[borkbork]

a while ago i noticed my bolt started making a popping noise when starting from a stop. other people have posted about the same, i just want to add my experience.

took it to the dealer last thursday. i took the tech for a spin around the parking lot, he acknowledged the noise. left the car with them, and they kept it over night. they were pretty stuck and got in touch with GM. waiting for GM, they let me take the car back for the weekend.

took the bolt back on tusday, and left it over night again. they sent some audio recordings to GM, and had a GM tech come out and look at it. they found the noise was coming from the left front strut, so they replaced it. noise was still there. checked the torque on all the suspension parts, all OK. they looked at a couple other bolts they had in the shop, and they apparently made a similar noise. so, diagnosed as normal, and car returned to me.

anyway, the point is, if you're hearing this noise, go to you dealer and make some noise of your own. i'm not convinced this isn't going to turn into something down the road, and i wanted it on record that i complained. if enough people do, maybe GM will actually look into it and address the issue.

 

[Bolt Action]

My 2017 Bolt doesn't pop that I've ever noticed. You are driving in D mode or L mode? Does the sound appear in either mode?

 

[mraymondus]

My 2017 doesn't pop either. But a little while back, it was making a clicking noise on the drivers side in the engine compartment. One dealer (per GM) claimed this was a normal sound. Another dealer was inclined to agree. I eventually convinced them that a) not normal b) related to ABS brake system and master cylinder. After 6 days in dealership service bays, and 30+ days waiting on parts, they replaced the iBooster and master cylinder. I believe there is (or will be) a service bulletin on this shortly.

Your car should not pop. You should share a recording of the sound if you can, because other owners can share that audio recording with their service guys if they have it also. Enough owners report it, and GM will figure it out.

Good luck, keep fighting.

 

[XJ12]

this sounds like the issue with the sway bar hitting the body. would think they had solved this in manufacturing by 2018 model year. still, the design hasn't been changed much. it's really a tolerancing issue. not enough clearance to accommodate all the variations of the parts. some have reported that it changes with ambient temperature. makes sense that the parts change length with temperature, where the sway bar is the longest with the most change.

 

[borkbork]

My 2017 doesn't pop either. But a little while back, it was making a clicking noise on the drivers side in the engine compartment. One dealer (per GM) claimed this was a normal sound. Another dealer was inclined to agree. I eventually convinced them that a) not normal b) related to ABS brake system and master cylinder. After 6 days in dealership service bays, and 30+ days waiting on parts, they replaced the iBooster and master cylinder. I believe there is (or will be) a service bulletin on this shortly.

one of the diagnostics they did was disconnect the brake module. it still popped.

this sounds like the issue with the sway bar hitting the body. would think they had solved this in manufacturing by 2018 model year. still, the design hasn't been changed much. it's really a tolerancing issue. not enough clearance to accommodate all the variations of the parts. some have reported that it changes with ambient temperature. makes sense that the parts change length with temperature, where the sway bar is the longest with the most change.

i did mention this to them, but i don't know if they looked into it. i guess i'll see if it changes any as the weather warms up.

i generally drive in L mode. so i'm pretty sure it's not the friction brakes releasing or anything like that, since they're not used. i've had it happen if i'm on a slight incline, and just shift into neutral and let it roll forward.

i'll see if i can get a recording of it later.

 

[DesertSprings]

Mine's going in Monday for this. Sometimes just a sound, sometimes something I can feel in the pedal. Easiest way to reproduce it is put it in L mode, drive to around 5MPH, then let off the gas until you get to around 3MPH, and then give it gas again. Also seems to happen when stopped on a slight decline and then giving it gas. It is either something in the suspension when the car shifts or slop in the drive train.

I don't get a "creak", so I don't think it is the sway bar. But if it is, I'm inclined to not do anything about it as from what I've read there isn't really any risk/damage being done, and the effort to replace it seems like it would lead to potentially more problems.

 

[DesertSprings]

Well, dealer gave me the old "its normal for this model of car", but they did say they were able to reproduce it and did check axel nuts and suspension to make sure everything was torqued properly. I didn't ask about the sway bar, because if it is the sway bar, I don't want to go through the fix since it is so involved and isn't a safety issue. I forget the exact term they used to describe it, but they blamed it not on the suspenion but on the drive train. Basically what happens when they motor engages after being in regen/neutral.

 

[The Other Tom]

I forget the exact term they used to describe it, but they blamed it not on the suspenion but on the drive train. Basically what happens when they motor engages after being in regen/neutral.

Gear lash?

 

[DesertSprings]

Good guess, but they didn't say gear.

 

[TrngMchn]

brakes while driving L mode

borkbork: Just an FYI, which may be wrong. While researching a creak/tink noise in my rear while area, I'm pretty sure that I read that the "computer" of the car can apply the friction brakes while driving in "L" mode, under some situations. I haven't followed this up yet.

 

[borkbork]

Gear lash?

that was my first thought when i noticed it. i mentioned this to the service advisor, not sure if they followed up in any way. seems like if it's gear lash, it could cause a lot of wear on the on the (i assume) motor, and that's going to be an issue down the road.

 

[borkbork]

borkbork: Just an FYI, which may be wrong. While researching a creak/tink noise in my rear while area, I'm pretty sure that I read that the "computer" of the car can apply the friction brakes while driving in "L" mode, under some situations. I haven't followed this up yet.

the only thing i've seen like this is if you're in L mode and stopped on an incline (enough that the car is creeping forward), the car can apply the electronic parking brake. i've had this happen, and it's very noticeable when it does.