Front left clunk due to change from deceleration to acceleration
- Thread starter JHZR2
- Start date
How many miles on the ODO ????? Was the original owner a kid or cabbage patch ???? Garaged or left outdoors most of the time ???? Any maintenance records ????? Any bodywork / repainted nose or fenders ???? Check for ocean waves in the body,,,tell tale sign of bondo., or use a magnet in different areas....,,no grab....bondo under paint........... More info needed on it's 1st life. That will help point everybody in a better direction.
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JHZR2
Staff member
That’s how I tested it exactly. No movement to note.
Note the noise is only when the drivetrain is braked hard, so something shifts.
lol not exactly diy-centric then, is it?
I don’t think that this audit is necessary to answer a simple question on practices to diagnose a clunk.
But 201k, like new, most records/paper receipts, no body work, paint pristine. Minimal signs of some surface rust, garage kept.
As noted, I’ve replaced sway bar links (was a different clunk, easily diagnosed). This still occurred, of course, since it is a very specific condition that causes it. I also replaced struts, shocks, and rear springs. All were looking pretty old and due, never changed. And no change to clunk presence.
This video may be of help. Jack the wheel up and turn the wheel by hand left and right, listen for clunking or movement in the cv axle, it should be tight. These are extreme examples but you get the idea. Wear in the roller bearings cause noise, wear in the housing will usually show itself as a vibration. I usually rebuild them with GKN (OE) parts and boots as new axles for some of the old Saab cars are scarce.
That second video is wild! That's a ton of play. Smart of him to illustrate with boot removed.
That was not an audit. Just an information question. This car may have come from some kid who beat the daylight out of it for all we know, or a flip from an accident. Don't get so upset over it. But, BITOG's need some basic info to start from. A " simple clunk", could be a million things. You didn't even give up the year of the vehicle. We don't have crystal balls, nor have the car in front of one of us to diagnose. Being you're insulted by the questionair, take it to a dealer and pay the piper.
Thanks! Now, that is a great pictorial post!
Actually, the year and model number were the first sentence in the first post.
He provided you the basic information, no crystal ball needed.
Further, he stated the diagnostic steps to date.
I called a local MB dealer last week for a diagnostic on my 2002 W210, they said they do not have any mechanics who can work on a pre-2005 car.
JHZR2
Staff member
Crazy. Wonder if that’s because of obsolete computers for diagnosis, or what. Most work doesn’t change between a 50yo car and a modern one.I called a local MB dealer last week for a diagnostic on my 2002 W210, they said they do not have any mechanics who can work on a pre-2005 car.
Back in the early 2000s, I took some diesels to the then-local dealer, and they had the foreman work on it because he had the most expertise. But that was relative to the engine work. Nothing on the suspension or other parts was unique.
Reminds me of one of my favorite "Car Talk" moments when Tom & Ray would be stumped on a diagnosis, one of them would ask, "what color is the car?"
Long story how we got there, my grey beard, Indy mechanic suggested going to the dealer as my issues pointed to a possible ABS system failure, and he thought it may be covered by MB's 25-year extended warranty for ABS modules but needed to dealer to diagnosis for warranty purposes. The W210 has a 38-pin diagnosis port as well as the OBD-II. All relevant info comes from the 38-pin port. I have a Foxwell NT-510 that is up to the task, but it pointed to several areas. Net/net the warranty extension was only for W211's, grey beard has now determined I have a bad steering wheel sensor which is NLA. He is willing to roll the bones and have me get a used one off Ebay and he'll install it.
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