2004 ticking or rattling on drivers side !HELP!

rrees · 03-23-2005, 12:20 PM

I have ticking or rattling noise coming from the drivers side of the vehicle that comes around 60mph and in two wheel drive. If I go to auto 4 wheel drive it goes away. I have been to three chevy dealers who think they had the answer but all were wrong. The first dealer replaced the WHOLE transfer case, that wasn't it. Then I've had the front end dropped and retorqued twice, that wasn't it. They enlarged the drain hole in my muffler since they said chevy has a problem with condensate sitting in the muffler and making a noice, that wasn't it. The drive shaft was dropped and checked for balance issues twice, that wasn't it. The dash and instrument panel was replaced because they said it was in the odometer, that wasn't it. It is now at the dealer AGAIN right now and the regional rep can't find the problem and won't replace the truck. I drive ALOT due to my job and it drives me CRAZY!

I am hoping someone else has had this problem and come up with a solution.

tom3 · 03-23-2005, 12:55 PM

Sounds like the dealer has made a valiant effort to solve the problem, pretty unusual these days. If they can't find it I sure doubt if anyone on here can nail it. I'd have to suspect a wind related problem? Maybe a cable or wire vibrating and contacting something underneath. Might try wiring things up and see if the noise goes away.

silveradoking · 03-23-2005, 04:09 PM

All I have to say is, 'good luck'......with Chevy's twirks and twattles (is that a word?)...I just have to say good luck....I would agree with tom.....if it's happening at around 60 it could possibly just be a cable or wire flapping around.....Where do you hear it mostly? Underneath your seat? Under the dash? Where the strut assembly is? In the back of your seat??????

silveradoking · 03-23-2005, 04:11 PM

Oh, yah...that's amazing how you got the dealership to do all that work.....When I ever had to go, I had to almost kill to fix my truck.....

rrees · 03-23-2005, 04:23 PM

Unfortunately, I thought of the possibility of a cable too, however, the transfer from 2wd to auto 4wd is all electrical, there aren't any cable "movements" involved, (unless I am mistaken)

rrees · 03-23-2005, 04:24 PM

The best thing I did was to start a "case#" with Chevy started and had each dealer look it up and reference the work done with that number, then follow up with Chevy to make sure they got the reports from the dealers.

rrees · 03-23-2005, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silveradoking

All I have to say is, 'good luck'......with Chevy's twirks and twattles (is that a word?)...I just have to say good luck....I would agree with tom.....if it's happening at around 60 it could possibly just be a cable or wire flapping around.....Where do you hear it mostly? Underneath your seat? Under the dash? Where the strut assembly is? In the back of your seat??????

The noise is coming from the top hood area near but not at the windshield of the drivers side.

gremlin96 · 03-23-2005, 06:26 PM

get some duck tape and a tube of grease. grease every thing and drive, if the sound is gone recheck ever thing on that side.

if you still have the sound try shakeing ever thing. if you think its making that sound tape it then test drive.

you mite try dubble sided tape on the door seal first. then look for leaves and sticks in the grill.

phoenixcz · 03-23-2005, 07:42 PM

one ? do you have a bug shield? if so the noise is the molding around the front window, the bug shield changes the wind around the window which is causing the molding to flap (rattle) at those speeds I had the same problm and all I did was put some double side tape under the molding and it went away I also heard it can do that with out the bug shield

J-Ri · 03-23-2005, 07:49 PM

Since it goes away in 4x4, maybe the lockouts are close enough that they are touching. I'm not extremely fimiliar with the newer ones, but in auto 4x4, the hubs are locked all the time, right?

norwood · 03-23-2005, 08:27 PM

I was also going suggest maybe something with the 4WD output shafts or CV joints. You said the sound goes away when in 4WD. The shafts turn at all times, but when in 4WD there may be enough of a load on something loose or worn there to make the noise stop.

silveradoking · 03-23-2005, 09:58 PM

Does it distinctively go away when you turn it into 4 hi.... meaning if you drive in 2 wheel, and it's making the noise...then turn it in 4 hi does it stop right away....then put it in 2 wheel... and the noise comes again...then in 4 hi it dissappears? If you did it 3 or 4 times.... to make sure it has something to do with the 4 hi.....cheak that out and let us know? I think I could help you out.....

J-Ri · 03-23-2005, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by norwood

I was also going suggest maybe something with the 4WD output shafts or CV joints. You said the sound goes away when in 4WD. The shafts turn at all times, but when in 4WD there may be enough of a load on something loose or worn there to make the noise stop.

Do you mean the front axle doesn't have lockouts on it? That would be new to me.

What I was talking about is the gears in the lockouts. There's an internal spline on the hub, an internally AND externally splined gear, and an external spline on the axleshaft. When 4x4 is engaged, the gear slides into the internal splines on the hub, while staying on the splines on the axleshaft. If it is sitting very close to the hub, it could be contacting it and that is what is making the sound.

norwood · 03-24-2005, 08:18 AM

Originally posted by J-Ri

Quote:

Do you mean the front axle doesn't have lockouts on it? That would be new to me.

No, i don't believe that it does. I think all "locking in and unlocking" actually takes place in the transfer case in this GM system. I know with certainty that the front output shafts to the wheels turn all the time. I make no claim to be any sort of expert on this, but I believe this is how it works.

fireguy125 · 04-04-2005, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrees

I have ticking or rattling noise coming from the drivers side of the vehicle that comes around 60mph and in two wheel drive. If I go to auto 4 wheel drive it goes away. I have been to three chevy dealers who think they had the answer but all were wrong. The first dealer replaced the WHOLE transfer case, that wasn't it. Then I've had the front end dropped and retorqued twice, that wasn't it. They enlarged the drain hole in my muffler since they said chevy has a problem with condensate sitting in the muffler and making a noice, that wasn't it. The drive shaft was dropped and checked for balance issues twice, that wasn't it. The dash and instrument panel was replaced because they said it was in the odometer, that wasn't it. It is now at the dealer AGAIN right now and the regional rep can't find the problem and won't replace the truck. I drive ALOT due to my job and it drives me CRAZY!

I am hoping someone else has had this problem and come up with a solution.

rrees, my 2004 developed an annoying rattle also. Dealer said there was a service bulletin concerning the shock absorber brushing. They replaced them (free) and the problem was solved.
Good Luck
fireguy

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