| pdempsey |
I have a very loud rattle in the right hand 2nd row seat when unoccupied and driving at slower speeds 20-35mph over slightly bumpy roads.
Gold Coast Acura says there has been a very recent factory bulletin on this problem.
Anyone know about such a bulletin?
2003 MDX |
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| G. COLTON |
If they know of the bulletin why not ask them to either:
1) fix the problem
2) give you a copy
3) tell you where you can get a copy
G |
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| pdempsey |
They looked for the bulletin and could not find it. I have it well documented that the problem exists and was heard by them prior to the warranty running out.
Just wondering if anyone else is having the problem.
Pat |
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| hammermdx |
| Could it be the seat belt? |
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| cmd |
quote:
Originally posted by pdempsey
They looked for the bulletin and could not find it... Just wondering if anyone else is having the problem.
Pat
My wife mentioned this on our 05. HOWEVER, she thought it was coming from the child seat buckles (second row right). It's my wife's daily ride and I don't often drive it -- that is with the stereo down. I'll find a bumpy road, turn the tunes down and listen next time I'm out. |
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| pdempsey |
| It's not the seatbelt. It has something to do with the seatback. Putting just a few ounces of presure on the seatback will stop the noise. |
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| perk |
quote:
Originally posted by pdempsey
It's not the seatbelt. It has something to do with the seatback. Putting just a few ounces of presure on the seatback will stop the noise.
I have precisely the same problem in my 2003, except it's the left side that squeaks and rattles. Just a slight pressure on the seat stops the squeak. I'm not positive but I seem to remember a post on this subject before where the owner took the seat apart to fix the squeak and posted pictures of his process.
If there's a bulletin that would be great. I dont want to take my seats apart but I'd be happy for the service department to do it. |
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| anvil |
This sounds exactly like a noise I've been trying to isolate in my '05. I also assumed it was a child seat as it sounds like a plastic on plastic rattling sound that could have been made by the retrractable plastic cupholders in my son's seat and it's worse in the cold. That theory went out the door (literally) when I recently heard the same noise with the car seat removed. I then systematically removed everything that was attached to the car to try to isolate it with no luck. I've even tried riding in the back (cargo area) while my wife drives to listen for it but she doesn't have the patience to keep this up long enough to find the right kind of bump to activate the sound.
My noise seems only to come out on "washboard" type bumps that cause vibration. I've also recently noticed a similar sound coming from the right second row when I'm in the driver's seat and close my door firmly.
I'll be going in for service over the next few weeks and will mention it but I'm sure they won't be able to reproduce it. My wife can't even hear it when I point it out to her and it only happens, like I said, on a certain kind of bump. |
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| cmd |
quote:
I've even tried riding in the back (cargo area) while my wife drives to listen for it but she doesn't have the patience to keep this up long enough to find the right kind of bump to activate the sound.
Had to laugh only because I've done the same. I had my wife in the trunk of our TSX once -- hey but she found the source that time!
I haven't spent any time searching for the problem. As you said, I've only heard it on "wash board" bumps and when it is cold. Fortunately, we live in a new pavement area and I rarely drive the MDX without kids, so I've only heard it a few times.
The TSX has a really annoying wash board bump rattle in the glove box which drives me nuts -- but that is for another forum. |
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| pdempsey |
It does seem to be a design problem. Many owners have it. Dealers are aware of it. You'd think that Acura would come up with a fix.
I purchased my MDX off of lease, but have been disappointed with Acura as a company. There have been no significant MDX improvements since I leased my 2003, so why lease a new one. I just bought the currunt one off lease for half the price of new.
BTW, the seat rattle is really bad in the upright position. Putting it back a notch helps. I think someone else mentioned that somewhere.
Pat |
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| anvil |
I managed to do some additional testing on the weekend thanks to a thaw and return to the deep freeze the result of which is roads literally like washboards!
After 20 mins with my wife driving on these roads and me bouncing around the cabin like squirrel I realized that the noise is originating from the ceiling directly above the second row seat on the passenger side. The sunroof itself feels solid with no rattles or squeaks near the glass. This noise seems to originate where the back edge of the sunroof glass would sit it it was fully retracted (it was -20 and the roof was frozen shut so I didn't check to see if retracting it made any difference!). Unless you put your ear up to the sunroof opening it sounds like this noise is coming directly from the seat area near the floor which is why I was convinced that was the problem.
The sound is like what you would get if you put a large bolt in a plastic cup and let if bounce around while you drove. There's no hint of metal on metal.
Now that I've got it isolated I've booked an appointment to have it looked at along with the 6 month service set for next week. I'll report back. |
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| screbr |
| Interesting...... I too believed that it was a car seat / seat belt rattle that I was hearing, and wrote it off as such. Mine's always from the right rear as well. I HATE rattles.....:3: |
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| allanbiats |
I'm convinved that my rattle is coming from the outboard passenger seat in the middle row right side.
I have moved the sliding buckle from the shoulder belt to make it sit lower towards the wheel well and it stopped the noise.
I noticed it when my 8 year old niece would be dropped off and she would jump out and it would rattle. Forcing the buckle to be lower would stop the noise, at least in mine.
hth |
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| perk |
quote:
Originally posted by perk
I have precisely the same problem in my 2003, except it's the left side that squeaks and rattles. Just a slight pressure on the seat stops the squeak. I'm not positive but I seem to remember a post on this subject before where the owner took the seat apart to fix the squeak and posted pictures of his process.
If there's a bulletin that would be great. I dont want to take my seats apart but I'd be happy for the service department to do it.
I found the post I was talking about here. This would definately fix my squeak but it sounds like yours may be something else. |
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| pdempsey |
There definitely are lots of rear seat rattles out there. Obviously a design flaw.
I've put mine on the center setting for the seatback slant and it seems to help most. I think it must be in the seatback hinge.
Thanks to all for the reports.
You'd think that Acura would have a fix. |
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| richkuan |
| I had the same problem -- rattle from the 2nd row passenger side. I found it's the seat bellt buckle hitting the plastic panel when fully retracted. I just moved the buckle so they don't contact each other and the rattle was gone. |
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| anvil |
Well I had the MDX in for service today and of course they couldn't hear the rattle. So, I took the service manager out myself and for the first time since I discovered this a month ago I couldn't reproduce the noise!
They suggested that if I find a section of road that consistently reproduces the sound they'll go out with me again. I think that's fair.
By the way I sat with the service manager at his computer and went through all the service bulletins involving interior rattles to see if anythying came close but no luck. I didn't see one on the second row seat rattle either but I wasn't focused on that so I may have missed it.
They did manage to fix the uneven gaps around my headlights. |
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| pdempsey |
I found that the rattle can be easily reproduced with the seat upright, nothing on it, and driving around 20 to 30 on a street without ruts, but a little rough, such as little bumps made by the tar crevices.
My service guy could not find the bulletin, but seemed to remember seeing it. |
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| iceman1331 |
quote:
Originally posted by richkuan
I had the same problem -- rattle from the 2nd row passenger side. I found it's the seat bellt buckle hitting the plastic panel when fully retracted. I just moved the buckle so they don't contact each other and the rattle was gone.
Ditto for my 03 X too. Or you could put a foam pad near where the buckel hit the side pillar. It will be quiet down. :4: |
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