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Grinding noise when turning at low rpm

4K views 20 replies 4 participants last post by  jtrosky 
#1 · (Edited)
Hey everyone, new to the forum but I've finally come into my first issue with my 09 Impala. When I start to accelerate from a stop and begin turning left or right, I occasionally hear a grinding noise from the front end. The biggest issue with figuring this out, is that the location the grinding sound varies each time it happens, and it doesn't replicate very well. I've tried replacing the CV axles and hub assembly, and made sure to inspect everything within the wheel wells and cant find any noticeable marks of contact/grinding. I also made sure to check the splines on the CV axles to make sure there wasn't any noticeable wear, and thus I'm stumped. I have seen other posts on here saying that others have had issues with the speed sensor wiring harness, however mine on both sides are in great condition and have no kinks/tears/ or signs of breakage. Anyone have any idea what could be causing the grinding noise? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

meant to post in 9th gen section.
 
#2 ·
Actually, you posted in the right section - on this forum the 2006-2013 (and 2014+ Limiteds) are considered 8th gens.

Regarding your problem, it sure does sound like the speed sensor wiring. It's a VERY common problem and just becuase the wires look ok, doesn't mean that they aren't the problem. A lot of times, you won't see any issues with the wiring, but what happens in that the actual wire part beneath the insultion brakes due to constant stressing when turning the wheels back and forth. I'm 90%+ confident that splicing in new speed sensor pigtails will solve your problem.

Here is a post where I show when I did this to my 2012 (and again, could not find any issues with the wiring, even after an in-depth post-replacement "inspection"):

https://www.impalaforums.com/showthread.php?p=2942562

The pigtails are very cheap (I got mine on Ebay - $14 for two of them) - and my car hasn't repeated the issue in years.
 
#4 ·
Please let us know how it goes. If you can take any pictures along the way for a sort of "how to", that would be great as well (my post on the subject is lacking!). This is such a common issue, anything you can contribute would be highly appreciated by other members in the future. :)
 
#6 ·
I would estimate that it was no more than 12 inches, if that. THe link I posted above has show pictures that show where I cut the original wiring. Really, the damage usually occurs within the first few inches (from the connection at the wheel). I actually wish I didn't replace so much - because if I ever have to replace it again, I'd rather replace more than I did this time (instead of having two repairs in the wire).
 
#7 ·
So I've done the repair, and it appears someone previously had just twisted the wires together, and used electrical tape to "seal" the new connection. After doing the repair, I'm now getting service traction control along with the abs light and traction light on full time. ? Anyone know what I should check next?
 
#8 ·
Stupid question - but being that someone else apparently repaired this before already (improperly, it sounds like), are you sure you have the right wires going to the right wires? Simply splicing in new wiring shouldn't cause the lights to come on fulltime like that. I'm just wondering if the wires are swapped?
 
#10 ·
I wonder if a reset of the system would help at all now that they have been replaced. Maybe try disconnecting the battery overnight and see if that resets anything? Just doesn't make any sense that the problem got worse by replacing the pigtails. I could understand if nothing changed at all, but to make things worse just doesn't seem right...

Just realize that disconnecting the battery like that will reset the emissions readiness tests - so if you need to get any emissions testing done in the next few weeks, it could fail until those readiness tests complete after reconnecting the battery. And you'll have to reset radio presets, time, etc... :)
 
#11 ·
I think a reset sounds good. But also keep in mind, there could be more than one break. Seems like the first one I pulled out was damaged in multiple spots, all where the plastic tie downs were clamping the loom too tightly.

One place to pay close attention is where the harness spans the control arm joint. There's a tie down on each side, and the few inches of wire in between gets flexed a lot !

Doug

.
 
#12 ·
Well, the changing of the pigtail has fixedy original issue of the grinding at low speeds. How long should I leave the battery unplugged for to do a reset? If I can't resolve it soon, I'll be taking it back to the dealership I bought it from, because I've only owned this car for 3 weeks
 
#13 ·
I don't know exactly how long it takes, which is why I usually just disconnect the battery before I go to bed and then reconnect it the next morning.

Technically, you can disconnect both wires from the battery and touch them together for a few seconds to drain all power from the system, but I have also seen warnings saying that could possibly cause issues. Personally, I've done it a few times without issues, but the safest way is just disconnect the negative cable overnight. That way you *know* the system has been reset and don't have to worry about damaging anything. 15-20 minutes may be enough - but like I said, I'd rather know for sure that things have been reset, which is why I just like disconnecting it overnight.

Of course, there is always a chance that you problem is much "deeper" and it wasn't actually the wiring. The wiring is just the most common issue, which is why it's usually the first thing you try. Based on your description of it occuring when turning at low speeds, it definitely had the symptoms of bad speed sensor wiring - especially since you had already replaced the hub, etc...

At this point, I think it would be a good idea to get the codes read as well - they may give some hints as to what the real problem is. Obviously, if there is any sort of warranty on the car, I'd let them figure it out. :)
 
#16 ·
Sorry for the late update. After wiring in the new pigtail, it was fine for a few days, however I didn't give the harness enough slack and the wires coming out of the hub assembly tore out after hitting a really bad pothole that also bent the rim. Sent the hub in, got a new one and have the harness more slack just in case. The issue popped up a few times so I checked Forester along the harness and found a pinch in the positive wire and had to add a new weatherpack in. After doing that, it has been fine, and I've taken it to a local shop to check for code since and nothing.
 
#19 ·
Ok, cool - thanks again for the update - I'm sure your experience will come in handy for others in the future.

Hopefully, the issue doesn't come back and no more codes!

Did you end up replacing the pigtail on both sides or just the one side?

I replaced only one side on my 2012 Impala a few years ago and I think the other side is starting to act up now. I should have just replaced them both at the same time... My wheels get turned lock-to-lock multiples times every time the car exits and enters the garage due to my driveway/garage layout, which I think causes this issue even more than normal...
 
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