Long explanation, I know, but wait for it....

For the last 5 years my 2001 max would squeak when going over bumps, closing the doors or anything that would cause vibration to the front end. I lubed the door hinges and searched everywhere (or so I thought). Tried to simulate when car was parked and no luck. I learned to just live with this annoying squeaky noise or just turn up the tunes.

Anyway, so I popped the hood today to tighten belt due to an annoying squeal when starting the car. Checked the fluids and admired my handy work from all the recent maintenance. Standing there starring at the car with a beer in my hand like many of us do.... It was getting dark so I hooped in the car to start her up. Belt noise gone so I got out of the car and shut the door and noticed that the annoying squeak was gone. WTF!! I shut the hood and opened and closed the door and the squeak was back! Light bulb!

I lubed up the hinges on the hood and the latch. Tested again the squeak was gone! Road tested and noise was gone! I can't believe it was something so simple! I was sure it was something in the suspension (struts or mounts or anything else). I checked just about everything but this....

My hope is that some of you are having the same problem and find this helpful! Please post comments and results as I am a noob and this is my first thread. BTW, I checked stickies and old posts and couldn't find anything on this so i'm sorry if this is a repost! Thanks for looking and be nice about the long drawn out post lol!

 

o wow better late then never

 

I usually lube up all my hinges when I do my oil changes... But problem was much deeper the annoying clunk or however you wanna call that noise was coming from the hood latch support which was completely disconnected on the bottom to where it bolts to the lower radiator support... A few weeks ago I replaced my lower radiator support and bolted everything back together tight.. now no noises what so ever...

 

i have this same problem for long time now and couldn't figure it out. ill check it out this weekend.

 

Please let me know if this works. I am curious to know.

 

I always had this rattling & clunking noise from the front end of my '03 SE when I'd go over bumps. Never could pinpoint the sound... shocks or something else in the suspension? Oh great, this is going to be expensive... some new struts, A arms.... Thump...thumpthump..thump...THUMP...bump...rattle. .. It was those stupid little black rubber bumper stops on the corner of the hood. Someone had screwed them in too far and it was allowing the hood to rattle JUST ENOUGH against the hood catch. Found it one day when I was closing the hood. I had just closed it but it didn't feel right. Sure enough, I put a little pressure on the edge of the hood in few spots and it'd rattle. Sometimes they're not so obvious when we assume the worst is going on.

 

Hey, thanks for posting this! It fixed the squeak on my max!

 

Wow im gonna try this today!

 

Nice! I have that squeak from time to time. Bet this works.