It started 2 weeks ago. THe left side suspension makes a "knocking" sound whenever it goes over the slightest bump or uneven surface. It almost sounds like something is loose and it's hitting something b/c of it. Toyota denied me of service since i have aftermarket springs.

What could be the culprit here ? i'm going to take a look at it this saturday but i'm kind of worried since i commute to DC everday which is pothole central. i hope it's nothing but a loose bolt

 

Well they shouldn't "deny service" ... I'd think they should still look at it and tell you what's wrong - but the repair just wouldn't be covered under warranty.

Anyway... have you replaced anything else in the suspension? How long ago did you replace the springs? Who did the work on them?

 

everything else is stock.
I bought the car used at 23k and replaced it with hotchkis at around 35k. Got ti installed by one of the recommended shops posted in the midatlantic section.

The dealer said that there will be a $250 charge just to look at it. The stock springs were sold for $50 bucks to a local guy.

 

check to see if the strut bolts are loose. you probably didnt tighten them once more after driving for a bit after doing your suspension..i had the same problem.

 

Sounds more like you might be completely out of the bumper to bumper warranty then.

Oh, and $250 to LOOK at them is ludicrous.

 

i now have 41k miles. I did get the extended warrenty but i guess it wont cover the suspension.

 

Oh, if you have extended then you would be OK. But they are sort of right about the springs - but only SORT OF. The only way they can deny the warranty claim is if they can show that the non-OEM springs are the direct cause of the problem. If it's something with your steering or some other part that is not related to the springs or independent of them, it should still be covered. But some dealers are worse than others about that sort of stuff.

But try what joe said, check the nuts on the top of the strut tower. Also try jacking the car up at that point and try to move your wheel - wiggle it or something. You might be able to hear it a little better and pinpoint where it is.

 

yea the mechanic that checked out my car has a modded tc himself so i doubt he'll lie about the source of the problem. He said that it's coming from the strut/spring area.


The top nuts are the ones under the plastic shield where you remove the clips with a screwdriver right ?

 

Oh, so someone at least did visually look at it quick? I had assumed they said $250 or f-off.

And yes, those are the ones you want to check out. Also while you have the wiper cowl off to check the tower nuts, try taking the cover off the top of the strut itself and make sure that one single nut is tight on the top of that.

 

you mean the bolt under the dust cover ?

http://www.upshizzle.com/public/view/full/5637

 

Yep you should check if that bolt is tight enough. The same thing happened to me when I had lowering springs.

 

That's the one. Like rice noted, it's happened before. Hopefully you'll get lucky and it's just something in that area.

 

haha I've been having some knocking under the hood on the driver side too and I tried what you guys suggested about the strut nut and tower bolts. I tightened them a little and I don't think that was my problem. I did notice that a nut on my cold air intake was loose though so I went ahead and tightened that - hopefully that fixes my problem. I just wanted to share my discovery in case you've got a cold air intake or something else that could be knocking around loose under the hood.

 

That's what i was trying to say...

 

Did anybody say a blown strut? If the bolts aren't the problem, that sounds exactly like a blown strut.

 

hmm i thought a blown strut doesnt make any sounds.

I thought the car just bounces up and down whenever it hits a bump.

 

It makes a clunking noise to my knowledge.

 

is the rubber boot broken through? so the spring is hitting the top hat? i had that problem with mine.

 

I would bet money that where the piston on the strut bolts on to the top hat didn't get seated right.

The top of the piston there are notches that the top hat slides over. if you don't get it set right it will eventually loosen up and start clunking, sounds like the front end is going to come apart.

 

edit:

I just checked all the top bolts and they are all secure.