Funky clunk...

[slantsixness]

Our 2005 Pacifica has started this odd clunk...

(yes it's still under full warranty...)

When it's dead cold, or hasn't been started in a few days, it will start up fine, nothing odd, then about 20 seconds after starting, there's a loud clunk, almost like the ABS pump starting. It sounds like it's coming from that area or the transmission....

If I sit there and wait for the clunk, sometimes its louder and more mechanical sounding, sometimes it just sounds like an AC compressor cutting on, but its on the wrong side of the engine compartment! The noise is over so quickly, that I can never pinpoint exactly what it is or Where it is. This only happens when I leave the Pacifica sit for a couple days, and it hasn't been started. After it does this, this noise won't come back again until it sits again for a couple of days. Once or twice, the noise has been loud enough to suprise my wife....(which is a bad thing).

one last thing.... if I just start it up and put it in gear before waiting the 20 seconds (by the way 20 seconds is approximate) it never makes the noise.

Naturally, Trying to explain this to my dealer and have them not think I'm nuts is pretty much impossible!

There is nothing wrong, no driveability issues, no recurrence of the noise when its driven every day, only when it sits a day or two on first startup..

Anyone ever had this happen, or even think yours might have done this too?

Very happy with my Pacifica, but perplexed...

Tom

[slantsixness]

Gee, nobody's on AF this week?

[sweetjew]

I had very similar odd thing with my Olds minivan last year. It was A/C clutch making noise. I just took my digital camera and videotaped the problem for sevice department on two occasions. They partially fixed it, then van went out of warranty and I sold it few months later. Try videotaping!
:-)
YURY