docboy

Something I noticed recently:

I have a very steep driveway to my garage. For some reason, with the 4G TL, I always have to make a right turn up the driveway. If I go up the driveway while making a left turn, I scrape the front lower plastic spoiler (term?). So I have to make a 3 point turn when coming to my street to make it up the driveway.

I noticed a few guests who come up our driveway who don't have SUVs suffer the same scrape (ie. lowered A4s).

Anyways, when I slowly go up the driveway, I've been noticing the a "creaking sound" coming from appears to be left side of the car's body, around the drivers and rear left passenger door area. It "creaks" for a few seconds when I slowly go up the driveway; it also seems to "creak" for a few when I go down the driveway. Otherwise, the car has been very solid.

Any ideas?

Kingmeow

It could be seam weld spots popping. It's a terminology they used but it does not mean there's a defective weld spot (I freaked out the first time they used that phrase - what??? A defective weld???). It's just an area where seams come together and they rub when the care flexes or torques.

That's what they found with my car in the rear passenger side. They had to rip the rear seat out to find it but they did. They dimpled the seams in some areas and gently pryed them apart in other areas. They also used some seam sealer in certain spots.

It's like two "tetonic plates" in an earthquake. They oppose each other's force but gives when the time comes, thus the creak or pop in my case.

My car would make a SINGLE pop when I come to a stop or I start from a stop but absolutely no noise when cruising, even over bad roads.

wmahmud

is it worth having them rip out everything and take the chance of messing somethign else up?

is it bad to leave? i think i notice a pop as well when i stop hard or accellerate hard

Motorista

Another possibility: the sunroof rubbing gently against the rubber gasket, again due to flexing. A light coat of silicone rubber grease (available in spray cans from autoparts stores) will typically cure it for 2-3 months, after which you have to reapply. I experienced this with an 06 RL.

BigWopHH

This is what my car started to do after the first broken weld on the b-pillar, and Acura is now buying the car back...

Kingmeow

Excellent questions and definitely something to ask yourself if you decide to let them rip it apart. There is always that potential that they fix the problem but cause another.

In my case I tried to "live with it" but it got so annoying. Even when the radio is on I notice it. It got to the point where I had to get it addressed. They tried to fix it the first time but made it worse in a sense it was louder and much more reproducible. This caused them to really locate it and address it the second time around. So in a way I got "lucky".

docboy

Wait a minute...

Are you telling me your car exhibited the same exact sound???

bw5556

Hmm...I've been hearing a creaking sound in the same area. I park on the 5th floor of my building's parking structure and have to make a pretty sharp right turn 7 times (entering ramp and exiting ramp) to get to my parking space. For me, the creaking noise only happens when the vehicle is not level. I hear the noise as I begin to turn going up the ramp and again when I turn to exit the ramp onto the next level. My 07 Honda did the exact same thing as the 4G but I never had it looked at.

dsickles

iTrader: (5)

my second gen. tl does the same thing... bothers the piss outta me

BigWopHH

Yes. But it didn't start until a couple of months after the initial broken weld was found. With my car, any time the the body flexed, whether pulling up or down a driveway, or hitting a succession of small road bumps, I'd get the annoying creaking sounds.

goosemeat

acura has a habbit of squeaky gaskets - just like someone referenced in their reply - i actually had the sunroof, then the driver window - after some brain damage identifying...but the spray a few times a year to all gaskets in a clean manner will cure this problem.

aubreyjohnson

I'm at Acura now actually. They just diagnosed I had a passenger side front axle knuckle that was broken.

I heard a creaking sound when I accelerated and turned simultaneously. It was usually at lower speeds (city driving) and would increase in creak or click sounds as the turn progressed
(ie: click...... click... click..click.click.clickclick.clickclickclickclick click.)

Luckily mine is still under warranty. I will repost after its "fixed" and comment on the fix.

aubreyjohnson

To be noted:

I have a 2004 TL

B Pina

dry ball joints