# It sounds like a bag of rice **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [September 10, 2025, 2:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/it-sounds-like-a-bag-of-rice/204047 "2025-09-10T02:58:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dale.athy\_184955](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@dale.athy\_184955](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dale.athy_184955)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2025, 2:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/it-sounds-like-a-bag-of-rice/204047/1 "2025-09-10T02:58:58Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2025, 3:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/it-sounds-like-a-bag-of-rice/204047/2 "2025-09-10T03:26:13Z")
Anytime a vehicle makes a noise while turning, the first thing that is checked for is a worn wheel bearing. Tester ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2025, 4:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/it-sounds-like-a-bag-of-rice/204047/3 "2025-09-10T04:23:22Z")
I agree with @Tester and ill add that the second thing to check is a constant-velocity joint. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2025, 10:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/it-sounds-like-a-bag-of-rice/204047/4 "2025-09-10T10:31:53Z")
Check the spare tire well. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2025, 1:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/it-sounds-like-a-bag-of-rice/204047/5 "2025-09-10T13:25:13Z")
> [@Rod-Knox](#): > > Check the spare tire well. +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. ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2025, 1:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/it-sounds-like-a-bag-of-rice/204047/6 "2025-09-10T13:29:54Z")
Or a plugged A/C drain vent… ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2025, 1:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/it-sounds-like-a-bag-of-rice/204047/7 "2025-09-10T13:29:59Z")
If everything above checks out, check that the A/C (evaporator) drain is not stopped up… ---
**Author:** ![dale.athy\_184955](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@dale.athy\_184955](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dale.athy_184955)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2025, 3:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/it-sounds-like-a-bag-of-rice/204047/8 "2025-09-10T15:21:53Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2025, 4:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/it-sounds-like-a-bag-of-rice/204047/9 "2025-09-10T16:00:13Z")
> [@dale.athy\_184955](#): > > The spare is in good shape in the rear 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. ---
**Author:** ![dale.athy\_184955](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@dale.athy\_184955](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dale.athy_184955)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2025, 4:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/it-sounds-like-a-bag-of-rice/204047/10 "2025-09-10T16:03:15Z")
Got it. Thanks for the clarification. I will check that too. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2025, 1:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/it-sounds-like-a-bag-of-rice/204047/11 "2025-09-11T13:32:37Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Jerome-Silverman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/71e660/32.png) [@Jerome-Silverman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jerome-Silverman)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2025, 2:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/it-sounds-like-a-bag-of-rice/204047/12 "2025-09-12T02:54:56Z")
Not sure about bag of rice sound but low power steering fluid or clogged power steering fluid reservoir filter can make some noises. ---
**Author:** ![dale.athy\_184955](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@dale.athy\_184955](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dale.athy_184955)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2025, 8:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/it-sounds-like-a-bag-of-rice/204047/13 "2025-09-29T20:39:46Z")
Update: I checked the spare well, which was clear. I took the car in for a brake inspection at a tire place and I also asked them to check the wheel bearings (which were good). The right front disc was slightly warped so this seems like a possibility for the noise perhaps. My wife verified that the sound doesn’t always happen when you would expect it to happen again, but it’s still happening. That’s all I have for the moment. If/when I understand for sure about the noise, I’ll post again. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2025, 9:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/it-sounds-like-a-bag-of-rice/204047/14 "2025-09-29T21:47:01Z")
Did you check that the A/C (evaporator) drain is not stopped up??? ---
**Author:** ![dale.athy\_184955](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b4bc9f/32.png) [@dale.athy\_184955](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dale.athy_184955)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 2:46pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/it-sounds-like-a-bag-of-rice/204047/15 "2025-09-30T14:46:24Z")
Unfortunately not. I meant to ask the mechanic at the tire place but I forgot. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 3:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/it-sounds-like-a-bag-of-rice/204047/16 "2025-09-30T15:09:51Z")
Is there a puddle under motor when you park after using ac? Ya ever look? Would you wonder why there is a wet spot under car? ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2025, 3:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/it-sounds-like-a-bag-of-rice/204047/17 "2025-09-30T15:51:15Z")
There are tons of videos on Youtube showing how to check and clean the vehicle AC drain .