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Comments
I would like to know what your dealer has to say.
Since this is happening in your car also wonder if it's a design problem and is Honda going to come up with a fix?
I'd let your dealer resolve it for you - I guess I'm assuming it is still under warranty. If not, then ignore.
the reason you hear this so often is the dealer is afraid the manufacturer will not reimburse them for all the time it will take to find the problem
call the manufacturer on their 800# and explain your problem to them.
1st time in I rode around with a tech and showed him the rattle. The dealer had it 1 day and claimed it was fixed (not). I found out later they didn't even remove the dash, only the glove compartment.
2nd time in I had to redemonstrate the noise. They had it over the weekend, but didn't have time to work on it, so I had to pick it up with no work done on it.
3rd time in they had it for 6 days. Apparently they brought in Acura people from Marysville, and worked on it for over 11 hours. The explanation I got is this:
There is a piece of wool felt between the plastic piece of the dash and a metallic piece of the dash underneath (hidden). Somehow, the felt folded up on itself and the plastic was hitting the metal, causing the rattle. Personally, I don't see this being the whole story, since, 1. the rattle is not 100% gone, and 2. if this were the reason, it wouldn't have taken them 6 days and 11 hours to figure it out. I still feel it's partly the plastic dash changing shape from the cold, and not fitting correctly against the windshield.
Anyways, the rattle is 95% gone (I can still hear it once in a while if I listen really hard with the stereo off). At this point I will leave it be unless it gets worse, for 2 reasons. First, the rattle is minor enough now that I can live with it. Second, after all the time they've had the car, I'm not sure they can do anything further to fix it! The service guy said that when the stereo is at "2", if you can't hear the rattle then Acura considers it to be fixed.
I did get a loaner at all times when my car was in. Hope this helps for all you guys with dash rattles. Good luck!
95% fixed is better than 0% fixed, but I have a feeling that you're still not completely satisfied. Hopefully it won't worsen. If it does, maybe you can try to bring it to another Acura dealer, since any authorized Acura dealership would be qualified to do warranty work.
The rotten egg smell is from the catalytic converter. It's by-product gases from the breakdown of your exhaust gases. It's also natural...especially for new cars. Once the car gets broken in you won't notice it as much.
You'll notice that smell usually when you're behind a japanese made car. For some reason they tend to smell worse...could be because they have more efficient engines/exhaust systems.
At the same time, I am also experiencing a rattling problem around the dashboard similar to 'michiganman's problem. So far, it seems to happen only in the morning and around bumpy roads. To 'Michiganman' if you are reading this, you seem to indicate that the dealer did not do anything and the problem went away? I plan to take mine in soon....
Is is normal to have so much noise in the RSX? Any advice out there is greatly appreciated....
Some people have said that there is supposed to be a TSB coming out on the dash rattle, but I don't know if it ever came out. Also, some people have been resorting to home remedies (i.e. shoving foam/caulk saver between the dash and the windshield).
I recommend taking it in to the dealer. Good luck.
More noises, you ask? Yes. I have two suggestions for the annoying squeaking you are hearing, Durian21. I heard a faint noise above my left shoulder for the longest time over bumps. One nice day I opened my sunroof shade and realized the rubber seal is constantly rubbing and "squeaking", but muffled by the shade. The dealer has also found a plastic piece in the upper hatch that is loose and rattling. They "tightened the hatch" also, whatever that means.
Bottom line: I could have paid half the amount of money and gotten a car this noisy. Nothing seriously wrong, but very annoying. I am very unhappy with this purchase.
You're very unhappy because the car has some squeaks in the dash?
I guess you should have bought that Ford Focus or Hyundai then huh? Then you could spend all of your time waiting for recalls to be fixed.
Here's a tip to make all of those little squeaks and rattles go away. Turn the radio on and put the volume at 1....that should do the trick.
If you want absolute silence, stay home because the road noise is going to bother you also.
If that's not good enough, then trade your car in on a Cadillac or Lincoln.
you also have an obligation to yourself to complain to the dealer and have the problems fixed.
what you shouldn't do is rise to the bait of a sarcastic response to your problems.
I apologize for my tone ealier....it's just that you came across as someone complaining about the littlest things.
If you had mentioned the struts being bad, my tone would have been much different. I'm quite surprised that the struts would be bad on a new car. (was it new?)
That problem right there probably contributed to most, if not all, of your problems. It most likely DID cause all of your squeaks and rattles.
It sounds to me like you either got a lemon car or a lemon dealer. If I were you, I would demand that fixes be made that the bad struts most likely caused...that includes writing a letter to Acura.
BTW, what's the problem with the transmission?
My experience with my car and dealer has been nothing but excellent....and I have 38,000 miles logged.
Not sure what it is with the transmission. My husband had that discussion with the service advisor and I didn't understand the details. Just the fact that the car is six months old and has had new struts and now needs something done to the transmission made me close my ears to hearing what exactly it was.
719b - Point taken, I guess I was still mad since I had just left the dealer (again) that morning. Thank you.
I was under the assumption that you brought it in for rattles, and that you've brought it in for the struts. If they are linked, which I am sure they are (if you had almost hit your head on the roof one time, then just imagine what the body integrity of the car has gone through), then in a sense they are all about the same problem. Perhaps you can claim "lemon law".
I feel for you....I had the same "downtime" problems with my Explorer. 50,000 miles on it and then it makes 6 or 7 trips to the dealer in the span of three months. (engine, ball joints, suspension components, A.C.)
Michiganman- I agree, I turn my radio up as loud as it takes to cover the rattles. And '5' is not always enough. Good thing I like loud music!
You may be right. Since they are not re-appearing than the lemon law may not work. Next time you bring it in though, you might want to ask them if these rattles could have anything to do with your bad struts. If so, then the lemon law might cover.
What worries me about them constantly taking your dash apart is that the clips holding everything together will loosen up and will cause more squeaks and rattles down the road.
I looked into this on some other sites and found that other people also have this problem. (aside from the posters here)
There's also supposed to be some rattles that come from improperly bundled connectors under the dash. If they are too loose, than they rattle around. (something to look into)
I drove around this past weekend with the radio off :-) and tried to listen for any squeaks or rattles in my car. Surprisingly there were none....at all! It was extremely quiet aside from the road noise. I also made sure to go over any bumps that might twist the frame a little. I guess I am a lucky one.
Which got me to wondering. I have the base model, and am wondering if this problem only shows up on the Type S model. The Type S has a stiffer suspension than the base.
Any comments?
The service manager explained the bundles of wires rattling and apparantly they have "insulated" everything they can. Some type of self adhesive strips anywhere from a quarter to three quarters thick that they wrapped around everything. Makes my vent air stink, though. They say it will go away.
New problem: sunroof. Anyone having problems with a creaking sunroof?
I live in the Northeast and yes I did hear some squeaks in the car during the winter. That's to be expected of tight-fitting materials when they get cold. They shrink due to the cold and allow more rubbing.
But now that it's warming up (the past weekend when I was listening for squeaks/rattles was in the 50's), I don't hear them anymore.
hmmmm.....I had my windshield replaced in the early summer of 2002, I wonder if that helped the situation. (the third stone got the best of it)
Maybe it is as silverrsxs1 said....Friday afternoon cars...or even Monday morning cars.
:-)
I've read about this one before. Some people have been told by the dealer to make sure that the rubber seal is kept clean or that might cause a squeak.
Other people have mentioned that the Acura MDX also has the problem and that there is a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) out for that fix. You may want to find the TSB on that and try it.
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/tsbsearch.cfm
I don't know if you can get much information from that (on how to fix it), but there are other sites also that charge a fee to purchase TSB's. OR you can mention it to the dealer when you bring it in again.
:-(
I'd opt for cleaning the rubber seal and seeing if that fixes it.
:-)
Clean the rubber seal around the glass panel, and the metal area in the roof it comes into contact with.
Add a bit of silicone spray or WD-40 to a cloth, wipe the rubber area, and you're good to go for a couple of months.
Does anyone have any ideas? Thanks
Double that oil consumption will still be acceptable, as long as it doesn't get worse.
i can't believe i am hearing that. I have never had a car burn so much oil. Even the worst build american cars dont burn that much. and for a new car i dont think it is acceptable
Perhaps the reason it burns more oil is due to the engine design.
May I add even the BEST built American cars don't have close to the reliability.
:-)
PROBLEMS: Almost nothing. Yes, there's a notchiness in the 6-speed transmission, which seems to be inherent in this type of cable driven shifter. But I got used to that pretty quickly. My left-side map light sticks sometimes, and there's a "buzzing" that occurs on the driver's side right at 4,000 RPMs. Both of the above problems will be addressed by the dealer when I bring my car in for the 15,000 mile service. (Both were pretty common problems with this model, and if you search the "Problems & Solutions" boards both here and elsewhere, you'll see how others have addressed them).
Other than that, it's been a great car. My previous two cars were both GSR's (1995 & 2000) and when it came time to get this one, I really did a ton of research and almost got a WRX. But overall, this was the best car for me. The build, the quality, the economy, the ecology (low emission vehicle), the company rep, the stereo (I may be one of the few fans of this stereo, which has not given me any problems including regular use of the 6-disc changer), and last but not least the moonroof. I just can't seem to enjoy driving a car that doesn't have one anymore.
For me, the two door/hatchback design is still very practical, and this just continues to be a great car. Of course, no one car is going to give you everything, but for the price, it's a good value. It even got five star crash test ratings for both driver & passenger, a claim the previous Integra couldn't make.
And 15 months after getting it, it still puts a smile on my face every time I race down Sunset Blvd. at night with the moonroof open and the ocean breezes blowing and the stars shining and Jim Ladd on the radio. Lord, have mercy.......
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
My question is can someone please tell me what some of the problems are that they have had with this car, because i really dont need to buy another car with problems. Over-all i have heard great reviews on it.
Also i wanted to know some pricing or what people have paid.
I went to the dealership today for a test drive and some prices.
Auto w/ leather, full body kit, and spoiler was quoted at almost $25k including all fees. Is this reasonable or over priced? Would anyone suggest buying the body kit or spoiler somewhere else and doing the work myself or would that be too complicated? What about interest rates?
I was hoping to wait till the 2004's came out so then Acura would lower the prices on the 2003's but thats not suppose to happen till August.
Any suggestions or comments are greatly appreciated!!
Thanks!!
As far as I'm concerned, that's incredible service...and a very impressive track record for a "first year car".
...and it still brings a smile to my face every time I drive it.
There is 2.9% financing for 60 months available right now through Acura/Honda on the RSX.
Zenzikora-- thats funny u say that about the interest rate... When i went to the dealership two days ago i was told i probably could get the 4.9%. I have excellent credit. Was the dealer trying to get one by me?
Does anyone know if the RSX has the same power as the civic ex? I thought they both have the same engine (160hp and VTEC) but acura told me that it has better acceleration. Just wondering..
Thanks