Loud Noise on Startup

[kmck94]

Hey y'all, I have been videoing some of my start-ups (when I remember to) and I got the "clank" captured finally ...

"video or it didn't happen"

“it’s normal start up just the lifters” lol you got the video spot on! That noise is exactly what I was talking about. Funny enough I was an *** to my truck this weekend and floored it a couple times and hit the speed limiter and I haven’t gotten a clank in 2 days. Not sure if it has anything to do with it.

 

[Accountant]

It's the park lock mechanism in the trans I believe. Pretty sure its normal. Its a loud clank type noise, doesn't always happen, I think its got something to do with the load on the trans after parked. There is a message in the cluster display stating something about it. This trans doesn't use a conventional shift cable and i think it does something to lock the trans so it comes out of park easy, kinda like the old days when you put a auto in park and it rolls back a bit, then when you yank on the lever, it is hard and would clank. Just my opinion though, I'm not worried about it. Doesn't happen all the time, I'v noticed it more on hills, but I also set my park brake every time before shifting into park, so that would probably help.

After watching a few YouTube vids on how this works, it makes sense. Since the pawl would be engaged in the gear when parked, maybe it's the mechanism that clanks when the engine shakes on startup. Or maybe there is some play in the teeth while the pawl is engaged that makes the noise when the engine shakes on startup. If this is the case im not worried. Plus I hear it much less since I've started using the automatic parking brake.

 

[MopaRAMan]

Ya I know what it sounds like I just wondered what his noise was. I still believe it’s the park lock mechanism or something like that. I’ve heard it a few times but I always use my park brake and very rarely hear it. Seems to have been less noticeable since my software has been updated. They really need to come out with a description of it stating what it is to stop people from thinking something is wrong if it is normal or “as designed”

Heard my clank again today. The symptoms just aren't right for it to be the transmission parking cog. The issue occurs when the engine starts, which should not involve the parking mechanism. If it did, that would definitely be a safety issue by itself. If the clank occurred when shifting into or out off park, the parking mechanism would be a likely culprit. That's not the case here.

I tried everything I could think of to reliably reproduce or prevent the issue when the clank occurred on almost a daily basis for my first few weeks of ownership: Park up hill, down hill, emergency brake on, emergency brake off, shift to reverse before activating emergency brake, shut down after backing up, remote start, etc. Nothing I tried made it better or worse, but I may have stumbled onto something that changed the frequency and intensity. It could be a total coincidence, however I started testing out the 4x4 modes one rainy day around that time. The first time I shifted the transfer case into 4x4 high I heard some objections from a bearing somewhere in the transfer case or front diff for a few hundred yards. After that, the noise went away for the most part, although I can hear a slight whine when at low speeds if I have it in 4 auto. More to the point, breaking in the 4x4 components might have been a contributing factor into the reduction of my clank issue while starting. It's still occurring once or twice a week, but it's not quite as loud as it was initially. Have you guys exercised your 4x4 features?

 

[Accountant]

I have transfer case delete mod lol.

 

[MopaRAMan]

I have transfer case delete mod lol.

Lol. I should have checked that. One less possibility.

 

[kmck94]

For some reason, the clank has disappeared for me the last 3 days. Anyway the chain tensioner final clicked and tightened the slack in the tranny for the parking cog? Just throwing it out there. Its been raining here a lot in FL and when it rained the clank usually got worse but now nothing. Just great Hemi start up noise.

 

[Accountant]

Yay me. LOL Caught the noise on video. Although not as loud as before. Push button start.

 

[Accountant]

The noise sounds like this. I'm going to try and record under my truck tomorrow and see if I have slack in the driveshaft.

 

[kmck94]

Clank is back. Here is a view of the rear axel when the clank happens. Not sure if this is were the noise is coming from.

 

[Accountant]

Clank is back. Here is a view of the rear axel when the clank happens. Not sure if this is were the noise is coming from.

The sound could travel along the shaft and appear to come from under the front.

 

[MopaRAMan]

Yay me. LOL Caught the noise on video. Although not as loud as before. Push button start.

The noise sounds like this. I'm going to try and record under my truck tomorrow and see if I have slack in the driveshaft.

I certainly have some slack in the rear end. I actually tried recording the driveshaft for movement on startup too, but I grew tired of recording flawless starts. My driveshaft moves a slight amount during normal starts, but it didn't appear to have much force driving it. It just moved slowly. Miss one time and BAM! Lol. I also have an issue with the transmission shifting hard down to first while I'm making a Hollywood stop at a yield sign. It's the only issue on my truck that's consistent.

 

[MopaRAMan]

The sound could travel along the shaft and appear to come from under the front.[/QUOTE
That's a very informative video! Nice work! That proves there is something in the transmission that is transferring engine torque when it shouldn't. We can only hope it is a programming glitch that momentarily activates the clutches and not some mechanical binding action. These new breed off automatics with start stop capabilities are designed to get the truck moving immediately on startup.
Your video also clears the starter as the possible culprit. You can clearly see the movement of the driveshaft coinciding with the sound.

 

[MopaRAMan]

The sound could travel along the shaft and appear to come from under the front.

I wonder if we started (or could start) our trucks in Neutral if the force excerted on the driveline would be enough to bump the truck.

Parking on an incline or decline, but not both without applying the emergency brake should drastically eliminate the slack in the driveline, thus theoretically preventing the rouge force within these beasts from being unleashed on the parking cog. If that's in fact what is happening. My clank doesn't descrminate, it clanks with both the truck nose up or truck nose down, however it might only happen in both conditions since I routinely use my emergency brake on a grade. If having 'the lack of slack' in the driveline doesn't reduce the clank, the component taking the hit must be another hard part further up the line in the tranny. In any case, we have to stop the force.

 

[Accountant]

Video of driveshaft. No movement and no clunk. My saga continues lol. Maybe one day I will capture movement and clunk haha.

 

[Accountant]

No clunk but I really haven’t been getting it much since using the parking brake. If it does happen it is not as loud as before.

I did capture some small movement in the driveshaft this morning.

 

[RamRod41]

Hey y'all, I have been videoing some of my start-ups (when I remember to) and I got the "clank" captured finally ...

"video or it didn't happen"

I have that also, my build date is 10-18-19. Not near as bad as yours.

The clang on yours is badddd.

Ever get it fixed?

 

[RAM805]

I have that also, my build date is 10-18-19. Not near as bad as yours.

The clang on yours is badddd.

Ever get it fixed?

Yeah, bad and not getting better. @RamCares has created a case for my "front end clunk when turning" - the truck is going in to the dealer Dec.10 for both the "clunk" and the "clank".

 

[kmck94]

Does anyone have updates? Mine is still clunking every day and dealer says it's normal. As you can see in videos posted it is not normal and was wondering if anyone had a better experience in getting this resolved.

 

[MopaRAMan]

Does anyone have updates? Mine is still clunking every day and dealer says it's normal. As you can see in videos posted it is not normal and was wondering if anyone had a better experience in getting this resolved.

My truck was in the shop for the last month to get a long list of issues addressed. Unfortunately, they said they weren’t able to reproduce the startup cluck. I’m planning to take it back in for my FM radio static issue that still needs corrected and give them another shot to hear the clank. It’s so much less violent now that I’m almost willing to call it a non issue.

 

[EStein]

Hey y'all, I have been videoing some of my start-ups (when I remember to) and I got the "clank" captured finally ...

"video or it didn't happen"

Mine has done that since new as well. 5k miles now. Usually just the first start up of the day.... I think. Getting used to it so don’t really pay attention anymore. At least there are enough of us with the problem that it will get fixed if it is an issue…