Click / Clunck When You Step On The Gas And/or Left Off The Gas

My 95DX with 82k and auto trans has begun to make a click/clunk sound when I hit the gas hard and/or let off the gas suddenly. I can also feel the click/clunk. Trans has been flushed on a regular basis and fluid has always been pink. Trans filter has not been changed - pan has never been dropped.

There is no noise when turning and there is no abnormal noise when you go over bumps.

Could this be indicative of inner CV joints going south????

NOTE - I did just change motor mounts within the last few months (not the trans mount). Would a worn trans mount make this noise???

THANKS!!!!

Worn transaxle mount(s) and worn CV joints would cause that clunking noise. Could also be slop inside the transaxle (differential) - but unlikely at your mileage. CV joints could just be starting to go - not to the point that they start making noise when turning.

I jot this on my other car - clunk noise everytime I load or unload the engine. Installed motor mount inserts (basically stiffened up the motor mounts) and the noise immediately went away.

I would try and rule out the most obvious stuff - worn sway bar bushings, bad endlinks could make a clunking, thumping noise - look for obvious tears in suspension boots (ball joints, CV joints, etc.) - start tugging on stuff and see if they have any slop in there.

Bikeman982

My 1994 DX was making a similar noise and I ended up changing the driver's side driveshaft.

Thanks for your replies! I took a look underneath - I shook everything real good and everything seems tight. However, while under the car and rocking the car back and forth (in Park), if I put my hand on the outer drivers CV joint, I can definately feel a "click". So I am thinking that CV joint is headed south. default_sad . What stinks is that the boots look good with no cracks or signs of leakage.

With only 82k on the odometer, isn't this a premature failure for factory CV joints?

It depends who has been driving it and how much start and stop driving it has been subjected too. Make sure you come to a complete stop anytime you back up before you shift into gear. also remember to never turn the steering wheel unless you are under power.

These 2 things are the biggest causes of axle ,joint ,and transmission wear in any vehicle.

I taught my wife and kids these simple things. It probably has saved me thousands of dollars in repairs over the years.

After I did my check on the cv joints, I took it to a local Midas place to get their opinion. They say that they can't find anything wrong with the CV joints, and that it is most likely the trans? This is the same shop that swore that there was nothing wrong with my passenger side motor mount (and that turned out to the one that was causing all my vibration issues), so I am not to confident in their diagnosis.

Are there any parts in the differential that can cause this problem?

I drive the car pretty easy and am good with maintainence, so at 82k I am shocked that I might need a new trans .

It shifts smooth, and goes into and out of drive, park, reverse, etc smooth with no clunks...

Bikeman982

The CV joints can get worn, even though the boots look good.

The joints are constantly knocking backwards and forwards as you shift.

Hard acceleration and shifting rapidly back and forth can wear them out prematurely.

Generally, a transaxle or differential is fine, unless a gear breaks some teeth or even cracks apart.

The symptoms would be in shifting difficulty and not usually a knock.

It is fairly easy to change the driveshafts and a good repair manual will explain the method.

Hope this helps.

I had those clunks for a while, back around 180k miles in my 93 DX.

For a while I was thinking 'transmission' but turned out to be a driveshaft.

Just kind of stumbled on it. I happened to be walking around under the car. Reached up and wiggled a driveshaft and it shifted with a slight knocking sound.

Since it was replaced I've no further clunks when letting off the gas.

Bikeman982

I think it is more common for the CV joints to become worn or broken, than it is for the transaxle to fail.

Today, it is easier to change the entire drive shaft to change the CV joint, than to just change the joint.