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My Noisy Swift

5.2K views 8 replies 9 participants last post by  Max  
#1 ·
Alright, here is one that a mechanic and a tire and exhaust garrage have failed to solve. My 1997 Swift GLS is a fine we motor, however when going round thight right bends like on a roundabout (i shold point out that my car is a right hand drive) a knocking can be heard from below the passanger seat (or around that area). it doesnt seem to be detramental to the car itself but it can be quite annoying when going round a roundabout, other than that it is never present. Like i said its been to a mechanic and a tire and exhaust garrage, and both have found nothing wrong with the car, and both have said that she is a great we car, which is nothing less than i would expect from a swift. My we swift has been to a tyre and exhaust garage, he took it out for a spin and heard the knock. He put the car on a mount and looked under the car, at the wheels n all. His words were "shes in perfect condition" and he said that he has no idea what is making the noise. The performance of the car is perfect as i would expect from a japanees car, esp a swift. The stearing, breaking, acceleration and everything feel grand, the only time you hear it is when going round a roundabout. I havnt heard it at any other time. Ill do my best to describe the sound. get a soilid desk and knock under it as you would if you would knock on a door. This is why i thought the exhaust was loose, but its, as the guy said, in perfect contition and nearly split new!
**** this is confusing, please help.
 
#2 ·
I am not sure I had the same problem, but it does sound similiar. What it turned out to be was a bad wheel bearing in the rear of the car. I had a roundabout a block from the house, so I heard it everyday and one decided to get it checked out. After the wheel bearing was replaced....no more knocking. Might be worth checking. I also remember that the mechanics had some difficulty getting the bearing in there right. Took 2 trips before they got it right. Hope that helps. :)
 
#3 ·
HI there.... if the knocking is at a consistent rate when going around bends then i would agree with the bearing.... however, if its inconsistent and not uniform..... meaning it knocks more at different times then its the position of the exhaust knocking against the bodywork of the car..... it may look fine when up on the ramps, but what people dont realise is that there can be up to an inch or two movement when the car is accelerating/decelarating & turning corners..... believe me - it doesn't take much movement for it to create a knocking when under duress..... check it out and let me know how you get on.....
Paul
 
#4 ·
Hi, this was always a problem not a lot of people could get their head round. If it is the bearing then so be it, its easy enough to fix. One possible explanation is that every car' frame and components move or bend slightly when in motion, more so when turning. (as the post above so rightly states). As we all know Swifts are not the most solid cars on the market with a lot of owners complaining of rattles, shakes, knocks etc, therefore when in motion or turning (as the components move slightly) noises will be heard that little bit more. That goes for nearly every Swift owner ive met but we get on with it and love them even more.
 
#5 ·
Better late than never

Its a homokinetic joint...fixed to a rotating axle, which delivers power from engine to wheel
wheels turn in corners, axle cant bend, but joint can.
when bad, it knocks while cornering under acceleration

this part can be bought new or used but the best compromise is to buy it reconditioned, that way you get it like-new, for an acceptable price. :thumbsup:


why people at the garage couldnt tell this with all the information at hand (turn knocking)
I'm no mechanic, but this is such an obvious cause (had it on previous cars fixed)
I think those mechanics need some basic training for starters... :(
 
#6 ·
i had the exact problem with my 97 suzuki swift, the problem on mine had absolutely nothing to do with any really crucial parts. on mine, the exhaust uses a floating system, i.e. it freely moves about under the car, and due to that, during a tight right turn, it tends to vibrate up against the metal protective plate of the gas tank. i solved mine simply by bending the pipe to allow for more travel, which solved the problem instantly.

its worth giving a try before spending time and money on bearings
 
#7 ·
Sounds like a brush to me - mine had the same problem. If it is it can actually be quite dangerous. (Of course, my diagnoses come purely from having various things go wrong on my car, and 'brush' could be another name for the homokinetic joint mentioned above.)

If the car feels like it is sliding out from under you on turns, that is evidence of it being a brush. Not a nice feeling, especially when you live at the end of 15ks of windy road always driven by locals at too high a speed!
 
#8 ·
it will sound crazy but i think your engine mounts could be gone!
ball bearings ,cv joints , but most definatly ur engine mounts are causing a greater play in the engine bay so it could be the muffler hittin on something. though b4 u replace them do make sure cv joints are ok.
normally its the first mecchanical problem most cars go trew
 
#9 ·
Is the noise speed sensitive? Meaning faster or slower sounding depending on the cars relative speed. If constant through dif speeds, I'd suggest a non-rotating part such as exhaust or mounting interferrence.

My FIRST thought though, is a bad CV joint. It would also fall into the mentioned speed sensitive scenario. OR a wheel bearing as mentioned.

I've even had wheel WEIGHTS hitting suspension parts on certain vehicles causing this type of noise.

To determine an impact type noise...carefully examine the entire underside for apparent shiny spots where the touching of mating surfaces may be the prob.

Just my $.02 worth. :)

Max