I noticed a clicking sound coming from the outside of my Volt starting and stopping at low speeds. I uploaded a video capturing the sound....anyone know what is causing this??
2012 Clicking sound from outside car starting and stopping at low speed
bro1999
41 - 60 of 64 Posts
It's between the axle half-shaft and wheel hub. I actually bought a new washer and nut, but didn't feel like changing it. Dealer ended up fixing it for free under powertrain warranty.
Joined
·
5,592 Posts
Thanks. I may try to tighten the nut myself and see if that solves it. Oddly, the problem's appearance seemed to coincide with when I changed the set of tires over from winter tires. I've made sure the summer wheels are nice and tight, so maybe it is just a coincidence. Seems odd though, could be a clue to what the nature of my particular situation is.
Joined
·
1,490 Posts
Add me to the list... my 2013 with about 42k miles just started doing this last week (~2 weeks after a tire rotation, could be a coincidence). Still love my Volt, but I have been to the dealer many more times than I ever had to for my Nissan (once at 50k miles). Grrr, hope they don't hassle me about doing this under warranty...
Mine is currently at the dealership today as well. Funny that I had searched and found this thread just as another member was commenting. I sent the details to my service advisor.
They can hear the noise, but have been this far unable to find where its coming from.
They can hear the noise, but have been this far unable to find where its coming from.
Joined
·
63 Posts
Mines at the dealer right now. I was hoping it would only take an hour or 2, but they said it might take all day, so I had to get a ride home. Ugh. I told them I read on here that it is probably just loose nuts, they said something about shims that need to be replaced in the axle, is that just a BS excuse for taking so long or could that really be the problem?
Mine was fixed with a simple retorque of the left axle. Charged me for the labor since I am out of the 3yr 36k warranty. I figured a clicking noise would be covered by the powertrain warranty.
If I would have known they would charge me, I would have done it myself.
If I would have known they would charge me, I would have done it myself.
Joined
·
1,490 Posts
Are both sides normal right-hand threads? I'm used to the bicycle world where things like pedals have left-hand threads on one side, but wasn't sure if cars did this too. I'm considering tightening my driver side nut this weekend, just want to make sure I go the correct way
Joined
·
5,592 Posts
Welp, add me as yet another confirmed "loose axle nut" data point! I took off my left front wheel, tightened the axle nut, and voila! The noise has disappeared! Took all of 10 minutes. (More detail below, but first, a question...)
Question for people who ordered the newer bolt and the washer... Can someone describe the process to install the washer? How hard is it to take off the hub to get back there and install it? I may eventually do this "proper" fix down the road but for now this worked great.
For now, I ordered a 32mm socket from Amazon for all of $11 and had no trouble tightening the existing axle nut up a bit.
The only minor issue is that my torque wrench only goes up to something like 150 foot-pounds, so it's still not torqued to spec. Still, it was much looser than the spec previously. I had my wrench set to 100 foot pounds from the wheel nuts and the axle nut turned a bit tighter even at that lower setting.
Question for people who ordered the newer bolt and the washer... Can someone describe the process to install the washer? How hard is it to take off the hub to get back there and install it? I may eventually do this "proper" fix down the road but for now this worked great.
For now, I ordered a 32mm socket from Amazon for all of $11 and had no trouble tightening the existing axle nut up a bit.
The only minor issue is that my torque wrench only goes up to something like 150 foot-pounds, so it's still not torqued to spec. Still, it was much looser than the spec previously. I had my wrench set to 100 foot pounds from the wheel nuts and the axle nut turned a bit tighter even at that lower setting.
Joined
·
3 Posts
Thanks to everyone who has posted information about this. I've dealt with the click noise for several months now (after reading other stories) so now I have called around to my local (columbus, OH) dealerships and only one has ever heard of the issue. I'm hoping it's just the tightening of the axle nuts. There aren't many places that cater to Volts around here (previously lived in SoCal and it was much easier) so I'm hoping the dealership will be honest and upfront with me.
Joined
·
5,592 Posts
My clicking came back shortly after I tightened the existing nuts, so I've ordered the new bolt and washer combination. I hope it's not a wheel bearing, that seems unacceptable at 40k miles and I'm sure the dealer would say it isn't covered under the powertrain warranty.
Can anyone comment on how hard it is to get the new washer between the drive shaft and wheel hub? What's involved?
Can anyone comment on how hard it is to get the new washer between the drive shaft and wheel hub? What's involved?
Bad wheel bearings tend to make a growling noice, not the pop/click.
The pop/click is covered under 5/100 powertrain warranty, so I'd let the dealer handle it for you. Odds are they'll change the whole axle.
If you want to do it yourself, you'll at least need to separate the lower ball joint to get enough clearance to get the the axle spline clear of the wheel hub and slip the washer off/on. Not a terrible job if you have the tools. But, not easy either...
Joined
·
5,592 Posts
Unfortunately, my dealer is saying it isn't covered. If there's anything stating something to the contrary that you can point to, I'd be most grateful.
That's what I had been thinking, hmmm.
Unfortunately, my dealer is saying it isn't covered. If there's anything stating something to the contrary that you can point to, I'd be most grateful.
That's what I had been thinking, hmmm.
I'd try a new dealer. Mine covered it under 5/100 Warranty without any complaints. Part of the drivetrain is making a noise that it should not make.
The entire hub assembly is one unit.
Joined
·
3,353 Posts
I decided to tackle the front brake noises today and figured while I had it all apart, to check the axle nuts since I started to hear the click. I cleaned and lubricated the brakes, especially the caliper pins, with nice fresh silicone grease. The lube on the pins looked like mud. When I got it all backed together, I checked the nuts. The right one was tight, but when I checked the left nut, it moved at around 100-110 ft.lbs., so I kept tightening until it was around the 185 mark.
I took the car for a test drive and was amazed about how quiet it had become. It hadn't been this quiet since the day I got it, with the calipers rattling around on rough roads and the funny noise the brakes made when applied at slow speeds.
I took the car for a test drive and was amazed about how quiet it had become. It hadn't been this quiet since the day I got it, with the calipers rattling around on rough roads and the funny noise the brakes made when applied at slow speeds.
Joined
·
434 Posts
Issue returned for me after almost exactly a year. I had posted my previous experience earlier in this thread.
Short version....dealership thought it was a bad hub/bearing and changed it (this was before I was aware of these threads about wheel nut torque).
THIS time when I took my Volt in I explain all that's contained in these threads. Persuaded them to FIRST tighten the nut and see if cured before doing anything else (like changing the hub AGAIN since I was just within a 1 year warranty for it to be replaced no cost). They did so and reported that torquing to the 185 lb ft spec did not result in any nut movement (neither on the clicking side nor on the other side as a check). They didn't over-torque to see if that helped. Next, they disassembled, inspected (confirmed the washer was present even though my Volt is one of the very first 2012 manufactured), and reassembled (using same washer/nut)....and no surprise....the clicking was gone. They were mystified. They reported they could tell by corrosion, etc, that the nut had NOT backed off at all since the hub replacement a year ago. So, no apparent reason it should have started clicking again.
Back a year ago after the hub replacement, I found these threads AFTER paying for that work. So since I couldn't PROVE they misdiagnosed and needlessly charged me $500 for the new hub part/labour I didn't complain. BUT, in light of the clear evidence today, I was able to persuade them the hub work WAS a mistake. The service manager listen to the click in a test drive with me this week and even before they took things apart he agreed a clicking like that really wasn't typical of a bearing failure (that'd usually be a more constant grind). They didn't argue with me when I said I wished a refund from last year. They at first asked me to pay half the cost. I said no way, that's still $250 for work I didn't need. Instead, I proposed to pay them for an hour of labour based on the work they'd just done disassembling and poking around today. They told me if they'd ONLY just immediately tightened the nut, it'd only have taken about 20 minutes, so by paying for an hour I was compromising to a higher price than I should have (labour is $110/hour!). They agreed with little fuss. So, I was refunded the $500 and then paid $110 (before taxes costs). Still a little frustrated they misdiagnosed last year, but it does seem an odd issue they'd never seen before - so I can forgive that. Far more importantly, they made it 'right' for me now.
So, that's my story. Waiting to see if the click comes back. If it does, I'll ask them to change the washer/nut. I'd have had them to that this past week, but they're not common parts and will take days to order. They said the swap of washer/nut would be so fast that they'd not even charge me for the labour if that becomes necessary (recall they had quoted it as only a 20 minute task). I wouldn't mind paying that 20 minutes, and to be honest I'd not be surprised if they forgot the verbal promise not to charge that small time, so I'll not mind paying since it is fair.
Bottom line: I'm pleased with Myers Kanata (for Ottawa Canada folks, I recommend them) for having the integrity to refund me the cost of the unnecessary hub replacement even a year later with no 'direct' proof whether maybe the hub was actually bad also.
Short version....dealership thought it was a bad hub/bearing and changed it (this was before I was aware of these threads about wheel nut torque).
THIS time when I took my Volt in I explain all that's contained in these threads. Persuaded them to FIRST tighten the nut and see if cured before doing anything else (like changing the hub AGAIN since I was just within a 1 year warranty for it to be replaced no cost). They did so and reported that torquing to the 185 lb ft spec did not result in any nut movement (neither on the clicking side nor on the other side as a check). They didn't over-torque to see if that helped. Next, they disassembled, inspected (confirmed the washer was present even though my Volt is one of the very first 2012 manufactured), and reassembled (using same washer/nut)....and no surprise....the clicking was gone. They were mystified. They reported they could tell by corrosion, etc, that the nut had NOT backed off at all since the hub replacement a year ago. So, no apparent reason it should have started clicking again.
Back a year ago after the hub replacement, I found these threads AFTER paying for that work. So since I couldn't PROVE they misdiagnosed and needlessly charged me $500 for the new hub part/labour I didn't complain. BUT, in light of the clear evidence today, I was able to persuade them the hub work WAS a mistake. The service manager listen to the click in a test drive with me this week and even before they took things apart he agreed a clicking like that really wasn't typical of a bearing failure (that'd usually be a more constant grind). They didn't argue with me when I said I wished a refund from last year. They at first asked me to pay half the cost. I said no way, that's still $250 for work I didn't need. Instead, I proposed to pay them for an hour of labour based on the work they'd just done disassembling and poking around today. They told me if they'd ONLY just immediately tightened the nut, it'd only have taken about 20 minutes, so by paying for an hour I was compromising to a higher price than I should have (labour is $110/hour!). They agreed with little fuss. So, I was refunded the $500 and then paid $110 (before taxes costs). Still a little frustrated they misdiagnosed last year, but it does seem an odd issue they'd never seen before - so I can forgive that. Far more importantly, they made it 'right' for me now.
So, that's my story. Waiting to see if the click comes back. If it does, I'll ask them to change the washer/nut. I'd have had them to that this past week, but they're not common parts and will take days to order. They said the swap of washer/nut would be so fast that they'd not even charge me for the labour if that becomes necessary (recall they had quoted it as only a 20 minute task). I wouldn't mind paying that 20 minutes, and to be honest I'd not be surprised if they forgot the verbal promise not to charge that small time, so I'll not mind paying since it is fair.
Bottom line: I'm pleased with Myers Kanata (for Ottawa Canada folks, I recommend them) for having the integrity to refund me the cost of the unnecessary hub replacement even a year later with no 'direct' proof whether maybe the hub was actually bad also.
G
Guest
·OK well, my clunk noise came back, I guess my axle hub nut got loose again after tightening it a few weeks ago. So I just ordered the 36 mm nut and the washers to do the job myself.
Now, does anyone can help me how to install the washer ?
thanks a lot
Now, does anyone can help me how to install the washer ?
thanks a lot
41 - 60 of 64 Posts
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
-
?
