When I bought my Neon, I had a due bill of repair for a motor mount because I felt weight shifting while braking/accelerating. I took it to the shop and the owner said they checked everything twice and it was just a bit low on transmission fluid. Fine. Still does it though.

Starting this past week or so, there is a loud creaking noise when turning my car (sometimes sounds like something is popping out of place while turning, can feel it in the pedal and floor), generally at a lower speed. I got under the car today and noticed that the rear motor mount is bad after all (the rubber bushing is cracked/broken), but didn't really seem to find anything else wrong? Soooooooooo, I have been looking around and seen it could be a strut mount, control arm bushings, CV joint, or a ball joint.

Could any of these be affected/deteriorated by a bad motor mount that hasn't been taken care of?

Thanks guys! I really appreciate it!

 

I have almost the same thing going on with my 05, except mine just does it when you come to a stop and the tranny downshifts, or if you gas it at say 5mph I get a clunking. I ordered some inserts from modern performance and am going to put them in this afternoon. Ill let you know my results after I put them in and test drive it. But I dont think any of the things you listed would really be affected by the problem. other than the seals of the output shafts from the tranny, from extra stress of the engine flexing more than normal.

 

I do not believe the motor mount is the problem with the steering noise. I was curious if it could affect something else. I know that is why I have a weight shift when accelerating and decelerating though.

Mine makes a loud creaking noise/popping while turning. More so when I am making a tighter turn and usually going slower.

 

well I got the inserts in and test drove. There was a definate difference in my car,smoother tighter shifts,better response all together. no clunking or abnormal noises. Mine was torn inserts in the torque mounts though not the actual rail motor mounts.

In your case I would definatly say you got bad cv joints. I dont think the motor could actually move enough to cause the problem unless its basically bouncing around your engine bay. As for weight shifting, what exactly do you mean. like pitch and roll of the car? Or like a jerking as if you were pulling a loaded trailer or what

 

Like when I am braking or accelerating, when the car shifts, I guess you could call it a jerk like something heavy is shifting it's weight (the engine).

I will tell them to check the CV joints because of it. I told the guy at the dealership that on the phone and he had asked if it was the CV joints, and I said it was a good possibility. He is supposed to be calling the repair shop in the morning and telling them to replace the mount no matter what they think. I will get on them about the CV joints since they did not properly fix my car the first time. In all honesty, I do not know how long it has been broken, but it had been in a passenger side accident (I can tell by all of the blue overspray on everything and the unevenness in areas of the paint).

 

I just went outside and pushed up and down on both sides of the car, and both sides made a creaking/squeaking noise. Strut mounts? Could this cause the creaking noise not only when I am turning while driving, but also when I am parked, turn the wheel, and it creaks then too?

 

The cv joints are only gonna sound when your rolling and turning, more so when your accelerating while turning. If you get pretty much the same effect when you press down on the car then it is your struts, maybe even your strut mounts if you say it was in an accident, the mount may be cracked and flexing when it gets under the stress of a turn causing the pop you describe.

 

does the noise only pop once when you say...turn it all the way to the right or left? Turn your car on so you have power steering and keep your car in park. Just move the steering wheel back and fourth fast and see if you hear it. If thats the case its probably a bad tie-rod. Make sure you turn the steering wheel at least 90 degrees each way.

 

Yea, a tie rod wouldn't creek when you bounce the suspension though

 

It could be worn bushings, how do they look?