'02 P5/45k miles
1. This usually happens when I'm just creeping slowly like when maneuvering into a parking space. I hear a faint clunk just as the car comes to a complete stop, and with the steering wheel turned. Does this seem normal. I'm guessing/hoping it's the brakes sticking a little.

2. I don't know if this is related, but when parked, if I turn the wheel to the right and let go, then slightly bump it to the left, I can hear a faint clunk (or knock; These text noises are a bitch),as if there is play in the steering system. It does not do it in the other direction. Please tell me it's not likely a CV joint. I've popped the clutch to chirp a second a few times, but I didn't think it was enough to be punished by the CV demons.

 

Maybe I need to simplify the question or move it to another forum. It's beginning to make the same noise as I slow to a stop from a higher speed. Like slowing for a red light from 40 mph, I may hear 6 or 8 faint thumps (clunks may be too strong of a description) from the front end. This is while stopping in a straight line too.

I'll give it a couple of days, reword the question and probably move it.

 

hmm....have you checked the cv boots to see if the grease is leaking from them? It's very uncommon for un-abused cv-axles to break before 75K miles. The noise you're describing sounds like an axle though so you may be right. put the car on a lift and turn the wheel by hand, see if ou can hear/see any strangeness or clunking.

 

Thanks Roddimus. The boots are clean, dry and intact, so I'll try your advice. I did buy the car with 34k on it, and for the first couple of months I couldn't resist catching a second here and there, depending on who's looking. In about 4k miles she's going in for warranty work, mostly little stuff, and they can probably tell me what it is and which one. Guess I'll be stuck with that job though. Right now it's not affecting performance, just an irritating flaw in my lil hotrod.

 

I know the feeling. As a former mechanic/technician I can tell you we see FWD axles last between 75-120K miles. If I bought a FWD car in that mileage range I would factor in buying new axles, but I've NEVER had an axle go bad...even my supercharged contour SVT with LSD and drag radials. My SHO had about 300whp and 300lb/ft and I did break an axle at the drag strip. $400 later I had axles that would hold a 100hp shot off the line with drag radials.

It might not be a bad idea to upgrade axles if you need to replace them. if you can install them yourself it should come about the same as having the dealership instal stockers.

 

I drive a 2002 protege LX and I have that same problem with 24,000 miles. But then i also kinda have a reason for this because I've done quite a few jumps and drifts in the car, I've even landed and drifted during landing on a few of the jumps, so I guess I had this coming. Im just hoping it wont be too much to fix the problem. And yah it started off kinda quiet for me but now almost everytime i brake or hit a hard bump it makes the most obnocious clunking or popping. If you find otu the problem let me know what it is for you and maybe I can find otu what it might take to fix mine which is probably in worse shape than yours.

 

Yeah yours probably is more busted up than mine. I gave up flying cars some time ago. Maybe with my '69 Chevelle SS, possibly a couple of flights and sliding power turns in my '79 Camaro.

 

You did NOT drift a protege...you may have dragged the *** end around but that isn't drifting...you simlpy cannot drift a fwd car. PERIOD.

 

Holy crap relax, drift is just the word i use to refer to makign the whole back end lose traction, jesus you act like its the end of the world. Anyway yah whenever you find ot whats wrong with yours let me know rusty.

 

In another thread, started by HubbMP5 on June 17th, in this same forum, 02SiLvRBullet reports what sounds like the same noise I'm hearing, and it turned out to be the rotors. Had them turned and the noise went away. I'll check that out.

 

I was originally thinking that because my rotors have actually turned a blue color. But it doesn't just happen when i brake now. Also I had heard from a guy I know who used to build race cars for mazda that it could be loose pads. But I had it checked out and it turns out the nboise is inside my transimission, and it makes sense cause when i just normally slow down i can get multiple clunking noises and when turning and accelerating. So its on to the dealership where im gonna soak a new tranny with my warrenty lol. Hope yours just turns out to be the rotors lo. Cya

 

Yeah Rusty, I notice that mine clunks/thuds as well, though only sometimes, and definitely when I come to a stop. AND...It's definitely coming from the REAR.

I've got around 8800kms on an 03' ES.

Well, I found a TSB about this. Taken from:

http://www.alldata.com/TSB/33/97333166.html

R00198: APR 03 Suspension - Rear Suspension Clunking Noise

R00298: APR 03 Suspension - Rear Suspension Thumping Noise

What in the REAR susp. could make any noise, unless something was loose?

If I take my car to the dealer and give them this number, what can they do about it...?

 

I can hear those thumps in the rear too so it seems sometimes. I'm not absolutly sure anymore what it is cause the guy at the dealership 3when he heard the symptoms described said it could even be the motor mounts. After like 3 differnet mechanics checking the car out I could know exactly whats wrong with it. But none of them said anythhing ab9out the suspension even when i said i thought it COULD be thesuspension they've said the suspension was perfectly fine. Who knows hopefully the dealership can jsut fingure out whats wrong and fix it. I would suggest you just take your car to the dealership and have them check it out. They are going to be the ones most capable of finding and correcting the problem.