Would Love Some Input On A Noise - 2017 V6

cbdallas

Active Member
Oct 11, 2017
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Hey guys, 2017 V6 automatic. I have a noise emanating from the right side of the car, toward the front, down low. The sound reminds me of what you would hear inside the cabin if someone rapped on the outside of the passenger door with a glass bottle. A medium-sharp popping noise. It's the loudest when I'm driving 2mph - 20mph over imperfect pavement. Big bumps, train tracks, potholes don't do it. It's during small suspension travel or during braking from very slow speeds. If I run over a long strip of those center-stripe reflectors on the road, it gets really loud. I can make it happen repeatedly when I apply and release the brake in quick succession at very low speeds. It's loudest between 1mph and 5mph.

To further complicate it, I had someone ride with me last night to see if he could pinpoint it while I drove, and the entire time he sat in the passenger seat, the sound was absent. He hopped into the back seat on the passenger side, and I could make it happen again using the brake. But the sound isn't coming from the seat itself. It's coming from outside the cabin, possibly under the passenger floorboard. It rattled and banged all the way to work this morning, even when I applied pulling and pushing pressure on the passenger seat back.

I removed the wheel and the rear half of the fender liner last night and found absolutely nothing that looked odd. The sill extension is tight and nothing is broken or loose on the side of the car. I thought it was the brake caliper banging back and forth, but it's tight as well. The strut and links all look good.

My plan WAS to take a service writer or technician for a ride so I know someone at Ford has witnessed it before handing the car over to them, but having someone ride in passenger seat stops the noise, so that idea's out.

I know this is probably a one-off issue, but wanted to see if anyone else has experienced this, or have any idea what it may be.

Thanks for any input!
 
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Found & fixed. Right strut wasn't tightened down in the top mount. Doesn't seem like 1/4 turn cinch-down could make this much difference, but the car is back to her normal, quiet self.

While I was crawling around under the car night-before-last, I discovered a rear main seal leak (car has 3,000 miles on it), so the dealership gets to see me anyway. Fun fun!