1999 Corolla Ve Clicking Noise Front Left. - Toyota Corolla, Chevy Prizm (1998-2008)

Bad_dude

Hi guys,

I got the car about 2 months ago. It's a vanilla VE 1999 Corolla model. Every day, right after I warm up the car, I start driving it out with slow speed, I hear a small clicking noise from the front left. I can feel the click myself. When I drive on the freeway at high speed, I can't really hear it anymore. Here's the thing, there's no noise when turning left or right like a bad bearing when the CV boot broken for a long time. I had my tires rotated last week. It's not alignment as my stearing wheel is dead center. This happens before I had my tires rotated so I cannot really say the guy bolted my tire too tight. What can it be guys? If the front brake stuck, wouldn't it squeak instead of clicking or vibrate?

Is there a defect of some sort on the front end? I just want to get it fixed in case it is a dangerous problem.

Thanks.

Hi guys,I got the car about 2 months ago. It's a vanilla VE 1999 Corolla model. Every day, right after I warm up the car, I start driving it out with slow speed, I hear a small clicking noise from the front left. I can feel the click myself. When I drive on the freeway at high speed, I can't really hear it anymore. Here's the thing, there's no noise when turning left or right like a bad bearing when the CV boot broken for a long time. I had my tires rotated last week. It's not alignment as my stearing wheel is dead center. This happens before I had my tires rotated so I cannot really say the guy bolted my tire too tight. What can it be guys? If the front brake stuck, wouldn't it squeak instead of clicking or vibrate?

Is there a defect of some sort on the front end? I just want to get it fixed in case it is a dangerous problem.
Thanks.

Check out your brake rotors. Does the clicking get worse when you apply the brakes? If so you may have a warped rotor.

Bad_dude

Hi guys,
I got the car about 2 months ago. It's a vanilla VE 1999 Corolla model. Every day, right after I warm up the car, I start driving it out with slow speed, I hear a small clicking noise from the front left. I can feel the click myself. When I drive on the freeway at high speed, I can't really hear it anymore. Here's the thing, there's no noise when turning left or right like a bad bearing when the CV boot broken for a long time. I had my tires rotated last week. It's not alignment as my stearing wheel is dead center. This happens before I had my tires rotated so I cannot really say the guy bolted my tire too tight. What can it be guys? If the front brake stuck, wouldn't it squeak instead of clicking or vibrate?
Is there a defect of some sort on the front end? I just want to get it fixed in case it is a dangerous problem.
Thanks.
Check out your brake rotors. Does the clicking get worse when you apply the brakes? If so you may have a warped rotor.

What causes the rotor to warp? Is it expensive to fix? Is it dangerous to leave it without fixing?

Warped rotor can be dangerous - though in most cases it is more of a nuisance than a major problem. Possible cuases for warped rotors - rotor too thin (normal wear or turned too thin during resurfacing), wheel bolted onto hub too tight, heavy braking.

Recipe for warping rotors - drive the car up to highway speeds and brake to a roll several times, don't even need to lock the wheels up, just heavier than normal braking. After they get hot - brake to a complete stop and keep the foot on the brake. After about of minute of cooling, the rotors would now be warped.

If you can "feel" the clicking in the steering wheel, then it is probably some obstruction in the wheel (bent rotor dust shield, worn suspension (spring, strut, mounts), bushing for anti roll bar, bent wheel, rock in tire, or steering rack. If you can feel it with your foot on the brake - then it probably is a warped rotor or damaged suspension bit.

I'd jack the left corner up in the air (car in neutral, parking brake on) and spin the tire to see where the noise is coming from. Visual inspection will usually pick up anything wrong there, as 90% of the time, the problem will be very apparent.

Bikeman982

I have had a similar knocking on my older 1992 Toyota Corolla and am baffled as to what is causing it. It actually comes and goes when I am driving along. I did jack the car and removed the wheel for inspection. Since it is on the driver's side I think it has something to do with the transmission as it has started to slip. I did have a noise when I pulled and pushed the rod that connects the transmission to the wheel (I am not sure what that is called, since it is transverse mounted front wheel drive engine and doesn't have a typical drive shaft). I do not know if the sound could be something inside the transmission that is broken, loose or worn. It may also be a worn CV joint? I think on your car that the noise may go away at higher speed because you just can't hear it as well due to wind/engine noise above a certain speed. If anyone knows about what causes this knocking noise on cars - CV joint, transmission, etc. Let me know. I have checked out the brakes, including the rotor and it seems normal, plus it doesn't sound like a noise from the brakes, although it may be possible for the brake pad to move back and forth between the rotor and the brake caliper? Is this possible??

Bad_dude

Well the noise is still there and worse when the weather is cold and better when it's warm or hot. I wonder what this could be. I'll take it to a mechanic when I get some time.

Bad_dude

Hi guys,

A pretty good mechanic over the phone thought my problem was one of the O-ring on the left front wheel. Anyone thinks it's could be correct?

Thanks.

Not sure what he meant by an O-ring on the wheel. There is no O-ring on the wheel to speak of - unless the mechanic meant the wheel bearing or grease seal on the hub.

Bad_dude

Not sure what he meant by an O-ring on the wheel. There is no O-ring on the wheel to speak of - unless the mechanic meant the wheel bearing or grease seal on the hub.

That is probably what he means. Now is that dangerous to leave it until I can actually hear the problem more loudy or is it something that I must replace now? The car seems to drive well now except for that feel of the noise.

I've never seen a hub separate due to a bad bearing or grease seal, if that is indeed what the mechanic meant. You could wait on it a bit - the noise will continue to get worse as the part wears down. The drawback on waiting is that eventually, other components inline will have accelerated wear or damage. Instead of a $30 bearing - you may be looking at a $160 hub plus others.

I'd check for obvious items for the clicking noise (odd that you can feel it though the steering wheel). Could be as simple as nail or screw in the tread or loose brake pad clips/stuck caliper slides.

Bad_dude

Well, I don't feel it in the steering wheel but more so on my foot on the car's floor. It's worse during cool and cold nights. Once the weather is warm, I don't feel it so much. Now, please keep in mind that I don't actually hear it, probably b/c of the outside noise.

So if I leave the cracked o-ring and continue to drive it can do more damage? Another mechanic told me that close inspection at this early stage on the o-ring damage will not be detected or seen. He said to see it more clearly is when you can actually hear it more loudly then inspection will hear it.

What do you think? I don't really want to wait and spend more, but then again, I don't want to spend needlessly on something that might not be broken.

Thanks.