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For those with clunks/noises/knocks. 3 easy fixes.

18K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  biggee72 
#1 ·
I've been frustrated for a while with three different clunks, knocks, and noises. I finally got them figured out and hope that this post will help a few people.

Clunk 1: This one was fixed the first time I went in. Dealer found it quickly. Going over speed bumps, noticeable clunk in front suspension: Dealer re-tightened loose strut mounts, clunk went away.

These 2 took a few trips to the dealer to figure out and will be explained together in detail from a post I made in another thread:
Clunk 2: Steering colum looseness/vibration/feedback/clunk
Clunk 3: Going from R to D, loud metallic clunk

YESSSS!!! Finally got it figured out! Had NOTHING to do with the trans like I dreaded! I talked with a Ford Tech and he rode in the car with me. We went from D-R-D-R over and over and found out it wasn't the trans making the knocking noise, it was the brake pad shims. Sounds crazy that they could make that loud of a noise, but that's what it was. Every time he hit the brakes, it would knock, and I was thinking it was the trans shifting. Turns out that the shims weren't designed to clamp on tightly and so they move a little when the piston presses on them and there's 2 or 3 so when they slap together they make a loud noise. The grease had worn off of them (Ford puts a few drops on them instead of coating them) and so there was no buffer between them. All we had to do was put some caliper grease on them and the sound completely went away.

The knocking and feedback in the steering wheel was due to a Mazda 6 TSB for lack of lube on the telescoping steering colum splines and coupler. He sprayed some white lithium grease on them and the problem completely went away. Two friggin' easy fixes and I LOVE my car again and don't feel like setting it on fire and rolling it down a hill, lol. Man, I got all worked up over almost nothing...it's always something small like that that's easily fixed but seems like the end of the world, haha. Now my car is perfect again!

The cool thing is that the Tech let me stay in the shop with him while he worked on my car and showed me everything he was doing. Props to him for fixing something easy that the other two trips to the shop couldn't.
 
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#4 ·
[quote author=Steve27 link=topic=134999.msg2904577#msg2904577 date=1233513098]


The knocking and feedback in the steering wheel was due to a Mazda 6 TSB for lack of lube on the telescoping steering colum splines and coupler. He sprayed some white lithium grease on them and the problem completely went away.
[/quote]

Sorry to resurrect this old topic, but I think I have the same steering column problem. I FEEL a clunk in the steering wheel; I don't hear anything. I happens mostly at slow speeds when coming on and off the clutch - say in slow traffic - and more when turning left. Does this sound like what you had fixed?

Has the fix lasted since February, or has the problem returned? Do you know where the mechanic accessed the steering column splines? Do you happen to know the number on the Mazda TSB?

Thanks,
Jim

06 Mercury Milan - I4, Manual
 
#5 ·
[quote author=jaero link=topic=134999.msg3371566#msg3371566 date=1255649039]
[quote author=Steve27 link=topic=134999.msg2904577#msg2904577 date=1233513098]


The knocking and feedback in the steering wheel was due to a Mazda 6 TSB for lack of lube on the telescoping steering colum splines and coupler. He sprayed some white lithium grease on them and the problem completely went away.
[/quote]

Sorry to resurrect this old topic, but I think I have the same steering column problem. I FEEL a clunk in the steering wheel; I don't hear anything. I happens mostly at slow speeds when coming on and off the clutch - say in slow traffic - and more when turning left. Does this sound like what you had fixed?

Has the fix lasted since February, or has the problem returned? Do you know where the mechanic accessed the steering column splines? Do you happen to know the number on the Mazda TSB?

Thanks,
Jim

06 Mercury Milan - I4, Manual
[/quote]

I have the same issue.
 
#7 ·
Well this fix worked for my car. I did it myself last night in about 25 minutes. It only requires one tool - a 12mm wrench - a bit of grease, and some time spent squeezed into the driver's side floor area. I used wheel bearing and brake drum grease which, being more viscous than the white lube that was in there, makes the telescopic steering column stiffer to operate, but I'd rather have that then a clunking feeling in the steering wheel. The difference was immediately apparent; the clunk is gone!! :lol:

If you're feeling a clunk or knock in the steering wheel, check out the TSB link in the post above. You may want to give this a try.
 
#8 ·
So today my passenger side clunk is now accompanied by the driver side. The more you mention it, it may be the brakes. It always happens from R-D-R-D and I always come to a full stop before shifting. Also, the more I think about it, the clunk happens whenever I lift off the brake.

So where was the grease actually applied? The backside (metal plate) of the brake pad or the pistons themselves?
 
#9 ·
UnderEstimated, It sounds like your car is suffering from a different problem than mine. My clunk wasn't audible; I could just feel it in the steering wheel. The TSB addresses lack of lubrication in the steering column splines; that is where the grease is applied.

However, I do hear a small metallic click or clunk when switching from reverse to first gear after using the brakes. Several of my cars have made a similar noise that was due to the brake pads shifting back and forth slightly in the calipers. If the noise is especially bothersome and you want to try lubrication as a fix, you can apply some caliper pin lube (wheel bearing grease may be a good choice here too) to the edges of the metal brake pad backing plates, where they contact the calipers. It should at least quiet things down for a while.
 
#10 ·
[quote author=UnderEstimated link=topic=134999.msg3372598#msg3372598 date=1255712794]
So today my passenger side clunk is now accompanied by the driver side. The more you mention it, it may be the brakes. It always happens from R-D-R-D and I always come to a full stop before shifting. Also, the more I think about it, the clunk happens whenever I lift off the brake.

So where was the grease actually applied? The backside (metal plate) of the brake pad or the pistons themselves?
[/quote]

It's applied to the brake pad shim. It's been probably 8-10k miles since then and I've had no problems :) . Quick, easy fix.

BTW, when the mech took off the shims to lube them, they looked like they didn't have but a drop or two of lube on them from the factory and all that had worn off. That's where the noise was coming from.
 
#11 ·
[quote author=jaero link=topic=134999.msg3371566#msg3371566 date=1255649039]
[quote author=Steve27 link=topic=134999.msg2904577#msg2904577 date=1233513098]


The knocking and feedback in the steering wheel was due to a Mazda 6 TSB for lack of lube on the telescoping steering colum splines and coupler. He sprayed some white lithium grease on them and the problem completely went away.
[/quote]

Sorry to resurrect this old topic, but I think I have the same steering column problem. I FEEL a clunk in the steering wheel; I don't hear anything. I happens mostly at slow speeds when coming on and off the clutch - say in slow traffic - and more when turning left. Does this sound like what you had fixed?

Has the fix lasted since February, or has the problem returned? Do you know where the mechanic accessed the steering column splines? Do you happen to know the number on the Mazda TSB?

Thanks,
Jim

06 Mercury Milan - I4, Manual
[/quote]

Update: Unfortunately, the problem came back. I let it get a little more pronounced before taking it in this time. The service manager drove the car with me in it and he said he could definately feel and hear it. Ended up being that the steering rack needed to be replaced. They replaced it with no issues or questions. No problems since but its only been 1k miles.
 
#12 ·
Steering rack replacement on a 2007 vehicle!!!! :shock: Best of luck to all of us when our warranty's runs out is all I have to say.
 
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