clunk, rattle, and a bump....?! - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

shadowtag88 · 10-31-2010, 06:50 PM

hello all,

on a 05 corolla automatic with ~60k miles

my mothers car has recently developed a rumble/clunk/ vibration. it really wories here and i took a look at it.

at first look, i started it up not expecting anything at all actually and i heard a low frequency clunk. it sounds like a big heavy piece of metal clunking metal. i thought theres definitely something wrong. i took a look at the front motor mount as the engine was shut of and started again and noticed a good amount of movement.. considering ive never looked at this part when there wasnt somethign wrong.. i guess i dont know if that was the problem...

on a related note.. i hear this "clunk" when hitting large bumps in the road as well. but it has to be a decent sized pothole or dip. otherwise you cant hear the clunk. when i do feel the clunk, i can feel it through the brake pedal slightly.. which i guess could mean anything....

ive noticed this only happens really when the car is dead cold. when i first got in with the engine totally cold, i started and stopped and started again a few times and experienced the same clunking. but once the engine was warm and i tried starting it up a few times, i got nothing. and could not induce the clunk even by hitting bumps on purpose.

usually if i hit a really big bump in the road after the car is warm, i can ever so slightly hear it. but it has to be a big buh bump....

could it be transmission mount? it doesnt vibrate the shift lever any more than normal.. i dont think..

thanks!

Ohiowa · 10-31-2010, 06:56 PM

Perhaps a sway bar bushing or tie rod end?

shadowtag88 · 10-31-2010, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ohiowa

Perhaps a sway bar bushing or tie rod end?

i thought the same thing. but that wouldnt explain why i can hear the clunk when the car is sitting still. (when im starting it)

ALSO, nothing happens when i rev it in neutral, or park. plus it drives like normal and i wouldnt know anything is wrong if i didnt hear it.

shadowtag88 · 11-01-2010, 11:26 PM

and..... uh BUMP...

shadowtag88 · 11-20-2010, 01:53 PM

anyone have any idea at all.

shadowtag88 · 11-23-2010, 02:36 AM

i know there must be someone out there who has experience... =\...

owais · 12-12-2010, 01:01 PM

I'm also curious to know what this is. My 07 Corolla S with 46k experiences the same sound.

shadowtag88 · 12-12-2010, 03:36 PM

well i figured out on my OWN. that it was a bent exhaust "bracket"

it wasnt any of the mounts as i initially suspected. it was actually a piece of metal that i suppose would prevent the exhaust from dragging on the road if the muffler hanger were to fail. it just goes across the cavity in which the pipe sits. On my moms car, she must have driven over something the bent the cross bar up and caused the exhaust pipe to hit when vibrating violently. When the car was cold, the engine probably moved more so than when warm. so i m mostly heard the noise when the car was cold.

good luck with your noise. and good luck getting any help on this forum.

owais · 12-24-2010, 08:58 PM

Thanks for your help. Not sure if that's what my problem is. Nothing looks broken on the bottom.

shadowtag88 · 12-24-2010, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by owais

Thanks for your help. Not sure if that's what my problem is. Nothing looks broken on the bottom.

nothing really LOOKED broken in my case. and i suppose nothing was.. there was just a bent bracket.. is it a constant clunking when u first start the car? describe your issue more.. or is it exactly as i had described my experience.

owais · 12-24-2010, 11:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadowtag88

nothing really LOOKED broken in my case. and i suppose nothing was.. there was just a bent bracket.. is it a constant clunking when u first start the car? describe your issue more.. or is it exactly as i had described my experience.

It's really odd. It sounds like a metal clunk, but only happens once within the first 30 seconds of driving. It doesn't happen every time either. But when it does happen, I can't get it to happen again.

shadowtag88 · 12-24-2010, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by owais

It's really odd. It sounds like a metal clunk, but only happens once within the first 30 seconds of driving. It doesn't happen every time either. But when it does happen, I can't get it to happen again.

hm does it happen everytime you start the car? and does it start right away? or once you put it in drive... /gear

owais · 12-24-2010, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadowtag88

hm does it happen everytime you start the car? and does it start right away? or once you put it in drive... /gear

It doesn't happen immediately or every time after starting the car. I can leave it running for 10 minutes and it won't happen. But as soon as I start driving it within 30 seconds it'll make the clunk. Really strange.

shadowtag88 · 12-24-2010, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by owais

It doesn't happen immediately or every time after starting the car. I can leave it running for 10 minutes and it won't happen. But as soon as I start driving it within 30 seconds it'll make the clunk. Really strange.

uhm.. do you use the parking brake....?

owais · 12-24-2010, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shadowtag88

uhm.. do you use the parking brake....?

Nope, car's automatic.