Acura MDX Maintenance and Repair

sbcooke

Is the alarm not activated on the first press of the button or is the beep just a nice way of letting someone who can't see the lights flash that it is armed?

fndlyfmrflyr

The alarm is activated passively, with the key out of the ignition, any time the driver's door is closed with the lock in the locked position or if the lock is placed in the locked position after the door is closed.

The alarm does not activate if the key is in the ignition, nor will the driver's door lock with the engine off and the key in the ignition (key in the off position).

The alarm is activated when the red security light at the driver's door lock is on. You can easily test the alarm by leaving the driver's door window open, locking the car (fob, or just push the driver's door lock to the locked position - it automatically locks all of the doors), and reaching in and pulling on the hood unlatch lever to unlatch the hood. If you do test the alarm you will need to insert the key in the door lock and turn the key to turn off the alarm.

It is NOT necessary to push the fob button twice to activate the alarm. Push the fob button twice if you did not look to see that the security light is on and you want an aural confirmation the alarm is activated (or you want to make sure you locked the doors).

sbcooke

I do like the beep however and usually push it twice to hear it :-)

It sounds a lot cooler than a horn going off.

bayou1312

On my 2003 MDX base model that I've had for 2 weeks, heard a clicking noise in my left front. John Eagle Acura in Houston fixed it and gave me a statement as follows: "Found S.B.#02.028, which the vehicle is out of VIN range. Removed left front strut and grinded down uneven spot weld burrs which were rubbing on strut mount surface causing noise. Refinished body surface and reinstalled strut." Don't know if anyone else had the same problem, but thought I would share my experience in hopes that it may help.

dorene1

Our 03 MDX recently started making the 'clunk' when backing up and switching to drive. It goes away quickly after that, but is consistent. Is bayou1312's 'click' the same as the 'clunk'? It is quite loud and sounds like metal on metal - it irritates my husband, and is distracting, but not impossible to live with. Everything else is great mechanically. Appreciate bayou1312's suggestion, and would also appreciate any other service success stories I can take to our dealer. Thanks!

Also, has anyone had any experience switching to regular vs premium gas? Does the MPG or performance go down significantly?

hopeitsfriday

When I first pick up my MDX, I heard loud clunking noise from the back too when I change from D to R or R to D. As time went along, 5000 miles later, I am not sure if the noise is not as loud or less frequent or I simply gotten use to it. To be honest, I only notice it once in a long while and it doesn't irritate me like it use to.
As far as regular vs premium gas, I figure the mileage I drive, about 10K per year. I would save about $5 a month by going to regular. IMHO, not even worth taking a chance on with a $40000 car.

fndlyfmrflyr

As has been posted several times, the click (clunk, or in my case, loud bang) when making the first forward stop after the MDX had moved backwards and the brakes applied is common.

As Hopes points out, the actual dollar saving from using a lower octane fuel is small. Even at 1000 gallons per year, about 17,000 miles of mixed, mostly local driving, the savings would be at most $200 per year using today's 20 cent price difference between regular and premium.

The knock sensor and engine computer, in theory, should prevent engine damage from lower octane. However, as miles increase and cylinder deposits build it is not uncommon for an engine designed for premium to "ping" on lower octane fuel. Usually, using lower octane, rather than the octane the engine was designed to use, will result in a little less mpg and a small decrease in performance. Without documenting the changes you will probably not notice in normal every day driving.

dorene1

Perhaps my husband will get used to the clunk also. He's going to take it to the dealer just to see what can happen and establish a track record on this quirk. We all (2 adults and 3 kids) went to LA in the MDX two weekends ago, and it was a flawless performance aside from the backup sound. The kids and I wince when we hear it, as we don't drive in it daily, and it sounds like a bigger problem than it is.

When we drove through some more remote areas, the price on premium really soared, and we debated mixing in some regular until we could get to a lower cost station. We didn't do it tho, for the same reasons hope. stated - why take a chance on a new and expensive quality vehicle. If someone else found it to be fine, however, we would consider it at some times.

Does anyone know the rationale for the premium? Is it purely performance, or ??? We do notice the 'zingy' quality that has quicker get-up-and-go than our Honda, but otherwise don't know what improvements premium adds...

Thanks again!

hopeitsfriday

From some of the pass postings, I have learned that some of the clunking noise comes from the brake pads shifting back and forth, suspension components needs tightening and the gas tank splashing ( usually about half tank full ). I think those are the obvious things to look for, some people also thinks it is the 4 wheel drive system engaging and disengaging.
I believe if you switch from premium to regular gas, the reduction in power is the first thing you would notice. If I am right, the gas mileage should reduce a little bit and the emission will go a bit higher.

dorene1

We'll let everyone know how the service appointment goes!

wondenver

my MDX 02 has about 7,500 miles on it. recently i am hearing various noises from the driver side door. it sounds like something doesn't fit tight inside, or sometimes it sounds like the window is hitting other surfaces. has anyone ever experienced this problem? the only thing i can possibly think of is that a month ago or so, i slammed the door realy hard after i had a huge fight with my boyfriend in the car (yes, i need to work on my attitude problem!) - could that be a cause if at all??? i'm taking it to the dealer tomorrow (also for 7500 check up), but they didn't sound confident as to what they can do about the noise.

thanks for your tips in advance!

fndlyfmrflyr

Your dealer should be able to find the source of the noise. My driver's door rattles when the door is locked and I have heard pops and snaps when the window is lowered or raised.

kel3frot

We purchased our beautiful Redrock '03 MDX on July 3 from a SW suburban Chicago dealer, although it was a tearful farewell to my 10yr old Jeep which I loved. We noticed a slight imperfection on the front bumper and a small rubber 'bumper' was missing inside the console box. The dealer gave us a slip to get the front bumper repainted. Sixteen days later I was out in a parking lot waiting for my husband and admiring our new MDX when I noticed a crack in the taillight lens. The car had hardly been out of the garage and had less than 100 miles on it. When I did drive it I parked far away from the crowd and didn't even take it out if it was raining. Yesterday we made our first trip to the service dept. to get the 'bumper' for the console, show them the taillight and get it washed. We were there for 2 hours (with an appointment). The service rep. called us out to the service area and I was astounded when he accused me of causing the damage to the lens. They said it wasn't covered by warranty since we didn't see it when we picked up the car. Replacement would be $300-400. I'm not sure how he thinks I damaged it since there was no other damage to the car bumper, etc. My husband and I were shocked at their attitude (the service rep and sales manager). After tempers flaired and a very upsetting exchange of words they finally came and said they would replace it at no cost.

I contrast this treatment with my sister who recently purchased a pre-owned Lexus. When she took it in for the regular warranty check-up there was a small loose piece of rubber gasket around the grille. They told her they would replace the entire grille but they had to order it. When it came in they called and said they would bring it to her home and replace the grille there at her convience. They also suggested she load up the cd changer and make sure it worked properly while the car was still under warranty.

I have many features on my MDX which I still have not used to see if they work (only have 178 mi. on it)but after my experience yesterday I feel confident if I do find problems the dealer WILL blame me for breaking it and will NOT be covered by warranty.

I feel perhaps what happened was there was a smaller crack in the lens which we didn't notice and with driving got larger. We should have looked the car over better before we took it but we didn't expect any problems either with the car or the service. I'm very confident the crack was there from the beginning and have been quite upset with the way they made me feel. To spend this much money for a car and feel like something the cat dragged in when you visit the service dept. is quite depressing. I wish I had my Jeep back.

I now don't even think I'll take it in for the repaint as I don't want to deal with these people and I'm afraid it may come back in worse shape.
I haven't let my husband know how upset I am but our first trip to service was HORRIBLE and those 'miles & miles of smiles' turned to a morning of tears. I'm worried that we paid $40K for a car and dealer's view is - warranty work doesn't happen - it's always the customer's fault.
What a traumatic experience - I expected better - much better!

hopeitsfriday

You have to see things from both side, look at it this way, Gaskets can come loose by themself but lenses did not crack by themself.

svalley

'miles & miles of smiles' - My guess is you bought your MDX from Conitnental Acura in Lisle. I almost bought my from there, but couldn't agree on their price. One thing the sales guy keep telling me was how great their service department is, free wash and all, but from your experience I'm glad I didn't bought from them. I end up bought mine from Muller in Hoffman est. I visited their service 3 times (I have 1800 miles so far), once to put on my accessories, and twice to try to get my steering straight. Two out of 3 times I got a loaner and paid nothing for my visits (accessories was included in my car purchase). The only thing I missed is the hand car wash, since Muller is kind of far for a free wash. There is better Acura dealership out there

PS. It was better than my previous Lexus service experience.

kel3frot

I agree. A lens should not crack by itself. That's why I believe it was defective or the crack was there from the beginning. The possibility of either of those was not even on the radar at this dealership. Their immediate response was to blame me. One thing I know for sure is that I didn't do anything to break it. There isn't even so much as a scratch on the bumper or anywhere near there. I don't know how he thinks I could back into something & that would be the only damage. Even if someone hit me in a parking lot they would have hit the bumper first since the crack was on the back, not on the side. There would have to be additional damage.

kel3frot

Affirmative. Glad you found someone nice to deal with. Hope you continue to have that experience. Good luck with your MDX.

ontario66

i own a 2001 MDX - and now experiencing...

rattle sound is coming out from engine room
when accelerate. but it happens most likely
when outside temp. is higher than 75 F.

anybody has same problem?

rerenov8r

There is well known misalignment of a certain throttle cable bracket that produces a rattle. The fix is to "realign it" with a bit of elbow grease, odds are that is all that it will take -- good luck!

merviscanadian

Depending on when the rattle appears it could also be the transmission. My tranny is being replaced next week with less than 70,000 km on it. I get a rattle on a regular basis when tranny is under certain loads. Apparently there is a problem with some trannies that causes certain gears to clatter.

ontario66

Thank you for your info, rerenov8r & merviscanadian.

actually they changed my transmission couple weeks ago but still rattle sound stays. brought my MDX back to dealer again but they couldn't find the noise this time. the noise comes out not always, SOMETIMES. maybe that's why they couldn't duplicate the problem. my rattle sound is not too loud but seems to come from just behind the dashboard and close to A-pillar (driverside).
doesn't sound like from transmission at all.

midsize

I just bought a 2003 MDX. Do I need to always fill premium gas? What is the main difference between 92, 89, 87? Is it really going to make a difference to the engine?
I used to fill 87 on my accord and it was ok.
Thanks for any help!

fndlyfmrflyr

Most likely you will not notice the small performance and mpg decrease from using lower octane fuel. While the engine is new and has few, if any, internal deposits the engine electronics (timing adjustments) should be able to handle the lower octane with no damage to the engine.

I know one person with an MDX that has used midgrade fuel since new on her 02. I've heard comments that hers could use more power and the mpg isn't good. These are subjective comments and may be just the nature of the car anyway. My 02, running on premium, is no performer and mpg isn't anything to brag about either.

Unless you drive a lot of miles each year, the difference in cost between the different octane fuels is very low. Based on my mpg average of about 16.5 and my about 14,000 miles of MDX driving per year, the difference in cost is just $85 per octane level of fuel per year, not taking into account the difference in mpg between the various fuels. It is probably closer to $75 in reality, not enough savings for me to sacrifice even a small amount of performance.

midsize

Thank you for the information!
I'll probably stay with premium gas then, since my driving is light - around 10k. I've been told that it's good to the engine if I use premium gas, not the mpg performance. But that is hard to measure... is there any data showing the difference of engine life using different grades of gas? The MDX is new enough that all that have been made should still be running well

fndlyfmrflyr

As long as the engine does not ping/knock there should be little if any difference in engine life due to fuel octane. The problem is that, with miles, deposits do form inside the combustion chambers and eventually the engine computer runs out of available adjustment to prevent knock. This happens sooner when using lower octane (regular or midgrade) fuel. This usually takes many thousands of miles.

The main thing is that as long as the engine computer has enough adjustments available to compensate for lower octane fuel there should be little if an difference in wear.

consideringmdx

I am currently looking at purchasing an mdx and would love to know if any owners out there have had a lot of transmission trouble with their acura mdx? A friend mentioned this to me earlier this month, so before I plunge into making a purchase, I figure some due diligence with those who are actually experiencing their acuras would be great. Also, would you recommend that I purchase this vehicle? Thanks!

sbcooke

My '02 has been great. 10K miles on it and my family loves it. Everytime we get back from a road trip I marvel about how good it performs.

No complaints...though I guess I wish I got the NAV.

fndlyfmrflyr

Honda/Acura has had significant transmission problems in some of their models, but so far not the MDX. In addition, the 2003 MDX has a new design transmission compared to the 01 and 02 models. Considering Honda/Acura's recent experience with problem transmissions it is most likely the new transmission for the MDX will be problem free in general.

Keep in mind also that Honda/Acura repaired or replaced problem transmissions AND extended the transmission warranty for those models to seven years or 100,000 miles.

As with any car make or model there will be the occasional one with a transmission problem, As a general rule however, I have not heard of any general transmission problems with MDXs.

My 02 has 16,000 miles with no mechanical problems.
The NAV unit has proven to be very useful, especially in local driving.

miks

My Silver 03 was recently in the shop for a few issues. While there they noticed my body side molding appeared to be yellowing. THEY noticed it and replaced it no questions asked. I noticed another silver with the same problem. Your dealership should be willing to replace them at no cost. There seems to be some sort of flaw with the moldings. Good luck.

miks

I have 5000 miles on my 03. At about 3000 miles it started making a noise that increased if I drove under an uneven surface. It sounded as though the noise was from under the drivers seat or perhaps the step rails. It grew louder as time passed and was making me nuts! The noise didn't sound like a click to me. It sounded like a creek. When I took it in, the dealership found the same issue you mentioned. They smoothed off the burrs and now it is unbelievably quiet. I wondered if I was the only one to experience this noise.

miks

As mentioned in previous posts my 03 was recently at the dealership for some quirks. In addition to the 2 previous posts I noticed the drivers air bag light came on and my volume controls on my steering wheel started malfunctioning (volume down actually increased instead of decreasing). They replaced the cable reel and it was fine for a few days. Now the volume controls are acting even worse. When I push down to decrease the sound it jumps up! When I attempt to change tracks on the CD player it turns off the CD and changes to an FM station. Dealership is once again providing me a loaner vehicle (03 TL with 3000 miles) and told me the vehicle needs a new switch. When it went into the shop the dealership costs came to over $1600.00, of course my cost was $0. I wasn't happy with the installation of the fender flares so they ordered new ones, painted them and replaced them too. I am pleased with the dealership but not happy to take it back for the switch. No additional problems with the air bag light. I love the vehicle. Mine (now that they corrected the click/creak noise)is super quiet. I don't hear ANY road noise, transmission noise and have great gas mileage. I'll be driving it to Columbus this weekend. I will let you know if they are successful with the installation of the steering wheel controls.
Hopeitsfriday....Hi there! Good to see you are still around helping folks out with their questions! Good to see you are still spouting words of wisdom! miks

szride

Dealer replaced my 03 mdx steering rack because it was leaking steering fluid and made a loud hissing noise when the car first starts and turning the steering wheels. Now that the noise is gone, I noticed the steering wheel is super light and seems to vibrate. The vibration gets worse at speeds above 65mph. The car now drives different than before and the steering vibration gets annoying on long trip. Anybody know what to do about that? I haven't take it back to the dealer yet, but they will likely to say it's probably from uneven road surfaces.

hopeitsfriday

I am glad you are enjoying your new SUV. Didnt you get the wood steering wheel? I wonder if the air bag light and the audio control problems are realated to a bad connection in the new steering wheel they installed?
Anyways, good luck bud and nice talking to you again.

miks

I thought the same thing at first. Even requested my original steering wheel which they readily produced. It is only a partial piece that sits inside, not an entire steering wheel as I had envisioned. But I think perhaps something was damaged when they replaced it. The cable reel replacement took care of the air bag light. The switch was the only other suspect part that they said could cause this occurrence. We'll see. I take it in Tuesday. So far the dealership has been good about everything. I was surprised they noticed and then offered to change out the body side molding.
How have you been? Are you enjoying your MDX still? I see the gasoline questions keep creeping back into the message boards. Well take care, I'll keep you posted. Great to hear from you again!

barbara27

I have about 2500 miles on my 2003 mdx and the most mpg I have gotton is 16. I do a lot of around town driving but shouldn't I get more than 13mpg for that?
Just wondering......

Barbara

sbcooke

It is usually low when the car is new. Don't just go by what the computer tells you, do an actual gallons/mile calculation for a few tanks and at the same time reset your trip computer. The trip computer is sometimes off a little. If you are using the trip computer and haven't reset it yet, you may have a lot of low data points (i.e. the first few 100 were under 10 or you did a lot of idling somewhere), those low mileage days will take a while to work out of having such a large effect on the overall average.

After about 5K my mileage really came around. I get 16-17 and 23-25 city/highway. I have 11K on my '02.

skavi

2003 MDX with touring package.

Has anyone had the problem with Outside rearview mirrors changing position every time the get out of the car and back in again. I have to reset my mirrors every time I get back into the car.

fndlyfmrflyr

Your MDX weighs about 4500 pounds. Don't expect much in the way of mpg in stop and go driving. It takes a lot of fuel to get the MDX moving.

My 02 averages 16.5 to 17 mpg with about 14 the norm around town. I've seen as low as 12 in town and as high as 23 for steady freeway driving. Normal trip mpg is 20-21. I keep a log and my actual mpg for 16,412 miles is 16.8. According to my log the first 5000 miles or so was 16.5 mpg. Mpg increased almost half a mpg after that.

The trip computer on my 02 Touring Navi usually reads 5 to 10% more mpg than the car actually gets. It usually reads about one mpg or more higher than actual.

miks

I too have the 03 MDX Touring, navi. Are you pressing the memory button that correlates to your key less remote? If you don't push the memory button on the drivers door (memory 1 or 2, your settings will revert to the old settings every time you use your remote to unlock the doors. The seat memory works the same way. Adjust everything and get it the way you like it. Then press memory 1 if the back of your remote has a one or memory 2 if your remote has memory 2. Let us know if this works. It should take care of your problem. miks

cding

I have my MDX for 6 mon now. There is a fainted chirping noise from the engine area. It is more audible during medium to hard throttle. Does anyone have any idea what it is? It doesn't cause a problem but the noise certainly reminds me 8yr old Celica that I drove in the graduate school.

sbcooke

The only thing I can think of would be a loose belt or improperly lubed belt roller.

wsharp24

I still own an MDX I bought in Feb of 2001. It has 42,000 miles on it and it has been an excellent vehicle. I did have the dripping mirrors problem, but that was corrected by the dealer. I even tow a 21 foot boat in the summer with it.

I am so impressed with the MDX that I am going to purchase a 2004 when they come out...I have a dark emaerald green one now but my wife wants a white one. I originally bought the MDX for myself but my wife took it over after a year...she gave me her 2000 DTS.

I truly feel that the MDX is a quality vehicle and not overpriced.

Thanks

rerenov8r

They are supposed to be switching to a Pearl White, but the initial availability may be delayed. I would recommend waiting a bit and/or shopping a wider ring of dealers to help track down the new color.

Good Luck!

chacrakhan

In my 2003 MDX the rearview camera has stopped working, and the Navigation screen is changing colors...does not look as sharp as it did a month ago when I bought it. Anyone else having these types of problems ?

Karen_S

I found only a couple of mentions concerning nav system problems early on in the discussion. Enter "navigation" in the discussion search to find those posts. You might also try the main discussion in SUVs.

sleonard4

I was driving on the highway at 80 mph and my four tires locked up and my car couldn't move any more....the front tires are locked....has any one else had this problem? I almost died...

hopeitsfriday

OMG, I am glad you are all right. Did the dealer find the cause of the problem yet? Please keep us posted.

frev

Our 2002 MDX's transmission started slipping a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't sure the 1st time but it happened a few times since and sounds like it is in neutral for a couple of seconds. Of course it didn't happen the day I brought it to our dealer. They said there is a computer that monitors and takes "snapshots" of any problems and there were not any according to them other than dirty transmission fluid. They insinuated that maybe when I had it serviced in May that my local mechanic didn't change it or used the wrong fluid. Wrong. I had the dealership change it this time since it was dirty. After a day, the transmission continues to act screwy like it is revving in neutral(when shift is in drive), and intermittently does not want to shift out of 1st. It has 44800 miles , the dealer says some computer( that hasn't been driving for 32 years)says there is no problem, and my warranty is about out. Has anyone heard of transmission issues w/ 2002 MDX? Has anyone had a transmission problem resolved? If so how? Thanks,
frev

hopeitsfriday

Honda knows that there is a problem with the 01 and 02 MDX's transmission. I think the dealer knows that as well. Now all you have to do is to get the dealer to document it. It doesn't matter if your warranty is almost over, as long as you get the dealer to admit to it before the warranty expires. The dealer may give you a hard time since you service your MDX at your local mechanic, but as long as you have all the receipt, you should be in good shape.

Good Luck

fndlyfmrflyr

Contact Acura directly. Also, take the dealer service person for an extended test drive.

Does the slipping happen under a certain circumstance, such as while warming up or just when starting out from a stop.

Acura/Honda has had many transmission problems during the last few years, in certain vehicles - not MDXs to my knowledge. My neighbor's Odyssey has had the transmission replaced twice - under warranty, and Honda extended the transmission warranty on his Accord.

Computers can monitor quite a bit, but they only record what the programmer has selected. Your dealer needs a "mechanic" that uses the computer to assist in determining the cause of the problem rather than a technician that does only what the computer says should be done