming from keys or anything in any compartment, and not heard outside the car.)

I checked what princed suggested - banging at the white arrow did not bring on my rattle.

Has anyone had their dealer isolate and fix this?

 

That's funny - mine started at week two as well!

 

I noticed squeak noise when I'm backing out of my driveway (in a slope) and I hit the street at an angle (to avoid hitting the front underskirt). with the left-rear wheel first.

It seems that because the car is "twisting" because of the angle, I get the noise above the right-rear door sill. It only happens at that point.

 

I got my car back from Oakland Acura...

They replaced the top and bottom steering wheel covers because they weren't flush, but guess what, it did jack. I still have the rattle, and now I have a sound that kinda sounds like a spring is loose.

Annoying as hell man... and I just noted that my rear deck vibrates on certain frequencies. AGH!

 

I read a thread somewhere about a horn connection or something. Maybe thats our problem. I'll do a serch later and see if I can find it again. I don't have the time now.

 

Haha, that was me. That was the first noise I heard from that area (had it right when I picked the car up) but this rattle is quite different than that.

 

http://www.acura-tl.com/forum/showth...&pagenumber=16

Looks like it was just Lore posting in the comp. build problems thread. No new info :-(

Ok He beat me to it...

 

any update from anyone on the rattling under the steering column. Just want to know if anyone has gotten it fixed, the one that sounds kind of like a loose screw and you only hear it on rough/bumpy roads?

Thanks,
Dlev

 

Yes, they fixed it for me. Unfortunately, I don't remember what they said was loose (I was too caught up in my tire saga to focus on what it was).

It took two trips. The first time, they could not hear anything. They took off the steering wheel cover, saw nothing loose, put the cover back on, and told me to see what happens. Still there. Next trip in, they drove it again - this time they heard it. They took off the column cover, tightened whatever was loose (SORRY!) and I have been rattle free (in that area, at least) ever since.

 

ok, thanks. I can reproduce it by moving the telescopic back and forth pretty quick so I'm pretty sure the dealer will be able to fix it. If it was something I was able to fix on my own I would've preffered that.

 

This is unreal - if there are so many cars out there with an identical problem (Steering column rattle), it has got to be a design flaw. It is surprising that Acura has not picked up on it yet - issues like these will come back to haunt them.

 

I went to the dealer 10X. Each time it seemed as though it was fixed for a day or two, then either cold weather or a big bump would set it off. Finally, after being relentless, they replaced the airbag...that was 7mths ago, no issue since.