Unexplained rattle- Driving me crazy

[Mortz]

Hey guys when I bought my Legnum a few months ago it had a slight rattle from the front of the car around the passenger side. Slightly mettalic and squeaky and only over bumpy/hilly or fast left corners. I test drove the car a few times and I was sure that it was either the heatshield of the exhaust or a loose hanger or something.
Got a RACQ check and was told it was the exhaust, a quick fix. So since i've bought the Legnum I have replaced the hangers on the exhaust, got the heatshield checked and have been told that it's NOT the exhaust.
Thinking it may be a ball joint I then took the car to Pedders and was told that it may be a bearing in suspension, greased it up and the problem persists so it's not that. They did a 24 point check too and couldn't find anything wrong with suspension. tho it is pedders...
I have the car booked in for Friday at Mitsu to see if maybe they can figure it out, because im baffled and was wondering if maybe you guys have any ideas or similar issues. Seems to be coming from near front passenger side of the car, in the suspension or something, which is why i thought it may be a ball joint. Any help appreciated, drive the Leggy as a daily so it's really getting on my nerves and making me really hate taking the car out as I live in a hilly area and it's constant

 

[happymatch]

i have a simillar problem and well, in my case, there were two problems. one was loose exhaust and other, still have not figured out. it makes metallic noise when i do fast or sharp left corner. i thought it was ayc problem but it was not. n a high speed ayc activation, there were no noise at all. it was from more likely the rear rather than front but yes i am suspecting ball joints too. someone told me to tighten the suspention bolt thing... it would be interesting to find out as well..

 

[Guest]

Are the pads a bit loose in the calipers. I have had a rattle since i fitted carbotech pads and they cause that type of noise

 

[matchtheclown]

Both me and tom have a noise we can't ID which isn't that bad but is annoying. It's quite high pitched and it almost sounds like a cricket is in the car.

I suspect suspension. I'm going to take mine to the place that does the sway bars and get them to give it a good going over.

 

[Guest]

do you both have boot load covers?

try taking it out, this makes a fair bit of noise sometimes

 

[Adrian]

I have the same kind of sound, and no its not the boot cover, it comes from the front passenger I have no idea what it is.

 

[eddyvr4]

There are a couple of metal brackets that support the front of the big plastic splash protector under the engine. mine were very loose and making a bit of a rattle. I would think pedders would have found that though.

having said that, my car still has a squeak coming from the front over bumps that has a similar pitch to like a pad dragging, but couldnt be, as touching the brake doesnt alter the sound. Cant hear it with the windows up..

 

[Mortz]

All good ideas guys, gives me a few things to check. The sound is like 2 stage. Like rrrkkk rrrrrk sorta noise. I swear it's suspension related and Pedders are just too lazy to find it.

 

[eddyvr4]

my cars had a persistent & annoying squeak from the front (passenger side poss) since i got it. not always there, mostly at low speed etc. seems to go away after driving for 10 mins or so, (maybe once some heat into joint?) . Not brake related

Anyway i removed and replaced the driveshaft on that side to replace a split boot and While i was there i sprayed with wd40 the swaybar mount, and the long bolt that secures the damper "U' bracket to the lower control arm. Noise now seems to have dissapeared.

 

[snickells]

my cars had a persistent & annoying squeak from the front (passenger side poss) since i got it. not always there, mostly at low speed etc. seems to go away after driving for 10 mins or so, (maybe once some heat into joint?) . Not brake related

My Legnum did that too. Must be a common fault with these cars. Luckily the new Galant didn't come with JDM squeak.

 

[Guest]

Another thing to check out is the rubber stoppers that that the bonnet sits on. I traced my front end squeaks to them. You can try winding them up a couple of turns.

 

[pu-11-me]

Mine was the front bar on the blue car. Fixed it up when I did the trans cooler. I found it was the little steel tabs that the screws go through, rubbing against the bar. Yet to fix it on the white car though....

 

[drez]

just an input, happenned to my honda accord few yrs ago.
the kick wall, front passenger seat is bolted to the chassis
it does make noise sometimes, high pitch too if the bolts come loose

took me few mths to find that one out

is the noise come from inside or outside?

 

[Tom]

I had an annoying creak that turned out to be a strut bar thingy at the front with very loose bolts (I suspect who forgot to tighten them back up, from when I got work done)..

Another high pitched squeek I discovered comes from my bonnet!

When I shake the corners of the bonnet where it is bolted on to the hinges it makes a similar squeek..

Also, another suspicion you could suspect may be a loose panel or something on the inside of the car?

 

[eddyvr4]

i just checked my bonnet, and sure enough if you rattle it up/down at the front the latch squeaks. I wound out the 4 stop rubbers a quarter of a turn, now it closes nice and tight, no more movement/squeak.. great!
No squeak at the hinge end.

 

[OVR444]

I am now part of this 'exclusive' club. Yesterday I noticed a sound (comming from what I could tell, under the passenger side); which sounded like an exhaust heat shield jumping around loose. Pulled over; couldn't see anything.

When I got home; put the car up on jack stands and took a good look with some good lighting and still can't see anything... sprayed some silicone spray on the suspension components including the ball joint as discussed above; so I will see how it goes.

quite worrying though when you hear it. Car does not feel any different however, still accelerates, brakes, turns perfectly.

 

[pauly]

Im victim too of the dreaded "eeerrrr eeerrrrr, eeeeerrr eeeerrrr" noise from the left passenger....i can hear it good when im doing a slow brake or driving over bumps... even whem im doing a slow reverse with the wheel nearly at full lock theres a fair bit of noise...driving me nuts !!!



Going to pedders on mon to see of they can sus it out ;/