Currently own a 2004 tl with 130k miles 2nd owner and timing belt done at 105k. Need help figuring out this problem I'm having with my car. When I accelerate past 40 mph it makes this Humming sound kinda like a low droning noise coming from the front end. It's not super loud or annoying but I never heard this sound before and I like to keep my cars in tip top shape. It's mostly aperant cruising on the freeway with the windows up and music off. Any ideas?

 

Torque converter? Have you changed your tranny oil and the 3rd n 4th switches?

 

Since your car has 130k miles it might be your drive belt tensioner. Start your car and open your hood and take a look at the pulleys near your drive belt. I changed mine recently because during highway speeds it would sound like some type of "wind noise" coming from the passenger side near the door.

Being that my car has previously been in a accident I always thought it was wind noise because my front passenger door isn't aligned correctly. It wasn't until recently that a local AZiner (NBP_BALLER) pointed it out to me that it was my auto-tensioner. I replaced it and bam my car is quiet at cold starts, idle, and even highway speeds!

Purchased a Gates auto-tensioner and drive belt kit for $75 shipped on eBay. Honda/Acura tensioner is $85 alone.

 

I'm not exactly sure if this is what your case may be, but it's worth mentioning because it might help you. If it doesn't help you than it might help someone else.

Anyways here's a video of the tensioner pulley... This is the old bad one that was making all the noise. The new Gates pulley was dead silent and wasn't worth recording because you couldn't hear anything when I spun it.

I could have probably gotten away with just replacing the idler pulley for about $15 rather than replacing the whole auto-tensioner assembly but I figured since my car has 80k miles on it, I might as well replace the whole auto-tensioner and drive belt since it's getting near 100k.


Here's a video at idle of my noisy auto-tensioner pulley


Here's a video at idle with the new Gates auto-tensioner and belt installed.... Much much quieter in person but still noticeable in the video when compared to my old tensioner.