knock, knock, knock

I resent your underlying implication. All of our roads are smooth as glass. Yea, right.

We used to have great roads, being the auto capital of the world and all that. Those days are gone. I will say that things have started to improve again, road wise, but we have a long way to go for good roads again.

Did your knocking sound like suspension noise? The suspension can do that if you pound on it hard enough. Obviously you can get a thump or knock if you bottom out. I've done that with our Prius driving up approach roads to rock climb. It's not a happy noise. It's also possible that something is loose in the hatch area. Check the jack and it's associated tools.

Where abouts are you driving in Michigan?

Tom

 

It looks to me it could be a suspension problem, but not major. Possibly tie rod end, links, or the balljoint. If you can jack up the front end, hold the front tire on the 12 and 6 o'clock and/or 3 and 9 o'clock and feel for any play. Good Luck.

 

Yes, and Flint is on the wrong side of the state. All of my road maps are blank for that part of the state, featuring only drawings of dragons and sea monsters.

Tom

 

Exhaust pipe bouncing against something. Got a trailer hitch?

 

My old Mustang years ago had something like that, and one of the rubber bushings on the sway bar mount had slipped out and was causing contact between the bar and the bracket. I've never looked at that area on the Prius, but it may have a similar arrangement. Check both ends of the car for a loose rubber bushing, or like stated above, exhaust hanger.

 

Remove the golf ball from the glove box...

 

Inside the front passenger door handle, my wife has a buckeye, an acorn, and two small pebbles. Why? You would have to ask her, and even then, don't expect the answer to make sense. Regardless, I sometimes wonder what is rattling, and then I remember...

Tom