Phil_PPTT

Hello,

Looking for some help here. I've had a front end suspension noise for almost 2 years. Multiple dealer visits and I'm out of idea's.

It literally feels like a car with worn out shocks. Takes a sizable imperfection to trigger it but nothing out of control. My wife's outback goes over the same bumps like they don't even exist.

The dealer initially changed some suspension links. After a few visits they used some noise sensors and came back with the conclusion that the air suspension shocks need to be replaced. Paid out of pocket for those. Not cheap.

Return visit and the dealer said the issue was the steering rack. Warranty paid for that. Steering never felt better but the knocking is still there.

One thing worth mentioning is the noise goes away 80% if I change the suspension from normal to sports plus.

What else could it be? Engine mounts / transmission mounts? Last mechanic I spoke to is inclined to be believe they put in defective shocks.

21Pan4

My 2012 squeaks over bumps, not knocks. Common replacement parts for cars of this age include upper control arms, front sway bar bushings, and lower control arms, sort of in that order.

Phil_PPTT

I would have no problem living with squeaking! I had it when I bought the car, took a few dealer visits and they replaced all the above. That was 100,000km (60,000 miles) ago and no more squeaking since. The knocking drives me nuts.

Feels like I'm driving a beater.

21Pan4

You should find a mechanic that has "chassis ears" - these are tools that clip onto various suspension components and you can listen with headphones to see where the knocking noise is coming from while out for a drive.

I literally bought chassis ears from Amazon and used them to diagnose a similar suspension noise on a different car. You could DIY and save $$.

A lot of mechanics are simply parts changers, you need to find a good diagnostic tech. It's easy to throw new parts at a problem, the real challenge is a proper diagnosis the first time.

huskeric

A bad engine torque arm can cause knocking... suggest disconnecting one end then driving the car to see if the noise subsides. They are mounted in the engine compartment on the passenger side -
If yours is bad, let me know... I am in the process of beta testing these arms with improved components.

Phil_PPTT

The sound mainly comes from the passenger side, mid-way. You may be on to something here...
I can use a wrench but I'm not much of a mechanic, is there any risk to driving without one end connected? Is there several of these or just one?

I guess I have something to do tomorrow

Phil_PPTT

Btw I tried to move it (left to right) on your picture. And there's movement. It does produce a knocking sound. Should that thing move. We're talking 5-10 pounds of pressure.

Phil_PPTT

Ok not a very patient person, so I removed one end and the sound changed. I still get a noise but only from the bottom of the engine now / passenger side. Is there another one down there?

Sounds to me, pun intended this part is broken. But I also have another problem.

21Pan4

The lower engine mounts look very different and are not as easy to access or change.

Phil_PPTT

I guess that's the only thing left. My car still has a CPO warranty, I'll have them replace the torsion arm and check the engine mounts.

Phil_PPTT

Went for another test drive and the knocking noise is worse with the torque arm removed.

From what I can find there are 3 engine mounts. The passenger one must be completely shot.

Thanks huskeric and 21Pan4 for your help, I'll be at the dealers as soon as they open

I'm thinking they had me change the air suspension shocks for nothing

21Pan4

That happens if you throw parts at a problem without properly diagnosing things first.

justabout

I had an annoying squeak from the right washboard area. Couldn’t find the source. Started checking under the hood and found the torque arm nut was missing. Fortunately the nut was captured when it fell. Once reassembled and torqued, a test drive proved the squeak was gone.

Never ceases to amaze me how difficult it can be to pinpoint noise sources.

huskeric

Good to hear (pun intended) you are on the right path... Yes, have them replace these parts under warranty and that should help resolve, most, if not all, the noise.
If these don't resolve the issue, I would suggest the lower control arm bushings are probably shot... I have to do this very same job at just hit 45K miles...
As for motor mounts, they usually don't make noise, but rather add more vibration in idle and when driving.

Keep us posted.

huskeric

no, this should not move at all... Usually, the small end bushing (mounted to the valve cover) becomes very hard due to the engine heat and then shrinks over time. This allows this bushing to then move as you noted.
On the large end, I have found this to be an area when the rubber will actually shear/tear and then no longer provide a solid connection.
I have found by using a new torque arm and removing the large end bushing and upgrading with a 2-part poly mix fixes this in both the short and long term. It provides a much more robust connection and limits motor flex/torque arm flex under high-torque situations. My old part was getting so tired I could actually sense the deformation under acceleration - not a good feeling.

I think you are on your way to getting this resolved...