ILX suspension noise
 

I've mentioned several times on the forum since purchasing the vehicle that I've been hearing clunking, rattling, type noises coming from the front end of the vehicle.

I first noticed the loose type rattling/clunking of the front suspension within the first week of driving the car off the lot.

I have brought the car back since to have the suspension looked at, with nothing being detected out of the ordinary. Went on a test drive with the tech prior to having him put it up on the lift but was not able to duplicate the noises due to the streets around the dealership being as smooth as a babies tush.

Today I have re-scheduled another appointment for this coming Monday to have it looked at again because it is annoying the heck out of me. Sounds like a 10 year old car going over bumps at low speeds. After driving it more and more, it appears that its coming from the front right end. Must be a bad strut, bushing, damper....SOMETHING/

Additionally, my trunk is completely empty and while the rear end goes over uneven surfaces, I also hear noise from the back which appears to be the inner trunk flap/mat. Anyone else notice the bounce of the mat as they go over bumps? Guess it doesn't help the trunk is empty and the car is very light.

Can anyone relate or is/has experienced similar issues?

Thanks.

I do hear something from the back upon occasion. It does sound like spare tire cover but it doesn't happen that often so I don't think about it when I do have something in the trunk. Seems to do it if I go over a man hole cover that is not flush with the pavement but only at an angle at speed if memory serves me. Doesn't happen that often so I consider it a non issue at the moment.

I don't hear anything from the front at all.

@fiora
I have the same exact problem. I hear occasional clunking around my driver side. I also noticed it the first week that I bought the car as well, and I took it back to the dealer, and couldn't duplicate the sound as well. Pretty sad. :(

My 2nd service appointment is tomorrow. I am finally confident that it is my front right side. It has to be either a bad: strut, bushing, ball joint, sway bar link, tie rod, shock mount, end link or cv joint.

Let's see. I now know how to duplicate the noise. I'm thinking its a bad strut.

I, too, have this problem. I've been to the dealership on three occasions to try to fix the problem. On two of the occasions I was put in an ILX loaner with the exact same noise. I have duplicated the sound with a technician in the car. The dealer will be calling the Technical Center on Monday to see if they have a fix or are working on a fix for the issue. I'm hoping something is in the works because I cannot drive a brand new car with such a horrible noise.

Can you please describe the type of noise and where it is coming from (side)? It may be a recall type of issue where it is occuring on more than one vehicle. I will post tomorrow on the outcome of my service visit. Thanks.

It is a rattling type noise coming from what sounds like the front, right side of the car. I usually hear it over big bumps but as the day goes on the noise gets louder and the bumps do not have to be that big. I'm not a car technical person, but any type of noise coming from my car is annoying and sometimes it's hard for me to decipher what the sound is or where it is coming from so hopefully what I wrote makes sense. Thanks.

Back from the dealer regarding the front right side suspension clunking/thumping noise while driving over man holes, larger bumps, etc. Drove the car with the service manager, he wasn't able to hear or feel anything abnormal. Drove the car with a tech, he wasn't able to hear or feel anything out of the ordinary either.

I then drove a 2.0 (at) to see if the car rides the same and if I would hear/feel the same type of noise/ride, I didn't. The front right side didn't sound as loose as my car.

Service manager offered to replace the strut but I said I didn't want to just start replacing parts if we don't know exactly what it is.

I am going to continue to follow up wit them to see if a bulletin comes out on a fix as well as on heir for similar complaints.

Dealer visit #2 regarding same issue = Strike #2 :whyme:

Aw man. I was hoping they'd figure it out. Damn I hope we can get it fixed. When you guys go get service, does it cost anything?

I hope the problem/fix gets discovered SOON. We are like guinea pigs with this car, being first year model. Free service on warranty related issues.

The dealer said they fixed the problem on my car. I'm picking it up this afternoon and will give specifics on what they found and how they fixed it here in this forum later this evening. Hopefully it truly is fixed.

Sweet! Looking forward to "hearing" what it is. Thanks.

Desrene44, what was the outcome of your front end noise?

Sorry, I'm on the west coast so a bit of a time difference. Here are the comments on my service ticket:

"Found passenger side engine mount bracket making contact with mount. Shimmed motor mount bracket and noise is gone. Removed motor mount bracket and cut to clear mount. No noise found after repairs."

I haven't driven much since I got my car back but so far no noise. I'll follow back up with the forum if I do hear anything. My service advisor informed me the tech line is aware of this problem and he wasn't sure if a bulletin would be release on a "real" fix to the problem but he did leave it open to that and I may hear from Acura themselves or the dealership I've been working with.

Hope this helps others with their problem and ill continue to monitor the forum and will reach back out here if anything more comes about with my car.

Interesting. Much appreciated. Can you please provide the City, State and name of dealership where it was serviced at? Also, is this the 2.4 6-speed? Thanks.

Dealership is Acura of Tempe in Tempe, AZ. I have the 5-speed Automatic.

Oh sweet. That's some good news. maybe I'll bring mine in this weekend.

Your having problems as well? 2.0at?

Veedub - Are you experiencing the same noise Desrene44 and I are?

Desrene44 -Can you please provide an update post service and if you still hear any noise or if it was solved?

Thanks.

Unfortunately, I'm still hearing the noise. Today was the first day since the service that I was able to take a quiet ride (no toddler in the car) and really take the car over some bumps. Sad to say the noise is still there. I'm starting to get really annoyed by the situation. I hope someone can get this figured out and fast!

I hear ya. I'm frustrated as well. Did you advise the dealer that your still hearing the noise?

I did not. I've been in three times already. I may just try to write Acura directly even though I'm sure it will be to no avail. You spend a decent amount of money on a brand new car, you want it to sound like a brand new car. I swear by Honda and Acura and are pretty much the only brand I buy, but this is starting to make me rethink that choice.

Yeah I drive the 2.0AT. I have the same exact problem. No luck yet.

I sometimes hear something from the passenger front side. Not too loud, it almost sounds like a wheel lock key in the glovebox. How loud a sound are we talking about here?

Back at the MMC, the RSX suddenly developed a problem with the front springs shifting on the strut perch. The resulting noise was quite pronounced and 'felt' in the floor of the car. "thawanggggg" like the big spring it was. Interestingly, it was never an issue when the car first debuted.

It's not extremely loud but VERY annoying, especially being that its a new car. I'm hearing all types of noises when in comes to the suspension, mostly from the front passenger side. This morning I removed the noisy flapping trunk lid, just so I can further hear what other noises I am hearing coming from the suspension.

Acura needs to fix these suspension noises asap. It just feels like the entire suspension is loose and cheaply made. That's how I can describe it at the moment.

it's likely the new shock absorbers...this car is the first to feature the setup.

I was thinking the same. You referring to the "amplitude reactive dampers"?

Yea, that's what I mean to refer to.

might be worth investigating if people with the new RDX have the same issue

I went through the forums and didn't notice any issues with the rdx'ers (2nd gen), but it wouldn't surprise me seeing as they aren't the same part numbers. So there could be a defect in just the ILX dampers.

This is my exact thinking. A defect in the ILX dampers or they are just not cutting it for this car. The car is very light.

Well, I've been in this business for a really long time. I do know that all manufacturers want to resolve this type of issue as quickly as possible. However, to be fair, it doesn't sound like we've actually identified where (exactly) any noise is coming from. Until a definitive answer to this question is found, it's very difficult to engineer a fix. I can say this, if the noise that you are talking about is the same one I'm hearing it's a little below my (personal) threshold of irritation.

I agree with your statement. I will say that my threshold definitely decreases when knowing that the car is just under two months 'new' and are bothered by multiple things that have raised flags.

Coming from an RSX, and an S2000 before that, this car is quiet as it tomb. Sometimes, noise is relative. I will say that I noticed an oddity the other day. There was a car driving next to me with a really loud exhaust system. I think that the active sound control kicked in to try to reduce the exhaust noise from his car. Briefly, I heard the sub woofer in my car oscillating at about 30 Hz (Or something close to that). At first I wasn't sure what it was but that's my new working theory.

My theory is the front passenger noise is coming from the "main valve" damper/absorber, since I only hear and feel the unstable lack of a solid absorption while going over "minor road vibration".


"Amplitude Reactive Dampers feature two piston valves per damper (a.k.a. shock absorber) rather than one. The main valve reacts to help absorb minor road vibration, while the second one is stiffer, reigning in a larger suspension motion for improved stability".

Of course the "difficulty" is that we all seem to be hearing "something" on the front passenger side. These dampers are in all four corners of the car so you would think somebody would be reporting similar noises from elsewhere as well. Honestly, the motor mount fix suggested earlier made more sense to me.

Edited to add: I just went to look at a new car on the showroom and that motor mount on the passenger side has to be the most elaborate device I've ever seen in one of our cars. It looks to me as if it's designed to provide movement on three axis'

True, but the motor mount wasn't the fix.

No, that dealers attempted fix, wasn't the fix. If I understood correctly, it seems as if the dealership did the work on their own without guidance from Acura TechLine. (Although I could have misinterpreted what I read)

That's what it seems like, dealer tried to solve issue without TechLIne. Regardless, they attempted something and were unsuccessful at eliminating the posters noise.

Now, his noise may be different from the noise I am hearing. The noise I am hearing is coming from the front passenger suspension. As I've indicated, it is a flat, thumping (no solid absorption feel) type noise, at low speeds, which makes me think that it is the "main valve" damper. Just my assumption.

FYI- These are the new components to Acuras suspension lineup. Possibly something here with the noise some of us are hearing from the front end?


New Acura suspension technologies debuting in the 2013 ILX include:

Amplitude Reactive Dampers (reduces damping forces over small-amplitude road imperfections)
Rebound springs (for both front and rear suspensions)
Low-friction bushings (further improves ride quality in small-amplitude impacts)

MacPherson Strut Front Suspension
The MacPherson strut front suspension provides precise and engaging handling performance, a responsive feel for the driver, and luxurious ride quality. Specially tuned bushings along with performance-calibrated geometry ensure optimal wheel alignment while turning for confident handling. The ILX 2.0L and 2.4L models use a 20-mm diameter tubular front stabilizer bar while the ILX Hybrid model uses a 19-mm diameter tubular front stabilizer bar.

Multi-Link Rear Suspension
The ILX uses a multi-link rear suspension that features stamped-steel upper A-arms, cast-aluminum knuckles, double lower tubular lateral links, tubular-steel toe-control links, coil-over dampers and a stabilizer bar. The system provides excellent handling, a flat ride and excellent control of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). All models of ILX use a 14-mm diameter solid rear stabilizer bar.

AMPLITUDE REACTIVE DAMPERS

A new technology for Acura, Amplitude Reactive Dampers are used on the 2013 ILX to provide a superior level of ride comfort together with crisp, precise handling. The dampers operate in two distinct performance parameters, including a Ride Zone and a Handling Zone. Each zone has a unique set of compression and rebound damping forces tailored to provide the desired ride and handling attributes. In essence, the amplitude reactive dampers operate like two separate suspension systems combined in one. The new dampers are entirely mechanical in operation with no electronics required.

Ride Zone
For short suspension stroke (between 1-5 mm travel), the dampers provide minimal damping effect to provide an extremely comfortable ride where little suspension travel is needed— such as on smooth road surfaces.

Handling Zone
For longer suspension stroke (over 10 mm travel), a second damping circuit is engaged. Here damping effect is maximized for enhanced steering feel, improved body-roll control and more secure handling— such as during aggressive cornering or on severe road conditions.

With the Amplitude Reactive Dampers, by adding a second spring floating valve above a conventional main piston valve, the IDX is able to maintain the superior driving dynamics.

LOW-FRICTION BUSHINGS

Reducing the hysterics of the lower front and rear suspension bushings helps improve ride quality during small-amplitude road imperfections without sacrificing steering precision, handling response or ride quality under strenuous cornering or rough road conditions. Front and rear anti-roll bars utilize Teflon bushings for smooth operation.