Ask the Car People.SM


Acura RSX Maintenance and Repair

1045 messages,  Last post on Feb 18, 2011 at 10:06 AM

You are in the Acura RSX Forum.

What is this discussion about? Acura RSX, Electrical, Engine, Hatchback

Messages Page 87 of 105

#859 of 1045 2006 RSX Type S Personal experience by songmoe

Jun 18, 2006 (1:19 pm)

I bought 2006 Rsx S in Nov 2005.When I did oil change, I was told my engine was leaking.My service manager said it was defected and put the new engine.After I have new engine, the car has been running good and better gas millage.Just after a week, whenever I make hard turn, I hear the noice(when I called they said bring back).I found out it is the strut problem.And they said I need to wait for 1 month to have new designed strut.I just notice 2 days ago, my 3rd gear poped out once.It must be transmission.I have been so unhappy with my rsx 06.This is my frist new car I bought and I thought Acura is very reliable.I do not know what to do.My car is now 13,000 miles on it.I have 100,000 warranty.I doubt it I can keep it long time or not.I want to keep it as much as I can.But I have no trust with Acura.
 Which car should I trade it in?Which car is reliable?
_

#860 of 1045 Steering Wheel Leather by jg88

Jun 19, 2006 (12:18 pm)

Where would I go to find the leather to replace the top section of my Type S Titanium Grey Leather wheel? This is an '02 with about 87,000 miles and the leather has been worn out by the sun and has pitted. Everything else is fine. Just need the top section of the leather. Any thoughts?

#861 of 1045 Re: AC performance [bill1998] by sagermk

Jun 20, 2006 (11:17 pm)

Replying to: bill1998 (Jun 11, 2006 9:16 pm)
Thanks for the advice. I ended up taking it in and the AC was indeed going out. My extended warranty was still valid for about 1000 more miles, so it was completely covered. They replaced everything but the condenser.
 
ON MY EXPERIENCES WITH THE CAR:
 
I've had my car for 4.5 years and put almost 100,000 miles on it. My car gets mostly highway driving and my gas mileage averages somewhere around 30 miles per gallon. I have done the routine maintenance (and usually whatever else the dealer has thrown in with it) and I drive fairly conservatively (I don't push my car to its limits). I've had a few minor issues, but most of them got resolved:
 
EMISSIONS LIGHT
This light was really sensitive when I first got the car and was going off for no reason. They had to install an update and then the problem seemed to disappear.
 
SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT
I remember taking my car in because this light came on unexpectedly. They may have fixed something, but they also explained to me that this will go on when there is an unusual weight distribution in the passenger seat. It may have been coming on because of something I'd done - anyway, the problem disappeared.
 
RATTLING IN THE HATCH
In the winter I do hear rattling in the hatch. I've taken it in several times to fix this, but it never goes away completely. I think it is better than it was, so I've been okay dealing with the noise I occassionally hear.
 
OXYGEN SENSOR
I don't know if this is something that goes out fairly often, but I have replaced at least 2-3 oxygen sensors in my car. The symptom of the problem is that when I am stopped and I push on the accelerator, nothing happens for a second or two and then the car jerks forward. This almost always happens only on hot days.
 
SHIFTING ISSUES
I have an automatic, so I may not have some of the problems that those with a manual transmission may have. I did have a problem with rough shifting at one time, but they fixed it. I want to say I had to get it re-aligned, but I can't remember for certain.
 
DRIVER WINDOW
I did have issues not too long ago with the driver's window not rolling up as expected. They cleaned out something and it seems better, but then again I don't use it all that much so I may see the problem again later...
 
I think there was something else that I had to get fixed, but I can't remember exactly what it was. I don't believe I've experienced the "strut noise" that others have noticed. Overall, I've been very happy with the car and felt it had few problems considering it was a first model year car. I was very close to buying a Civic instead of this car (probably more practical), but I haven't regretted splurging on the RSX.

#862 of 1045 Re: AC performance [sagermk] by bill1998

Jun 21, 2006 (10:01 pm)

Replying to: sagermk (Jun 20, 2006 11:17 pm)
Thank you for the reply.
 
It sounds like the warranty was worth it - I am glad you got the a/c fixed before you were out of the warranty.
 
Most of your problems were not that bad, but I wonder if Honda stopped doing their homework as carefully as they used to.
 
Two thoughts came to mind reading your problems. First on the oxygen sensor and then on the window. I do not have personal experience with the rsx's, but thought I'd still mention a few things.
 
Sometimes cleaning out the throttle body helps with the jerking or hesitation you mentioned. I do NOT know for sure if this might be a problem with your particular car, I just know cleaning often helps. Some shops charge extra to clean it out during a "tune up" and others just do it as part of the job. A little bit of carbon can build up and make things less smooth opening and closing the throttle.
 
(Some cars will go >200,000 without cleaning - some only 30,000 miles...)
 
I would expect the check engine light to come on if there were a problem with the oxygen sensor. The light will NOT come on if the throttle body needs cleaning. If your light was not coming on, and the dealer was replacing the sensor, I would be a little bit cautious about the dealer. It may actually be an o.k. place, it may not... I thought I would mention this because cleaning is a little less expensive than a new sensor if you are out of warranty now. An oxygen sensor should definitely last longer than 30-50,000 miles.
 
Does the window have an auto up feature? It might just need resetting if it isn't going up all the way. I do not know how to do this for the rsx.
 
You can clean out the grooves the windows ride up and down in, and this will help with the window's functioning. If they are not very dirty, a rag moistened with a silicon spray lubricant would work well; if they are dirty you might use some damp paper towels before wiping some silicon lube in.
 
Oh, one other thing, on the hatch noise. Have you tried removing the cargo cover? If you eliminate the noise doing so, you might want to look for a small piece of rubber (or even cloth for experimenting) to put into the cargo cover's mounting points. You would have to experiment a little bit to find where the noise was coming from...
 
Thank you again for your comments,
Bill

#863 of 1045 Re: This is IT!! [nitromax] by fastfredy

Jun 25, 2006 (10:02 pm)

Replying to: nitromax (Jun 14, 2006 9:08 am)
Hi Nitro,
I am considering a new 06 RSX as opposed to a 06 Honda Civic. I had a 96 Civic since new and it was a very reliable car, although it had its problems over the years.
This front strut problem that many complain about, what is it? In your opinion is this a case of a serious problem or sensitive ears that sometimes can't ever be rectified? I think the world of Honda cars and their Corporate policies. Honda notified me that they had extended my Calif emissions warranty to 10 years and 100K miles. It also included a free tune-up, oil, and filter change. Later they notified me that it was now 14 years and 150K miles. Thirdly they notified me that if I had ever paid to have my emissions system repaired by Honda or anyone, they would consider my case with substantiated documentation. I sent my $700+ bill and work order by non-Honda shop and they refunded the money.
 
That is why I want a Honda car or its cousin Acura. I like the RSX because it is similiar to the Civic and you get a lot for the money even though the RSX is discontinued next year. I want a small, reliable, long distance commuter car that is good on gas economy and relatively comfortable. I drive about 2-3K/ month and it sits out in an open parking lot when not driving. Like my "ole warhorse" 96 Civic DX.
 
You sound reasonable, what do you think about the noise? The RSX is the bottom of the line for Acura like the Honda Civic. Are some expecting RL quietness from the RSX. I quess some will get defensive, but if it was a safety issue, wouldn't the federal govt (NTHSA sp?)get involved by forcing a fix by Acura by now? My Civic has a lot of road noise from the tires (Pirelli P400s) that are cheap and I love for its wear that drown out the other noise.
Thanks

#864 of 1045 Re: This is IT!! [fastfredy] by drawdef

Jun 25, 2006 (10:43 pm)

Replying to: fastfredy (Jun 25, 2006 10:02 pm)
My car (06 RSX Type-S) is about 3 months old now ... about 4k miles. If you've been following along here you'll see that Ive been experiencing the 'strut problem' which as it turns out isnt really the struts, although thats what the dealerships usually look to first. as it turns out, its the springs.
 
I went to the local honda/acura dealership with full intentions on buying a loaded Civic. At the time, the Si was impossible to get unless you wanted to wait for months. I was quickly turned on to the RSX and it was more affordable than I thought. With the expetion of the front end noise, so far I'm very pleased with the RSX ... its comfortable, it looks good and its a blast to drive.
 
The spring/strut noise is not a matter of owners with 'over sensitive ears' ... look around on these posts and else where on the internet - its just a problem with the springs. my dealership has acknowledged the problem and says that acura is working on manufacturing new springs. my only complaint is that 2 of the first 3 months that ive owned my car i have this annoying noise in my front end. my '90 Integra sounded better. i got a new car so i didnt have to deal with used car problems any more and while the noise doesn't seem to be effecting performance or safety, its flat out abnoxious and annoying.

#865 of 1045 Re: This is IT!! [fastfredy] by jandj1

Jun 26, 2006 (6:53 am)

Replying to: fastfredy (Jun 25, 2006 10:02 pm)
I recommend the RSX in spite of the front end suspension (spring) noises. They creak and crack, especially at low speed while turning, but other than that, this is the car you described wanting. We bought our 06 Type S for local running around (24-25 mpg) and for travel (32 mpg). Our 03 BMW convertible is a fun car so the RSX gets used a lot and we love it. It may be the entry Acura but the quality is there, if they can beat this spring issue.

#866 of 1045 Re: This is IT!! [fastfredy] by nitromax

Jun 28, 2006 (9:22 am)

Replying to: fastfredy (Jun 25, 2006 10:02 pm)
This front strut problem that many complain about, what is it? In your opinion is this a case of a serious problem or sensitive ears that sometimes can't ever be rectified?
 
Good question. I have asked the complainers of the noise to give me a decibel reference as to how loud it is...whenever I do, I get 0 reponses and the forums go quiet for awhile.
I will admit that I have a subtle clicking in the front end, but I only hear it when I make a turn to the left after turning to the right (an S turn when parking in my driveway next to my wifes car) and the decibel of it is very low....maybe equal to the sound of dropping a pencil eraser to the floor...seriously.
 
I suppose if I let it bother me and was constantly listening for it, I would probably let it bother me...but it doesn't. 80,000 miles on my car, I turn the radio to half it's volume and the noise goes away.
 
 The RSX is the bottom of the line for Acura like the Honda Civic. Are some expecting RL quietness from the RSX.
 
exactly right
 
I quess some will get defensive, but if it was a safety issue, wouldn't the federal govt (NTHSA sp?)get involved by forcing a fix by Acura by now?
 
right again....I haven't heard any massive recalls on this "problem"
 
here you go again poeple...an open invitation to tell me how LOUD this noise is

#867 of 1045 Re: This is IT!! [nitromax] by jandj1

Jun 28, 2006 (10:37 am)

Replying to: nitromax (Jun 28, 2006 9:22 am)
Loud is a relative term....mine is such that I can hear it over the radio at normal volume. The noise only is at very low speed so there's no engine noise to drown it out. It's an annoyance...nothing more, but with 6,000 miles on a $24,000 car, it should not be there.

#868 of 1045 Re: This is IT!! [jandj1] by drawdef

Jun 28, 2006 (10:58 am)

Replying to: jandj1 (Jun 28, 2006 10:37 am)
Nitromax is right on... you can hear it over the radio at a reasonable volume... seems only noticable at lower speeds and usually during turns. I don't know about others, but not only can you hear it, you can generally 'feel' it in the sterring wheel. I don't know how to explain it - its alot like what a front wheel drive car sounds like once a CV joint starts going bad. Maybe not quite that loud, but pretty close. What you're experiencing could very well not be the same problem.

Messages Page 87 of 105

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement