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Acura MDX Maintenance and Repair

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  • theboojthebooj Member Posts: 5
    On page 18, 2004 Acura MDX brochure, under "Dual-Stage Intake Manifold", the following statement appears: "The intake manifold is divided in two by a butterfly valve. At low engine speeds, the valve is closed to allow resonance energy to help increase cylinder charging. As engine speed increases, the valve opens and cancels the resonance taking place in the manifold...". I think it is interesting that this is the only place in Acura advertising that I've seen the word "resonance".
  • metmdxmetmdx Member Posts: 270
    Could this be the "holy grail"?
    Sure sounds like a malfunction in this valve could be causing the "excess" resonance.
    Yes/No/Maybe?
    metmdx
  • rhhennerhhenne Member Posts: 6
    Just had the MDX at the dealer and they told me that at this time there is nothing they can do. Acura is aware of the problem but there is no fix for it yet.
  • fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    Don't hold your breath waiting for a fix.
  • lknslkns Member Posts: 8
    I have an 04 that I got about 6 weeks ago...generally I love this car! BUT, 2 things:
    1) At times when I accelerate quickly from a slow speed or when braking at times, such as pulling out of my driveway and changing gears, there is a "thunk" kind of noise that feels like it's coming from somewhere below my car (like somewhere under my feet). Is this normal? A problem? Any input?
    2) The second is a definite problem that I will be discussing with the dealer, but wanted to know if anyone else has experienced this. At times (on at least 4 different occasions to date) when I press the button to give a voice command to the Navi system, nothing happens - no beep, the radio doesn't mute, nothing. And repeating it doesn't help either. But if I try it another day, it's fine. Any thoughts? A loose wire? Anyone have a similar problem?
    Thanks...love these boards, BTW. TONS of useful info!
  • harjitsharjits Member Posts: 35
    I think I have the same issue with voice activation, I think here is how you can reproduce:

    After you turn on the X, do not press "OK" botton on the nav screen for say 10-15 mins and continue driving (screen will turn black). Now after some press "OK" and continue with the remaing of the Nav options for voice activation, you will not get response from the voice activation....

    Also, Is there any Hum/Resonance in your X ~2k rpm's..
  • frqwntbyrfrqwntbyr Member Posts: 14
    I'd have to go pull the manual from outside, but strikes me I recall that if you don't agree to "OK" (i.e., you don't agree with the lawyers that you consent to being distracted and waive your right to hold Acura/Honda responsible) the Nav lady won't talk to you. Expect that may be part of the problem.
  • aman1aman1 Member Posts: 1
    I noticed this 2k hum after a few days, the dealer called acura and was told that there is no fix yet. I took the sales demo out and it had the same hum a little less though. this is really annoying I think all 04 owners need to make a stink about it ,if you hear it and demand a fix
  • kvfhgkvfhg Member Posts: 15
    I'm not sure exactly what it sounds like, but I think my 2002 V6 Accord produces the same noise, but at 3000 RPM.
  • lknslkns Member Posts: 8
    To frqwntbyr: Thank you for your input; but the issue is that I sometimes am not able to use the voice activation and I have hit the OK button (i.e., it's operating in the mode that it should work - it just doesn't!). There is no reason I can see why it shouldn't work.
    Thanks anyway for trying to help! Any other ideas? :-)
    And as for the "thunks" with braking, it appears from reading some past messages that I'm not the only one with this problem. In one past message a dealer said that this issue would be "fixed" in the '04s...mine is an '04, but it still "thunks"!
  • tanrichtanrich Member Posts: 3
    I have the 04 MDX w/ touring NAV/RES. I have exactly the same sporadic and random problem on the NAV voice command. I was 100% sure on pressing the OK button. This problem happened to me 5-6 times for the past 2 months. But everytime I restarted the engine, the problem went away and I could't reproduce it. So I am hesitant to take it to the dealer. The problem tended to surface more often while enrouting to the destination.... Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

    P.S. one time it happened while i was setting destination w/ key at ignition at II position and engine not running. When I was done setting the NAV, i started the engine and voice command didn't work. BUT, not repeatable.... HELP!!
  • fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    Contact Acura and the dealer. According to a call I received from Acura there is supposed to be another new nav DVD available in January for those of us that bought the upgrade for our pre 04 cars. There may also be one to fix problems with the 04 cars.
  • tmharrelltmharrell Member Posts: 14
    My wife has a 2002 MDX. It is also our "trip" car, and I do most of the driving on trips. Neither my wife nor I have noticed the humming or resonance observed by other owners.

    However, I will say the MDX is noisy - at least by my standards. Road noise, the brake caliper thunk, wind noise. We have owned other Hondas, and were not surprised by the ambient noise level of the MDX.

    Other manufacturers seem to focus more on quiet: I currently drive a six year old Q45 which is much quieter. However, I am also considering an RX 330 and was surprised to see the boards complain about noises. In a Lexus!

    My wife has no complaints about the MDX. I think it is a marvel of engineering, though not soundproofing.
  • wmquanwmquan Member Posts: 1,817
    For what it's worth, both the 2003 MDX and the 2004 MDX added more measures to reduce noise. The 2003 had some more soundproofing. The 2004 uses heatmelt sheets to seal the bottom, and has an acoustic windshield like vehicles from Lexus and MB have, as well as a few other reduction items.

    I'm not saying the current MDX is like a bank vault, but a number of 2001 and 2002 owners who have traded in have noticed substantially less NVH. So there has been some improvement.
  • koho955koho955 Member Posts: 97
    I test drove the 2004 MDX at highway speeds for the first time and the whole time I drove the resonance noise coming from the back end drove me nuts. I love the car but I do not know if I can listen to this for 3 years. I did not know what this noise was until I began to read these posts. This new duel exaust resonance noise is horrible. I am afraid to buy this car. I am amazed that Acura released the car with this new problem, they only changed a few things from last year, one being the duel exaust system.
  • progerproger Member Posts: 44
    These are the problems I read most of the time about 2004 Mdx. The first time I test Drove one, I wasn't paying attention to it and hardly notice it. Next time I'll concentrate on it. I might have to wait 'till positive inputs comes out or wait for the 2005.
  • harjitsharjits Member Posts: 35
    BTW..04 X doesn't have dual exhaust but ..it has dual MUFFLERS, which is very different. It has a single pipe all the way to the back, where it splits into 2 mufflers.....Anyhow Acura has no fix for it yet, instead they are saying it as "Feature not a BUG" :(
  • fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    You mean a negative design characteristic is being spun into a positive feature? This is a good example of why one should take an extended test drive that covers all of the conditions one normally drives under - before buying.

    Finally received a letter telling me about the engine timing belt tensioner problem with the 02s. Only took five months after Honda/Acura notified the dealers by service bulletin and a month after it was replaced. Rather than a recall they call it a product update. I guess Honda has a 'spin' division.
  • chuckvairchuckvair Member Posts: 10
    I've visited a couple of websites to see about purchasing a hitch for my '04 MDX (to be used only for a bike rack). Unfortunately, the websites I visited list the '03 MDX, but not the '04. However, the '04 Pilot is listed. Does anyone know if the '03 hitches will properly fit the '04's?
  • zonk67zonk67 Member Posts: 2
    I am currently having a strange experience with Acura service regarding my 2003 MDX. I brought the vehicle in a few days ago regarding two warning lights coming on - the engine light and the VTM-4 light. After waiting for the diagnosis, the service rep told me that a rodent had crawled into the engine block and bit through the wire that controlled these warning light sensors. I don't live in a rural area and have never heard of anything like this happing in the past. The damage? $500 in labor to fix. I would think a "good faith" repair is in order as this is quite unbelieveable. The tech showed me where the wire is located and it really seems unaccessible as it is on top of the engine and underneath the engine cover.

    If anyone else has had this happen, I'd appreciate hearing your experiences.

    Thanks
    Jim
  • tmharrelltmharrell Member Posts: 14
    Regarding the trailer hitch for a bike rack: it is possible to put (at least) two mountain bikes in the back of the MDX, and still have room for other stuff. You have to take off the front wheels and the seats, but you can fit the bikes in OK.

    I have not tried three bikes (no need to try yet), but there appears to be room.

    My wife and I prefer this to a rack because we do not have to think about security of the bikes while leaving the MDX unattended (e.g., restaurants).

    Note: In 2002, we fit the same amount of stuff, including 2 mountain bikes, into the MDX for a 10 day trip to Colorado as we fit into a rented minivan in 2001 for the same 10 day trip. :)
  • martinlymnmartinlymn Member Posts: 4
    I agree totally with earlier posts. The '04 resonance (groaning) at around 2000rpm is unacceptable for a vehicle of this class. Chances are, unless Acura's different to most car manufacturers, they'll only fix it if we all complain loudly enough and they fear an impact on sales. Other than this, a great vehicle!
  • progerproger Member Posts: 44
    Just wondering what dealer & where you purchased your 2003 Mdx. Back in Dec. test drove a 2003 and there was an engine light, that made our decision not to pursue and instead, deciding on 2004. Thanks.
  • fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    That's a lot of labor hours. How much was the part(s)?

    You don't have to be in a rural are to find rodents. Did the person that worked on the car also report seeing rodent droppings on or around the engine?
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    A friend of mine had his A/C out on an older Toyota, or so the dealer told him. It was winter so he hadn't checked but at a regular maintenance they "found" it. This shop quoted him a lot to have the whole unit replaced...Since it was winter he decided to wait. He went to a local place and they found that the wire for power to the unit had been snipped in half.

    Sounds like your problem happened on its own so it probably isn't that, but it reminds me of that story. It isn't uncommon for animals to climb into engine bays in the winter time to keep warm.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    IRRC, their rib cages are somewhat collapsible which enables them to squeeze thru and into the tiniest of spaces.
  • zonk67zonk67 Member Posts: 2
    I purchased my MDX at Hopkins Acura in Fairfield, CA. Treated very well there. Service is being done at Pleasanton Acura since it's closer to where I live.
  • inky4inky4 Member Posts: 238
    OK, after reading all the posts and driving from MD to OK after Christmas at 68-72 I am mad as heck. the rumble occurs at my average cruise speed. I had to adjust the way I travel to avoid 68-72 mph. this is stupid.
    btw: you all know we are messed over
  • 2003tls2003tls Member Posts: 100
    After reading about all these problems, especially with the exhaust resonance, I am a bit wary about purchasing a 2004 MDX. Is the noise level really that bad? I am willing to accept a certain level of noise (a lot if it is "sporty"), but I understand how that might be out of place in a luxury vehicle. To current owners, would you recommend a 2004 MDX to your friend, knowing what you know. $40K+ is a lot to spend on a vehicle and I want to be sure I will be happy with my purchase.
  • aleksd1aleksd1 Member Posts: 37
    I just bought a 2004 MDX touring about 10 days ago. Took it on a road trip from Santa Barbara,CA to Santa FE,NM ( 2000 miles). All in all, I'm happy with the car and would definitely recommend it. One thing I'm a bit dissapointed with , is torque steer. I'm used to RWD cars and driving FWD MDX takes a bit to get used to. But this is more of a 'feature' rather then a 'bug'. All FWD cars have this basically heavier steering then RWD. Noise levels were very good, not as quite as luxury sedan, but still very good. Fuel economy is about 18-20 mpg on the freeway. I did not hear any resonance, and I have about 2300 miles on the car.
  • fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    Aleksd1: Chances are your speeds on your trip were above the resonance speed for an 04. If your local freeway speeds are like mine you are either less than 60 because of traffic or 75 and more once traffic thins out. You won't hear the resonance most of the time. My 02 resonates at a higher speed than the 04 and I hear it all the way from the Valley to Santa Barbara. Chances are I would not notice the resonance on the freeways around here in an 04.

    Inky4: I know what you mean about having to adjust because of the car. Either drive just above or just below the resonance speed, or turn up the volume on the radio (I do). At least your resonance speed range is short. Mine is 9 mph.

    2003tls: I don't think of my MDX as a luxury vehicle and didn't when I bought it. It is not luxury car quiet, plush, or powerful (It can't make it up some freeway hills without downshifting). It is a roomy mid size (length) utility vehicle that happens to ride very well and is very comfortable. I knew it was noisy and power challenged on freeways compared to my other cars before I bought because I had several test drives, one 35 miles long. Before buying, one should test drive a vehicle under the same road and speed conditions one usually encounters in every day driving. In every lemon law case I heard where the customer complained about a characteristic of a vehicle, encountered in their normal every day driving, they had not done a test drive under their normal driving conditions before they bought. An inadequate test drive is a recipe for disappointment after purchase.
  • 2003tls2003tls Member Posts: 100
    A test drive is definitely important. My wife and I took the 2004 MDX on a 30 minute test drive which included mostly surface streets (the dealership is in the heart of the city), but was able to hop on the freeway for a few minutes and take it up to about 60 mph. Most vehicles have problems that develop over time, which obviously isn't appearant till after you buy the car (my TL has a few of those). This resonance problem, however, seems inherent to the design of the MDX. Where I live, the cruising speed on the freeway is about 70 mph so this is a particular concern to me. How effective is just turning the radio up? My wife and I tend to crank up the volume anyway - will that drown out the resonance sound?
  • fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    Can't answer for the 04, but it works on my 02. Around here speeds are 75-85. My resonance begins at 76 and ends at 85, with a peak at about 81-82. This evening traffic was right at the peak, but with the CD or radio playing I did not notice the resonance.

    Make sure you take the car for a test drive that covers the 68-72 mph range before you buy. The noise may not bother you or it could be a deal breaker. Better to find out before money changes hands.

    The noise on mine is like a low volume hum that fades in and out every few seconds. It is easily 'covered' by conversation in the car, the radio, or road noise on some roads.
  • wolfekmwolfekm Member Posts: 18
    Has anyone else had issues with the catalytic converter? I've now had 2 of them (there are apparently 3 in the mdx) replaced in the past month on my 2003 mdx...
  • progerproger Member Posts: 44
    When I test drove 03 mdx, there was an engine light. The salesman had mentioned something about a recall, but got interrupted and never got to the bottom of it. Didn't pursue to purchase. I wonder what that recall was? Has anybody heard anything?
  • carbuff28carbuff28 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2001 MDX with 75,000 miles. It's a great car -- one of the best I've ever owned -- but the lease is about up.

    I need to decide whether to buy the car (at about $23,000, including a mileage penalty) or get something else.

    Anyone have thoughts on the likely reliability of the car, for the next three years, if I drive around 12k/year? So far, all I've done is change the tires, and Hondas I know can go for many hundreds of thousands of miles. Anyone know of sites or articles on long-term reliability of MDXs?
  • fndlyfmrflyrfndlyfmrflyr Member Posts: 668
    You are in uncharted territory with respect to an MDX. Thanks for the report at the 75k.

    Personally, I wouldn't be too concerned about reliability for the first 120k or so, but that is just my feeling based on other people I know and their experiences with Honda cars.

    A miles penalty if you buy it? Thought that was only if you didn't buy it at the end of the lease.
  • bdadams1bdadams1 Member Posts: 8
    Hello all, I have two problems that I need advice on B-4 I take it to the dealer... 1) The "Side Air Bag" indicator light comes on and then goes off, although it only seemed to do this when I was using my Laptop(pluged in to a inverter) for a DVD/Navagational unit. Any chance that the electrical system may play a part in the indicator light coming on, then going off?
    2) When I let off the accerlerator to coast, My MDX seems to jerk and not know what gear it's suppose to be in..also, when I try to accelerate very easy, it jerks and jumps the same way..any thoughts? Experience? BTW, it's a 01 Thanks! Brian
  • tanrichtanrich Member Posts: 3
    regarding (1)
    I assume you are talking about the passenger side air bag light. I own the '04 and my experience w/ the car has only been 2.5 months. But from what i know, the front passenger seat has a weight sensor and it activates the passenger front air bag only if the occupant is > 60lb. if the laptop is resting on the front passenger seat, it might confuse the sensor and and flicker the "passenger airbag" signal by the console. For the passenger side airbag, there're sensors that determine if the front passenger seating position is in harm's way in the event of a side airbag deployment. If the passenger is seating too close to the window or door, the computer might temporarily turn off the side airbag until it determines is safe again and hence the indicator light on/off. This happened to me a few times.
  • bdadams1bdadams1 Member Posts: 8
    Hey Thanks! That sounds like that might be happening..I had the Laptop in between the two front seats on the arm rest. But we moved the pass seat back a little and my wife may have triggered the event while moving around.
    Thanks!
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    Was it a check engine or service required light? The service required light comes on automatically at different intervals.

    The recall is for the timing belt tensioner. There is no real problem with it, just that it might lose oil and start making noise...I guess potentially and eventually cause a timing problem.
  • bdadams1bdadams1 Member Posts: 8
    HI there, It was the "side air bag" indicator light. Anyways, any suggestions about the tranny problem..it just seems to down shift very abruptly and will not let me gently cruise on the accerlerator.
    Thanks
    Brian
  • sbcookesbcooke Member Posts: 2,297
    The light question was in response to a message just prior to yours.

    Regarding the shifting the only thing I would venture to guess would be low transmission fluid? You can check that yourself fairly easily. That can cause rough, perhaps delayed and abnormal shifting patterns.

    I don't know a lot about the Acura transmission, however some tranmissions have logic built into them for protection. My Trooper adjusts its shifting patterns when the fluid is cold. Normally it will upshift to a "comfortable" gear (25-35 mph) once you back off the accelerator, however when cold it won't upshift until either the fluid warms up or you get above a higher limit (I think it is 42). It could be caused by both, low fluid and computer control? Older transmissions, like an old 78 Pontiac wagon I had would just shudder/slip during shifts when low, but not alter patterns.
  • kvfhgkvfhg Member Posts: 15
    anyone else has any luck on resolutions to the humming noise at ~2100 RPM?

    I test drove one and experienced the noise.
  • bdadams1bdadams1 Member Posts: 8
    The Trans Fluid was a little low,right at the bottom hole. So, I've decided to add fluid to it, but wait! Where is the "fill plug" as the manual calls it? Is the "fill plug" the inside of the dip-stick colum? Honda makes it hard to work on these things! :*(
  • bdadams1bdadams1 Member Posts: 8
    Is it ok to use something other than "Honda ATF-Z1" fluid? Can't find it anywhere local..Thanks

    Brian
  • mchen007mchen007 Member Posts: 4
    I have a 2004 MDX with touring, navi, and dvd.

    I have the problem where the voice navi does not respond when you push the voice button on the steering wheel. At first it seems totally random but I have discovered how to recreate the problem consistently.

    The problem is created when you shift the car into reverse right after you start up the car. When you first start up the car, the navi will take about 30 seconds to load the software. When the software finishes loading, it will give you a beep followed by the disclaimer message where you press the OK button. But if you switch the mdx into reverse gear (causing the rear camera to display on the screen) and you do not shift the car back to forward drive before the navi finishes the software load up (giving you the audible beep and disclamer screen), the voice nav will fail everytime.

    This problem has a chance of happening often since 99% of the time we are parked in a driveway or a parking space that we must back out of right after we start the engine. If voice navi fails, you didn't finish backing up the car before the navi finished loading. Basically you took too long to back the car up and you didn't beat the beep! This is a special feature implemented by Honda to make you back the car up more efficiently. J/K.

    I have yet to take it back to the dealer at Tustin, CA after I've discovered this. My sales experience with them were fantastic but my experience with their service dept has been awful.

    Please post if you have a similar problem and have tried what I have described above. Thanks.
  • harjitsharjits Member Posts: 35
    I think Another forum (I can email u the link if u want) is actively following on this issue but no luck yet, but we are seeing lot more reports of hum/resonance ...Its seems to be dead issue here and nobody seems to be interested..
  • mchen007mchen007 Member Posts: 4
    harjits,
    If you have a link for another forum that has more info on the non-responding voice nav issue can you please post it up. Thanks.
  • kvfhgkvfhg Member Posts: 15
    Try this site. Very good info on lemom law for all states in USA.

    http://www.mylemon.com/
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