Q: Noise when Car Bounces

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solamour - 24 May 2005 07:04 GMT

Hello, everyone.

I have a '99 Miata, which has 56k miles in it. When I bounce the car
by pushing down front or rear bumper, I hear faint squeaky noise. It's
like someone bounces on an old rusty mattress. I think I'm hearing the
same noise when I'm driving on a bumpy road with top up. The mechanic
suggested I replace the strut (I'm no mechanic, so I'm not sure what
that is), but a few hundred dollars didn't exactly cure the problem.

So, my questions are 1) what do I do, and 2) what happens if I don't
do anything about it? Would it have a long-term effect on the car? It
does bother me, because I'm a little sensitive about mysterious noise.
Any recommendations?
__
sol

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Lanny Chambers - 24 May 2005 15:27 GMT

> So, my questions are 1) what do I do

Either turn the radio up, or keep the top down. Minor squeaks are common
on aging Miatas, and harmless. They're rarely worth chasing down.

---
Lanny Chambers
'94C, St. Louis
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

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Leon van Dommelen - 24 May 2005 23:38 GMT

>Hello, everyone.

Hi.

>I have a '99 Miata, which has 56k miles in it. When I bounce the car
>by pushing down front or rear bumper, I hear faint squeaky noise. It's
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
>So, my questions are 1) what do I do,

a) Do not bounce the car by pushing down front or rear bumper.
b) Check below the car for old rusty mattresses, and remove
any you find.
c) Do not drive on a bumpy road with top up. Lower the top
when you drive.
d) If there are old rusty mattresses on the road, drive around
them, not over them.
e) Look up strut. Discover that Miatas do not have struts.
Except yours now, apparently. Are there new shocks below
the car maybe?

> and 2) what happens if I don't
>do anything about it?

a) You will hear a squeak and maybe lose your hearing soon.
b) If the "strut" mechanic is incompetent, he may have missed
a major problem and the suspension of your car will break,
probably while you are driving the million-dollar-highway,
where it is a one-mile drop down.

> Would it have a long-term effect on the car?

a) It could increase wear and tear. Especially, say, if you
drop a mile down in it.

> It
>does bother me, because I'm a little sensitive about mysterious noise.
>Any recommendations?

a) Try a different mechanic.
b) If that mechanic finds nothing wrong, try meditation or find God.

Leon

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Leon van Dommelen :) Bozo, the White 96 Sebring Miata .)
rammm@dommelen.net http://www.dommelen.net/miata
EXIT THE INTERSTATES (Jamie Jensen)

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