Recent "bottoming out" Sound-taken to dealer 3x and still not fixed

[ladybugb]

Help!! Coming up on the 2 yr mark with my Smart and have been very happy with it until the last couple of months. I began to notice a creaking, almost bottoming-out sound on dips as well as speed bumps. I've taken it to the dealer twice and they say there is nothing wrong with it. I have to say that they've been great trying to figure out what it is--they say visually the shocks, etc look fine and when we go for a test drive, the driving conditions are so that the "sound' never happens. Of course, as soon as I drive home and hit a dip in the road, I hear the awful sound. My daughter and my husband also have heard this sound but never the mechanics-they may think I'm crazy at this point, hearing things.
I don't want to be post-warranty and have a huge repair bill. Both me and my service rep, are getting frustrated at this point. Should I take it back a third time and demand new shocks (or perhaps something else) I've also had problems with my drivers door rattling and though they said they took it off and checked it out, it still rattles (its right by me ear too, so very annoying.
Would love some advice on this one!

[John_H]

You don't by any chance have mud flaps on the car, do you?

The scraping sound I have that makes me think I'm bottoming out the pan on a speedbump is actually the mudflap.

[donnyonee]

disconenected the shocks for a test drive and then try disconnecting the front sway bar and take a test drive, ive seen brand shocks bad or maybe its a away bushng. and that will eliminate those pieces mostly

[dennyrex]

do you go over potholed roads on your test drive? seems they're easy enough to find if you are testing in Manhattan. I'd try to scope out somewhere near the dealer that you can reproduce the problem, then test it there with the tech on board. I've heard that sound when surprised by a hole in the road around town, but figured it is just the suspension reaching its limits; uncomfortable but not dangerous. especially unsettling to the passenger. I do take as much caution as I can to avoid them when I'm driving, but it's a struggle avoiding them all ;-)
I wonder if alloy wheels react any differently than steel (passion vs pure)?

[sato7]

where is the sound coming from? it may be a stupid question but you may THINK its the shocks and it may be the roof that has come unglued... I know it sounds really stupid but if the noise is so loud you sometimes don't hear just where its emanating from.

[ladybugb]

There are no mudflaps on the car and yes, took a drive with the tech. The sound does not occur when you hit potholes (I get the typical pothole sound I've had since day 1, 23 months ago. This sound occurs specifically on speedbumps or dips at any speed. Its a very audible creaking/bottoming out sound. I know they lubed all the suspension parts but nothing was replaced.

[NoRo13]

Have you seen your cat lately?

[cubefx]

Originally Posted by sato7

where is the sound coming from? it may be a stupid question but you may THINK its the shocks and it may be the roof that has come unglued... I know it sounds really stupid but if the noise is so loud you sometimes don't hear just where its emanating from.

+1. I have clanking noise when I bought my smart. I swore that it came from rear suspension. I heard the noise every time I drove over speed bumps or potholes. I checked the suspension and even checked engine compartment for loose bolts or tools. The problem was that my front driver side roof panel was not glued (about 10"). That is where the clanking noise come from. You can test it by pushing the roof panel up from inside. It should not move.

[fortow]

Perhaps you`re not clear enough about what you are experiencing. By using both the words `bottoming out`and the word `sound`you may be confusing issues.
Bottoming out is hitting the rubber stops when the car confronts a sharp dip or pothole or bump on the road surface and is a result of inadequate damping, poor spring choice, lack of suspension travel, and suspension design in general. The smart does have this problem and is due to several factors. Your dealer will not be able to correct them unless aftermarket shocks and springs are installed.

As to the sound aspect - complaining about a sound rarely gets much attention from dealerships since it is a subjective analysis of a problem. They can deny hearing the same sound and may very well not be able to recognize what you are describing. There are many sounds that a vehicle makes, some are normal and some may indicate a problem. If a tech who is familiar with the types of sounds a particular vehicle should be making determines that they are all normal then what are you to expect? If you can pinpoint the source of the sound and be clear about what you believe is the offending component then they will be able to determine if it is indeed faulty.
If something has started `creaking` within the past several months then it should not be difficult for them to find the source of that noise if they hear it too.

For what it`s worth, my car does bottom out frequently on large bumps which pounds the stop and in turn hammers the car frame and passengers as well. It`one of the weak areas in this car`s design. Being aware of the issue, I tread lightly on rough roads and slow far more than I would in any other vehicle when approaching known large bumps.

Sorry I can`t be of more help than that.

[ladybugb]

Thanks for the tip. I checked the roof and it's solid. As for "sound" it is def a bottoming out to me and it happens at any speed on most every bump up and dip down. Definitely not the typical sounds from hitting potoles I've been used to coming from my Smart after almost two years. I'll take it back and hope for the best, I guess.