Rob_KCMO

The left front end of my car (96 Accord; 140K) making squeaking sound. The sound is coming while driving. When I switch off the engine and coming out of the car it creates the sound. If the engine is off and I am pushing the left front end the car creates the sound. However, if I push any other corner there is no sound. The sound is coming only from left front end. No matter whether the car is in motion or the engine is switch off.


Six months back I changed all the tie rods, left upper ball joint. I tried to pin point from where the sound is coming and it seems the sound is coming from the lower half and back side of the left front wheel.

I showed one mechanic and he could not pin point the source of the squeaking. He said there is no play on my wheel when he tried to push my wheel holding at 3 and 9 o clock positions. So he told the ball joints are fine. However, he told me may be the squeaking sound is coming from the left upper ball joint.

That ball joint I replaced from TyrePlus six months back. So I took the car to the shop. One mechanic looked at my car lifting it and told me that the ball joint they put actually squeaking. So they would replace it without any charge to me but they could not do that day. Next day I took my car to the shop, another set of manager and mechanic were there and I told them the story. My car was taken into the garage and they do some research. The manager came back and told me that it is not the ball joint but the control arm bushing that are actually squeaking. He gave me a quote to replace the bushing. I found that the money I paid should cover both the ball joint and control arm. I told him why your shop did not replace the control arm also. He said sorry and reduced $100 from the quote. That time I declined to do the job. I checked with nearby TyrePlus shops and noticed that whatever money I paid for only ball joint was more than those shops charge for ball joint with control arm. So I called the shop and I found on phone the first manager and I told him the story. The manager told me his shop will replace the old ball joint with a controlled armed ball joint and also align the car with no cost to me. So another day I took my car to the shop when this manager was there. So he said he would do what he promised to me. I saw one mechanic replaced the old ball joint with a new ball joint with controlled arm. Then I saw he was taking it for test drive. However, immediately he brought my car back to the garage and removed the new ball joint and put the old one. Then he did some alignment and gave my car back to me. The mechanic told me when he put the new ball joint with control arm he heard the squeaking noise. So he thought the old ball joint was not the reason. The manager told me that I was actually given an adjustable ball joint and for that reason I found that the price was more than a ordinary (i.e., non-adjustable) ball joint with control arm.

Fact is that when I was given the car by TyrePlus there was no squeaking. No squeaking remained for 15-20 days. Now the squeaking has come back again. Again the car is squeaking while I drive it. When the engine is off and I push the left front end it squeaks. So I want to pin point what is the source of this squeaking.

Previously I posted the issue in this forum. Some people suggested that it may be the sway bar bushing. I want to know is there any way to confirm that the squeaking is actually coming from sway bar bushing.

If the squeaking is due to brake pad (I replaced 6 months back) then do you feel that my car would squeak if I push the left front end when engine is off.

Kindly give me some idea about this squeaking. This is really driving me crazy.

Thank you.

TheMuffinMan

iTrader: (1)

Crappy offbrand ball joints/bushings could most definitely cause squeeking........

Spray the sway bar bushings with silicon grease and see if it continues to squeek. If it still does, spray the lower ball joint, if it still squeeks, spray the upper ball joint, etc

Rob_KCMO

As the car squeaks even when the engine is off so does anybody can think of
any other source for this squeaking besides sway bar bushing?

Or I can say it another way is there any other part which can cause squeaking if the left front end of the car is pushed when the engine is off.

holmesnmanny

Dude, it's almost always the sway bar bushings. The only other thing I can think of would be radius rod bushings but those things are made to last. You're supposed to grease the bushings where they make contact with each other and the washers. When you do they will not squeak anymore. They should usually make noise when the engine is cold. When it warms up the sounds usually goes away.

Accord_V6_400m

You can also try disconnecting the sway bar at the endlinks and see if it still makes the same sound, but the spraying of the grease seems like an easier method.

dansaleen_04

To me if it is like your saying where it squeaks only on the left side and it haoppens when you drive or even when the car is parked and engine off, maybe its the bushings for sway bar. But mostly to me it sounds like suspension squeaks to me. When I first got my car back in 02 my passenger side suspension would squeak as well in the same manner while the car was parked and engine off. We would press down on that corner as to bounce it just a little and it would squeak. The following week we replaced it and it was gone never to be heard again. Thats my opinion.