Trentimus

Again.. Maybe you don't get the English language very well. Now I am going to be abrasive. You keep on implying, slyly, as if I am stupid to you. I assure you... I am not.

I said it's not impressive being so familiar with implying things I figured you caught what I meant. The fact you deciphered this as "uninteresting" speaks volumes to me. IT'S NOT IMPRESSIVE AS I EXPECT ALL OF THE LISTED VEHICLES TO BE ABLE TO MAKE 100K. Now that we've simplified and elaborated that. The cars I mentioned are not "luxury" brands. When I think luxurious I think of ride quality, interior quality, etc.. not the badge. You obviously fancy the badge as the deciding factor.. that's cool. They are in the cars class though. You can live in la-la land and redirect your inability to relate the actual cars themselves all you want. Sure an ILX looks affordable next to a 3 series... That doesn't mean a Mazda 6 is less luxurious.

I didn't catch the definition of luxurious ever stating a fondness for the name and shape of the badge. That's brand association. You're associating the brand with luxury. They could shit in a box, and it would be luxury to you because it says Acura on it. Mazda could repackage a C class and it would still be incomparable to you. That's basically what you've eluded to multiple times.

Stop talking to me like you're superior, more intelligent, or anything other than my equal. Now because you've sat back and only just eluded to all of your snarky remarks you can reply and say "oh man I never said any of that" it's okay. Save it. If it's not the case of you knowing what you're doing its just that you talk like a teenage ricer.

I remember we had some similar words before.. I wonder why I unblocked you. I'll get back to that.

usdmJON

Whoa. I did not mean to aggravate you to the point of insults. But I digress. I'm sorry.
I do not mean to imply you are stupid. I am only saying those that are unsatisfied with the PERFORMANCE of the ILX did not know what they were purchasing. The performance is spelled out for everyone and a test drive will show the rest how quick it is.

You commented that you hoped the honda reliability would be there. I informed you it indeed was with a real life situation. Not only did the ILX make it to 100k but easily with flying colors.
I find that impressive. Yes I expected that from a honda but I still find it impressive. Your dismissal of this feat made me think you were uninterested. I apologize for the Straw Man if you are interested but simply not impressed.

Ahh, see now you are the one committing fallacies over here. No I don't fancy the badge as the deciding factor. I cross shopped a few non Acuras thank you. Even Compact and Mid Size family cars.
Continue with you personal insults it doesn't strengthen your argument any.

Well let's take a look at the Mazda 6... The 6speed is under powered compared to even the ILX.
Aside from that, luxury wise they are pretty much matched whistle for whistle.

Though keep in minds the 6 with the most tech... like the ILX, is not available in manual. So the manual Mazda 6 has NO heated front seats, NO HID lights... in fact the specs list on mazda doesnt even mention auto on/off headlights, MOONROOF, and for the auto paddle shifters until you hit the best package which as I stated doesnt include a manual.

So I mean if you switched over to the manual 6 speed Mazda 6 you would lose out on a lot of creature comforts you got stock with the Premium ILX 6speed... so yes the Mazda is less luxurious all around. Sorry.

Again, insults and straw man tactics wont help you argument any. I never considered the Integra or RSX luxury. So no, I've got a brain here. The ILX is yes ENTRY level luxury. If Mazda repackaged a C class it would be a luxury/executive car. How does that now make sense? The Mazda 6 isnt luxury. If it got all its bells and whistles stock as a BASE model then and all the other Mazdas were BETTER than yes theyd be considered luxury.

If I sound like Im talking down to you that is in your own mind. You are the one insulting me I'm just telling you my opinions. Yeah they contrast with yours, that doesnt make either one of us unintelligent so take your own advice and quit the personal insults.

I said what I said and apologies for where things got confused and misinterpreted.

Please though, how am I a ricer?
Oh wait, I forgot you wont even see this post. You aren't being the bigger man; you're tossing shit into the fan then taking cover.

hughbroome2

I've briefly skimmed the 12 pages on this forum. It seems there is no fix. Someone replaced their shocks and still has the sound, and another replaced the bushings and that didn't help. So, is there any indication that Acura may have had a bad batch of shocks?

I have a 2013 ILX 2.0 Premium with ~30k miles. The sound mine makes is a slight thud after the shock rebounds. It does not make it when going over large bumps or speed bumps, instead it makes the sound when there are small undulations in the pavement.

usdmJON

As of current you are correct.
I am waiting for someone with the sound to replace the entire suspension piece... like install a full set of coilovers. But so far the people modding their suspension hasn't witnessed the sound.

weather

I have a 2014 ILX and so far, I have not heard the banging that my 2013 RDX had. That being said, it is not very cold yet so I am not jumping for joy quite yet.

Overall, I am quite happy with my ILX but I got a really good deal on it. I never imagined that I would enjoy this little car as much as I do....but I do! I had a TL and while the power of the TL was amazing, the ILX is just such a fun little car. Yes, it could use better noise insulation from the road noise but otherise, I love it!

SilverCure

I think I hear the same thing in the back. My thoughts were exactly what you said. The spare tire cover is light and when I hit a bump or anything it may jump and cause a thump noise. The trunk is empty, so maybe putting something in there would fix it. Only one way to find out.

Spirited Driver

It is not the trunk cover, or the spare. It IS the struts/dampers that are making the noise. They are very poorly designed. Now with the temperatures dropping here in the Northeast, you will notice a louder and more pronounced "thud", especially coming from the rear. Acura has done NOTHING to solve this issue, aside from replacing with the same part which will eventually produce the same noise. Two (2) plus years of awful suspension/road noise from the dampers and they have yet to own up to it. FAIL!

usdmJON

If it's the strut then why did another user replace the shocks with aftermarket ones and get no change in sound.

Rickards

I don't have my ILX anymore, but can anyone with connections at Acura (Looking at you, Colin ) confirm if this statement is true? Per my conversation with the repair technician back early this year, the new part should have been ready right about now, and this would be the fix for the suspension noise.

usdmJON

Spirited Driver, you said you have your shocks swapped a second time with Non Acura shocks correct?

Spirited Driver

No. I had them swapped twice with Acura OEM shocks. Same problem. Did not fix anything. Same persistent noise.

WillyHung

I found this post searching for something unrelated. I made an account just to make this post, and I'm already regretting it. It took way too long to get registered. anyhoo...

I have many years in engineering, design and production for ride, handling and shock absorbers in the auto industry. Reflecting on that just now, what I have I done with my life? I know how forums work, so I know nobody will believe anything I say, so I won't waste more time on my qualifications. ANYhoo...

The noise you all are describing is called "shock chuckle" or "loose lumber" depending on the company and ride engineers you are working with. If you describe the noise to the dealership as a "loose lumber" sound, it may help with the diagnosis which will come back to what you have already identified as a strut noise.

The reason swapping the struts does not fix the problem is because it is designed into the part/car. Unfortunately it is one of those things that is dependent on a lot of complicated systems and is time consuming to find and fix.

Even then, if the fix is expensive, like a structural frame stamping change, the company may opt to not fix it. Why? if you change a frame stamping, the crash results may come into question. Anybody at Honda that stands up and says they want to change the frame to fix a small noise experienced by a small number of people and re-qualify the car with NHTSA will be designing ignition switches for GM in their next job. (not that there's anything wrong with that)

Shock chuckle (loose lumber) is caused by a resonate frequency of the shock(usually) or the frame of the car. It does not take a large input (bump) to create the resonance or "ring". In fact small bumps is where it is typically excited because a large bump will get damped out or the other noises around it will drown it out. It's a very difficult problem to solve. It could be any number of things causing it. If the engineers are lucky, a simple valve code change may fix it.

If any Honda engineers find this post, some possible things off the top of my head;
On the shock design:
-resonance of the shock rod, exciting the frame or subframe. (add or subtract mass)
-high stiction (good luck, but start with the obvious seals)
-fluid resonance (air or oil volume change)
-too sharp closing or delta between open/close of the valve. Ironically because the parts get made very close to print and work as designed. The seal of the valve is then better and faster.(design or if lucky valve change)
On the car design:
-frame or subframe resonance freq too close to shock rod freq. (Mass damper, now that it is in production)
-rubber compound with too high damping or dynamic rate. (Change rubber compound)
-"oil canning" of a stamping close to the shock mount (mass damper or die change to add curvature or stiffness)

Good Luck Everyone!

usdmJON

Thank you. Awesome post.
I don't believe any of it. Hahaha jk.

Thank you for your time. Much appreciated!

lmend17

So I'm kinda having a little issue. Let's say I park my car for a bit. I get out do some errands and get back in. I shift it into drive and slowly drive away. As soon as I hit the brake slightly I hear a clink or some noise coming from the front maybe front passenger side. I took it in and as I explained to him about the noise he said that that's the famous acura noise so idk. That there's play room in the front with something I forgot what he said so I just left it. I do wanna go back in and double check and actually let them hear this clink noise when I brake. It's not all the time when I brake it's only when my car has been parked and I get it and take off and that first pump of the brake I get that noise.

Spirited Driver

I hear the same. I only hear it during the winter/colder months.

Acura's quality is a mess. The ILX has far too many things that have not been tested for under colder temperatures.

mgalbr22

Was this defect ever corrected in your ILX?

robtroxel

My brakes or some part of the system loudly "clank" when you release the brake pedal in colder weather. Very noticeable. (2013 ILX Auto, Tech with 23000 miles) It took several trips to convince the dealer this was not normal. They have had the car for over a week and left it sit in the cold to get the noise to replicate. So far they have replaced the master cylinder but it still makes the noise. Kudos to the dealer for continuing to talk to the zone repair folks for other possibilities. Also ruled out were disc pad noise since the brakes are up to spec. Fortunately we have a loaner so they can take their time.


As for the rear suspension, it is a choppy ride on a good day. Also noisy when cold

Spirited Driver

Absolutely NOT!

On my fourth (4th) set of rear struts. Complete nightmare of an experience with this car!

Acura has done ZERO to correct this in 2+ years, aside from replacing with the same part, and then saying it's a "characteristic" of the car when they replaced it the second and forth time around. Complete joke!

Spirited Driver

I've been experiencing the same clunking noise when releasing the brake pedal during the colder months. Been hearing this ever since I've gotten the car (August 2013), third winter now. Please let us know what it is once they find out the cause. Thanks.

robtroxel

Will do..Hope they find it.

Spirited Driver

weather

That is what bothers me about Acura and other car companies. It is one thing to make a mistake "out of the gate" but they were given the opportunity to solve this issue but haven't delivered. Now the same Acura "thud" is part of the RDX, ILX, RLX and I think the TLX is spared of this noise because their extra noise insulation in the vehicle.

Why Acura hasn't been able to address the problem with Sach's reactive dampers is beyond me, and then keep on adding reactive dampers across the line up. If Acura claims to be reading these boards and concerned about owners perception of the brand, they must have missed this thread.

I am an Acura guy, love the brand, love the cars, love the dealership bur it becoming increasingly difficult to spend my hard earned money on a brand that its engineer seem to care less about the cars they design than the people that drive them....

I know I am likely going to take some flame for stating this, and I don't mean any disrespect to any owners....There is an ILX in our driveway and would love to have a TLX this spring.

napoleon012

got rid of a 01 cl type S. had 66k on it. got a 13 ilx had 20k. it does ride a bit harder. the ilx drives like a dream to my cl, but not as quiet and when i hit a bump i freak out. i love the car but not up to the acura standerds. would love to have my cl back. 13 yrs on the it, it rode better than my ilx

Spirited Driver

Curious to see what type of suspension/struts they are going with on the 16 ILX. I would have to think they are not the same Sachs junk setup that we have in our 13-15 ILX's.

You never know, Acura is claiming that the loud thumping noise from the rear, and overall noise coming from the suspension is a "normal characteristic" of the car.

If they did decide to use something else for the 16, that's a clear sign that they've been pulling our legs this whole time with the "normal characteristic" garbage I/we've been getting from them for the past 2+ years.

robtroxel

UPDATE: While this turned out not to be a suspension noise, I wanted to post the outcome of the mysterious "clanking" noise when brakes were released at a stop sign.
The dealer kept the car for 11 days, to evaluate the symptoms from a cold car start, first changing the power Brake booster, and then the master cylinder. They worked with the zone reps to figure out what the issue was (began the "clanking" noise nearly a year ago @ 12K miles mostly in cold weather). I do have a feeling there are more "clankers " out there. The dealer loaned us a new ILX during this period so I have to say, in the end, they treated us very well.


That said, it is a leased car that we would not buy at the end of the term.(Nov 15) Might move back to the TL X this next time.

Spirited Driver

So the culprit was the brake booster or the master cylinder?

robtroxel

They replaced the booster first and road tested car but noise was still there. After that they replaced the master cylinder which seemed to do the trick!

usdmJON

How much time and miles has passed since they changed the master cylinder? I've only heard my brakes do this maybe a handful of time. But I'd still want to fix it under warranty if it can be fixed.

robtroxel

Master cylinder replaced right after the Brake Booster this week. Odometer read 23500 when fixed. Took me a year and several write ups to get them to act on it though.

Spirited Driver

Thank You Sir.

Fifteenkey

My GF has a '13 ILX with 38K miles, and I'm pretty sure her car is exhibiting this struts/dampers issue. I rode with her to hear it myself. OMG! It sounds like someone smashes the rear undercarriage with a sledgehammer! I don't know how anyone at Acura can say with a straight face that this is a "normal characteristic" of the car. She has an appointment with her dealer this week.

weather

^^ Many of us (not all) have/are experienced/ing what you are describing and this is not limited to the ILX but the RDX as well. I am surprised and disappointed that a solution hasn't been found thus far.

usdmJON

Assuming the car is still under warranty at 38k miles, this is what I would do.

Walk into the dealer and tell them you are experiencing a loud noise issue that is concerning and was not present when you made purchase.

Inform them you would like it fixed under warranty as this was now how you bought the car.

I am really interested to hear the response to simply "this is not how I bought it." They can't argue that it is normal if you say it didnt drive like this when you signed the papers.

tal

Is there a KBY shock replacement for this vehicle? Just use the part #s off a 2013-14 Honda Civic EX-L since it's the same platform? From the Civic SI sedan? Maybe even use the OEM shocks from these cars?

weather

^^ Someone had mentioned earlier in this thread (which I know is super long) that the Honda Civic's rear shocks would do but not sure if they meant the SI or the regular Civic. I am pretty sure the SI's version would fit...but some guys with more experience will chime in for sure.

Actually, I looked back and it was the user "usdmJon" that gave me the information....Can you confirm that the SI rear shocks would help usdmJon?

usdmJON

Si shocks SHOULD fit the 2.4 ILX while non si shocks SHOULD fit the 2.0/hybrid.

I purchased my H&R springs I believe for a 1.8l civic... or the non si.
However I don't know if the 2.4 and 2.0 have the same suspension.

As for would this "help" I am not sure. No one really knows where the sound is coming from. If the sound comes from the shock ALONE then yes replacing them with shocks from a civic would eliminate the sound. IF it is only the shocks that is.

pwdrday

It looks like my car (2014 2.4) has also developed a problem with the "loose lumber" sound from the rear suspension. The rear right damper seems to be the issue. I'm going to make an appointment and see what my dealer (Park Ave Acura) does for me. Let's see how these guys perform. This will be my 1st trip into them since buying the car, so this will be my 1st experience with any Acura service department.

pwdrday

Figured I would provide an update. Rear dampers were replace and it seems much better now.

aspec2016

Has anyone tried using chassis ears to isolate the problem?

Rodrigo Reyes

I´m from Merida, Mexico (200 miles from Cancun) in my city we dont have Acura.
I bought a ILX 2013 in Acura Cancun.
The same noise in front suspension since first day
I call several times to the dealer and they told me they were expecting the solution by Acura.
6 months ago take my car to a Honda dealer in my city and they changed the whole front suspension and the noise was still there.
I leave the car three days to do more tests and they said they used microphones and speakers, located the noise in the motor bracket.
Last week arrived the part and changed it, so far I have not heard the noise.
I hope not to hear the noise again.