Jim Grant's Tech Tips
00 Plymouth Voyager, Click, Bang & Pop
Q:
I have an ‘00 Plymouth Voyager with hardly 10k miles on it. Recently
I can hear a clicking or popping noise from the steering wheel. First
I thought the keys are banging on the steering column and making the noise,
but that is not the case. Also when the vehicle is stopped and you press
on the brake pedal hard it makes a grinding noise in the back and the
front brakes always make a screeching noise as if the brake pads are worn
out. The dealer said that the vehicle has metal brake pads and that’s
why it makes the noise - it is normal. They could not locate any problems
with the ticking noise in the steering and the noise from the rear related
to brakes.
A:
Did you drop the vehicle
off with a list? Or did you take the service writer or tech with you for
a test drive? If you did the first and not the last you won’t get
your problems fixed. Why? Whenever I get in a vehicle I hear noises that
are important to me, but if the customer is with me I hear the noises
that are important to them. Do you get my drift? No, your brakes are not
suppose to make a screeching or grinding noise. But there is a possibility
that your low mileage driving habits are creating brake noises. How’s
that? The braking surface of the brake rotors and drums is a very clean
metal surface. The surface is so clean that moisture will cause rust to
form quickly. Normal day to day driving will prevent rust build up. But,
if a vehicle sets a lot, rust will form and can cause brake noise problems.
It just could be your short trips are just not enough to keep things clean.
As for the clicking in the steering column, it may be the clock spring
for the air bag. I had one vehicle where the clock spring made so much
noise you’d think the steering wheel was going to break off. The
fix was a new clock spring.
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