Don't overlook the simple

[BuzzStPoint]

Been fixing up my '00 impala For awhile now it's had this popping sound in the front on brake and accel. Nope, it's not suspension. All parts are new. Going back and forth checking things and finally determined it was the engine cradle bushings. Needed either updated bushings or the corrected shim kit.

I lowered the cradle and looked at the bushings. Don't seem to be bad. Torqued to specs but the sound was still there. Last night I take another peek at this popping sound because it's one that has gotten in my head and a jet engine wouldn't tune it out.

As I'm poking around the engine bay, I start some maint on the car. I seen the battery dirty and starting some corrosion. Remove the corner angle brace.....That's odd. Those bolts weren't that tight. Just slightly beyond finger tight. Cleaned battery and did some other things. Torqued the braces to spec and took it for a ride. Popping is better.. Tightened the braces more. Popping is completely gone.

Stupid corner braces. So never overlook the simple things......

 

[robert graham]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

Must have been some flexing in the front end caused by lose angle brace....easy/cheap fix!...don't you love it!...

 

[Lion hunter]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

I crawled around a car for days trying to find a clunk once. Take off it would clunk, stop to fast it would clunk. I shook and tightened everything to no avail. I finally found my USMC right angle flashlight under the seat....dang that thing makes a lot of noise!

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

If anyone has a new Ford Explorer with a center console between the driver and passenger, there are 2 10mm bolts on the rear of the console near the bottom, move each seat forward a bit and they become easily accessable, I have done ten of these SUV's(making police cars out of them) so far this year and these two bolts have never been tightened, they can be taken out without any tools what so ever just two fingers....

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

If anyone has a new Ford Explorer with a center console between the driver and passenger, there are 2 10mm bolts ..

You folks using metric fasteners now or is that vehicle made outside US?

 

[greenbush future]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

At the dealership that would have required at least 3 new Fetzer valves and untold amounts of pre primer solution lube. Glad you were able to fix it. It drives me nuts when I cant figure out squeeks in cars.

 

[wifisher]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

You folks using metric fasteners now or is that vehicle made outside US?

All new cars use metric regardless of manufacture point.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

All new cars use metric regardless of manufacture point.

???
Did not know that....find it hard to believe....but will take your word for it.
Thanks.
Must have been a hard sell in many parts of the US though.

 

[BuzzStPoint]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

Domestic automakers have been using metric on vehicles for years. More common now..
For example. My 1979 Mustang, Driveshaft u joint bolts 12 mm.

Most common bolts now days are 10, 13, 15 and 18 mm bolts.

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

When i worked at Dodge I looked for a squeak in the back of a mini van with no luck. Enden up finding a Styrofoam cup under the back seat.

Another noise that drove me nuts was three washers that were hung on a wire in the drivers door from factory.

 

[drewmitch44]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

I had 2 struts and strut mounts replaced for a noise and some other suspension things replaced and paid more than 1G. Finally they could not fix what was causing it and sud jested that i take it to the dealer. I did not want to do that so a buddy and me were poking around under the car and with a telescoping magnet my buddy picked a 3/4 socket from a part of the frame. It was in there banging back and forth! fished it out and problem solved!!! and a grand wasted!!! Was a snap on socket too and I have never owned snap on!

 

[rbh]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

I had 2 struts and strut mounts replaced for a noise and some other suspension things replaced and paid more than 1G. Finally they could not fix what was causing it and sud jested that i take it to the dealer. I did not want to do that so a buddy and me were poking around under the car and with a telescoping magnet my buddy picked a 3/4 socket from a part of the frame. It was in there banging back and forth! fished it out and problem solved!!! and a grand wasted!!! Was a snap on socket too and I have never owned snap on!

I heard the story of the guy that bought a new caddy, (I think it was) anyways every time he would stop or go he would hear a clunk, spent lots of money to have the problem fixed.
Nothing worked.
So one day he was pulling apart the back seat area and he found a beer bottle in the side panel.

 

[waterinthefuel]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

I heard the story of the guy that bought a new caddy, (I think it was) anyways every time he would stop or go he would hear a clunk, spent lots of money to have the problem fixed.
Nothing worked.
So one day he was pulling apart the back seat area and he found a beer bottle in the side panel.

It'd be my luck a cop would have found it first and given me an open container violation for it.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

I heard the story of the guy that bought a new caddy, (I think it was) anyways every time he would stop or go he would hear a clunk, spent lots of money to have the problem fixed.
Nothing worked.
So one day he was pulling apart the back seat area and he found a beer bottle in the side panel.

There is an urban legend about that.

There was some high end brand of an American car and there was a strange rattle in it. As the story goes...... there was a worker on the assembly line who would drink Coke (for those of us old enough to remember the small bottle from the crank coke machine) and the worker's job was to weld up the door pillar. Well..... what do you do with the Coke bottle (remember it was pre-deposit era).....oh slip it inside the door pillar and weld up the panel. I guess it made quite a rattle and the panel had to be cut open to find it.

I understand that MANY food wrapper's and objects have been found in the past. We actually found a Japanese wrench (stuck on a bolt) inside a Prius once at the Toyota dealership ......... it had made the trip from the factory in Japan to Vermont.

Buzz you are lucky...... I have seen some car's come from the factory that were missing welds, had bolts not tight and or missing.

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

There is an urban legend about that.



Buzz you are lucky...... I have seen some car's come from the factory that were missing welds, had bolts not tight and or missing.

+1
One sales rep once told us that they would forget things on purpose (non safety related) to see if it would be picked up on pre delivery.

 

[bassman284]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

+1
One sales rep once told us that they would forget things on purpose (non safety related) to see if it would be picked up on pre delivery.

Interesting. I spent 22 years working for and OEM auto supplier and never heard of that. Trust me, the factories screw up enough stuff by accident that they don't have to do it on purpose. One time we were quoting an I/P for GM and put on a dog and pony for a visit by GM folks where we got local car dealers to loan us some cars with our components on them. One was a Chrysler Sebring convertible with mismatched door panels. The GM folks enjoyed that one.

Back in 1970, my dad bought a new Pontiac Catalina that started making a grinding noise in the front after a couple of weeks. Sounded like a wheel bearng. Turns out, the right front wheel bearing wasn't greased.

 

[j_martin]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

My father's brand new 1957 Plymouth came without any lube in the differential. I was eight years old at the time, and I still remember the awful noise that thing made as my angry father drove it home from the twin cities. (about 60 miles) It got so bad it totally jammed up a couple of times.

He was p...d, and the dealership put in a new rear end quickly and at no cost to him.

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

Interesting. I spent 22 years working for and OEM auto supplier and never heard of that.

He may have told us that to cover some of the dumb things that we had found on PDI. It was when I was at Toyota. Also they may have been testing to make sure the PDI was being done to speck because of some of the warranty claims being submitted.

When I was a Dodge we had a W150 come in from the factory that the vin said it was a Dakota. The dealership could not sell it on till that was straighten out. Even the frame serial number said it was a Dakota.

Yup even the factory makes mistakes.

 

[infideltarget]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

In the parts sales biz, We used to call those cars "monday-friday cars"...meaning they must have come down the line on a monday (after a weekend of partying) or on friday (preparing for the party). We always (jokingly) told the customers to look for the wednesday cars when they were shopping for their next car.

 

[PS94]

Re: Don't overlook the simple

Don't trust things made in October, either.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW7auqNBje4