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		|  07-04-2025, 07:14 PM | #1 |  
	| jackfor 
				 
				Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Quebec, Canada 
					Posts: 33
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				Clunking sound when in reverse
			 
 
			Hello everybody.  
Just bought a 2002 Boxster man 5 speed. When I'm backing up there is 2-3 clunck sound, I put it forward and the samething happen. Once on the road there is no cluncking sound. I just remove the rear stabilizing bar to rule out this, but nothing change. Anyone had the same problem? The sound seems to come from the rear of the car.  Help would be very appreciated.
 
This is a video I recorded with the clunking sound.
https://1drv.ms/v/s!AmSrLd3csx6CggFAnTHv-EqsHnrN?e=qhhYSP
				 Last edited by jackfor; 07-19-2025 at 04:30 PM.
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		|  07-05-2025, 04:24 AM | #2 |  
	| Registered User 
				 
				Join Date: May 2025 Location: Midwest 
					Posts: 61
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			Motor or transmission mounds?
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		|  07-05-2025, 05:43 AM | #3 |  
	| jackfor 
				 
				Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Quebec, Canada 
					Posts: 33
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			Is it difficult to check?
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		|  07-05-2025, 09:51 AM | #4 |  
	| 1998 Boxster Silver/Red 
				 
				Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: 92262 
					Posts: 3,093
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	Quote: 
	
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					Originally Posted by jackfor  Is it difficult to check? |  
For the transmission mounts look for hydraulic fluid on the ground directly under the respective mount, of which there are two.  If it isn't leaking... another method might exist suggested by someone more knowledgeable than I.
 
Visual inspection of the motor mount.
 
Good luck.
		 
				__________________1998 Porsche Boxster
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		|  07-05-2025, 10:41 AM | #5 |  
	| Registered User 
				 
				Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Bay Area 
					Posts: 207
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			I would jack up the rear of the car and try to reproduce the sound by moving the tires. Could be CV joints.
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		|  07-05-2025, 03:44 PM | #6 |  
	| jackfor 
				 
				Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Quebec, Canada 
					Posts: 33
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			Thank you all for the replies.There is no oil leaking from the transmission mounts. For what I can see the engine mount looks ok.
 Could it be because one of the rear tire has less life in it than the other one.
 
 When going in circle in reverse or forward it is worse.
 
 I will try to raise the rear of the car to see what happen.
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		|  07-06-2025, 02:32 PM | #7 |  
	| Registered User 
				 
				Join Date: Aug 2018 Location: Woodland Wa 
					Posts: 1,314
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	Quote: 
	
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					Originally Posted by jackfor  Hello everybody. Just bought a 2002 Boxster man 5 speed. When I'm backing up there is 2-3 clunck sound, I put it forward and the samething happen. Once on the road there is no cluncking sound. I just remove the rear stabilizing bar to rule out this, but nothing change. Anyone had the same problem? The sound seems to come from the rear of the car.  Help would be very appreciated.
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If your car has the original motor mount then it is shot. 
The rubber center portion wears out and degrades with age. 
You can't see it with a visual inspection it has to be removed to see the problem.
 
Or you could have an issue with the rear axles bad CV joint or axle mounting bolts coming loose.
		 
				 Last edited by blue62; 07-06-2025 at 02:34 PM.
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		|  07-06-2025, 03:59 PM | #8 |  
	| jackfor 
				 
				Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Quebec, Canada 
					Posts: 33
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			I did raise the rear of the car but there is no clunking sound in reverse or forward.
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		|  07-06-2025, 06:46 PM | #9 |  
	| Registered User 
				 
				Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Laval QC 
					Posts: 850
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	Quote: 
	
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					Originally Posted by jackfor  I did raise the rear of the car but there is no clunking sound in reverse or forward. |  
My first guess would be CV joints. With the rear wheels in the air turn the wheels back and forth to see if there is a noise. 
Where are you in Quebec?
		 
				__________________Grant
 Arctic Silver 2000 Boxster S - bought with a broken engine, back on the road with the engine replaced
 Green 2000 Boxster 5-speed and 1978 928 auto
 1987 924S 5-speed (Sold) - Blue 2000 Boxster 5 spd (Sold)
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		|  07-06-2025, 07:07 PM | #10 |  
	| jackfor 
				 
				Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Quebec, Canada 
					Posts: 33
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	Quote: 
	
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					Originally Posted by elgyqc  My first guess would be CV joints. With the rear wheels in the air turn the wheels back and forth to see if there is a noise.Where are you in Quebec?
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My city is Dolbeau-Mistassini.
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		|  07-07-2025, 04:40 AM | #11 |  
	| Registered User 
				 
				Join Date: Sep 2018 Location: Laval QC 
					Posts: 850
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	Quote: 
	
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					Originally Posted by jackfor  My city is Dolbeau-Mistassini. |  
C'est pas juste à cöté...
		 
				__________________Grant
 Arctic Silver 2000 Boxster S - bought with a broken engine, back on the road with the engine replaced
 Green 2000 Boxster 5-speed and 1978 928 auto
 1987 924S 5-speed (Sold) - Blue 2000 Boxster 5 spd (Sold)
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		|  07-07-2025, 12:36 PM | #12 |  
	| Registered User 
				 
				Join Date: May 2025 Location: Midwest 
					Posts: 61
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			You could also look at the engine, see how much it shifts. Motor mount is easy to drop. 4x 15mm bolts on the bottom (nuts and studs that will likely come out together), few more on the front. Of course you need to support the engine.
 You could try revving the engine (or having a friend do so) and watch for shaking/shifting.
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		|  07-07-2025, 07:33 PM | #13 |  
	| jackfor 
				 
				Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Quebec, Canada 
					Posts: 33
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			I reraise the rear of the car and move each wheel back and forth as elgyqc suggest. The rear right wheel has more slack than the other, but no clucking sound. The clucking sound seems to come from the right. I'm thinking buying a brand new cv joint to replace the right one.
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		|  07-19-2025, 12:53 PM | #14 |  
	| jackfor 
				 
				Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Quebec, Canada 
					Posts: 33
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				Update
			 
 
			I bought a brand new right axel and installed it, the clunking sound was a little less presen but still there. Also replace the engine mount, nothing changed. I checked under the car with a friend during almost an hour, we did not find anything abnormal. Anyone has that problem? The infamous clunking sound is more present when in reverse and it sound like metal on metal. Any help would be appreciated.
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		|  07-19-2025, 04:29 PM | #15 |  
	| jackfor 
				 
				Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Quebec, Canada 
					Posts: 33
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				Video of the clunking sound
			 
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		|  07-20-2025, 04:09 PM | #16 |  
	| Registered User 
				 
				Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: PA 
					Posts: 1,726
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	Quote: 
	
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					Originally Posted by jackfor   |  
Do the two clicking sounds repeat, or does it just do two times and stop?  Looking at the valve stem as a reference, I noticed that the video cut short just  before wheel did a complete revolution after the first click started.  I wanted to see if it did it again when the valve stem got to the same point where the first click happened.
 
I'm wondering if it's something inside the brake drum.  My guess is that you probably didn't remove the rotor when you did the axle, because you wouldn't need to.  But I would go there next and make sure you have no broken springs or anything loose or weird.  Also look in there for rub marks between the rotating parts and stationary parts.  Look for stuff like a bearing retainer bolt backing off or something.  It's a shot in the dark.  The other thing, if you and your friend checked to make sure nothing is hitting anything, would be the wheel bearing.  But I haven't heard that kind of noise when those go bad.
		 
				__________________2002 Boxster Base - Arctic Silver - Tiptronic
 2010 Subaru Forester
 1980 Ford C-8000 Custom Cab Emergency-One Fire Truck
 __________________
 "I never lose.  I either win or I learn." -Nelson Mandela
 
				 Last edited by piper6909; 07-20-2025 at 04:52 PM.
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		|  07-20-2025, 08:04 PM | #17 |  
	| jackfor 
				 
				Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Quebec, Canada 
					Posts: 33
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			piper6909 thank you for the follow up. Most of the time there are 2 clunk going back sometimes only one. I'm gonna check the brake drum as soon as possible.
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		|  07-21-2025, 03:05 AM | #18 |  
	| Registered User 
				 
				Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: PA 
					Posts: 1,726
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			Then that pretty much blows my theory out of the water.  Before you spend time taking things apart, have you tried putting it in reverse with the e-brake on and power-braking it?  Just put some load without the wheels actually rotating.  If it still makes the noise that'll eliminate anything involving rotation, including anything in the drum.  Then I'd check torque on all your suspension components and even the cover plate and look for cracks
		 
				__________________2002 Boxster Base - Arctic Silver - Tiptronic
 2010 Subaru Forester
 1980 Ford C-8000 Custom Cab Emergency-One Fire Truck
 __________________
 "I never lose.  I either win or I learn." -Nelson Mandela
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		|  07-21-2025, 06:22 AM | #19 |  
	| jackfor 
				 
				Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Quebec, Canada 
					Posts: 33
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			I just remove the brake disc everything is ok for the parking brake. There are no cracks on any of the rubber suspension parts. We double Check every nuts of the rear suspension, everything is tight no slack. I dont know if I Will be able to solve this mistery.
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		|  07-21-2025, 03:34 PM | #20 |  
	| Registered User 
				 
				Join Date: May 2025 Location: Midwest 
					Posts: 61
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			Could it be part of the CV joint cracking while flexing?
		 
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