What does gas have to do with my waste gate actuator?

[humongous_phungus]

2024 ITS

I’ve been having this rattling noise from the front which sounds like it might be the waste gate actuator according to my investigation. Similar to this example.



1) if it is, can it be fixed? Some people are saying it’s “normal”.

2) I’ve had 2 dealership advisors tell me maybe changing my gas to shell or chevron might fix the issue. (Btw mostly use premium Costco gas which is rates tier 1)

pleas

Sponsored

 

[creaturemachine]

Pour some gas on it, problem solved?

Nah the dealers are probably used to coaching people towards better gas because of knock or pulled timing due to people pumping shit 87 from the kwik-e-mart.

To summarize, it's normal.

 

[Scrodee]

Have never had the wastegate rattle; I exclusively use Costco Premium. I doubt it has anything to do with fuel quality.

 

[STi from DSM]

Use different gas is their suggestion? Pretty dumb suggestion.

 

[humongous_phungus]

Use different gas is their suggestion? Pretty dumb suggestion.

Yup, they were both basically telling me using fuel that was not from those gas stations could potentially void my warranty. WRONG! It would only void my warranty if I was using a lower octane than required.

Car manufacturers are restricted from dictating the specific brands of aftermarket parts and certain types of gasoline for your vehicle by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act, respectively. The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act prevents manufacturers from voiding your warranty for using non-OEM parts, while the REPAIR Act mandates that manufacturers provide access to vehicle data and cannot restrict owners from using aftermarket parts or specific parts brands for repairs, except in limited circumstances like recalls.

Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act

• Prohibits Warranty Denial:
  This federal law prohibits car manufacturers from denying warranty coverage or voiding your warranty simply because you used an aftermarket part or serviced your vehicle at an independent shop, according to CARFAX and the Federal Trade Commission.
• Proof of Fault Required:
  The manufacturer must demonstrate that the aftermarket part or service actually caused the defect to void the warranty.

Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act

• Data Access for Owners:
  The REPAIR Act, sponsored by the Auto Care Association, mandates that vehicle manufacturers provide owners and independent repair shops with direct, real-time access to vehicle data for diagnostics and repairs.
• No Restriction on Parts/Brands:
  The act also prohibits manufacturers from restricting access to this data or preventing aftermarket manufacturers from producing compatible parts.
• Limitations:
  Manufacturers cannot enforce the use of specific brands for parts, tools, or equipment for repairs, with the exception of recalls and warranty-covered repairs.

Why These Laws Are Important

• Promotes Competition:
  These laws foster competition in the automotive aftermarket, allowing for a wider range of parts and repair services to be available to consumers.
• Consumer Choice:
  They empower consumers to choose the parts and services they prefer, rather than being limited to the manufacturer's specific recommendations or parts.
• Protects Independent Repair Shops:
  The REPAIR Act ensures that independent repair facilities can continue to serve customers without undue restrictions from manufacturers.
• 
  
  
  

 

[Two Step Performance]

Zero correlation between fuel and wastegate actuator rattle.

Regardless, the rattle is "normal" and not something anyone will be able to address for you. In time you will learn to ignore it.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

I do find it strange some of these cars have a dramatically worse rattle than others.

I've heard one in person where it was pretty brutal. Enough so that the owner got frustrated after a year and went to a subaru.

Mine gets really loud in winter. Seems to echo through the passenger side dash vent. Almost goes away entirely in summer though. I would assume that's due to the colder, denser air delivering more boost, earlier.

 

[humongous_phungus]

I do find it strange some of these cars have a dramatically worse rattle than others.

I've heard one in person where it was pretty brutal. Enough so that the owner got frustrated after a year and went to a subaru.

Mine gets really loud in winter. Seems to echo through the passenger side dash vent. Almost goes away entirely in summer though. I would assume that's due to the colder, denser air delivering more boost, earlier.

Ya it's kind of frustrating to hear the rattling noise. I'm hesitant to take it to another dealer to get a second opinion since the first one couldn't produce the same noise when they tested it. I feel like they'll just use the excuse that "it's normal". But on the other hand my car is still under warranty so if that is in fact the issue it would be covered. Correct me if I'm wrong you cant just replace the waste gate actuator. A new turbo would have to be replaced?

 

[Victorofhavoc]

Ya it's kind of frustrating to hear the rattling noise. I'm hesitant to take it to another dealer to get a second opinion since the first one couldn't produce the same noise when they tested it. I feel like they'll just use the excuse that "it's normal". But on the other hand my car is still under warranty so if that is in fact the issue it would be covered. Correct me if I'm wrong you cant just replace the waste gate actuator. A new turbo would have to be replaced?

No, you can replace the wastegate and the actuator arm on its own. It likely won't solve your problem though.

It's just a poor design. The actuator arm is in a couple pieces and there are several metal on metal areas it can rattle. Some, I'm sure you could toss a stainless washer on and it would help, but others not so much.

The dealer won't do anything about it. From my experience with the only two dealerships (same owners) in my area and acura national customer service, you'll spend a lot of your time in crappy rdx and mdx loaners while you wait for them to not address things and then say "we can't reproduce the noise" or "the other cars have the same issues so it's normal". See my "back on track" build thread and my "steering wheel click fix" thread. After the last time where they scratched up the bottom of my bumper and forgot to put a belly pan bolt on (while also dramatically overtorquing the others), I'm not going back to the dealer, for even the rest of my 12 free oil changes. I have lost count of the rattles I've fixed myself that the dealer supposedly couldn't reproduce or identify. The only thing they did legitimately fix was the plastic stick on rear fender that was coming loose at 600 miles on the odo. Took them two tries to get it right.

I will say, after fixing a mountain of things myself, the car has become a lot more enjoyable to drive, but it's disappointing to have had to go that far. Took me a year to stop feeling like it was a catastrophic lemon/mistake.

 

[humongous_phungus]

No, you can replace the wastegate and the actuator arm on its own. It likely won't solve your problem though.

It's just a poor design. The actuator arm is in a couple pieces and there are several metal on metal areas it can rattle. Some, I'm sure you could toss a stainless washer on and it would help, but others not so much.

The dealer won't do anything about it. From my experience with the only two dealerships (same owners) in my area and acura national customer service, you'll spend a lot of your time in crappy rdx and mdx loaners while you wait for them to not address things and then say "we can't reproduce the noise" or "the other cars have the same issues so it's normal". See my "back on track" build thread and my "steering wheel click fix" thread. After the last time where they scratched up the bottom of my bumper and forgot to put a belly pan bolt on (while also dramatically overtorquing the others), I'm not going back to the dealer, for even the rest of my 12 free oil changes. I have lost count of the rattles I've fixed myself that the dealer supposedly couldn't reproduce or identify. The only thing they did legitimately fix was the plastic stick on rear fender that was coming loose at 600 miles on the odo. Took them two tries to get it right.

I will say, after fixing a mountain of things myself, the car has become a lot more enjoyable to drive, but it's disappointing to have had to go that far. Took me a year to stop feeling like it was a catastrophic lemon/mistake.

Ya that's disappointing but thanks for your response. It was very helpful.

I got my car checked out at another dealership and the Foreman was pretty cool about explaining things and giving me a straightforward answer. Basically said the same thing. I could try to adjust the arm but then it could alter turbo lag and boost. Thankfully the noise did decrease and barely noticeable now. I did find a replacement for an FK8 that looks identical but it's $200 but still runs the risk of "normal" rattling too.

Sponsored