joegreen

Hello, my es has a really loud clunking noise that i think is coming from the front. If you are driving slow down the road it makes a constant clunk clunk clunk. It goes away at higher speed or if you accelerate or if you brake. So it only makes the noise at slow speeds when the car is not picking up speed or slowing down. Could this be a cv joint issue?

ES300NZ

if you can record the sound it would help, but it sounds like;

- loose wheel nuts,
- very worn ball joints,
- bad engine mount,
- damaged shock(s) - known as shock knock.
- worn lower arm bushes.
- zombie requesting to be peeled off the under carriage, using stone to get attention.

joegreen

i recorded the noise i am just waiting for my phone to upload it to youtube.

DRACO A5OG

If the clunks matches the speed then most likely CV joint boot have opened up causing the noise. Replace boots.

If it clunks while on a rough road at low speed. It is your steering rack mounting bushing/s ( my Gen has only 1 ). It will need replacing. It is not a fun job. Ask me how I know. If you had a hard time aligning the car, you will know why.

joegreen

i am still trying to upload the video. My phone sucks.

BDSL

Is the noise proportional to engine speed or wheel speed?

If it is proportional to wheel speed, start having a look at CV joints, brake rotors, axles, etc.
If it is proportional to engine speed, then start having a look at motor mounts, pulleys, etc...

joegreen

its only proportional to wheel speed. It only makes the noise when you are going maybe 20mph or less and it goes away if you are accelerating or breaking. I am still trying to get the video to you tube. Everytime i upload it it gets a certain distance then fails.

DRACO A5OG

If CV boot tear, it will always be there and it will sound like a constant knocking/rattle.

I bet it is the steering rack bushing. Raise the car and see if their is side to side play/slop on the front wheels.

joegreen

my phone finally decided overnight to upload the video. You cant see anything in the video you just have to listen. The sound is a little hard to hear but it gets better half way through the video. I am just idling through a parking lot.

DRACO A5OG

It is a rotary type noise so I default to CV joint and or Axle. It could also be wheel bearings.

Take a closer look at inner and outer cv boots and check bearings for slop.

ES300NZ

I chucked some headphones one, cranked the volume and listened a couple of times. I head something loosely striking something else. It's probably rotating, it actually sounds like a loose wheel slapping the hub (I doubt it), it's definitely two bits of metal striking each other. Could be an axle/half shaft striking something like a sway bar (broken link?)

it could be a loose (crappy) brake pad moving around. it couple also be a bad hanger bearing.

Honestly, that could be alot of things, bit certainly needs to be checked out/resolved.

If it were my car, I'd put it in the air, take the wheels off, and disassemble stuff on the corner I thought it was occurring on.

DRACO A5OG

Remember noise transfers.

What I thought was rear actually came from the front. Strange I know but you will be surprised. Check all four corners

joegreen

i will check everything. and remember the noise goes away when accelerating or braking so it only sounds without a load on probably a rotating part.

ES300NZ

... (just a thought) so, the noise changes when the suspension goes up and down (which it would do), as the car transitions from braking to acceleration.

DRACO A5OG

I just realized something.

When our rear motor mount crumbled away, it dropped the engine down enough to have the CV joint rub against the chassis.

It would get louder when I accelerated and when lifted off or braked it would go away.

Check passenger side CV joint near the chassis and motor mount.

You can cheat when swapping the motor mount. You can grind off the long tips of the mounting bracket to make it fit.