lookmanohands

Im gonna be like everyone else and say that happens to me too, but i think i know what it is. Happens to my moms AWD highlander when in reverse but the sound I get from that is an electric motor changing a gear in the AWD system. You can actually see the lights dim for a moment when it happnes and what i have concluded from that is the differential has to not be locked when turning the wheel in order for the driver to make a decent turn thats not 30 feet wide. For our RA's the sound is way more mechanical in sound, but it comes from the rear of the car. For me it sounds like a "katink" when in reverse when turning the wheel. I have a feeling the differential is basically "unlocking" it's self so we can make a turn at a reasonable radius.

Please let me know if i am wrong in any of this!!

Babaki

ok im gonna explain one more time.

its when backing up and turning, like out of parking space. if i back up straight, no noise.
it only happens when backing up NOT in drive
its NOT the trans or ABS check. i know those sounds, its not that. the noise doesnt sound normal
its a single loud clunk


Its not the trans or ABS

total0wnage

iTrader: (4)

take it in to ur dealer then lol cause obviously noone understands your problem

lookmanohands

^^^
**For me it sounds like a "katink" when in REVERSE when turning the wheel. I have a feeling the differential is basically "unlocking" it's self so we can make a turn at a reasonable radius. **

DID YOU NOT READ WHAT I JUST WROTE?!?!?!

kamijitsu

i got a loud "clunk" noise taking a left turn at like 30km..
wasn't abs and wasn't the gears settling in as i had already been on the road for about 15 minutes.

yes, i know at start up, after you start to roll theres a minor clunk, but this clunk i heard from the front right passenger wheel was the sound of a pipe dropping, thought i lost something, parked on the side and looked to find nothing..

weird..

Babaki

this is EXACTLY what i am hearing. but only when im backing up with the wheel turned.

rbrowne14

iTrader: (4)

I get the same sound, only when turning almost to full lock in reverse. It's quite loud and I had somebody listen from outside the car and they could hear it.

sstevojr

iTrader: (7)

Ive heard it too, but only if turning the wheel to an extreme degree. I think the others are right, it is relative to the diff. The diff wasn't expecting a turn of the wheel quite so extreme, and has to readjust it self on the fly: and cuz the axles are not straight when its doing this, it sort of "clunk's" into place.
My remedy, don't turn the wheel quite so hard, never had it occur since (initially it happened about 5 times when backing up to leave my work).

boondoc

iTrader: (4)

Exactly the same sound i am getting in the exact same situation.

Cal1200

Do you get the clunk noise when turning either direction in reverse or just to one direction?

ILE

iTrader: (2)

It could be the brake pads.

total0wnage

iTrader: (4)

i get this noise, i totally forgot i had it, i simply got used to it. Im not sure what it is but i think it is normal

Babaki

both directions

lookmanohands

So I have been paying more attention to the sound now and I can get it to happen almost every time I reverse out of the drive way. So when turning the wheel and taping the gas there is a sound coming from the rear of the car, is def the rear diff. Like I said before it must have something to do with unlocking the diff so you can turn at a reasonable radius. If any ones owned a 4x4 you know what it's like when both axles are locked and making a tight turn...

All in all, completely normal!

Talaryn

Resurrecting this one, didn't seem conclusive enough and I have some info to add from my experience:

In the last 5000ish kilometers (at 58800 KM now, 100% stock, never had any issues), I've noticed that at low-speeds (either after starting the car, or after having gone for a drive and coming home) while doing, say, parking maneuvers, I can hear loud clunking or popping noises (repeatedly) from what sounds like the wheels (all 4). Depending on the incline of the road, angle of the wheels (or maybe no angle at all) it seems to happen from any of the wheels.

For example, while coming down a short hill to my parking garage entrance, I brake, and ease around a corner and hear "clunk-clunk.... pause... clunk". I will hear them again when reversing into my spot. What's more, the wheels DO NOT need to be turned, it happens going straight or while turning, and at any road incline.

At first I thought it was my brakes, so I took it to the dealership and the "expert mechanic" said the brakes had no problems. Problem's still there, so I'm going to take it in again this week or next and see what they can dig up.

As mentioned, this is not a case of the SST "verifying" itself or w/e when first driving the car (which I hear normally after driving my car has traveled a couple meters).