850 1995 Scratching noise while driving + Possible CV Joint?

unxetas · Post by **unxetas** » 16 Jan 2009, 22:47

Hi! Been lurking for a while, just decided to register to see if I can figure out what's happening to my car.

For some weird reason, every single time I drive my car, about 10 seconds into "open space driving", there's a loud and strange scratching noise, similar to scraping the bottom of the car on snow. It only lasts for a fraction of a second, but it happens every single time. When I say open space driving, it means that I could probably drive all day inside an underground parking lot at low speeds and it wouldn't happen, but 10 (approximately..) seconds after driving into a main road, it happens.

Any ideas?

Secondly, while I was parking this evening, I noticed my clutch pedal was sort of jumping up and down when fully pressed. I think it only happens when I turn the steering wheel, even while stopped, so I think it might be a bad CV Joint.. Am I right? Any idea how much it'll end up costing me (considering I'm in Canada..) and how urgent the repair is? I'll definitely get it checked out as soon as possible, but I did have plans for tomorrow.. Argh.

Thanks in advance!

Tiago

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 17 Jan 2009, 05:15

Don't know about your CV joint- really the only way to tell that is to get under the car and inspect it. In regards to the scratching sound, I suspect it's your secondary air pump that's on its way out.

unxetas · Post by **unxetas** » 17 Jan 2009, 10:12

Thanks for your reply.. Is there an easy way to inspect the secondary air pump and be sure that's where the problem lies?

Cheers!

Post by **confused_al** » 17 Jan 2009, 15:38

IMHO with high pitch noises related to motion:
Speed sensitive: faster=higher=wheel bearings;
Turn sensitive: sharper=higher=CV joint;

If not motion related then its something else.

kiddynamite · Post by **kiddynamite** » 17 Jan 2009, 19:13

I have the same symptom on my '95 850 N/A Automatic - a scraping noise within the first few hundred feet of driving. Its been going on for a while; I took a long look at the front end a few weeks back and the CV boots looked intact with no leaks. I'll look into the secondary air pump.

Craigd2599 · Post by **Craigd2599** » 18 Jan 2009, 03:34

You might also want to check your brakes. I had the same noises because of a warped rotor.

unxetas · Post by **unxetas** » 18 Jan 2009, 15:47

thanks for the replies everyone. A few more hints..

First I think the 2 problems are unrelated. The scraping noise has always been there since I bought the car (I noticed it a couple days later, after a snow storm. So it might be something related to bottoming out on hard packed snow? The warped rotor is a good idea, I'll check that..)

I don't think the second problem is related to the CV Joint anymore - basically, it doesn't really make any sort of noise, I just feel the steering wheel "clunk" when turning - whether I'm stopped or in motion. As I said on my first post, I also feel the clunk on the clutch pedal and on the left foot rest area. I had my girlfriend turn the wheel while I was looking under the hood and there was a clearly audible screeching noise from the area where I assume the power steering motor is. Is this normal? I checked the oil level and it was fine.

Thanks again!

98expeditionXLT · Post by **98expeditionXLT** » 18 Jan 2009, 16:47

A few months ago I purchased a 2004 S60 that just had a brake job done prior to trade in. My wife and kids drove the car most of the time but I immediately noticed a wierd scratching noise similar to what you described. It turned out to be the heat shield was rubbing on the backside of the rotor. I too, immediately thought CV joint. I pulled the caliper and observed the scraping marks on the heat shield. I tapped the heat shield with a hammer and punch to make for better clearance and that solved my problem.

David Hyman · Post by **David Hyman** » 06 May 2009, 14:33

This reply is way late, but I found my way here trying to find a solution to another problem. This is also a leap, but could the noise just be the noise that the ABS makes within minutes of 1st starting to drive?

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 08 May 2009, 15:20

True, the ABS unit does go through a "self-check" right after start-up and until you get up to 15~20mph, I believe.