Ka-thunk noise

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

Hi all,

I am hoping the knowledable people out there can help me out with a mysterious noise that has arrived in my car. I am hoping to sound somewhat informed before I take it to the mechanic and they tell me to just add oil.



The other day my car started making a ka-thunk noise when I come to a stop. This noise seems to be coming from somewhere on the passenger side. The dreaded ka-thunk happens at the first 3-4 stops I make after my car has been sitting for a long time (overnight). The car is also making a strange whirring noise or maybe a metal on metal noise when I get the car going above 25mph. Any help pointing me in the right direction is greatly appreciated.

2

The thunking noise MAY be associated with some part of the suspension, perhaps a worn or broken mounting bolt. There isn’t anything rolling around in the back or under the seats? In the spare tire compartment?

The metal noise could be a heat shield spinning on it’s last mounting bolt. Who knows? A close inspection while moving/thumping things may make it show up.

3

To begin without sounding critical since I am a total amature (sp?), always begin your discussion with a description of the year, make and model as well as the milage of your vehicle.
I would offer the following:

  1. Possible motor mount (rubber mass) which connects the engine to the chassy.

  2. Possible CV joint and its boot. You can check this out easily by looking inside the wheel.

  3. There could be other things such as a harmonic balancer but this noise usually starts when you first start the engine.

Hope this helps…GGR