What causes a grinding noise when I turn left in my 2002 Saturn L100? I have taken it to the dealer twice and each time while the mechanic rides along, my car makes no noise. The next day the noise returns. I take my Saturn to the dealer for regular maintenance and have never been told that there was a problem with the tires, alignment, or power steering unit.
soonerteach,
Can you tell if it is noise from front or rear (maybe with windows down)?
Do you hear the grinding when making a 90 degree turn, at a corner, going fairly slow?
Can you make the noise with the car stopped by turning the wheel?
Can you hear it make the noise going faster by just turning slightly on a gradual curve or when changing lanes?
Have you noticed if it does it more when you first start driving or after driving for a while?
Does applying/not applying the brakes influence the noise?
Is this an automatic transmission or manual? If it’s a manual, does the choice of gear or clutch-in / clutch-out change the noise at all?
Please give more information and someone will be with you shortly to help.
This could be one of those intermittent problems that requires letting someone from your repair facility take it home for the night.
It makes no noise when your mechanic rides along because his or her weight is changing the positional relationship between the things that are coming in contact with each other to cause the grinding noise. This is a clue to what the problem is. A wild thought: Take a bright flashlight and look under the fender wells and under carriage for signs that a tire or wheel might be rubbing on a body or frame part. Park your car on a very level spot and inspect it to see that the body is level. Inspect your tires for signs of uneven wear or rubbing. Good luck and let us know what you found.