It sounds like a bag of rice

Maintenance/Repairs
1

My wife’s car is a 2007 Corolla. She told me the car is making a noise that sounds like a shifting bag of rice. I rode in the car and we stopped at the end of the street and then started into a left-handed u-turn and it sounded to me like we ran over some light gravel/sand on the right-front, but we didn’t - that was the sound. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Happens when giving it gas while going into a sharp turn - either direction. She’s not sure that it happens 100% every time, but it does happen regularly. Hoping someone else here has experienced this sound before and can tell me what it is. Thank you.

2

Anytime a vehicle makes a noise while turning, the first thing that is checked for is a worn wheel bearing.

Tester

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3

I agree with @Tester and ill add that the second thing to check is a constant-velocity joint.

2 Likes
4

Check the spare tire well.

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5

+1
What the OP thinks is the sound of something solid that is shifting could actually be water sloshing from one side of the spare tire well to the other side.

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6

Or a plugged A/C drain vent…

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7

If everything above checks out, check that the A/C (evaporator) drain is not stopped up…

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8

Thanks so much for your attention and thoughts on this. I’m taking the car in for a brake inspection soon and will have them check the bearings as well. We noticed some previously unseen drips of water in the same area (right-front) on the carpet under the dash by your feet recently, so the A/C drain sounds like a good possibility as well. The spare is in good shape in the rear. I’ll come back and update when I know more. Thanks again.

9

When Rod Knox said to “check the spare tire well”, he was referring to the WELL in which the spare resides. That depression can contain water if there is a leak in the weather seal around the trunk lid, or even if there is a small leak from the area around the tail lights.

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10

Got it. Thanks for the clarification. I will check that too.

11

Ask the shop to show you the location of the AC drain for future reference. I am surprised that it went 18 years unless you live in an arid region.

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12

Not sure about bag of rice sound but low power steering fluid or clogged power steering fluid reservoir filter can make some noises.

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