The front's falling off...
Discussion
So, the wife drives a Ford Streetka. Putting aside the fact that it's a hateful skittish thing that isn't particularly efficient for it's pace (or lack thereof), it's been fairly reliable and she's stuck 30k on it in the past 18 months.
Over the past 2k miles it's had basically a full front suspension refresh. It's had 2 x bottom arms and bushes, 2 x lower ball joints, 2 x front dampers, 2 x top mount bushes, 2 x top mount bearings, 2 x drop links.
It's developed a sound over the last 2 days that basically sounds like a bolt holding something in place (say bottom arm) isn't done up tight, and the arm can move up and down slightly causing a knocking sound. The sound isn't related to braking, particular gears, or road speed. It appears to happen less when there is a passenger in the car.
Thing is, I can't for the life of me work out what it is. You can jump up and down on the damn thing stationery and it won't make the noise. I've had it up on stands trying to find any failed bushes etc, can't find anything. I've double checked all the bolts on everything that's been replaced, nothing. I've tried holding the car on the handbrake and selecting gears / letting the clutch out gently to apply engine load to see if it a worn gear linkage or something. The engine mounts appear to be fine, no undue movement of the engine. The rear beam was polybushed 2 months ago as well so that's fine.
Finally, admitting defeat, I took it to my local indy. Not this guy:
However, they can't find anything either? Everything appears to be tight, there's no signs of movement or play hanging off anything, there's no obvious marks where anything is rubbing, but the death rattle is clearly there, and you can hear it from outside the car as clearly as in it.
Long shot, but I'm happy to take any ideas or hints at all because it's doing my tree in. It sounds as if the front's about to collapse so I'm not keen on her driving it, but I can't find anything wrong at all. The car drives fine and doesn't pull left or right under throttle or braking.
Over the past 2k miles it's had basically a full front suspension refresh. It's had 2 x bottom arms and bushes, 2 x lower ball joints, 2 x front dampers, 2 x top mount bushes, 2 x top mount bearings, 2 x drop links.
It's developed a sound over the last 2 days that basically sounds like a bolt holding something in place (say bottom arm) isn't done up tight, and the arm can move up and down slightly causing a knocking sound. The sound isn't related to braking, particular gears, or road speed. It appears to happen less when there is a passenger in the car.
Thing is, I can't for the life of me work out what it is. You can jump up and down on the damn thing stationery and it won't make the noise. I've had it up on stands trying to find any failed bushes etc, can't find anything. I've double checked all the bolts on everything that's been replaced, nothing. I've tried holding the car on the handbrake and selecting gears / letting the clutch out gently to apply engine load to see if it a worn gear linkage or something. The engine mounts appear to be fine, no undue movement of the engine. The rear beam was polybushed 2 months ago as well so that's fine.
Finally, admitting defeat, I took it to my local indy. Not this guy:
However, they can't find anything either? Everything appears to be tight, there's no signs of movement or play hanging off anything, there's no obvious marks where anything is rubbing, but the death rattle is clearly there, and you can hear it from outside the car as clearly as in it.
Long shot, but I'm happy to take any ideas or hints at all because it's doing my tree in. It sounds as if the front's about to collapse so I'm not keen on her driving it, but I can't find anything wrong at all. The car drives fine and doesn't pull left or right under throttle or braking.
hman said:
top mounts maybe?
I had a 2010 mondeo where the top mounts failed at 2 years (30,000 miles) - made a knocking noise that sounded like a bolt had come undone. Checked the suspensino couldnt find anything so I took a chance and replaced the top mount - cured!
Replaced them both and the rubber bushes within the last 8 weeks / 1,500 miles dude. I had a 2010 mondeo where the top mounts failed at 2 years (30,000 miles) - made a knocking noise that sounded like a bolt had come undone. Checked the suspensino couldnt find anything so I took a chance and replaced the top mount - cured!
CrutyRammers said:
Roadspring? They can break at the top or bottom coil so it's quite hard to see, and the broken ends rub together making a clunking noise.
I'll double check again, but neither me or the garage could find any sign of cracking in the springs. With it up in the air you can compress them slightly by hand and they're moving as they should without any undue noise.MJK 24 said:
My Scirocco had the exact same issue. It wasn't the suspension but the steering arm where it meets the steering rack.
Gotcha. This is something I can look into, the track rod ends haven't been changed but don't appear to have any play in the ball joints and were nice and stiff as opposed to loose when I removed them to change the dampers a few weeks back. However I hadn't considered the rack side of things. I suppose it would be worth checking as well that the rack itself is still bolted securely, although I've seen one work loose on an XJ6 and the movement was immediately obvious when under the car pulling at stuff looking for the issue.
My girlfriend has exactly the same problem you describe!
Her car is fine over bumps but intermittently makes a noise like two things "knocking" together usually when it goes over a bump awkwardly... iv tried everything and i cant find the source although the other day i opened the tailgate and that made a similar noise so im wondering if there is a small amount of play there somewhere.
If not i'll look at the suspension/exhaust but its really difficult to find as it can't be replicate whilst standing still no matter how much i jump or move the car.
Its not my car but it does my head in when driving around London due to the speedhumps as every so often it goes "knock" and it doens't sound very safe as it's quite loud.
Her car is fine over bumps but intermittently makes a noise like two things "knocking" together usually when it goes over a bump awkwardly... iv tried everything and i cant find the source although the other day i opened the tailgate and that made a similar noise so im wondering if there is a small amount of play there somewhere.
If not i'll look at the suspension/exhaust but its really difficult to find as it can't be replicate whilst standing still no matter how much i jump or move the car.
Its not my car but it does my head in when driving around London due to the speedhumps as every so often it goes "knock" and it doens't sound very safe as it's quite loud.
I've just ordered the front ARB bushes as they're the only bush left on the front of the car that hasn't been changed now. If it's not them, it surely has to be the rack. I'm taking it back into the garage tomorrow morning if the ARB bushes don't fix it tonight to stick it on a ramp and check the rack out.
Had the exact noise you could describe but never traced it: Nuke from orbit.
Just dumped my girlfriends Streetka on a dealer forecourt steaming away and chopped it for a fiat 500 twin air! Never been so relieved to see the back of such a pile of w
k
The thing had 28,000 miles and following problems:
Cracked expansion tank
Blown HG
Top end rattle
Bottom end knocking under load
Coil packs went
Cam sensor went
Starting issues / random stalling at idle
Alarm failed on her parents drive whilst she was in US (had to fix that one in the rain in front of them)
Electrical gremlins (brake / indicators circuits swapping due to earthing problem)
Terrible mpg
Welded on oil filter causing a 3 hour oil change
Loads of ominous sounding clonking noises over bumps
It might look nice for womenfolk but I've never had the misfortune to be involved with such a POS. Ironic thing is I had convinced her to get a 205gti but her parents forced her to spend 3x as much on something newer and more reliable.
Destroy it while you get a chance!
Just dumped my girlfriends Streetka on a dealer forecourt steaming away and chopped it for a fiat 500 twin air! Never been so relieved to see the back of such a pile of w
kThe thing had 28,000 miles and following problems:
Cracked expansion tank
Blown HG
Top end rattle
Bottom end knocking under load
Coil packs went
Cam sensor went
Starting issues / random stalling at idle
Alarm failed on her parents drive whilst she was in US (had to fix that one in the rain in front of them)
Electrical gremlins (brake / indicators circuits swapping due to earthing problem)
Terrible mpg
Welded on oil filter causing a 3 hour oil change
Loads of ominous sounding clonking noises over bumps
It might look nice for womenfolk but I've never had the misfortune to be involved with such a POS. Ironic thing is I had convinced her to get a 205gti but her parents forced her to spend 3x as much on something newer and more reliable.
Destroy it while you get a chance!
Meldonte said:
Had the exact noise you could describe but never traced it: Nuke from orbit.
Just dumped my girlfriends Streetka on a dealer forecourt steaming away and chopped it for a fiat 500 twin air! Never been so relieved to see the back of such a pile of wk
The thing had 28,000 miles and following problems:
Cracked expansion tank
Blown HG
Top end rattle
Bottom end knocking under load
Coil packs went
Cam sensor went
Starting issues / random stalling at idle
Alarm failed on her parents drive whilst she was in US (had to fix that one in the rain in front of them)
Electrical gremlins (brake / indicators circuits swapping due to earthing problem)
Terrible mpg
Welded on oil filter causing a 3 hour oil change
Loads of ominous sounding clonking noises over bumps
It might look nice for womenfolk but I've never had the misfortune to be involved with such a POS. Ironic thing is I had convinced her to get a 205gti but her parents forced her to spend 3x as much on something newer and more reliable.
Destroy it while you get a chance!
Too late for that buddy, I've just replaced most of it!Just dumped my girlfriends Streetka on a dealer forecourt steaming away and chopped it for a fiat 500 twin air! Never been so relieved to see the back of such a pile of w
kThe thing had 28,000 miles and following problems:
Cracked expansion tank
Blown HG
Top end rattle
Bottom end knocking under load
Coil packs went
Cam sensor went
Starting issues / random stalling at idle
Alarm failed on her parents drive whilst she was in US (had to fix that one in the rain in front of them)
Electrical gremlins (brake / indicators circuits swapping due to earthing problem)
Terrible mpg
Welded on oil filter causing a 3 hour oil change
Loads of ominous sounding clonking noises over bumps
It might look nice for womenfolk but I've never had the misfortune to be involved with such a POS. Ironic thing is I had convinced her to get a 205gti but her parents forced her to spend 3x as much on something newer and more reliable.
Destroy it while you get a chance!
It makes my french habit look distinctly reliable lol
zcacogp said:
This isn't a helpful comment I know, but []ihow much[/i] has your wife sunk into it? £30k? Surely a typo?
Oli.
haha!Oli.
She'd be on her way if we'd sunk £30k into a StreetKa Oli. She's covered 30k miles in the last 18 months in it, not spent 30k in the last 18 months on it.
This would be a very different thread, probably in the Lounge if that were the case!
The car to be fair to it has been pretty reliable, it was bought for £1,995 on a 55 plate with 39k on it, and it's sat at about 68k now. In that time it's only required a door handle, servicing and wheels thanks to our potholed roads. This year due to the roads and the mileage I've been refreshing the suspension, so it's pretty much all been replaced now.
Edited by D4MJT on Thursday 19th December 10:00
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