Thumping Along in an Acura MDX
Bill secured his son James, and his dog Skippy, into their 2001 Acura® MDX for a weekend fishing trip. As they drew nearer to “Camp Chasing Squirrel” on an old fire road, Bill noticed a “thump” noise from his MDX. After returning with lots of great stories and lots of wet paw prints, he called me about the thumping.
There are three distinct noises that may come from the front suspension:
1. A sharp metallic pop, usually heard when accelerating or braking
2. A clunk, usually heard when driving through dips in the road.
3. A thump, usually heard when driving over rough roads.
Each of the three noises has a different probable cause. Symptom 1 is caused by insufficient clamping force of the lower arm to the subframe. Symptom 2 is caused by the front damper spring coil contacting the end of the spring. Symptom 3 is caused by faulty front dampers.
Based on the diagnosis of the vehicle’s specific symptom, torque the lower arm mounting bolts, install spring silencer tube sections, or replace one or both front dampers as needed.
DIAGNOSIS
Do the appropriate diagnosis based on the customer’s complaint or the symptom you hear during the test- drive.
1. Sharp metallic pop: Drive the vehicle in a full-lock turn (right or left), at about 2 to 3 mph, and apply the brakes hard. Then accelerate again to about 2 to 3 mph. Repeat this several times. If you hear a sharp metallic pop, go to REPAIR PROCEDURE A.
2. Clunk: Drive the vehicle through a dip or over a speed bump. If you hear a clunk, go to REPAIR PROCEDURE B.
3. Thump: Drive the vehicle on a choppy or washboard road. If you hear a thump, go to REPAIR PROCEDURE C.
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