Help diagnosing front end clunk/pop/snap
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 116
Likes: 2
From: Rochester New York
Help diagnosing front end clunk/pop/snap
I meant to put this topic here, but put it in general discussion by mistake.
Car is a 1997 automatic coupe, with ~34k miles.
Recently, I have been experiencing a clunk/pop/snap sound when turning in either direction at parking lot speeds, such as when pulling out of my garage, or in to/out of a parking spot.
Diagnostics so far:
With the car completely off, I muscled the steering wheel from full lock to full lock a few times. No sound was heard.
With the car running, if I turn the wheel from lock to lock while standing still (in park, or in drive and standing on the brakes), no clunk/pop/snap is experienced.
So, while driving slowly, if I turn the wheels more than a 1/4 turn or so in either direction, I will hear the noise while turning. The sound will happen over and over again, it is not a one time sound.
Suggestions for further diagnostics? Thoughts on what the issue could be?
Car is a 1997 automatic coupe, with ~34k miles.
Recently, I have been experiencing a clunk/pop/snap sound when turning in either direction at parking lot speeds, such as when pulling out of my garage, or in to/out of a parking spot.
Diagnostics so far:
With the car completely off, I muscled the steering wheel from full lock to full lock a few times. No sound was heard.
With the car running, if I turn the wheel from lock to lock while standing still (in park, or in drive and standing on the brakes), no clunk/pop/snap is experienced.
So, while driving slowly, if I turn the wheels more than a 1/4 turn or so in either direction, I will hear the noise while turning. The sound will happen over and over again, it is not a one time sound.
Suggestions for further diagnostics? Thoughts on what the issue could be?
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,493
Likes: 1,178
From: Dyer, IN
I meant to put this topic here, but put it in general discussion by mistake.
Car is a 1997 automatic coupe, with ~34k miles.
Recently, I have been experiencing a clunk/pop/snap sound when turning in either direction at parking lot speeds, such as when pulling out of my garage, or in to/out of a parking spot.
Diagnostics so far:
With the car completely off, I muscled the steering wheel from full lock to full lock a few times. No sound was heard.
With the car running, if I turn the wheel from lock to lock while standing still (in park, or in drive and standing on the brakes), no clunk/pop/snap is experienced.
So, while driving slowly, if I turn the wheels more than a 1/4 turn or so in either direction, I will hear the noise while turning. The sound will happen over and over again, it is not a one time sound.
Suggestions for further diagnostics? Thoughts on what the issue could be?
Car is a 1997 automatic coupe, with ~34k miles.
Recently, I have been experiencing a clunk/pop/snap sound when turning in either direction at parking lot speeds, such as when pulling out of my garage, or in to/out of a parking spot.
Diagnostics so far:
With the car completely off, I muscled the steering wheel from full lock to full lock a few times. No sound was heard.
With the car running, if I turn the wheel from lock to lock while standing still (in park, or in drive and standing on the brakes), no clunk/pop/snap is experienced.
So, while driving slowly, if I turn the wheels more than a 1/4 turn or so in either direction, I will hear the noise while turning. The sound will happen over and over again, it is not a one time sound.
Suggestions for further diagnostics? Thoughts on what the issue could be?
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 1,147
Likes: 1
From: Mohegan Lake New York
had the same noise as you described it was the sway bar end link .yopugrab it and see if any play,jack front of car up periodically checking it for plaY ANY PLAY REPLACE you probally hit a pothole or something
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 247
Likes: 41
From: Blue Springs MO
Did you find anything? If you have not had the swaybar off recently, dont have poly bushings, and dont have an obviously broken or loose end link I doubt it is sway bar related. It may not make the noise in the air anyway with the suspension unloaded.
These cars do have an ISS. If it is at all designed like the other GM failures this is a big possibility. Literally thousands and thousands of Grand Prixs, Regals, Monte Carlos, Impalas, etc have this low speed only, turning only, clunk.
These cars do have an ISS. If it is at all designed like the other GM failures this is a big possibility. Literally thousands and thousands of Grand Prixs, Regals, Monte Carlos, Impalas, etc have this low speed only, turning only, clunk.
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
You may want to un-bolt and lightly grease the front sway bar bushings. The rubber is old and probably stiff and dry. They might even need to be replaced.
I did this to our 2001 after it began making similar noises @ 50,000 miles. No problems since after 2 years.
I did this to our 2001 after it began making similar noises @ 50,000 miles. No problems since after 2 years.
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 116
Likes: 2
From: Rochester New York
Did you find anything? If you have not had the swaybar off recently, dont have poly bushings, and dont have an obviously broken or loose end link I doubt it is sway bar related. It may not make the noise in the air anyway with the suspension unloaded.
These cars do have an ISS. If it is at all designed like the other GM failures this is a big possibility. Literally thousands and thousands of Grand Prixs, Regals, Monte Carlos, Impalas, etc have this low speed only, turning only, clunk.
These cars do have an ISS. If it is at all designed like the other GM failures this is a big possibility. Literally thousands and thousands of Grand Prixs, Regals, Monte Carlos, Impalas, etc have this low speed only, turning only, clunk.
Yes, I finally got time to tonight to investigate this. My end links were a few pounds short of torque spec, so I tightened them up. That wasn't the problem though.
So, I put the car back up on jack stands continued looking. I eventually found that it was being caused by my newly installed stainless steel brake lines. I sheathed them with rubber hose, and voila, clunk/pop sound gone.
Thanks everyone!
