SolaraGuy.com

Hi --newbie here so please be gentle

Posting to help out a friend.
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05 Solara SE, 3.3 V6, 235K.

There is a bizarre noise similar to that made by cards in your bicycle wheel spokes (guys will remember this) which occurs when pulling away from a full stop up to about 3 mph. It's a fairly quiet noise but is there nonetheless. It is not present when coming to a stop.

However, it is NOT always there --some pullaways it's there, some it's not.

Not clear how long it's been making the noise as the driver usually has the radio cranked and only recently noticed it.

It is coming from the driver's side front, and sounds like it is behind the dash but it may be lower – I could get my head only so far under the wheel while driving (don't worry it was in a parking lot)

Any ideas as to the source?
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Also—
While trying to diagnose this noise, I noticed that there is a bit of a thunk/clunk felt through the steering wheel which also occurs when pulling away from a stop. This is consistent.

Sway bar bushings? Control arm bushing? I don't know anything about Toyota suspensions… seeking guidance on where to look. I'm pretty sure the suspension is all original.
I have not yet been under the car

All ideas welcome.

Thanks

Not an easy determination because without physically getting into the nitty-gritty of where the sound is coming from. If the clicking sound gets louder/more severe when you're accelerating during a turn then I would guess axle problems (bearings, etc.) or if it's still a quiet clicking it may even be a brake pad just skimming a rotor where either could be ever so slightly warped but not even worth worrying about. But overall there is a whole range of issues in-between that could either fall on the side of serious issue or a non-issue--hope it's just another "aftermarket-pads-slightly-skimming-rotor" non-issue.

thanks for responding.

I'm fairly handy with cars --- I have 2 mid-90's Saturn S cars still on the road (hopefully that's not heresy around here)....Has more of a soft clicking sound than a rubbing sound to it. Plus the location of the sound just doesn't seem right to me for it to be the driver's side pads/rotor.

I was testing it in a parking lot at 3 mph driving pretty straight with my head half under the dash and I wasn't testing it for association with directionality of the steering. Guess I'll have to drive it again.
Never had an axle bearing go bad on a car so I don't know what that sounds like.---I'll have to read up -- I am familiar with the growling of wheel bearings when they no longer wish to perform

Any thoughts regarding the other clunking I mentioned? Kinda hoped for a "most common culprits" list before I get under the car. Owner lives an hour from my house so I need to do accomplish as much as I can in the diag phase per unit time as possible

Thanks again

Derf