Curious3GTL

I have a noise coming from what seems to be the lower side of my engine on the passenger side. I realize it's very hard to diagnose a car based on a noise, but I figured someone might have had a similar one at some point in time.

There's no check engine light. The ABS light has been on for awhile, but I don't think that has any correlation at all.

01tl4tl

without watching video (puter issues) the most common noise in engine compartment is the AC/alt belt tensioner pulley located behind alt at top of engine
That tensioner works hard and wears out!
Get a $4 mechanics stethoscope at harbor freight tools or same tool at parts store for 10 bucks
Listen to tensioner with probe tip of device
Good bearings have a distinct sounds- so do bad ones!

the other issue is ps pump - if belt was recently re-installed after 105 tbelt service- it can be too tight and wear out the ps pump in a hurry
was that a possible in your situation?

01tl4tl

ABS light can be as simple as a wheel speed sensor- those rust up or get hung by wire when caliper is removed from brake job- stress wires and they break inside
easy diy to replace

don't drive with abs light on- be aware the ABS is OFF when the light is on- drive at your own skill level~

Curious3GTL

Thanks for the quick reply! I went through my Acura receipts (I have every record of the car since I bought it in 2006). On June 25th 2010 with 112,595 on the odometer I had the Timing belt service done. The car now has 176,592 miles.

According to the receipt this is what they replaced.

Water Pump
Belt, Compressor
Belt, P.S. Pump
Belt, Timing
Coolant type 2 BL.

So if it was because of that service it took over 4 years to take affect.

01tl4tl

they didnt replace the tensioner and roller bearings? (shaking head)

go get that stethoscope and start listening to things under the hood!
there are only a few common things that make noise

Curious3GTL

I was told at the time (this from an Acura dealer) that the tensioner belt only should be replaced if it looked worn and beat. They said mine looked fine, so they didn't replace it.

It could be a roller bearing? Does that get replaced with the belt?

01tl4tl

there are tensioner pullies and there are roller/idler pullies/wheels

In the old days it was typical for the dealer or shop to say- the parts are not leaking so they are good

Problem was they wont last another 100k+ miles before failure
and any one of them failing = total engine destruction when tbelt breaks, intake valves get bent etc etc, it's a bad thing

There are plenty of us who didn't get them done the first time and found leakage and bearing (tensioner) failure imminent when the belt and water pump were done again at 200kmiles

I shake my head at places that did not install new ones, its about 100 bucks of parts
Many customers were already stretched over the 8 hours labor charge at $100-125 per hour, suddenly its 1200- 1500 bill at dealer or private shop!!
And that's not even doing all the other things needed every 60,, that get caught up at 100

Today you get that price quote and many a TL with ~130kmiles gets sold for cheap.
Here is where a mechanic steps in and drops 350-500$, fixes everything and smiles as they drive their new baby

01tl4tl

Your noise could be from one of the essential tensioners or roller wheels
OR it can be the easy to replace, very common wear-out failure- AC/alternator belt tensioner, located at top of engine on passenger side of car, you cant miss the belt
Its tensioner is right there- may be jumping erratically when you slightly rev the engine

Ck its base and arm for noises with the mechanics stethoscope
If all is well there- you can listen to all the other suspected parts

Curious3GTL

Thanks for all of your great advice. I really appreciate it. I am putting it in the shop this Sunday and I'll have them look at it. Hopefully it's not the tensioner or something serious.

I guess it's just one of the joys of owning an older car. hahaha.

01tl4tl

that ac belt tensioner is no big deal- you go thru the passenger side wheel area for bolt access

01tl4tl

tell your shop about acurazine.com and our diy section- if they have not done a TL before = save them time and frustration = saves YOU money

01tl4tl

If it makes you feel any better- if this were a main part- I mean the timing belt tensioner, it probably would have let go by now

And there is no mistaking when the tbelt shreds and finally breaks- rendering some of the intake valves useless = toasted engine
No mistaking that at all~

so most likely you have the normal wear-out of ac belt tensioner
If noise changes with ac on, and revving engine, guess what = easy fix (holding good thought for you)

Anyone who had this failure please raise your hand- looking around room- I see a lot of hands- who made it past 100kmiles on original ? wow! mine started with the noise at 45kmiles- dealer diagnosed just out of warranty wanted 250$!!!

It lasted another 40kmiles to mid 80s- and even had a belt change where tech failed to do a spin test on the tensioner to ck condition (that's common to overlook= you wanted a belt, not a diagnosis and fix!)

Looking back at first post, remind the tech to scan for ABS codes- and general CEL codes, light on or not
Find out what that ABS lights about and replace the (probably) 1, wheel speed sensor ($50) that failed

If tech says anything outrageous- beyond our suggestions: your reply is - let me ask acurazine- those guys really know their cars

TLer trash

Have the shop remove the drive belts, then start the engine to see if the noise is still present. If it is still present, have them pull the front upper timing belt cover and check the timing belt for looseness. I've got my daughter's 00tl in the shop right now. With a stethoscope, I thought it needed an ac clutch bearing. Because it's such a common failure, I replaced the belt tensioner anyway. No change. So now I actually try to diagnose it. Removed the belts, started the engine; no change. Pulled the front upper timing cover, and found a scary amount of slop in the timing belt. It turned out to be a failed hydraulic tensioner. She told me about the noise a couple weeks ago, and was driving it until I could get to it, but I feel really lucky that it didn't fail catastrophically.
Good luck, hope yours is just a belt tensioner.