Go Back   986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners > Porsche Boxster & Cayman Forums > Boxster General Discussions

Post Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 07-04-2025, 07:14 PM   #1
jackfor
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Quebec, Canada
Posts: 22
Garage
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.
jackfor is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2025, 04:24 AM   #2
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2025
Location: Midwest
Posts: 54
Motor or transmission mounds?
maxbottomtime is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2025, 05:43 AM   #3
jackfor
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Quebec, Canada
Posts: 22
Garage
Is it difficult to check?
jackfor is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2025, 09:51 AM   #4
1998 Boxster Silver/Red
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: 92262
Posts: 3,085
Quote:
Originally Posted by jackfor View Post
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
Starter986 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2025, 10:41 AM   #5
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2021
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 206
I would jack up the rear of the car and try to reproduce the sound by moving the tires. Could be CV joints.
elav is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-05-2025, 03:44 PM   #6
jackfor
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Quebec, Canada
Posts: 22
Garage
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.
jackfor is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2025, 02:32 PM   #7
Registered User
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Woodland Wa
Posts: 1,309
Quote:
Originally Posted by jackfor View Post
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.
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.
blue62 is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2025, 03:59 PM   #8
jackfor
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Quebec, Canada
Posts: 22
Garage
I did raise the rear of the car but there is no clunking sound in reverse or forward.
jackfor is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2025, 06:46 PM   #9
Registered User
 
elgyqc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Laval QC
Posts: 837
Garage
Quote:
Originally Posted by jackfor View Post
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)
elgyqc is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2025, 07:07 PM   #10
jackfor
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Quebec, Canada
Posts: 22
Garage
Quote:
Originally Posted by elgyqc View Post
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?
My city is Dolbeau-Mistassini.
jackfor is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-07-2025, 04:40 AM   #11
Registered User
 
elgyqc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Laval QC
Posts: 837
Garage
Quote:
Originally Posted by jackfor View Post
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)
elgyqc is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-07-2025, 12:36 PM   #12
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2025
Location: Midwest
Posts: 54
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.
maxbottomtime is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-07-2025, 07:33 PM   #13
jackfor
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Quebec, Canada
Posts: 22
Garage
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.
jackfor is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2025, 12:53 PM   #14
jackfor
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Quebec, Canada
Posts: 22
Garage
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.
jackfor is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-19-2025, 04:29 PM   #15
jackfor
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Quebec, Canada
Posts: 22
Garage
Video of the clunking sound

This is a video I recorded with the clunking sound.

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AmSrLd3csx6CggFAnTHv-EqsHnrN?e=qhhYSP
jackfor is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2025, 04:09 PM   #16
Registered User
 
piper6909's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: PA
Posts: 1,720
Quote:
Originally Posted by jackfor View Post
This is a video I recorded with the clunking sound.

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AmSrLd3csx6CggFAnTHv-EqsHnrN?e=qhhYSP
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.
piper6909 is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-20-2025, 08:04 PM   #17
jackfor
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Quebec, Canada
Posts: 22
Garage
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.
jackfor is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-21-2025, 03:05 AM   #18
Registered User
 
piper6909's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: PA
Posts: 1,720
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
piper6909 is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-21-2025, 06:22 AM   #19
jackfor
 
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Quebec, Canada
Posts: 22
Garage
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.
jackfor is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 07-21-2025, 03:34 PM   #20
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2025
Location: Midwest
Posts: 54
Could it be part of the CV joint cracking while flexing?
maxbottomtime is online now   Reply With Quote
Post Reply

Tags
rear suspension



Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -8. The time now is 03:28 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2025 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page