Idle Vibration/noise In D & R

[teammootracer]

I've read a few posts on this issue, but I have yet to read anyone finding a solution. My 2000 RX300 with 175,000KMS has this issue. I recently replaced the 2 main engine mounts along with the upper torque mount - this only seemed to make the vibration worse.

Here's a list of theories:

1. Engine strut

2. TPS sensor giving incorrect information to the transmission, this puts it in "high pressure mode" when stopped in gear.

3. Exhaust leak

4. Bad transmission?

If anyone has had any luck repairing this issue, please share. I am tempted to cut my losses and trade this thing in on a Honda Pilot of Acura MDX, i've only owned this vehicle 6 months and so far I'm not impressed!

[blk_on_blk]

We've had issues with this, too (1999 RX300 with ~$175K miles on it). I've maintained the vehicle for the past 60,000 miles, and I've never had this issue until recently. We also have a fairly new transmission in the vehicle. At the first sign of this, I thought I should clean and IACV (Idle Air Control Valve), but then just drove it for another week or so, until it started to really, truly do the bucking and vibrations and started to stutter. I then pulled apart the whole intake system, cleaned the IACV, cleaned down in the throttle bodies, and from there it's been MUCH smoother and behaved. We still get strange moments of vibrations when stopped in D, and I'm guessing it could be an O2 sensor starting to act up, or possibly something I missed in the intake. I know it's not the injectors, for I replaced those about 30K miles ago.

I would clean your intake system first and foremost. Go after cleaning out the IACV, and hose-out your intake system with spray cleaner. It should help clean up your system... may not totally resolve it, but it should help.

[lenore]

the exhaust leak is typically at the flex joint, just hold a piece of paper near it with engine running and see if it moves....

[teammootracer]

the exhaust leak is typically at the flex joint, just hold a piece of paper near it with engine running and see if it moves....

I took the RX300 into the dealer today (sad), they just called saying it's not the transmission, engine, drive train or exhaust. They really didn't have much to say, i mentioned i didn't replace the front engine strut or the transmission mount, so maybe it's that? Hopefully they'll try pulling it off then see if it goes away. One things for sure, they're going to charge me a lot of money, this I know. If this doesn't fix it, then i'm going to turn the idle up 125 rpm and sell that damn thing, back to Honda is it.

Dave