Strange buzz on '03 Buick

[Benzadmiral]

This is gonna sound strange, but . . .

Frequently my Park Avenue exhibits a buzz in the dash/passenger door at idle. It happens with the A/C and radio off, and only when the car is in D or R when stopped. Shifting to P or N (higher idle) cancels it.

The engine idles smoothly, as far as I can tell, and never hesitates. I can't hear the buzz when driving, even with the windows up, and the A/C fan and/or the radio masks it. I usually hear it when I've been driving for a few minutes. When I stop and switch off the radio and A/C before leaving the car, the dash/passenger door will often buzz a bit before I shift into P.

The fact that the noise appears when the car is in gear at low rpm, and disappears when I shift out of gear (or increase rpm), I think, is significant. Could this be a loose motor mount or transmission mount? Any ideas? (I know, it's a silly thing, but any weird/new noises from a car I've just bought are naturally disturbing.)

 

[CBDFrontier06]

I think you may be hearing the suspension leveling system. My roommate's mother's LeSabre does the same thing. It's a loud buzz, but not loud enough to hear over the tire noise when moving, the radio, or if the fan is on high. Does it start and stop if you're sitting still, or is it constant?

 

[Benzadmiral]

Hey, CBD,

It's not constant like a door buzzer, if that's what you mean. It seems more like a vibration.

I'm not even sure this car has the suspension leveling system! It's not the top-of-the-line Park Avenue Ultra, so that leveling setup would have been an option on this car, I believe.

Does this leveling system operate even when the car is standing at a light? I thought such things only worked when a heavy load was placed in the back seat or trunk. To date, when I've heard the vibration/buzz, I've been alone or have had only one passenger in the front, and no heavy load in the trunk.

 

[CBDFrontier06]

Her car levels every time you get in and turn it on...and often sitting at a light as well. I've heard it when driving alone, and I hear it even more when there's 5 people in the car.

I'd think that if a base-model LeSabre has it, any Park Avenue would have it as well. Hers is a 2003, cloth, steel wheels, no options that I'm aware of.

 

[MrCritical]

exhaust heat shield?

 

[Merkava_4]

Quote:

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I'm not even sure this car has the suspension leveling system!

---

It has Automatic Level Control, which comprises of rear air shocks and a small air pump that will cycle for about 10 seconds after you first turn on the ignition; this is for levelling off the rear of the car to compensate for trunk loads. It is not an air ride suspension like on some other cars; all it's for is keeping the rear half of the car level.

The buzz you're hearing sounds like that trim panel below the dash and right below the steering column. There are 4 retention clips that hold it in place. I had one of the clips missing on by LeSabre, so I had to go to the dealer and special order some more. After I popped in the missing retention clip, my buzz was gone.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Merkava, it does sound like that -- it almost sounds as if the buzz travels from the passenger door to the dash center, never reaching the driver's door. And there could be a clip or two missing from the passenger door, too. Buicks shouldn't make such noises!

Since this is hardly an emergency, I'm waiting for the dealer service advisor (who sounds very sharp, by the way) to call me when she has a loaner car -- which she suspects will be early next week. I'll certainly mention this.

 

[porcupine73]

Hi. In some automatic transmissions, the solenoids are controlled with a square wave of variable duty cycle, rather than just slamming them full on or full off. Sometimes this sound is audible. Like on Subaru's, they use a 50Hz square wave and on some vehicles you can hear this buzz when the vehicle is stopped in gear and at other certain times.

 

[T-Keith]

Maybe a loose piece somewhere. I'd guess a broke clip or loose screw.

 

[GMBoy]

Crank up the bass on the stereo and see if the vibration/noise occurs. You can use the balance/fader to centralize the noise.From there you can track it's location. I'm guessing on a loose screw in the IP or door.

 

[Benzadmiral]

I've been to the dealer. They agreed they heard the noise, and originally thought it was a "programmer" (that's the exact term they used) for the climate control system. However, that day, they said they simply needed to adjust the misaligned door, and the noise vanished.

Not for long, though. I still hear it . . . and the door panel appears to be slightly loose; it gives a little "chatter" from time to time on certain rough roads, which is worse.

Back tomorrow, and this time I'll wait and ask to talk to the technician. I suspect they didn't run the A/C after the door adjustment, or they'd have heard the noise again.

I'm hoping it turns out to be only a broken clip or some loose screws, but in any case I want it done before the warranty runs out!

 

[GMBoy]

Thanks for the update - I was wondering how you made out.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Back from a quick visit to the dealer again today, and the culprit has been unmasked and hauled to justice.

This time the tech had me sit with him in the car, first in P, then in D. No A/C; silent. A/C on: the buzz began. Within a minute he zeroed in on the insulating trim panel at the lower front of the passenger front seat. Hand on it: buzz went away. Hand off: buzz comes back. Ah-hah!

Twenty minutes later, panel secured, no cost thanks to warranty. And I didn't hear the noise all the way home, or while running errands in my neighborhood later. So far so good!

And I have to give full credit to this dealership. They didn't find the problem the first time I was there, true, but I'll allow it was a tricky thing to find. Not only have they been quick and helpful, and have honored the warranty to the letter, but they haven't tried to sell me any services I didn't need.

 

[GMBoy]

Glad it's fixed. I can't stand rattles!

 

[mrsilv04]

B.A.-

Glad to hear that they found the issue for you. Sometimes you have to do exactly what you did. Recreate the problem with the technician right next to you.