I don't know if the issue is with my suspension (and I don't really think that it is) but I figured this would be the place place for this thread....anyways:

This problem started a week or 2 ago, every now and then when I turn the steering wheel I hear this noise. It sounds like grinding but I wouldn't go as far as saying that something is grinding because it's very very faint. It does it alot on inclines. It's more or less garunteed to do it on inclines actually. Sometimes when I'm stopped in traffic I can just sit there and turn the wheel left and right and it constanly makes the noise...other times it doesn't make the noise at all. I know this sounds stupid but I haven't been able to determine whether I can feel anything in the steering wheel or not. I haven't had the time to jack it up and investigate but I will be doing so this afternoon. Any ideas of what could be going on?

 

First STOP TURNING THE WHEEL WHEN STOPPED all you are doing is chewing up the tires and working the power steering like crazy. Second if you have your brakes on then you are ALSO WORKING THE CALIPERS and probably the ABS system. What you are hearing is probably the power steering belt slipping from overload or the tires getting chewed up or the brake caliper pads slipping on the rotors. Could also be a few air bubbles in the PS fluid system.

 

thanks for that advice
it does it while i'm driving though....not just when I'm stopped

 

Humm where are all the digital recorders when you need one to record a weird sound huh! Check the power steering fluid in the left rear of the engine compartment (facing the engine from in front) and see if the fluid level is ok and make sure it is not foaming. Jack up the front end and check for play in the suspension and check the sway bar ends for bushings to make sure nothing is missing. Also the owners manual says to check the suspension nuts and bolts under the front end every 5000 MILES can you believe that! You may have something loosing up under there and check to make sure nothing is draging on the end of the steering rack like a heat shield or anything you may have picked up from the road.

 

now that's some helpful info! thanks man. I didn't know there was a 5k mile rule for checking the suspension...I'm hitting 20k miles and figured its getting to be time to check that stuff out lol.

 

Yeah at 20k you are due for a front end check and check your tire pressure too and tread wear. Anything looking a little uneven or worn may require a front end alignment. Man I gotta do more driving 8700 in almost a year is not enough!

 

haha dang! I wish I only had 8200 in a year. The 80 mile roundtrip commute to work every day is not helping me at all in that department.

 

Maybe you should ask me how I average 45mpg with my xB.

 

Check the rubber boots on your CV joints. Doesn't take much dirt to ruin a CV joint. They will make a grinding, popping noise when turning while driving.

 

Geezz I hope you don't have CV Joint problems already but yeah another good idea to check them.

 

Update: I jacked it up in the garage last night, didn't see any noticeable wear or tear, didn't seem to be anything grinding together but the nosie seems to be coming from the center left area near the steering assembly/rack and pinion...I'm gonna be dropping it off at the stealership so they can deal with it as soon as I get some free time/time off work.

 

The Prius had a recall on the steering linkage under the dash - I hope the same guy/gal didn't design the xB steering - you might want to look there and see if anything is dangling under your dash before you take it to the dealer if you installed anything under there. The reason I suggested you check the PS fluid is that I changed mine and it made some weird noises until the air bubbles worked themselves out of the system and I had to keep adding fluid until they were gone too.

 

sounds like a blown cv joint.

 

Took it to Ron Rosner in Stafford (real close to where I live) The "belly mount" whatever that may be, was loose and needed to be tightened. It doesn't noticeably make the noise anymore but I think that it may still be there.

They waved the $92 dollar diagnostic fee and only charged me $50...I know they really didn't do anything worth $50 but hey, I can live with that and I give them props for not raping me...now hopefuly this noise is really gone.

 

Humm must be the rear center mount for the engine . . . been pushing first gear a little hard have ya? Like I said them under side bolts need to be tightened once in a while. A friend that races said to paint a stripe on all the nuts and bolts so you can tell when they loosen up.

 

i just recently got my rear motor mount replaced it was making a vibrating, grinding type noise. The noise was caused by the thread on the bolt grinding against the metal. its the loudest when i would make left turns.

I got in a mild accident which probably caused it but i think its also because that motor mount isnt the hardest thing to jar loose.

i went back and forth to the dealer for 2 months and they changed out my front axle and strut assembly before they figured out what it was. it was covered under warranty, dealer was very nice about it, they gave me a rental car for the week i left it there.

 

Why did you pay for warranty work? If those cradle bolts were loose you should'nt have paid a dime.

 

They said my lowering springs caused it to happen so no warranty...I think they were full of ish but I wasn't in a good mood that day and didn't feel like putting up a fight so I just paid the mere fifty bucks.

 

They don't call em Stealerships for nothin'.

 

yeah...exactly. Even though I got charged the $50 I got to give them props because they waived the $92 fee for the initial diagnostics.