Recall for clunking noise.... [Not likely to happen]

[Barbie]

Does anyone know of any possibility of a recall to correct the clunking noise??

[MomsSol]

Originally Posted by Barbie Does anyone know of any possibility of a recall to correct the clunking noise??

I can promise you that there will be NO RECALL for the *clunk*. We had a GM Engineer at the Nat'l Event and this question was addressed.

It is a normal occurance in the drivetrain - I can *MAKE* mine clunk by changing my clutching and RPMs (or by letting one of my friends drive my car ).

[birdliver]

Originally Posted by Barbie Does anyone know of any possibility of a recall to correct the clunking noise??

Steve Padilla (sp.? I think), who is the Chief Engineer for the Solstice project was at the K.C. meet last weekend and spoke of the clunk as not something that was considered by G.M. to be a problem and gave the impression that no harm to the car would result from it and that it resulted to some degree from the fact that some parts for the car were taken off the shelf. That's my statement, not his. That's after hearing him talk about the clunk. If any correction is going to happen, I got the impression it would happen to future cars and what we have won't change. Again, my interpretation. By the way, Steve P. was great and clearly loves the car and was most helpful in answering questions. His presence was as much a highlight to the K.C. meet as anything for me. Thanks Steve (if you're lurking!) -birdliver

[David Dougherty]

Did Steve Padilla say anything about the high failure rate for the dif's???

[bitznpcs]

Good post David. It's likley normal too (however, will likelyu be changed in the future cars, as well). Something sounds funny to me here mates....or should I say clunky and leaky

[carlintexas]

David, Steve indicated the failure rate was noticeable, and the vendor for our diff is the same for the CTS and they have failures as well. GM is addressing the problem with the vendor to resolve. The problem is the pinion seal - but dealerships are installing a large percentage of them incorrectly and the leak returns, thus replacement of the entire carrier!

[smartin]

I'm going way out on a limb here. If I ever had the clunk, which I don't think I did but could have, I definitely don't have it after replacing the pinion seal and doing the ECM tune. I'm not advocating going and doing those things, but my Sol definitely does not have it now.

[MomsSol]

Originally Posted by David Dougherty Did Steve Padilla say anything about the high failure rate for the dif's???

Where are you getting the *HIGH FAILURE RATE* from? Based on what? Yes, many here on the forum have had the differential leak (mine twice) but I don't know of too many *FAILURES* meaning complete and total failures. Yes, there have been some replaced due to 3rd time of leaks, too much fluid release before the *leak* was noticed, etc.

But I believe that based on the number of Solstices sold that there is NOT a HIGH FAILURE rate for the differentials.

If you are refering to the *LEAKS* then yes, there have been a high number compared to the number of members here on the forum but I don't know what the percentage of *pinion seal leaks* or *vent leaks* issues there are in the BIG PICTURE.

Let's try to keep all of this is perspective - we (the forum) have a tendency to view everything as relative to our little piece of the Solstice world - we only represent less than 1/4 of the total population of Solstice owners out there.

[Temple]

I dont agree with you on this one. How do you know that ALL differentials will clunk? How you driven one that has had the carrier replaced? There should be none or very little clunk from the diff. I have had many manual cars in the past and none have had a clunk so this is something that DOES need to be addressed by GM. I think GM can work the clunk out for the most part with maybe a little hint of lash.

Originally Posted by Aspenrose This differential WILL clunk, period, depending on how it's driven. One carrier to another, the internals are THE SAME, and given the right circumstances, will CLUNK. I've never had mine clunk, but heard it this weekend, with the stereo off, and I was lugging it lower than my norm. It clunks. It's life. You've not heard yours clunk, then you're driving it like I do typically, which keeps Mr Clunk in the closet

[SolsticeRI]

"The clunk is normal!"

That's not what my dealer service people said when they first heard the clunks in my drivetrain. They immediately said, "Something's wrong. No way the car should be doing that!"

Car designers simply do not design clunks into the drivetrain. Clunks in the drivetrain are design flaws (period). I assure you, GM does not want clunks in their drivetrains. However, I don't think GM will do anything about it unless everyone files a complaint with GM customer service. Then maybe . . .

These clunks are going to adversely affect the resale value of our cars. No one wants to buy a used car with clunks in the drivetrain. In fact, it's one of the first things you listen for when test driving a used car.

It should be a recall issue. Don't stand for it . . . call in and file a complaint and ask them to fix it! I did.

[SolsticeMan]

Originally Posted by SolsticeRI "The clunk is normal!" When the my dealer service people first heard the clunks in my drivetrain they immediately said, "Something's wrong, the car shouldn't do that!" Car designers simply do not design in clunks into the drivetrain. The clunks in our drivetrains are design flaws. Rest assured, GM does not want clunks in their drivetrains becuase it represents a serious blemish on an otherwise very nice car but won't be unless we all call in to GM support and file complaints. These clunks adversely effect the resale value of our cars. No one wants to buy a used car with clunks in the drivetrain. It's one of the first things you listen for when test driving a used car. It should be a recall issue.

Once again - a recall would be if there was a fix. New differentials don't clunk... as BAD... but they still clunk. And when they break-in, they clunk more.

And yes, pretty much every RWD differential clunks.

I can hear it in an MX-5, I can hear it in the Honda, and I can even hear it in every single BMW I have driven. I've heard it in the XLR, fercryinoutloud. I even hear it, ever so gently, in the back of the old cop car I own, and my friend's big 'ol Ford.

The key is - most of these cars are configured differently or have isolating members from the differential to the car body, or even frames and bodies. The difference is in the Solstice, if your diff is a bit looser than others, you hear a clunk. I just drove an MX-5 yesterday. When it drove up, I heard it clunk from oustide and thought "oh jeez, this is going to be loud - the Solstice is going to have company" Lo and behold, it was only barely audible from the inside.

[BTYPLSR]

Originally Posted by SolsticeRI Car designers simply do not design in clunks into the drivetrain. Our clunks are design flaws (period).

The clunk is a non-adherance to the design specification. There is never such thing as a "design flaw"

[birdliver]

Originally Posted by SolsticeRI "The clunk is normal!" Car designers simply do not design in clunks into the drivetrain. Our clunks are design flaws (period). I assure you, GM does not want clunks in their drivetrains. It is a serious blemish on an otherwise very nice car. However, I don't think GM will do anything about it unless everyone files a complaint with GM customer service.

As was pointed out by the engineer at the National meet the design of this car included selecting existing components of other cars. Parts of our drivetrain had already existed having been designed for other vehicles and weren't designed expressly for the Sol. When you put it in our car the drive tunnel is right next to us as A.R. points out so the clunk's easily heard in our car. We were also told that in terms of adjusting there's a happy medium and that's it. Adjust it too tight and you get a whine and if it's too loose you get line slap. We were told that this drive train can't be made clunk-free.

[SolsticeMan]

Originally Posted by BTYPLSR The clunk is a non-adherance to the design specification. There is never such thing as a "design flaw"

Oh, I don't disagree that it is a 'design flaw', but demanding a recall for a problem that has no direct solution, and does not exhibit on all cars may end up really ugly.

I suspect part of the reason that GM crushed all of those "beloved" EV1s is to avoid any problems with fixing things that might not be able to be fixed.


I can see it now:

Solsticeforum members came together to demand a recall to fix differential noises on all of their cars. GM responded by buying back every Solstice and SKY, and sending them to be crushed. Problem identified, problem solved.



We need a "villagers with pitchforks and torches" smiley

[Temple]

manufactures like to call it "by design" or "feature" haha...

Originally Posted by BTYPLSR The clunk is a non-adherance to the design specification. There is never such thing as a "design flaw"