Hello All,

I went to take my SH-AWD/Tech to was yesterday when noticed a subtile noise coming from the engine. It was something I beleive I heard it three weeks ago when I took delivery but I'm still having doubts that it could be normal in this car.

Futhermore, I had the dealer lend me another SH-AWD to drive and try to notice the same noice. It turns out this other one did it but far more subtle than mine, then eventually went away as the car warmed up. After this car warmed up I notice the same noise by putting transmission on D or R, leave brakes pressed and lightly tap the gas.

To describe the problem:
Rattle, clonking sound

To Reproduce:
1. Make sure the car is warm
2. Start by driving slow for about a mile
3. Come to a complete stop and lightly give the car gas on Drive.
4. As the car is slowiy moving you should notice the sound (2-5 MPH, 1.3 RPM).

Don't confuse it with the muffler sound, this one is definitely coming from the engine compartment. Please advise if you all can hear this otherwise I'll follow through with lemoning the car.

 

Ever owned a v6 honda/acura before? Their known to have noisy valves.

 

You're right, I've owed plenty other V6 hondas and can recall somewhat of the same issue. You would think that by now they would of fixed it!

I'm still contemplating whether or not to follow through with servicing it. I think I'll make up my mind based on what others respond.

 

The only noise I hear is when it's cold and the oil hasn't circulated yet. It's a very light tapping noise, but once it's warm it's gone. No other noises at the speed/rpm you describe. I hate these types of noises because they are hard to diagnose until something actually breaks/fails. But if you can hear it and can show the dealer that all other TL's don't do it then hopefully they will try to find it. Good luck!

 

I've heard of brand new Acuras needing a valve adjustment. So maybe your dealership will do one? Their pretty time consuming so it's a toss up.

 

CleanCl.... Do you think this will affect the longevity of the car in the long run if it's not done and left as is? If so how many miles do you predict?

 

I doubt it, should be able to go to the 110,000 mile mark where the valve adjustment is due. You will know if it's not running right otherwise.

 

I started conducting mym own research onlinr and came across the following article. Could it be oil pressure??

http://www.autohausaz.com/honda-auto-parts/honda-oil-pressure.html

 

You may be overreacting NYSH. Let the dealer check it out. My TL was tapping away today for a bit after I started it in this cold weather. And i'm running Mobil-1. Cold starts are what damage engines the most. More than driving it hard and fast in fact. If it's that noticeable they will figure it out. And if you're really worried about long term damage or issues you should call the dealer and leave them the car asap. I've always gotten a kick out of my friends calling me, describing noises their cars were making. You have to drive it, listen to it, etc.. Hopefully it's nothing major. Good luck!

 

You're right Wavehoger, I am over reacting... I just had my personal tech look at it, my Dad a certified technician for all cars, which concluded nothing major. He advised me that although the noise is noticeable, it's not coming from the engine because if it were it would not only do it at low rpm but would progressively worsten as you increase rpm and speed. He continued by saying that it's related to the fuel injectors and it's a common issue with Honda cars. For now I'm just going to wait until the first oil change, continue to break in and try a different gas station as this could be contributing to the noise.

I've purchased many new cars and had a previous lemon (06 BMW 550i) because of an engine knocking issue, perhaps I'm traumatized. I also didn't want to be the first to have dealer techs take my brand new TL apart in search of a commonality in Honda cars.

Thanks to all, I'll be sure to post any progress for future concerns.

 

I agree w/ Wavehoger - coming from a bmw I understand how you could be traumatized - some of the bmw sites have posted videos with engine noise - wasn't it Automobile or Autoweek's long term bmw that had cam shaft issues? - some of the bmw issues probably related to their 15,000 mile oil change intervals ('free maintence')

 

So I now have about 7 weeks with my SHAWD and noticed a knocking sound comeing from the engine compartment. I thought it was something that could be corrected as time progressed. After a road trip to CT, I noticed the noise got progressively louder, to the point where it's anoying having paid $42K for this.

Today I took the car in for a proffessional assesment of the problem and didn't really get an answer nor did the dealer fix it. The dealer acknowledged the noise but didn't know how to proceed in fixing it. A case has been filled with Acura but the reality is that the noise is still there! At this point I'm completely disatisfied with the car and don't know how to diplomatically address this situation nor to whom.

Any thoughts?

 

have you tried listening to another SHAWD (you and the service writer togther) to see if it is the same or your's is worse?

 

The dealer cannot do anything without being directed to do so by Acura. (Acura foots the bill). You should schedule with your dealer an appointment when they have the factory service rep in the store. He is one of the guys in the field that can authorize repair work. Of course there has to be an available solution to fix.

 

I test drove another SHAWD and had an extremely mild sound similar to mine. I'm pretty sure that's how mine was when I took delivery and just got progressively worst.

The service advisor told me he drove two others today neither of which had an issue.

 

I think that's the route I'll go with for now. I'd really hate to escalate this and give both Acura and the dealership bad publicity by involving the media. I'm that upset at this point that it just seems like the easiest thing to do to ensure attention.

 

For what it's worth, I am a service advisor for Acura and I drive an SH-AWD. I noticed the same noise you are talking about, and had my techs take a look at it. They said it was fine and I'm ok with that. Sounds just like most other TL's I have heard. The only concern I have is we had a new 09 RL in with a noisey lost motion assembly that sounded like the same noise we are talking about. My situation is a little different than everyone elses. If it does devolop into a serious problem, it is good for me, new motor = $$$$ for me plus a new motor!

 

^^ Thanks for chiming in! It's also worth mentioning that you have a 6 year/70,000 mile warranty on the powertrain. You do have some time to 'just monitor' it. I know it's not the best answer, but I don't think there's a need to rush,

 

post a video of it

 

what is a "lost motion assembly"?

 

good idea - that got a lot of attention at the bmw forums - had cam shaft wear/noise issues. Post that and someone will start paying attention

I think Colin has the best idea - get the factory rep to listen to it as compared to other cars

 

The lost motion assembly keeps the VTEC lobe up so it can be engaged when the VTEC kicks in. Without it, the rocker arm would vibrate violently which sounds like valves tapping, injecters injecting, etc.

It's underneath the rocker arm and keeps it held up so the VTEC lobe on the cam can ride on it. With all of the energy transfer when switching back and forth, the vibration would eventually wreak havoc under the valve cover.

 

I'll post a video of it sometime this weekend. I don't even want to drive the car anymore, currently using my V6 Accord. Atleast that one doesn't sound like a pice of crap!

 

You mentioned not yielding bad publicity towards Acura before, then why the crap comment? Sorry to hear about this annoying issue, I've had mine as well, but on the exterior. Hey, you can always get a FWD? JK. Good luck wit it.

 

I noticed mine is a bit noisy at idle, but the thing pulls hard and has a warranty so I don't care!

 

I’m curious to find out what it is.
I own a 3G type S and it knocks. There are over 29 pages in the Problems and Fixes sub-forum reporting this problem on the type S. The common response back to us is the dealers acknowledge it but there's nothing they can do about it and that it's fine to drive. I've learned to just keep the radio up as it annoys me when I hear it. I don’t plan to keep it after the power train warranty is up due to the extra stress it's putting on the engine components.

 

that's how I 'fixed' my 3G's rattles

 

any updates NYSH-AWD?

 

Just bought it and It also had some engine valve noise (clipping sound when the engine revs up & down, also when in idle) so I took it to their service dept. They told me the sound was normal. So I told him to have someone compare my car with exactly the same car at the lot. So did, and the other car had no such sound. I left the car there overnight for them to take a look. Also had my service rep compare with other cars just in case.

I get a call next morning, they were not able to locate any TL at their lot producing the same kind of noise. At this point, you would think the sound is not normal and they would make some kind of adjustment…. Wrong! They refused to do anything because ACURA Tech Support has told them not to, despite the fact when the problem was recognized.

I have owned MDX, RL and Accord V6 before. No such noise. ACURA shuold stop being cheap and start servicing that valve!

 

I put Tufoil in my cars and it does a wonderful job in quieting the valves. I know you shouldnt have to put any additives in the car but I just love this product. Yes it does have PTFE and no it doesnt clog the passages/oil filter and its got a lot of moly which I know Honda Motor company loves to put in its factory fill oil.

 

The noisy valves are definitely normal on all Acura and Honda engines, the noise coming from my car was completely different.

 

I picked up a brand new TL! This one seems to be performing the way it should, no rattles, knocks or noises of any kind. It was a bit of a hassle and disappointment for the seven months I owned it, now I can say I'm happy. Big Ups to Acura!

 

did Acura replace 1st car for you ?

 

i know this is old but i was just browsing and figured i would tell my experience with my 4G sh-awd,had approx 1500 miles if that,started to get a very loud valve train noise,sounded like an old small block chevy that needed the rockers adjusted. I called the dealer they had a tow flat bed pick it up,they started it and heard the noise and were very curious to check it out.
they said that they have never seen the problem before, which ended up that the rocker assembly had broke for some reason so they ordered new parts and replaced it,the car runs fine now but i do notice a small amount of valve train noise at idle,if it gets any worse will be taking it back........

 

You could start by asking the tech to check (and adjust, if necessary) the valve clearances. If you encounter opposition you can gently point them to the service log booklet that is part of your original Acura documents, which states "adjust valves if noisy". This, by the way, is confirmed by the factory service manual.