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Squeaking when rocking car back and forth

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Rich12, Feb 1, 2014.

  1. Rich12

    Rich12 Member

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    I recently discovered a squeak when the car is parked and I move the car forward and backwards. The harder I push, the more it squeaks. I went to a mechanic who told me the struts were "bad" and needed replacement.
     
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    So, replace the struts. Do you find that this is implausible? How many miles on the odometer?
     
  3. Rich12

    Rich12 Member

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  4. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I am wondering about your OP. If the car is parked, why would you push it by hand?

    In any event, at 112K miles it doesn't surprise me that the front struts and rear shocks would need to be replaced.

    However the cost of doing that is high enough so that you'll probably need other reasons to take action before you'll decide to make the investment. For example, if you find that when you go over bumps, the car continues to bounce after you hit the bump, that is a good indication that the struts/shocks are worn. If you see that the tires are not wearing evenly, that is another good indication that you have worn suspension parts (or maybe the car needs a wheel alignment.)

    If you drive a new Prius and find that the ride is so much better than your car, that is a further clue that your car might benefit from new struts/shocks - although you can't expect the ride to be fully restored to like-new.
     
  5. Rich12

    Rich12 Member

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    When I park on an incline and get out of the car, the weight transfer causes a rocking motion that squeaks. Now that it's rained I don't hear it much, though. Could have been road salt in the springs,bushings,etc. The car has a stiff, firm ride (touring) and doesn't bounce over speed bumps. Just put a water pump in it and new hybrid battery. Gonna drive this car til I die or it gets totaled in an accident.
     
  6. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    If that is the only issue, I think you can safely ignore it. Press hard on the parking brake pedal when you park the car, and see if that helps.
     
  7. Next GenRacing

    Next GenRacing Junior Member

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    Did you ever figure out what the cause of the sound was? I have seen some simlar videos saying it was the exhaust downpipe gasket. Just curious if you did anything about it.