| goldmdx |
Hi! I am new to this message board, and from what I've read so far, it is very informative and useful. However, I didn't find information on a few issues that might need mentioning. I think it's great that this vehicle (my mom prohibits anyone calling it a "truck" or "van") has generated such a following. I knew it was a whole big lot of a good thing when I saw the first previews of the MDX, my mom was tired of her Dodge Caravan, and when I showed it to her, she got very excited, too. OK, enough of the blabbering....I'll get to the meat.
We ordered ours in Mesa Beige Metallic with Touring and Tow packages. I believe we ordered it in October, 2000. We waited.....and waited....and finally got it in April, 2001:eek: ! So we took delivery (from Gettel Acura of Sarasota, Florida) and the first thing we noticed was how well the a/c works against the infamous Florida heat. The break-in period passed without any major issues.
In early August of 2001 we took it on its first extended road trip, putting over 3000 miles on it, to the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina. On the same trip, we spent 3 days in Washington, DC. Boy did we load that car full! 4 people and enough baggage for 2+ weeks away from home! AND we had our bikes with us (on a Thule hitch-mounted 4-bike rack) to ride in the mountains. The MDX didn't seem to notice! It drove superbly in the mountains, you could tell the difference that Grade Logic made! We even took it almost to the top of Grandfather Mountain! Try that in a 1994 Grand Caravan!
Of course, putting 3000+ miles on it in 3 weeks was quite a workout and included about 10 miles of unpaved, pot-holed fire road. When we got the next service, though, it was just "as usual" service items! What an overall durable luxury SUV!
Then we started to notice the B-pillar trim problem. We took it in and the dealer made a "one-time goodwill replacement" of the trim pieces. Unfortunately, it has again become nicked up by the seatbelt. You would think that, Acura being (at least supposedly) so innovative, they would have solved this issue by now! I wonder if the 2003 models have this problem? Did they fix it by changing the B-pillar trim? If so, can the new trim be retrofitted to the old vehicles?
While I'm on the subject of trim pieces, here's a problem I havent seen anybody mention. One day, as I was exiting one of the rear doors, one of my shoes caught slightly on the plastic scuff panel and it practicly went flying out of its mountings! You would think Acura would do a better job of securing these! I retrived the panel and my dad managed to reinstall it without much trouble. This has now happened several times to both sides. Has anyone else had this problem? Is there an easy way to fix it?
I have noticed an unusual noise that I couldn't find mentioned here. It doesnt occur often, but when it does, it seems to originate from under the front passenger seat. It is a mechanical whine that lasts for about 0.3-0.5 seconds and I've only noticed it under 40 mph, with the car closed up, throttle less than 1/4, a/c blower at lowish settting, sound system off. My current theory is that it comes from the VTM-4 control unit, which is located in that area. If you have any information on this noise, PLEASE post it here ASAP!
Thats about all I can think of to say at the moment(phew!). Peace! |
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| msu79gt82 |
quote:
Originally posted by goldmdx
(my mom prohibits anyone calling it a "truck" or "van")
Agreed!!! It is not a truck or van:1:
RE: Door pillar nicks. That has been covered in detail in the forums (do a search on nick, door pillar). In fact that was well documented before we even picked up our MDX in March '01. We have avoided the problem by gently guiding the belt back into place. It is a habit now. Others have reported that Acura would replace it one time and after that they assume you know how to avoid nicks.
RE: Scuff panels and whining noise. We have not experienced those problems. I'm sure those who have will chime in.
PS Welcome to the group |
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| DaleB |
Had one 'scuff plate' come off one time. Guess it can be a problem depending how you exit.
On the whine, the VTM-4 (powers the rear wheels) is in the rear just in front of the spare tire, and the transmission is on the driver's side.
I believe one catalytic converter is near that location, and perhaps there is a solenoid or valve of some type operating in conjunction with that.
Wow...3 to 5 seconds, or 0.3 to 0.5? If the latter you must have very calibrated ears!
Glad you put some good trip miles on it, and enjoyed it so much. We did the same with ours when still quite new, and had similar impressions. |
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| goldmdx |
quote:
Originally posted by DaleB
On the whine, the VTM-4 (powers the rear wheels) is in the rear just in front of the spare tire, and the transmission is on the driver's side.
I believe one catalytic converter is near that location, and perhaps there is a solenoid or valve of some type operating in conjunction with that.
Wow...3 to 5 seconds, or 0.3 to 0.5? If the latter you must have very calibrated ears!
Glad you put some good trip miles on it, and enjoyed it so much. We did the same with ours when still quite new, and had similar impressions.
I was referring to the control unit for the rear differential, which (at least according to the brochure and the owner's manual) is located beneath and slightly behind the front passenger seat. And it's not all that hard to hear when you're sitting on top of it! And yes, I did mean three tenths of a second etc. as in one or two spoken syllables. From being on a "crawler" underneath the car, I can tell you that the exhaust system is not in the right position to be the origination of the sound. I also do not quite see why there would be any kind of solenoid in that area other than ones associated with the VTM-4 electronic package.
BTW- We also made the same trip, excluding Wash.,DC, in July 2002! Except my brother did not come along, so there were only 3 people. It sure seemed like we were carrying more stuff, though! |
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| DaleB |
And I wouldn't expect any solenoids in the VTM brains as anything mechanical would be at the VTM itself. Unless it's an internal relay of sorts.
There are solenoids on the transmission, maybe that sound is being transmitted through some structure.
I know, it's just a WAG. Could not see anything obvious in the service manual. |
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| kflint |
| We have one scuff plate (passenger side rear door) that comes out about once a week. Pops right back, but I can't figure out how to keep it in place. Guess I'll talk to a service rep next time I take it in. |
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| AcuraDoc |
Those are problems? Nicks in the moulding and a kick plate that comes off. I would think that drivetrain or electircal problems would be better suited for your "long" thread.
Now, the noise that you hear, does it correlate to any loss of performance, It could just be a heat shield or something stuck under your seat. I recall someone here recently heard a strange buzzing at certian speeds that ended up being their sunglasses in the overhead compartnemt.
Overall your family seems to be very happy with their MDX, why concentrate on such miniscule "problems"? Enjoy the vehicle for what is, which already seems like you are doing.
BTW, I had my B-Pillar moulding replaced because of the nicks, now I'm more careful when letting the seatbelt retract. Problem solved! |
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