clonk, clunk, clonk, clunk
Discussion
I've had this annoying clonk/clunk noise that comes from the front of the car since around August this year. Its been into the workshop a few times with no joy.
It starts around 30+minutes into my journey and doesn't occur when its really wet, but happens pretty quickly during hot weather. You can feel the clunk/clonk through the steering and when it does occur, you can force the noise by turning the wheel left and right. One of the front shocks was leaking, so both fronts were replaced and I thought it was resolved, but then on the journey home, after around 45 minutes it started again.
Today it's been back in and the anti-roll bar bushes at the front have been replaced. Will @TWG in Camberley, has pretty much removed, checked and tightened everything at the front (sub frame and strut brace etc), however when he took it for a test drive, after 6 miles the clonk/clunk was there. It went back on the ramp and both technicians had their heads under there, whilst inducing the noise and we are still no closer to a fix.
The next suggestion is replacing the front suspension arms in the new year, when my wallet recovers.
So far I've spent £500 trying to fix the issue.
I'm looking for any other suggestions, or if anyone has had a similar issue?
We've ruled out Shocks, Anti-roll bar, engine mounts, steering rack, subframe and strut brace.
The car is a 2008 E90 325D and is completely standard.
It starts around 30+minutes into my journey and doesn't occur when its really wet, but happens pretty quickly during hot weather. You can feel the clunk/clonk through the steering and when it does occur, you can force the noise by turning the wheel left and right. One of the front shocks was leaking, so both fronts were replaced and I thought it was resolved, but then on the journey home, after around 45 minutes it started again.
Today it's been back in and the anti-roll bar bushes at the front have been replaced. Will @TWG in Camberley, has pretty much removed, checked and tightened everything at the front (sub frame and strut brace etc), however when he took it for a test drive, after 6 miles the clonk/clunk was there. It went back on the ramp and both technicians had their heads under there, whilst inducing the noise and we are still no closer to a fix.
The next suggestion is replacing the front suspension arms in the new year, when my wallet recovers.
So far I've spent £500 trying to fix the issue.
I'm looking for any other suggestions, or if anyone has had a similar issue?
We've ruled out Shocks, Anti-roll bar, engine mounts, steering rack, subframe and strut brace.
The car is a 2008 E90 325D and is completely standard.
I'd certainly investigate the top mounts. It's possible that the clunk is occurring when load goes through the suspension, which will explain why you don't get it in the wet, because lower cornering speeds mean there's less load, and possibly the rubber in the mounting is more compliant in hot weather. It's by no means certain from what you describe, but it's a good guess and it's something I'd look into.
I would get a second opinion with someone who has a set of 'Chassis Ears', Piezo electric clips that you can clip on under the car and plug in to a main box and then listen with headphones while someone else drives the car, then switch between each one.
Once you hear the noise you can move the other sensors nearer to the source and pin point it more accurately rather than throwing parts at it.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Engine-Ear-and-Chassis/dp...
Once you hear the noise you can move the other sensors nearer to the source and pin point it more accurately rather than throwing parts at it.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Engine-Ear-and-Chassis/dp...
Feel for you on this. Been through it a few times with BMW suspension, but there's still a few things to try. Easiest one is to check your rear suspension bush for wear. BMW's of that era have a control arm bushed at the rear of the front (if that makes sense) that ends in a pin that locates into a bush held in a bracket which in turn is bolted to the chassis & is notorious for wear.
Put the car in first, roll it forward a few feet slowly & brake hard with a friend watching the wheel. If the wheel is seen to vibrate when it should stop instantly, then that bush is worn. You can often replicate the effect by kicking the tyre from the rear too.
After that, I'd be checking the track rods. Car in the air, hands on the tyres at quarter to four & rock the tyre left & right. Any play is the track rods. Then a pry bar on the ball joints to check for wear. The garage should have done all this already but after that, there's not much left to check. It's possible the subframe itself is loose but it's highly unlikely & others have covered off the rest of the main areas to look at.
Put the car in first, roll it forward a few feet slowly & brake hard with a friend watching the wheel. If the wheel is seen to vibrate when it should stop instantly, then that bush is worn. You can often replicate the effect by kicking the tyre from the rear too.
After that, I'd be checking the track rods. Car in the air, hands on the tyres at quarter to four & rock the tyre left & right. Any play is the track rods. Then a pry bar on the ball joints to check for wear. The garage should have done all this already but after that, there's not much left to check. It's possible the subframe itself is loose but it's highly unlikely & others have covered off the rest of the main areas to look at.
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