Front End Noise on Bumps
I'm betting a noise coming from the from of my Smart Passion Coupe that happens largely on Speed Bumps or when there is a sudden drop in road grade. I'm wondering if anyone else it getting anything similar.
It seems to happen now when the temperature is cold (below 40 F). The best way I can describe the sound is as if there were a metral box of tools in the front that gets 'bounced'. It is something like a cross between a crashing and crunching sound. It is rather pronounced (loud) when it does happen and certainly sounds like something in the 'not good' or 'not normal' category. The best I can determing, the noise is coming from the front of the car.
After the car is driven for a while or the temperaturs is up, the nouse typically can't be reproduced. I've had it to the dealer several times and, as you can imagine, they can't find or see anything and haven't even been able to reproduce the sound. They suggested it may be a 'normal' sound of the gas shocks, but it is loud enought that it turns the heads of people near the car when it happens. I even took a mechanic for a lengthy ride finding as many speed bumps as we could with no luck, but again, the car was already warmed up by then.
Is anyone else experiencing anything of the like?
It seems to happen now when the temperature is cold (below 40 F). The best way I can describe the sound is as if there were a metral box of tools in the front that gets 'bounced'. It is something like a cross between a crashing and crunching sound. It is rather pronounced (loud) when it does happen and certainly sounds like something in the 'not good' or 'not normal' category. The best I can determing, the noise is coming from the front of the car.
After the car is driven for a while or the temperaturs is up, the nouse typically can't be reproduced. I've had it to the dealer several times and, as you can imagine, they can't find or see anything and haven't even been able to reproduce the sound. They suggested it may be a 'normal' sound of the gas shocks, but it is loud enought that it turns the heads of people near the car when it happens. I even took a mechanic for a lengthy ride finding as many speed bumps as we could with no luck, but again, the car was already warmed up by then.
Is anyone else experiencing anything of the like?
Tags: bumps, cold, coupe, end, front, noise, shocks, smart, suspension
Views: 332
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by mvaldes on
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FWIW, it's been in the single digits in NW CT recently (6 degrees at 9 this morning and presumably colder overnight) and Smart hasn't made any of the noise(s) Kim describes.
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Permalink Reply by Robert Stout on -
Dan,
Rather than pay $1,300 for suspension modifications,I think I will slow slow for speed bumps...
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Permalink Reply by DAN on
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I would love to slow down, but when you drive in busy parst of the city it it almost impossible. The yelow cab drivers will not let you pass. I bought Brabus suspension in july of 2008. The local dealers started selling in 01/2009 them for about $1,100 without installation. And by the way if you smart dealer will not sell you Brabus kit because you may not have power stering, Don't listen to him My Blue smart is without power stering and its handles better that one with power stering.
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Permalink Reply by John Stump on -
Here in New Hampshire we have many roads with packed ice on the surface in addition to potholes and the morning temps in the single digits, however the real test will be in the spring when the frost heaves and pot holes are at their worst. Fortunately I have not had any suspension issues, though sometimes it feels as if there isn't one. Any one wearing dentures better use plenty of extra Poly Grip.
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Permalink Reply by Robert Stout on
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With a wheelbase equivalent to a motorcycle,we can reasonably expect a ballistic launch when encountering a large pothole...LOL...
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Permalink Reply by Kevin Schostek on -
Yes, Kim, we have the problem in Canada as well. I've been driving my new smart for the first few months of winter here. The banging sound, and the suspension's effectiveness, does get worse and worse as the temperature drops. Below -15 F, you will feel every crack in the road. And bigger bumps (not even potholes, just bumps) will make my chassis ring, as if someone hit it with a hammer. The back end doesn't perform so smoothly either, when it gets real cold.
At first, I thought I was bottoming-out the suspension. But the small size of some of these bumps make that theory seem ridiculous.
It is a (relatively stiff) European style suspension, and I'm just assuming that it can take those bumps, and that I should hold onto my coffee for those stretches of road. Some roads over here seem like they were made for burn-in testing of suspensions.
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Permalink Reply by Kim Klieger on -
Kevin and all of the other followers of this posting ...
Our crash sound is solved. Out local Tech found that there is a problem with lubrication of the front suspension 'shackles'. They are essentially dry from the fatory. This causes the nasty sound when they are cold and try to flex. They break the hold in such a way that they generate the nasty crashing sound. Now that ours are lubricated, the crash sound is gone. Kind on interesting affect when they are dry, but now we can drive over bumps or speed bumps when the car is cold without having to change the britches when they let loose and scare the living crap out of us and standers by..
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Permalink Reply by Melissa on -
Great to hear what sounds like a good resolution to this issue...finally!!
Kim Klieger said:Kevin and all of the other followers of this posting ...
Our crash sound is solved. Out local Tech found that there is a problem with lubrication of the front suspension 'shackles'. They are essentially dry from the fatory. This causes the nasty sound when they are cold and try to flex. They break the hold in such a way that they generate the nasty crashing sound. Now that ours are lubricated, the crash sound is gone. Kind on interesting affect when they are dry, but now we can drive over bumps or speed bumps when the car is cold without having to change the britches when they let loose and scare the living crap out of us and standers by..
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Permalink Reply by Tom Owens on -
anyone have a picture of the "shackles" to lube and what to use to do it?
Kim Klieger said:Kevin and all of the other followers of this posting ...
Our crash sound is solved. Out local Tech found that there is a problem with lubrication of the front suspension 'shackles'. They are essentially dry from the fatory. This causes the nasty sound when they are cold and try to flex. They break the hold in such a way that they generate the nasty crashing sound. Now that ours are lubricated, the crash sound is gone. Kind on interesting affect when they are dry, but now we can drive over bumps or speed bumps when the car is cold without having to change the britches when they let loose and scare the living crap out of us and standers by..
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