Popping/Knocking noise - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Aszaszin · 09-23-2009, 11:34 PM

I have a 95 Celica GT that I have owned for a couple of years now. I started driving home the other day when I started hearing this popping/knocking noise from somewhere in the front, and I thought it might be a CV. I limped it home trying to keep the rpms low as the noise wasn't as loud then. The next day I drove it to where I had access to tools, but the sound had disappeared. Two days later it came back, and I drove it straight to the place I had tools. I jacked one side up and checked for play, but it was fairly solid. While that side was jacked up, I ran through the gears, and no noise and no wobble. Did the same with the other side, and nothing. I drove it around the block and I could hear the popping again. It appears to happen only when I am accelerating or decelerating and gear doesn't matter,but no noise when its up on a jack. Anytime I am coasting, or keeping the RPMs steady it disappears. It doesn't make the noise around corners, except when I am accelerating. Im not sure what exactly it is that is wrong, and I don't want to waste time guessing. Has anyone come across this?

TBayToyotaBoy · 09-24-2009, 12:26 AM

Can you narrow-down a little more exactly where the sound is coming from? Left or right side? Does it sound like metal-on-metal? Give us as much info as you can...

Aszaszin · 09-24-2009, 12:48 AM

It kinda sounds like two pieces of metal striking each other, maybe like a klack(pop,knock). It is quite loud and distinct. As I can't get it to make the noise except when Im driving its hard to pin point its location. It sounds like its coming from the center, like from the transmission/transaxle area, but thats guessing from behind the wheel. As this is the area I suspected, I checked the tranny oil level and made sure it was full too. Forgot to mention, its a manual transmission.

RobMilkshakes · 09-24-2009, 06:59 PM

well next time you start hearing it if you can, push the clutch in and rev the engine real quick or let it go down to idle or down shift so that you slow down if you are only hearing it accerating/decelerating. I'm saying this because it may help eliminate if it is isolated to the driveline or engine related. like if the sound stays relative to your engine's revs or with the vehicle speed.

otherwise, the first thing I would think of you already seemed to check. were all the boots in good shape? any grease anywhere?

Aszaszin · 09-24-2009, 07:32 PM

The sound seems to stay relative to speed, and not RPMs. All the boots look fine and I don't see any grease on the outside. I was out trying to pinpoint area again today, and found that I could stop the sound by turning the wheel. People were looking at me funny while I did donuts in the street.

RobMilkshakes · 09-24-2009, 08:41 PM

do you feel anything or just hear it? meaning like do you feel it in the steering wheel, any odd vibrations or I felt my cv joint going through the floor of my ae92.

Aszaszin · 09-24-2009, 08:53 PM

I can definitely feel it through the floor when it is making the noise, but me and my passenger disagree on which side it is coming from. We both feel like it is on our side. If it was a CV joint, it should be making the noise when I turn, not go away when I turn, correct?

Aszaszin · 10-04-2009, 04:39 PM

I made a guess that it was a bad CV joint on the drivers side, because I could get the very slightest (less than a mm) movement in and out on the drive axle. I inspected it and found no evidence for need of replacement. I decided to remove wheel hub and bearings to inspect them, but found no evidence for need of replacement. I cleaned the bearings and repacked them, and put everything back together. I had to move the car because the space was needed and it made no noise. I have driven it for two days and have not gotten the noise. Im not sure if something wasn't tightened down right, or the bearings needed to be repacked, or if its just a matter of time before the noise returns.

RobMilkshakes · 10-04-2009, 05:34 PM

yeah its a possibility that maybe something wasn't tightened down. I've had that several times before, but never a very loud sound. anyway good luck on it not returning

CJCride · 10-04-2009, 06:08 PM

Just a chance it could have been a stone etc. caught behind the hubcap.

Though I doubt you would have felt that through the floor.