# Acura mdx 2002

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/acura-mdx-2002/69849>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** mdx, acura\
**Created:** [December 5, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/acura-mdx-2002/69849 "2011-12-05T19:00:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/76d3ee/32.png) [@ann](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ann)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 7:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/acura-mdx-2002/69849/1 "2011-12-05T19:00:25Z")

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The engine makes a chirping/grating sound while idling, sound goes away while accelerating. What could be wrong?

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**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 7:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/acura-mdx-2002/69849/2 "2011-12-05T19:28:40Z")

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Most likely, you are hearing the noise of a belt (“drive belt”, “serpentine belt”, or as we called them in the old days, a “fan belt”) that is loose. However, that is just a guess from afar.

Have a mechanic check this situation for you and determine if you need a new belt, or if the tensioner for the belt is bad, or both–or if it is an entirely different issue. It is far better to have this remedied in a timely fashion than to be stranded on the road when a belt snaps or when another problem becomes critical.

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**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\
**Post date:** [December 5, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/acura-mdx-2002/69849/3 "2011-12-05T20:00:38Z")

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**_I Don’t Know An Acura From Dracula (No Acuras Here), But . . ._**

V-6 ?

. . . I do see that they made some 2002 MDXs with defective timing belt auto-tensioners that could leak oil (oil is in there to dampen oscillation) and cause engine noise. What the engine noise sounds like I don’t know.

This car is 9 or 10 years old, a senior citizen in car years. Way back in history (2003) owners were notified if their car needed updating. Are you the original owner ?

If you can’t find the noise then check with a dealer. They have information to determine if this vehicle was built with a defective part and whether or not it was updated.

CSA