Popping Noise When Turning

Well, I got the lithium grease and sprayed it on the tops and bottoms of the springs and the sound is till there. I've been hearing it lately only when backing out my driveway and turning over a slight hump.

I have the same issue on my 08.5. Doesn't seem to affect drivability and performane, just that popping noise when backing out and down driveway with wheels turned to the left. Yes its been in the 30-40s at night here in Cali so likely due to cold as well. Only 10k miles.
 
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well just an update, I told you guys that i got my strut replaced by the dealer under warranty. As i told you before that if i turned hard left it would *POP* and then hard right it would *POP*. As of right now i can do that and there is no noise at all. So whatever it was is now fixed. I dont know if i mentioned this but when they talked to me they said it could have been the bushing, and i can kind of believe that because if it goes from hot, cold, hot, cold all the time it could crack and break, and set it all off and start the noise and eventually break the strut.
 
Did you give them any of the info from this thread? Keep us updated.
 
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i had to take my 09 ms3 in yesterday b/c my driver side axle was leaking grease so they replaced it. check your axle
 
just got a call from Mazda. my car is ready and it was the strut bearing. i called my service writer and she brought up the website and had the mechanic read the whole thread. it worked. thanks guys.
 
Did they replace the bearings for both struts? And how often were you hearing yours pop? Even though mine does it everyday, it's only when the car hasn't been driven in a while (i.e. morning and after work). I'm afraid if I drove it to the dealer in the morning, they won't be able to replicate it once I bring it there, unless they keep it overnight or something. Glad it worked out for you :)
 
so how come no one believed me when i said the noise is from the strut bearing...if you are hearing the noise (popping) its the strut bearing have them replaced..
 
so how come no one believed me when i said the noise is from the strut bearing...if you are hearing the noise (popping) its the strut bearing have them replaced..

Nobody said that we didn't believe you. For me, personally, I've been coming back to this thread to see other people's course of action since not every dealer operates the same way.
 
My 3 makes a "ka-toonk" noise when turning hard right, exiting or getting on a freeway and at a decent speed. That's really the only time I hear it. It is lowered on Eibachs and I checked all the torque specs. However, I wasn't sure about the spindle bolt. I think mine is only at 55 lb-ft because that is what someone else on the forum claimed. That seems a little light.
 
Ok, so I was having the same issue about the popping or pinging noise when turning tight turns. Also when standing still I would turn the wheel all the way to the left *POP* and then turn all the way back to the right *POP*. Took the car to the dealership and they told me that i had broke my strut mount. At first they told me that it was not covered under warranty. I gave them hell because i have only beendriving this car for 5000 miles since i bought it used and at that time it had 28000 miles on it. Eventually it got tossed up to Mazda corporate and they ended up coveringit under warranty. So....... they replaced the strut and shock for me, on the work order they gave me it said Strut bearing and shock. they told me strut mount. Anyways, now the *POP* noise is gone. Now all i hear is the hollow tump, tump tump tump tump noise telling me i need new tires. They told me i had less than 20% thread left.

Oh and i live in Maryland where it gets really Effin cold so maybe that was one of the issues too.

good informative post bman.

I noticed I have the same problem as well very rarely though. It happens as a slow down almost to a complete stop when entering my driveway. I have to slow down b/c the driveway is about 1.5" off the street. I haven't had the car for a month before I started hearing that noise. We'll see what happens. So far I've only heard it twice. Let's hope it doesn't do it again.
 
I've been scouring the internets for more information on this scenario and finally found this one.

I've been having this issue with my 2008.5 Mazda 3 HB. I was already going to upgrade the struts and shocks, so I thought doing that would get rid of the front driver pop I hear when turning into a driveway or going over a small bump at low speeds. It did not.

So, my question. Is the strut bearing you guys are referencing independent of thew strut. Meaning, did I get new strut bearings when I replaced by struts or am I using the old ones? Any information would be helpful.

Also, sorry for re-viving a dead thread.
 
I had a popping noise in the steering when I turned the wheel from left to right at a stop or very low speeds. I also noticed that the steering was getting a little sloppy and you had to actually turn the wheel more in order to get the car to turn.

It ends up that the steering rack bushing was bad. I replaced that and all is good.
 
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