I have a 2002 Saturn L200. It was my grandparents car and has been in pretty good condition since I got it about a year ago.
Since late last summer, the car has been making a noise on turns. I find that it is the loudest and longest when the car is cold (which is often in frigid Canada!). It started out very infrequent and quiet, but now it happens on almost every turn and is pretty annoying and worrisome.
I have brought this issue up with mechanics at two different locations. I have either been told that it isn’t an issue, or that they don’t know what it is, or that they have fixed it (by fixing other things), but the sound is still there.
Others have guessed it is the power steering or the struts, but no one can confirm anything for me.
If it actually isn’t an issue, it doesn’t bother me that much - but I would like to know what it is so that I can be confident that it won’t end up costing me a lot of money later.
If anyone has any advice or thoughts on what this may be, I would truly appreciate it! I haven’t found anything online that really matches what I have, and would love some answers!
Where is the smoke coming from? What does it smell like?
Please give us some description of the noise and exactly when it occurs. Screech, groan, bang, bump, what does it sound like? And where does it appear to be coming from?
Also, “Black Smoke?” Is there black smoke? Where does it come from?
A “black smoke noise”???
Your post refers to a noise when making a turn, but you never actually describe the noise, and you don’t tell us where it is emanting from!
Diagnosis via cyberspace is not really an exact science, but without some description of the noise, our guesses may fall very far from the mark in terms of validity.
And, you make no actual reference to the smoke in the body of your post.
When does the car produce smoke?
Where does it seem to be emanating from?
Does it stop at some point?
Do your mechanics think that the smoke is related to the mystery noise?
Right now, this situation reminds me of the police station whose toilet was stolen.
The detectives had nothing to go on.