Clunking noise help
 

Hey guys,

I recently picked up a 2017 brz PP and am hearing a clunking noise coming from the rear I can't seem to locate. Car is all stock with just over 15k miles.

Noise is present going over bumps at low speeds (under 50) and seems to go away at highway speeds. It's definitely coming from the rear, more so the passenger side but sometimes the driver's side as well. It's sounds like something is loose and clunking around.

When I had winter tires put on I asked the dealer to check out the rear suspension and they didn't find anything loose, and of course couldnt hear the noise. I don't know how because it's there literally every time I drive the car. I tried folding down the rear seats thinking it may be the latches. The noise got louder so I assume it's coming from the trunk area. I noticed my spare tire wasn't snug and the trunk tools we're a little rattly. I tightened down my spare and added a bunch a weather stripping to the underside of the foam tool holders. Noise didn't get any better.

I know brz's are kind of famous for interior rattles but this just seems ridiculous. It's my understanding that tsb 12-140-12 is only for early models but I wanted to hear if you guys had any other suggestions. My nest step is going to be removing the spare and tools all together. Which I'm actually hoping doesn't work because I'd rather have that stuff in my car.

Sorry for the novel but thanks in advance for any help!

eh interior rattles aren't really a big issue either...if you don't feel any mechanical hindrance while you're driving then just get a louder exhaust or else you're gonna be wasting your time looking for these things on a platform where low NVH wasn't a priority..

Interior rattles don't bother me too much. There are a couple small ones here and there and I can live with them. But this is a decently loud clunk. Almost like the spare is bouncing around or a strut is blown.

Granted it is winter and Minnesota roads are crappy, going through neighborhoods or small towns is pretty bumpy.

Check your rear sway bushings and end links. Seems way too new for anything to be worn but...


If they are nice and tight, check the shock top mounts. Can't do that while the car is on a lift. I'd be really surprised if either are loose but you never know.


Oh, lastly, someone mentioned a loose third brake light fixture. Check that too.

Thanks! I'll check these things out and report back

1. Is the rear seat-back fully latched in the upright position on both sides?

2. If you lower the rear seat-back and go for a drive does the sound change?

It’s not the seat belt clip banging against the panel?

Rear seats are fully locked. Lowering them only makes the sound louder

I don't think so, sounds like it's further back than the belts. But I'll double check

Here's a link to a video I took of the noise this morning:

https://youtu.be/z_GCXNsPqdM

Tried securing the seat belts and that didn't work. I will try looking at the suggested suspension components this weekend when I have some time

I'd suggest you check the brakes (make sure the calipers are bolted down tight).


humfrz

From the sound of you video I am 100% certain this sound is coming from the EPS unit. Sounds exactly like mine. It can be hard to isolate. Sometimes it sounds like it's coming from the rear sometimes it sounds like it's coming from the passenger footwell. My son would be in the car and while I am saying it sounds like it's coming from his footwell he is telling me it's coming from my footwell. Eventually I narrowed it down to the EPS unit which is mounted to the steering column right behind the dash. The EPS seems to only make sounds at parking lot speeds and over very small but sharp bumps like road reflectors.

This morning on the way to work I wanted to find a nice long stretch of reflectors and cut the ignition while going over them to see if the sound stops when the EPS loses power but with traffic and all I didn't get a good chance. If this method works it would be a good way to prove if EPS is the source.

I have a 2013 with 97K on it. When I got the car it had 83k and didn't make this noise. It started after my first autox and suspect it was due to the high loads put on the EPS when autoxing. My car is completely stock suspension wise.

Here are some videos from the EPS thread which give good examples of how it sounds:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgCXPEGruRs[/ame]

And this one when hard braking:
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SO_5JbGiig[/ame]

Wow, this noise sounds almost identical to mine. However, I do not think this is my issue.

I am fairly confident my noise is coming from the rear. On my way to lunch I pulled my EPS fuse. It was a beast to turn but my noise was still present.

Well disabling EPS was just a theory, I'm not convinced the noise would go away. I will pull my fuse later and see what happens.

I have had problems with my passenger seat rattling, I know others have already pointed that out but have you tried reclining it and then forcing it all way back so it is pressed firmly against the rear seat. This should remove any free play have and maybe solve the sound.

Let me know if your noise goes away once you pull the fuse. I'm curious if cutting power would actually stop the rattle.

But I'll give the passenger seat a try too. Thanks for all the great suggestions everyone!

I know we're just pissing into the wind but that clip sounds suspiciously like either of the issues I suggested.


Can the EPS chatter be confirmed simply by turning the wheel ever so slightly while the rattle is happening? I've never experienced it in person.

I am with you on this. Most of the other issues mentioned here create a snap crackle or pop. That is a good solid clunk and I do not believe it is any of the "normal" sounds.
I am 95% sure that this has been mentioned by other early PP buyers and it was something to do with the springs but can not find the threads where it was discussed.

Look for the simplest solution first.

I had a similar clunking sound from my front end. Only heard it at low speeds, on turns and over bumps.


The tire shop couldn’t locate the problem, said it was solid and told me to take it to the dealer. The stupid dealer told me it was struts. I changed those out with some used ones from eBay. Didn’t fix it. Ended up changing the ties rod end and sway bar link on the right side and that didn’t fix it. All the parts looked good when I tested them but I changed anyways since I already had them off. Then one day I just got determined to locate it so I got underneath the car and pull and pushed on everything. Ended up noticing the front grill was pushed in from parking the car over one of those wheel stops and having the rebar pull the front end a little and popping the grill in. Popped it back in and am relieved to have finally found and fixed the clunk.

I'll try to get under the car in a few days and check out your suggestions. The snow will be coming down pretty good the rest of the week so I'm going to be staying warm inside.

Just figured I could try the EPS fuse real quick at work.

I have the same thing on my '19 86 w/ trd suspension @ 6k miles. It seems to only happen at low speed on big lumps in the road. There are a couple right outside my house that always cause it. The road has these kind of dips that cause the car to go up and down a lot, where at higher speed I think the shocks absorb the bumps and keep the car more level. Sounds like something might just be loose in the trunk, but I don't see anything that is. Haven't given it much concern though. If I find out what it is I'll let you know.

The fuse had zero impact on the EPS chatter on my car so that method of ruling EPS out is a fail. Wow is it had to steer without PS. 13:1 ratio is no joke. Even when moving it’s nuts.

Clunking noise help
 

My car does have a thump when turning the wheel left/right with the car parked and turned off. Thump isn’t a good description though. It’s a lighter and higher frequency sound. Crank it probably a better word.

I will grab some audio recording of what mine sounds like when turning the wheel while parked and what I hear on road reflectors and under braking.

Edit: oh you are talking about while moving. I will give that a shot next time I’m out.

Yeah, I figured loading it up to one side or the other would do it.

Well then I won't rule that out for me either.

If I put my head over the dash I don't hear my noise coming from up front. If I stretch my head over the back of my seat I definitely hear it louder coming from the rear. The sound could be resonating around and a passenger would sure help locate it. But for now I'll focus on the rear end and keep this in mind if that gets me nowhere.

On mine you can put your head down by the pedals and yank the wheel left and right and clearly hear it coming from the EPS unit. If you do that test and don't hear it coming from the EPS unit then I'd say that isn't it.

I did some testing this morning and under hard braking it goes nuts but if you turn the wheel slightly while braking the sound stops.

Makes perfect sense.


And for the PS unit to develop such a rattle really is disappointing.

Early on you said the sound changed when you put the seat down. Did you take everything out of the back and the seat down? With the back open to the metal you can hear the back suspension at work.




There was something early on but like tcoat my memory fails, what were we talking about?

I am experiencing the same problem with a 2019 Series Gray. At 500 miles it started making the clunking noise at lower speeds on rough streets. The clunking is very noticeable in below freezing temperatures and seems to disappear as temperatures rise. I have had the car in two different Subaru dealers five times, with no solution. On the third visit, they used Subaru's "chassis ears" to try to locate the source of the clunking. On the fourth visit, they replaced the right rear shock, which made no difference. On the last visit, they put the car on the alignment rack and loosened and re-torqued all rear suspension fasteners, this made no difference. I had a 2014 BRZ Limited for 55,000 miles with zero issues, so this problem is very frustrating. I am hoping someone can find a solution or I will need to move to a warmer climate.

Dang. I hope this isn't something that just comes with the cold weather. The dealer is looking at the car tomorrow and I will report back with what they find.

If you have the oem audio system or added sub in the back, they get lose. I have a clunk whenever I brake hard.

Stock audio system, stock everything. I removed everything from the trunk (tools/spare) and folded down the seats and the noise is still there.

Heard back from the dealer today. They inspected/tightened all suspension components but didn't find any problems there. They confirmed there was a noise and believe its coming from the struts although there were no visible leaks. They ordered me a set of new rear struts and top hats but Subaru has them listed on backorder until April. Hopefully they come in a bit earlier but I'll update you guys when they do.

errr....dont think it's the strut at all. That's just blind guessing, aka I don't know what to do so i'm gonna replace this thing.
noise from the rear if it's clunk, it's gonna be one of the bushing/brake area/diff & sub frame area. cuz nothing else moves.

You also said noise goes away when it's warm. meaning it's likely small clearance issue


find someone else who has a twin & let him drive it while you sit in the back, maybe that will help you locate where it's from.

I'm not 100% sold that its a strut either. But hey its under warranty so I wont complain about free parts.

I don't think I said it goes away when its warm. Hard to tell during winter but whether its -20 or 20 it doesn't make a difference.

Exact same thing the dealer told me. But mine was out of warrantee and I wasn’t paying dealer prices for struts. Also said struts were on back order. That must be the standard operating procedure when they can’t find problem. Lol

Not joking. Squat down next to one of the rear wheels, grab hold, and shake the shit out of it in sync with the frequency it wants to bounce.


You will find the clunk.

Or. It was a strut and they just don't have a huge stock pile of them.

Did you learn that trick from Bubba??

:eyebulge:


humfrz

Yup