9SpeedTran

After getting my transmission replaced, I noticed at certain points a pronounced vibration, reminiscent of lugging the engine by being in too high a gear with a manual transmission. This occurred primarily when the VCM kicked in and the RPMs were 1300 - 1600. It did happen once or twice without the VCM kicking in, as well, at about the same RPM range. At first I thought this was just a feature of the new transmission, but then I read a post here by one other person who reported the same phenomenon and it turned out to be a bad front engine mount

I took it in to Acura and said, I would like to get this fixed since I am almost out of warranty, and here's what I think it is. They took it in and after several days and multiple calls to TechLine got it corrected. My engine mounts were all reporting they were working fine, but still the vibration was there. The key to fixing the problem was a process called "neutralizing" the engine mounts, and the first time they tried it, it didn't work. Apparently the car has to be in gear when the procedure is done. Anyways, now the car is smooth as butter when the VCM kicks in, the way it was before I got the new transmission.

Just wanted to share that in case anyone else is experiencing this issue.

dezymond

Glad they got it fixed.

Curious, how many times did you have to take your car in before getting the transmission replaced?

Robs252

My VCM vibration has been rectified also. I installed the VCMuzzler...

9SpeedTran

Actually it was kind of an evolving thing. I had the TSBs done and they didnt fix the problem, so I started planning with my service person how to document getting it fixed. Right about then they came out with the update that included how to get the replacement authorized, so we did the steps and then scheduled the replacement. I feel profoundly fortunate for the relationship I have with my service dept!!!

RBruce

I've just had my transmission on 2015 TLX SHAWD replaced (yesterday) and am experiencing the same vibration/shudder problems that you detailed. Today I called the dealer telling him about the vibration and that it may be the engine mounts needing resynchronization based on online forum reviews. Dealer suggested that given that transmission has just been replaced that I should allow the car to "learn" first by driving it for 1-2 weeks.
How long did you drive your car after replacing the transmission befroe you took it back to the dealer?

9SpeedTran

I took it back to Acura after a couple weeks. Regular mechanic not there. They did the vibration TSB (replacing shock absorbers etc) which did not help. Brought it back following week, regular mechanic there, and he fixed it. He later said it was a step in replacing transmission and he missed it. Not sure if that's true or he just FELT he missed it (he's a great guy).

RBruce

Are you in US or Canada?

9SpeedTran

US, DC area

9SpeedTran

BTW, make sure you get the SW update done (the latest recall). What a difference? The engine lunges forward now. Wow!

RBruce

When I first complained about the hard shifting in 1/2 and 2/3 to the Dealer, they did 2 SW updates and when this didn't work, they replaced/repaired the transmission - the SW update that you mentioned, is this in addition to the 2 SW updates the Dealer performed before replacing my transmission?

9SpeedTran

Yes, see this thread https://acurazine.com/forums/fifth-g...at-tlx-977224/

Temp_A-Spec

Does this fix it for the 2018 also?

RBruce

Besides the rumbling when VCM kicks in, I seem to also have a subtle vibration in my steering even at idle - did you have that too?
I'm planning to o back to the dealer this week.

9SpeedTran

Did not have the steering wheel vibration at idle. But this fix may correct it.

RBruce

Took my 2015 TLX SHAWD. back to Dealer for the rumbling strip noise. I suggested to the Tech that it may be that the engine mounts need to be neutralized and he said that's what he figured also. They kept car for a week, I don't know why so long, but after the neutralizing engine mounts, the rumbling noise is almost gone - there are times when I can feel it for just a fleeting moment, but this seems "normal" as two 2019 Loaners that I had did the same. I also still have an ever so slight vibration in the steering wheel, but again this seems "normal" as the 2 Loaners had this also.

BTW: I'm in Canada and the recent fuel pump recall/SW update applicable in the US doesn't apply to Canada.

However after driving the two 2019 Loaners, both of these have increased throttle reponse and seemingly quicker gear changes, and a more luxurious ride and not a bumpy ride when compared to my 2015 TLX SHAWD.

RBruce

Took my 2015 TLX SHAWD. back to Dealer for the rumbling strip noise. I suggested to the Tech that it may be that the engine mounts need to be neutralized and he said that's what he figured also. They kept car for a week, I don't know why so long, but after the neutralizing engine mounts, the rumbling noise is almost gone - there are times when I can feel it for just a fleeting moment, but this seems "normal" as two 2019 Loaners that I had did the same. I also still have an ever so slight vibration in the steering wheel, but again this seems "normal" as the 2 Loaners had this also.

BTW: I'm in Canada and the recent fuel pump recall/SW update applicable in the US doesn't apply to Canada.

However after driving the two 2019 Loaners, both of these have increased throttle reponse and seemingly quicker gear changes, and a more luxurious ride and not a bumpy ride when compared to my 2015 TLX SHAWD.

someguy11

It should. Vcmuzzler is the guaranteed fix for all VCM vibrations on any Honda or Acura vehicle. Worked in my Odyssey and TLX. No more VCM activation = no more vibrations. No need to worry about active engine mounts, their condition (they are a wear item that will eventually break down), or whether they need cyclical re-neutralization. I think engine mounts are just a convenient culprit for dealers to blame for all the shaking.

RBruce

Can anyone confirm if the ride in 2018/2019 TLX SHAWD is more comfortable than 2015 - comparing my 2015 to 2018/2019, it feels bumpy as if the suspension is not absorbing the bumps in the road.
I spoke with the dealer but they want to charge me $140 to inspect the vehcile.

csmeance

How many miles are on your TLX? Shocks start to loose their ability to dampen over time and mileage. Most BMW's have them trashed by 80K. My 4G TL was about 120K and the 3G TL was about 140K miles. New shocks greatly improved the ride.


As far as the neutralizing of mounts, it's a great start to fix the issue. HOWEVER, neutralizing the mounts means that the bolts/screws holding them tight backed out from vibrations when VCM is active. Be sure the dealerships add a little bit of thread lock to the assemblies when performing the neutralization. What the dealer does is loosen the mounts to finger tight and shift the car repeatedly from PARK TO REVERSE TO DRIVE and so forth to let the engine settle in it's natural position, then tighten the bolts. You'll notice it come back after some time due to the bolts loosening and shifting again.

BUT motor mounts do wear! Acura/honda V6's are known to kill the side engine mounts (help dampen A/C compressor vibrations) first and then the front mount. Rear doesn't tend to go bad that often but it is the one that cushions a MAJORITY of the engine vibrations. OEM rear mount is the only way to go for a comfortable ride.

csmeance

When the VCM kicks in there are vibrations that occur that impact a lot of components. That's why 4 cylinder engines have extra balance shafts to reduce vibrations. By switching from the V6 to I3 new vibrations are introduced. These vibrations can loosen the screws/bolts, damage plastic or metal. It's a large oversight by acura! They had something similar with the 04-06 TL with a drone at 1500 RPM which was resolved with a weight (at least 6 lbs) added to the subframe to change the vibration frequency to eliminate drone.

RBruce

I have just 36,000miles on my TLX.

CAB NY

If this is the same vibration everyone is talking about I complained about it when I first got the car and was told because I drive in sport and when they test drove it and nothing happened it was hard to duplicate and mine is 2015 TLX with a little over even 13k miles on it still basically new and still under warranty so I'll keep taking back

someguy11

It has nothing to do with the IDS mode. It's VCM. Your dealer knows exactly what it is and they are giving you the run around. It's the drone/rumble you hear when you set the cruise control at like 39mph, the tach sets in at 1200rpm, the steering column vibrates and the cabin sounds like a helicopter is hovering 20' above the roof. It feels like driving over perpetual rumble strips. It's awful. I can recall like it was yesterday, but I haven't experienced it for months since muzzling. Some forum users claim they never felt an ounce of lugging ever at any speed - lucky them. I wish they could come take a ride in my TLX (while they were here, they could feel the expressway vibration I'm making up too). But you should at least get new engine mounts from your dealer. I forgot the TSB. I think 16-057. That may improve it, but won't fix it. The condition will worsen again as your new engine mounts wear down.

Muzzling is the guaranteed* fix (probably will protect your engine from long term damage caused by VCM too). It's about $100 out of pocket with tax/shipping, takes a couple weeks to arrive from Canada, and is literally as easy to install as a new air filter. Not a bad price to fix the manufacturer's mistake.

*I guarantee this based on VCMuzzler also working the same miracle in our Odyssey, which had the same drone/lugging/rumble strip VCM behavior, until I muzzled it. In my case, the Odyssey vibration was much worse/more severe than the TLX AND it occurred basically throughout the range of speeds from 25mph-80mph. Really bad stuff. Any Honda... VCMuzzler... BAM!... fixed.

CAB NY

thanks I'll look into that

Temp_A-Spec

Anyone have a link to the specific muzzler for the TLX 2018 V6? I want to make sure I get the proper one for my ASpec.

that helicopter sound you mention I had also but I got rid of that by simply unplugged the ANC under the glove box, you can also turn it off via the radios hidden menu. The side benefit is your radio goes louder as well.

I wonder if the new Sprint Booster would compliment the muzzler in any way or even make the driving experience much better like it claims? I had the lagging throttle response even in Sport Plus. Car feels like 190hp instead of its 290hp claim

someguy11

There is only one for the TLX. All years 2015 and on. Actually, I think there is only one for any Honda 2007 or newer, and the only difference between that and the one for 2005-2006 (VCM back then was only Accord and Odyssey I believe) is the connector on each end. The site lets you populate your vehicle to ensure you get the right one.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/VCMuzzler-I...-/172807770690

I’m not verbatim, I don’t know verbatim, I don’t live in Canada and I have typically avoided buying stuff on eBay since about 2004. But I took the plunge on two of these - not knowing if they even work - right off the bat and have been completely satisfied with both since plugging them in.

I bet you’re right about combining VCMuzzler II and SprintBooster to transform the TLX into a sport sedan.

dtx137

Does this happen only on the V6 model? I don't know too much, but seems like VCM is only on V6 engines? I just bought a 16' TLX i4 and the vibration is more than I'd like, especially when stop. I know there's a TBS for vibration while idle, which i'm going to get done at the dealer soon hopefully, and that might or might not fix the extra vibration I feel during normal speed as well...

CheeseyPoofs McNut

VCM on the TLX is only on the 6 Cylinder engines. The i4 is a direct injection engine so it will, by nature, have a bit more noise (and perhaps vibration) at idle than a non DI engine.

dtx137

I see. Thanks

mksliao

i just installed the VCM muzzler yesterday. i didn't have any VCM vibrations, my car is at 77,000 km.

sprint booster was installed roughly a year ago.

With just the sprint booster it much more responsive, sluggish feeling without it.

addition of VCM, now the car feels lighter and nimble, i shut the sprint booster down today and went from sports to normal mode, cos the feedback was much more responsive.

id absolutely recommend this to anyone.

someguy11

This is a side benefit of muzzling. The biggest benefit is eliminating the lugging. The second benefit is avoiding long term damage. The third benefit is the immediate throttle response. So even for those who either don't notice or aren't bothered by the VCM vibrations, or who aren't concerned by the Honda Engine Misfire Settlement, you still stand to gain a dramatic increase in performance by muzzling. Since inserting this little gem in series with the engine temp sensor, my car no longer exhibits speed sagging, hesitant acceleration, delayed response when passing, etc. The engine responds to the pedal and the transmission downshifts promptly. VCM robs the engine of power when cruising. Reactivating cylinders when ascending hills or stomping on the throttle takes time, whether you notice it or not. VCM is a fine idea on paper, but anyone who really understands engines, mechanics, combustion and material properties (I know there are some of you here) would admit this is a technological disaster. VCM is why Honda is paying thousands of dollars per defective vehicle to replace piston rings. This problem appears to affect roughly around 25-33% of all the V6s they manufactured 2008-2013. So is VCM3 in our TLX better than VCM2 in the past gen V6s? I'm not waiting to find out.

I wrote in more detail about my observations in a VCMuzzler thread here. The only real drawback is the 1-2mpg loss in overall mixed driving fuel economy.

mindanalyzer

wow ... I had to ditch a 2012 RDX because this dreaded rumble sound/VCM vibration and this VCM myzzler would have been the solution, if it had been available. In my case it was even worse because that model year, the engine would switch from 6 to either 4 or 3 cyl ; the engine would sound beautiful otherwise but then I had to put up with this stupid vibration because Acura wanted to save me $0.99 a week. Well, I replaced it with a bmw X3

I am exploring the market for a new vehicle these days, maybe I will be buying within a year timeframe; so I saw today a red A-spec cool looking TLX and thought: eh, I can see me driving this, came to the acura site and built it for about 48k which is reasonable

... then came back to acurazine and I am so disappointed to hear that , after so very long, these honda/acura V6s (more like the combo engine/trans/software) appear to be having a similar problem to my acura experience

It appears that I will have to wait for the 6th gen 4runner (no idea if it will be ready for 2020) or maybe have a serious look at the ram rebel

PS: I am extremely satisfied with my X3, 4.5years and 28k trouble-free miles; I like the X2 m35i a lot (approx 53k) but I understand that they do not age well and repairs out of warranty can be exxxpennnnsiiive. I would like to get me a, at least 10y reliable vehicle, in my next purchase so thats why I thought of Acura

know610

Hi, Is there any different between VCM Muzzling and S-VCM controller? Any of those are good?

I plan to install on my 2017 TLX V6 base model and 2017 MDX SH-AWD. I hope this will protect the engine from long term damage caused by VCM.

someguy11

Both of those are fine. VCMuzzler is the original tool. He was the guy who figured out the sensor that controls VCM and how inserting resistance will disable it. VCMTuner is a literal copycat. Whoever sells that is profiting from his idea. S-VCM is a more complex tool that uses variable resistance for better control over disabling VCM. Same idea, but "improved" design. It disables itself if the engine is overheating, or something like that. It requires its own power though: 12V from the battery terminal, which is easy enough. VCMuzzler works well enough for thousands of people that I figured it would for me too (and it has).

I think you'll notice an improvement in both regarding the vibrations and reverberating drone/noise. Try it and report back to us. I consider VCM disabling like this. Do nothing and you may be just fine. Most vehicles will be. But some won't be. No one knows exactly what percentage, what the odds are or what environment or driving conditions lead to failed rings/oil fouling/misfires. But disabling VCM drops your likelihood of having the VCM misfire issue to 0%. It's $100 to save $3,000.

know610

Thank you for a quick reply. I rather invest in $100 (just to be on a safe side) then spending $3k+. I ordered S-VCM.

Do I need to unplug 12v terminal or remove S-VCM if for some reason I need to bring my car to dealer for repair or recall?

someguy11

So that's a good question. The consensus is that you won't need to. I don't - and I've never been questioned about mine. That is consistent with what you will find elsewhere (Piloteers, Odyclub and DriveAccord). Search any of those for "vcm vibration" and you can read an encyclopedia worth of complaints, opinions and feedback. I don't know if that means dealers don't see them or don't care. Honestly, VCMuzzler looks so OEM that I doubt techs even notice it. S-VCM is a different deal. That will draw immediate attention.

If you're bringing your car in for, say, a chirping fuel pump, then obviously no one can argue that disabling VCM was the culprit. Or a bad door seal. Or a jerky, lazy ZF9. In fact, most tech-savvy people (mechanics and engineers) say that simply disabling VCM cannot possibly cause any undue engine wear or damage. If you read that aforementioned encyclopedia of information, you will find that some owners have had Honda techs and service advisors actually suggest disabling VCM (not officially). There are rumors Honda wants owners to find and install these devices to spare themselves the piston ring job.

If you want to play it super safe, remove it before you go in for any work - CERTAINLY if you throw a misfire code after installing it (I have yet to read a single case of that happening). Obvious damage caused by S-VCM will be obvious. I mean, they will know if it shorts and fries a sensor or fuse (I have yet to read a single case of any of that happening). But it would be silly for a dealer to pin anything on disabled VCM.

someguy11

know610 (and anyone else following this discussion and considering disabling their VCM): here are two outstanding resources on the VCM system and VCMuzzler FAQs. This back-and-forth above makes me sound like some expert who is the smartest guy in the room. Not true. All I know about VCM is what I've read elsewhere and pieced together in my engineering mind. You can decide for yourself.

https://www.piloteers.org/forums/82-...-vcm-faqs.html
About halfway down, verbatim covers Q: Do I have to remove the VCMuzzler II before I take my vehicle in for service or an emissions inspection?
A. If the vehicle is under warranty, I would recommend removing it. There’s no practical reason why Honda would void your warranty for using the device, but any modification to the vehicle can be used as attempted grounds to void the warranty by some unscrupulous dealers. I have not heard of any cases of this to date. Everyone so far that has left it in for a service trip has reported either it was not even noticed (as it looks OEM) or in a few cases, the service people have actually recognized it for what it is (I guess word is getting around). In none of these cases have they said that it’s a bad thing and should be removed. In a couple cases, the service person endorsed it, saying it’s a good thing, others will not endorse it (presumably because it’s not OEM) but do not downplay it either. I have sold some to dealerships and repair shops.
For emissions inspections, again, some report leaving them on and passing with no problem. The self-diagnostics all pass with the VCMuzzler II installed. There have been no reports of failing an inspection because the VCMuzzler II is installed.

https://www.odyclub.com/forums/54-20...s-stories.html
Read enough threads like this one, with outstanding knowledge, details and experiences, and I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't muzzle. A lot of our TLXs are still incredibly low mileage, so VCM could become a popular topic on AcuraZine in a year, or five, or ten, when we start reaching 80k or 120k miles.

Many of you don't like me because I don't love my car and I'm vocal about how Acura laid a big, fat egg with the TLX. That doesn't mean I'm not willing to help or that you should ignore this info.

know610

Thank you for the links and info. Will definitely read. I did some google and not much of a S-VCM but I think it should function the same. I found out about s-vcm from my wife's co-worker.

They claim it's the "Smarter" version. ...Sale pitch???

csmeance

Its probably the addition of a 20 cent IC chip that has controls for when to change resistance values like a schmidt trigger.... nothing really smart bout it. If you keep an eye on your temp gauge it shouldn't be an issue.

rubbertramp

@9SpeedTran : I have 2020 TLX purchased 4 months ago. I am going to the dealer for the same issue. However I noticed that the vibrations are still there albeit minimum in Sport + mode. This mode I assume disables VCM.
DO I need to ask them to neutralize the engine mounts even for a 2020 model. ??