Knocking noise

Maintenance/Repairs
,
1

I hear a faint hollow knocking noise which seems to come from the steering column. It happens when I accelerate, shortly after I’ve started the car. Of course it doesn’t happen every time and didn’t happen when I took the car to the dealer. It’s a 2010 Accord.

2

Does it knock just once each time?
Or twice?
Or three times?
Or…?

Does it happen only after you have started the engine and driven a few feet?
Or can it happen any time that you accelerate?

I believe I know what this very normal noise is, but I need your answers in order to firm up my guess.

3

Check to see if it happens when you first start the car after several hours of resting, and if it happens right around the 10 mph mark.

If yes, then that is the ABS system self check.

BC.

4

That is exactly what my theory is, BC.

I am wondering if the OP never before had a car with ABS.
Then again, some cars make more noise than others when they run their normal ABS self-test, and the type of noise does vary somewhat from one make to another.

In most cases, I would describe the sound as a “clunk” that is heard just once, only after a cold start, and after driving forward for anywhere from 10-30 feet.

5

It’s usually two or three knocks and varies as to when it happens. Usually it is when I first start off from a stop after just starting the car. After I’ve driven a while it doesn’t happen. If the engine if off for a while - even just 15 minutes, it can happen again when it is restarted and I start driving. I know the ABS sound, which is different. This almost sounds like a ping pong ball rolling around. I have taken everything out of all compartments to make sure that wasn’t the issue and it still happens. I googled this a while back and found something about the air conditioning that may be the issue. I tried driving without the ac for a short spell and it didn’t happen but it could be coincidence since it is random. I’ve used the ac since I bought the car in May. It hasn’t been cool enought to drive without it here (with windows up so I can hear) so I haven’t been able to check it long term without ac.