I have a new 2007 TL Type S 6spd Manual with 3700 miles on it, running nothing less than Premium gas. Intermittantly, during acceleration between 2700 and 4300 RPMs, I get what sounds like valve chatter. The car is so well insulated that it is not as noticable as an older car but it is still an abnormal noise, nonetheless. Have any of you experienced this type of noise? It is worse when you would expect it to be, i.e., acceleration uphill, when the engine is hot as opposed to in the morning when you first crank it, uphill with the AC on, etc. It pretty much sounds like any piece of crap car would that is in need of a tune up / plugs/ plugwires, etc.

Very frustrating. I miss my M3. Oh yeah, the "technicians" at the Acura dealership are perplexed and can offer no solution.

Let me know if anyone else has experienced this mystery noise.

 

I have a 2007 TL Type S auto with 5,600 miles. I get the same noise - sounds like pinging.

I have not addressed it with the dealer yet. I also use only premium fuel (93) and have tried Texaco, Chevron, Shell and other no-names - makes no difference.

 

iTS uNDER WARRANTY BRING THE TECH ON A RIDE WITH YOU THEN PARK IT AND GET YOUR RENTAL UNTIL IT IS FIXED ...

 

IM having the same problem and the guys at the dealer cant reproduce the noise... It happens going uphill and after i drive for a while. It also happens when the road is uneven. Im scared the dealership might say they couldnt find anything wrong with it. My car doesnt sound clean anymore

Does anyone else get this noise?

 

Sorry to hear that you are having the same problem that I am. I am being very proactive in getting it fixed because of the unspent fuel blowing past the valves and entering the exhaust system. The exhaust pipes are smokey black (cosmetic) but that also means a shorter life span on the valves from gunk buildup and catalytic converter issues down the road. The problem is not hurting gas mileage too badly but how would I know since the thing has been wrong since I took delivery. My TL is going in Thursday for round three; I'll let you know how it goes. It is very irritating. Its one of those noises that is faint to the casual observer but once you hear it, then you hear it all the time!!!!

Regards and thanks for your response.

 

Sorry to hear that you are having the same problem that I am. I am being very proactive in getting it fixed because of the unspent fuel blowing past the valves and entering the exhaust system. The exhaust pipes are smokey black (cosmetic) but that also means a shorter life span on the valves from gunk buildup and catalytic converter issues down the road. The problem is not hurting gas mileage too badly but how would I know since the thing has been wrong since I took delivery. My TL is going in Thursday for round three; I'll let you know how it goes. It is very irritating. Its one of those noises that is faint to the casual observer but once you hear it, then you hear it all the time!!!!

Regards and thanks for your response.

 

That is exactly when mine does it. The motor is hot, therefore oxygen content is less than when the motor is cold when you crank it in the morning. If the AC is on, AND it is hot outside AND you are going up a hill- it sounds like a piece of farm equipment. Awesome! There has to be some service record resource out there which could document this problem and the possible remedy. If 3 or 4 of us have experienced this problem then i know that there have to be solved cases of the same problem within the Acura service system.

 

I wish i could show this thread to the dealer

 

What really scares me is that I know the dealer can "tweak" the software / change the ignition / fuel/ air mixture parameters so that it probably won't ping but that would probably reduce horsepower if not impact motor longevity.

I know it is just improperly adjusted valves FROM THE FACTORY but they seem reluctant to go into the motor.

 

Thread Tools>Show Printable Version.
Why are you convinced it's the valve adjustment? Valves usually clatter at idle, not at speed, and the noise shouldn't change with engine load. The symptoms fit pinging better.
Two suggestions:
1) See if you can find some 100 octane UNLEADED gas. There's a 76 station in Tucson that carries it. If a tank of that makes it go away, it's pinging.
2) Ask the dealer to verify the knock sensor is working properly. It might not throw a code if it wasn't, because the normal case is the sensor saying 'no pinging'.

 

My 2007 TL-S does it too! I have just noticed the noise in the last couple of weeks. It sounds like "ping" or "spark knock". I hear it mostly when gently accelerating uphill, but have begun to hear it when cruising at slower speeds on flat ground. It only occurs when the engine is fully warm, but the noise is now very consistent. 93 octane fuel is the only gasoline that has ever been in my car, and it only has 2400 miles on it.

It just came home from the dealer for a pronounced transmission noise that occurs after the car has cooled down and re-started, then shifted from park. The dealer could not reproduce the noise - what a surprise. They also told me up front that there was nothing that can be done for the noisy rear suspension! I dread taking it back for the "ping" noise. I really love the concept of the TL-S, but I wish it were as absolutely trouble free so far as my 2007 Civic lx (no strange noises or problems). I am not ragging on the TL-S, but I am starting to worry about where the quality is. I know that I am not going back to BMW, even though I really miss the driving feel of our 330ci.

Lee

 

Another thought:
Where do you live? If it's part of the country where it gets pretty cold, and the car has been doing it on recent warm days, it could be that they haven't switched over to summer gas yet. Do you have to have the radio off and listen closely, etc, to hear it? If so, it may be somewhat normal if the gas changeover guess is correct.

 

Mike,
That is a very interesting thought. I live in Chattanooga, Tennessee, but have no idea if the current fuel in our stations is the summer or winter blend. I may hold off on taking it in for a few more weeks.

Thanks for the input,
Lee

 

I forgot to mention that it produces the "ping" during daytime 80ish temps with AC on, and during nightime 50-60 degree temps without AC. I normally don't listen to the radio, and the outside temperature does not seem to be a factor so far.

I have noticed that if I accelerate pretty hard from a stop to 60mph or so the noise goes away for a while, but then returns by the next day.

Thanks agian,
Lee

 

i think i know what you guys are talking about. does it sound like a low beep almost? if so i got it too when i accelerate from a dead stop. if this is so thats means another problem with my TL-S looks like they didnt finalize all the problems

 

No, it definately dos not sound lilke a beep. I sounds like pinging / incomplete combustion. It is a random noise as in it sounds slightly different every time and it occurs randomly. You can't guarantee that it will happen every time you accelerate.

 

The '04s and '05s had a heat shield TSB due to the pinging/detonation/rattle type noises from a shifting heat shield.
Have the dealership check the exhaust heat shields and underbody of the car while you're there, in case that is causing your intermittent pinging.

 

UPDATE
2nd visit to the dealer for service

Well guess what fellow TL Type S owners? We all own cars that are "supposed to ping". Yes, that is what the service writer told me when I picked my car up yesterday. He stated that he called the Acura Tech Service Line and the person on the other end said that there have been HUNDREDS of documented cases of 2007 Type S's that make this same pinging / spark knock noise. He stated further that there is no fix and that what this motor does. That's great! I'm so glad that I have many more years to come of pure pinging satisfaction. I've driven alot of crappy cars in my lifetime and not one of them was engineered to ping and make engine noises under normal driving conditions. I have started a case with Acura corporate and will continue to beat this dead horse until I get a satisfactory solution.

I'll keep you posted,

Til then lets all enjoy our poorly engineered motors

 

I thought Acura service was bad, ....now their engineering sucks?!?! Simply amazing...Never again, will I buy an Acura (one benefit of an Acura is that this forum is better than those of Lexus/Toyota...more informative/organized, IMHO )

 

Please keep us posted. This noise is sooo annoying

 

I will. As a suggestion, you may want to call Acura Corporate and start a history of the problem on your vehicle. That way if a failure relating to the problem occurs out of warranty, then you may be eligible for a good will repair. 2 cars ago I had an 2002 Maxima 6spd. The car was great except for the 6 disc in dash changer. I had 3 replacements under warranty and when I sold it at 98k miles I was on my 6th changer, all covered under goodwill warranty because I had started a "file" with Nissan Corporate. Every time the changer broke outside of warranty, I just called Nissan, gave them my VIN and they pulled up my file and said, "Wow, you've had alot of broken changers; we'll authorize another replacement immediately."

 

I'm surprised to find this thread because I thought it was my imagination hearing this chattery noise in the engine bay during mild acceleration uphills and sometimes on flat ground. I haven't heard it in a while, but I've certainly heard it more than once during the colder months. Now the weather is in the 60's and warmer so I haven't heard it yet again.

I guess I'm another one with the same noise. I have 10K miles on my typeS so far...I'll pay closer attention now to see if it comes back. I'll probably mention it the next time I bring it in for service...though if I can't reproduce it, they won't be able to tell. I also feel like I have a faint oil burning smell. Do any of you also have that too? I did mention that during my service and they said they couldn't smell anything and it may just be burn off from when the car was new...but I have 10K miles on it.

Also to edit, I use nothing but 93 octane.

 

Detonation is not normal and will greatly shorten engine life. Like was mentioned earlier, run 100 octane unleaded and if the noise goes away it will confirm it was detonation. Out of curiosity, did the compression change on the S model? Maybe they got greedy with timing. Is this mostly a part throttle problem or WOT? EGR might not be functioning properly at part throttle. Until this problem is fixed I would either run it on high octane or park it. I've been through 5 blown headgaskets, hammered the rod bearings, one cracked cylinder, and a broken ringland when I was learning to tune the Buick and detonated the hell out of it over and over again.

 

Keep in mind oil greatly reduces octane and could be causing the detonation. You might want to check the PCV system and see if there's excess oil being sucked through the intake or that the valve is stuck causing excessive crankcase pressure buildup and forcing oil past the rings. Any extra carbon around the exhaust tips?

 

As someone who has been considering and test driving the 07 TL Type S, I find this disturbing.

I have experienced this pinging during at least half of my test drives(8 different cars). At the time I assumed the dealer was putting in the cheapest gas at 87octane. Of course, that could have been the case, but after reading the above comments it sounds like there may be a problem.

I would say this issue is worthy of a 07 TL Type S sticky poll:

Are you experiencing pinging on your new Type S yes or no grade of gas and gas company. Just a suggestion.

Will be following this one as I consider the TL Type S


QUOTE=bionicjoggingsuit]UPDATE
2nd visit to the dealer for service

Well guess what fellow TL Type S owners? We all own cars that are "supposed to ping". Yes, that is what the service writer told me when I picked my car up yesterday. He stated that he called the Acura Tech Service Line and the person on the other end said that there have been HUNDREDS of documented cases of 2007 Type S's that make this same pinging / spark knock noise. He stated further that there is no fix and that what this motor does. That's great! I'm so glad that I have many more years to come of pure pinging satisfaction. I've driven alot of crappy cars in my lifetime and not one of them was engineered to ping and make engine noises under normal driving conditions. I have started a case with Acura corporate and will continue to beat this dead horse until I get a satisfactory solution.

I'll keep you posted,

Til then lets all enjoy our poorly engineered motors[/QUOTE]

 

I have never hear it during WOT, or at least I haven't yet, but that could be because I'm paying too much attention to acceleration and the engine noise is a lot louder. I've always noticed it during partial throttle. I'll go out today and see if it still does this.

I don't know anywhere around here that has 100 octane and I can't park it, I have no other car.

 

I could take a pic of the exhaust tips and let you make the call. I don't know what should be a normal amount to quantify it having excess carbon. It's about the same amount as I had with my TSX and my TSX never had this ping/chatter. Though the TSX did burn more oil than most cars I've owned.

I don't know how to check the PCV system (or even where it is) in my TL-S.

 

Assuming it is real detonation and it only does it on part throttle runs, I'm sure all they would have to do is reflash the ECM with something a little less aggressive in terms of timing.

 

The engine will have the best mileage and power if it is operating on the hairy edge of pinging. I'm pretty sure our cars have a knock sensor that retards the timing when it senses pinging, That's why it's OK to run 87 temporarily.
So as long as it doesn't knock badly at WOT, a little bit of pinging at part throttle is not going to significantly reduce the life of the engine.
Granted, it's not quite right. Make the dealer aware, and ask them to talk to acura corporate about getting a engine computer firmware update that fixes it.

 

[/QUOTE]

I have an 07 TL-S, and I complained about my engine rattle, too. I haven't had time to thoroughly test it, but it seems that they did something (exhaust?) to make it go away. But I will keep testing it and see if it returns (can't do it now, car's in the shop with defective starter). I get it when accelerating hard from a low RPM; don't know about the hill thing.

If you need any help with your corporate case, please let me know.

 

i used to get this same sound! but lately its gone... will keep you posted... btw... how many miles do you guys have? i noticed the sound @ 1200 miles but now @ 2000 its basically gone.. haven't heard it in about 8-9 days... will keep you posted

 

I'm still thinking it's related to winter fuel.
Did anyone's car do it when the outdoor temp was cooler, say below 40-50F?
Has anyone else's car quit doing it recently?
...Just a WAG.

 

Update:

Just test drove another Type S and it had the ping also. Salesman claimed they only put 91 octane in. Go figure? If I knew how I would start a Type S poll on this issue. Maybe someone else can.



[/QUOTE]

 

My TL-S is certainly still pinging, and seems to be getting worse. I cruised home this evening with the windows down, and radio off. It rattled the full 20 miles until I pulled in the driveway. I believe I could tell when the knock sensor would activate because when starting to climb a hill, the pinging would worsen to a point, then stop all together. When the road leveled out, the pinging would return. It was 68 degrees F here tonight, and I just filled the tank with 93 octane fuel. I don't know if the fuel here is winter blend, but figured the distributors would make the switch to summer blend by now here in the south. I did not ride with the windows down during the 30 and 40 degree temperatures, so therefore did not notice any pinging during truly cold weather.

Still disappointed,
Lee

 

Wow, that's a lot worse than my problem. Is there anything we can do other than complain to corporate? Pinging should NOT be occurring, especially if you're using such a high grade of gas. If this is indeed a problem with this model engine, then we should have some recourse.

 

I smell a recall coming sooon.... maybe somecan can start up a poll, and then it can be submitted to acura corporate?...Those who have pinging should also report to Acura dealership, CS, and corporate...i think that should get the ball rolling....just a suggestion from a '06er

 

is a pingy engine enough for a recall? I don't know much about what you need to get a recall started. I thought it had to be a severe defect or something that makes the car dangerous.

 

First, is this only happening in the 2007 Type S 3.5L engine? Isn't this engine similar to the RL's engine? If so, do we know anyone with an RL having the same problem?

I took a long drive this weekend with the windows down and radio off and I couldn't reproduce it again. I always put 93 octane in the car and I only remember hearing it through the winter months. Perhaps for me it was the winter blended gas in combination of colder temperatures?

I'm going to keep an eye on it for sure, but I haven't been able to reproduce it be it steep hill climbs, higher gear pulls...I tried all I could think of. Is it still worth mentioning to my service guys? I mean, what's the point if I can no longer reproduce it? They'll think I'm making stuff up.

joelsaxton, this could be classified as a safety issue if the engine dies/cuts out from damage during travels on a highway. Maybe not something as bad as tires, or a seatbelt failing...

 

I think it is the same engine, although the RL's is tuned to put out more power. I experience a slight rattling sound when accelerating heavily from out of a low rpm band. But the car is so quiet, it is not easy to always hear it. I don't think rattling is the same at all as "pinging" which I think might be a more serious problem, but they both might also be related.

 

I'll admit I've never had a car ping, so I don't really know the difference. Mine sounded like rattling.