Thumping noise under hood.

[Lily&Me]

I got the tires rotated on the Interstate yesterday morning, then drove about 60 miles.

All was fine when I left home and when I left the tire dealership, but before I arrived at my destination I began hearing a thumping noise that seems to be coming from under the hood.

It is only present when I accelerate, not when idling or when backing up, and is faster when I go faster.

No lights on the dash nor other electronic indication of a problem.

Any suggestions, and is it safe to drive on home or should I try to find someone up in here to look at it?

Thanks in advance.


Maggie

[Boxster1971]

Maggie - get it checked. They may not have properly tighten the lug bolts when they rotated your tires.


- - Mike
2013 Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

[Lily&Me]

I wondered about that, and if that could cause the noise.

They make you sign something there acknowledging you need to have the lug nuts tightened after 50 miles, post tire rotation. I drove a bit more than that getting up here.

It sounds like it's coming from under the hood.....but then, what do I know.

I can probably get that done pretty easily.

I'll report back. Thank you.


Maggie

[Boxster1971]

Loose lug bolts on a front tire could make a clinking sound that sounds like it's coming from the engine compartment when driving.


- - Mike
2013 Interstate Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

[Lily&Me]

They have all been tightened, and a couple of the front tires were loose, so I'm hoping that was it.

Going to take my sister in law and her three grands for a drive for ice cream here in a bit, so will let you know if that was it.

I appreciate the help.


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

No more thumping noises. . We drove about 25 miles.

I didn't mean in my last post that a couple of the front tires were loose, but a couple of the lug nuts on each of the front tires.

I was afraid a belt of some sort was flapping under there....but there were no dash lights on to indicate a problem. Sounded like it was coming from directly under the hood.

I've learned something.

Thanks for the help, it seems to be resolved.


Maggie

[cwf]

Maggie,
Check again after about 50-100 miles. Then, if 'NO' tightening occurs, extend your range to 200 miles... then if still 'tight', 500 miles.. if you can't 'tighten' them, then there is no further worry.

I would, however, make a visit back to the tire folks and speak with the owner/manager... say something like "Just letting you know, that the lug nuts were so loose, I could easily tighten them... Perhaps your mechanics need to re-calibrate their torque tools.... I am not asking you to 'confirm' there is a problem, I am just a concerned... customer." Depending upon how they respond, would dictate my next steps... which I won't disclose here... =}

[Lily&Me]

Thanks, Channing.

Since I have been in charge of these things , I have gone back into the tire place to have the lug nuts tightened..... Doug probably did this himself.

I haven't watched them, but did watch my nearly grown great-nephews yesterday, and saw a couple of those visibly move.....not just a hair, but a noticeable amount.

I don't know if that's usual, but it surprised me a bit....and then there was the thumping noise that seemed to come from under the hood.

I know that tire rotations on my Matrix do not include an instruction to come back after 50 miles to re-tighten.

At any rate, it is resolved, I am glad, and will be diligent about having this done.


Maggie

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

I know that tire rotations on my Matrix do not include an instruction to come back after 50 miles to re-tighten.

The average do-it-yourselfer doesn't tighten his vehicle's lug nuts with a torque wrench, so there's no way to tell except by trial and error to see if they're tight enough. From the Sprinter Operator's Manual (2011 edition, page 271):

- have the tightening torque checked. For wheel bolts, the tightening torque is 177 lb-ft (240 Nm) (steel wheel)/133 lb-ft (180 Nm) (alloy wheel). For wheel nuts, the tightening torque is 133 lb-ft (180 Nm). The wheels could otherwise work loose.

So unless you use a torque wrench to tighten your lug nuts to at least 133 lb-ft, you don't know if they're tight enough, and rechecking every so often is a good idea.

But even with a torque wrench to check the lug nuts for proper tightness, the manual still recommends rechecking after 30 miles. The van is pretty heavy, and as the tires rotate the wheel can "settle in" and what you thought was tight while the van was up on a jack may not still be tight after the wheel has been on the ground under a load.

Memo to self… buy a torque wrench for tire changes, just in case.

[Lily&Me]

Hmmmm....thanks for that info.

Tires are something I simply don't wish to take on. Man-stuff to the max, in my opinion, and I have decided to leave this to them.

I have to get on the ground to check pressure/refill, it's dirty....and, I don't wanna do it.

I can go into any Firestone dealer anywhere in the country, and they will do this for me....for free. So, why not

I don't have the arm strength to do lug nuts myself, either, I am pretty sure.

I don't have to do it all..... I am emptying the holding tanks.


Maggie

[xrvr]

I've had tires feel and sound funny after tire rotations. Seems after a few miles it goes away. I attribute it to different wear patterns from front to rear. Can be disturbing for a while. Good advice about the tire place, just give them a heads up. Be diplomatic. Rear tires wear flatter than front tires from my experience so the feel and sound may be apparent until they settle in after being rotated. I hope this isn't bogus info, it's just my observations. Good luck, enjoy your posts.

[Lily&Me]

I will call the tire place and let them know, have a conversation and hear what they have to say.

Longstanding, reputable folks, who Doug trusted completely, and no reason for me not to.

Not sure what the difference was this time, as this is the 4th, I think, tire rotation since I have been on my own......and never had this rather scary noise before.

It was a bit intimidating.


Maggie

[Skater]

It seems you have two options with most shops: They either overtighten the damn things so that you won't be able to get them off when you have a flat tire (and hopefully it doesn't warp your brake rotors), or they leave them too loose. Usually it's the former, which is at least somewhat safer.

During our recent road trip, we had two flat tires on our trailer in the space of an hour, so we had both replaced via roadside assistance at a rest area. The next morning, we had the other two tires replaced. The shop doing the second pair checked the first pair and found that they hadn't been inflated correctly or torqued down. Sigh.

[NWRVR]

Our first camper was a VW pop-top in Alaska. After buying a new set of tires we had one pass us on a gravel road, didn't realize it was ours until the drum settled on the road. Since then, I always check lug nut torque!

[Kota]

I don't have a 375 ft lb torque wrench. I use a 4 foot breaker bar with a mark at 2'. I stand my 200 lb butt a little short of the mark depending on how much beer I've been drinking. Should be very close to the 375 spec.

Then I mark each lug nut with a sharpie. From the nut to the rim. Easy inspection to see if any of them have moved.

Several companies make some nice locking devises. Not anti theft but lock the nuts in place. Common on trucks.

[A W Warn]

Originally Posted by Lily&Me

I will call the tire place and let them know, have a conversation and hear what they have to say.

Longstanding, reputable folks, who Doug trusted completely, and no reason for me not to.

Not sure what the difference was this time, as this is the 4th, I think, tire rotation since I have been on my own......and never had this rather scary noise before.

It was a bit intimidating.

Maggie

I trust my local tire guys too. I still check behind them. Anybody can get in a hurry or be distracted and make a mistake. That's probably what happened.

If the lug nuts had come off, you know what could happen!! Learn how to check torque. You can do it! Doug probably left a wrench around there somewhere.

[Lily&Me]

Well.....

this morning I am on Rt. 18 heading toward Magnolia, IL, then home, and I am hearing thumping again...not as loud, then suddenly louder, and I am hoping I can find someone in Magnolia to check my tires......too late...big thump, I hit the ground, and the rear drivers side tire had FALLEN OFF!

6 hours later, sheriff's deputy assisting, I have been towed on a flat bed to the tire guy in Bloomington, and am home. AAA tows 100 miles, and that was more than enough.

Fortunately I was on a rural road, no real traffic, tire didn't hit anyone, although we looked and looked and could not find it. It must be in the cornfield somewhere.

Did notice that two lug nuts appear to have broken off, as you can see the shiny silver stems.

I am fine, Lily is fine, and there doesn't appear to have been any damage to anything but where the tire is attached.....but we'll see what assessed damages are.

Yikes. Doug would say "don't feel sorry for me, I feel sorry enough for myself".


Maggie

[Lily&Me]

As several of you have suggested, I think I do need to buy something to check the lug nuts myself.

Doug would have probably known immediately, when he heard those thumping noises, that it was the tires.

It is not something I want to do......but if I had checked them yesterday, or this morning, this might not have happened.


Maggie

[cwf]

Miss Maggie, glad you are ok... That could have been really bad... Sounds like a serious discussion is due with tire guys.

[Lily&Me]

It could have been much worse....we could have been hurt, someone else could have been hurt, or the Interstate wrecked.

Does this sound like fault of mine or something not done correctly at the tire place?.....where it is right now. I drove probably 80-90 miles since the tire rotation.....they were hand tightened on Monday evening or Tuesday morning.

I don't know how to argue this, really, but if what they tell me doesn't make sense I will get my insurance company involved. Don't know if I will make a claim or not till I hear what they have to say. I did take pictures.

I don't think the tire guys will screw me over, I really don't.....but, we'll see.

I told them exactly what happened, and they can see the two broken lug nuts.

Thanks for all your help here. I'll keep you posted.


Maggie