Hi guys, new to forum need some help. My 02 Honda Civic was rear-ended while parked in a lot last week. Got the insurance to pay for repairs to the bumper. However, after the accident I noticed another problem. When I make a sharp turn I hear a scraping / rubbing noise coming from the front perhaps below the engine.

I can't pinpoint what it could be, and neither can the mechanic at the body shop from the test drive. He said he could take it apart and see, but I'd have to authorize it. I just wanted to see if anyone here would know what could cause this noise.

The scraping noise occurs most frequently and audibly when the car is cold--aka hasn't been driven. Once I drive it awhile, it's harder to reproduce the scraping noise when performing sharp turns. (Does this indicate a brake issue, since heat is generated from braking may eliminate the noise?). When the scraping noise does occur, it happens when I turn the steering wheel both to the left or right. The sound it makes goes like "urrrrr" "urrrr" "urrrr". Each "urrrr" noise lasts about 1-2 seconds. So it's not a click or whine, but a prolonged scrape sound.

If anybody knows what this is, I'd greatly appreciate your input. From talking to some people, guesses include a damaged CV joint or a brake shield rubbing against the rotor. My Civic never had this problem before the accident, and now the insurance co. won't pay for it unless I can show it was related to the accident. If I know where the noise is coming from, then I can have them check out the part to see if it was damaged from impact. Thanks again and have a great day.

 

Is the power steering fluid low or is the power steering belt loose or slipping?

 

Does not sound like CV damage. CV tends to make a loud CLICK CLICK CLICK sound.
As RonJ said, sounds like steering fluid is low.