Dc5 steering groan when cold

Dc5 steering groan when cold

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designforlife

Original Poster:

3,734 posts

163 months

Thursday 14th September 2017
quotequote all
My dc5 tends to groan from the steering when you turn the wheel the first few times from cold, ie. manouvering out of a parking space or off the drive.

it only does it the first 4 or 5 turns of the wheel, but its very noticeable.

Had the PS fluid changed and thats tamed it very slightly, but it's still there.

what else could it be? pump doesn't grind or make any other untoward noises. it's not your typical PS whine or graunching noise, more like a low groan.

belt perhaps?

KerwinRobertson

135 posts

82 months

Friday 6th April 2018
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Sounds like the struts, check the top mount bearings.

designforlife

Original Poster:

3,734 posts

163 months

Friday 6th April 2018
quotequote all
thanks, worth a look.

bit of an update, it was far worse in the cold/wet weather, and now does it with no steering input too, but only at low speed when creeping from a parked position when first started up. Tried to record it on my phone but it's not really audible enough to merit sharing.

I picked up a spare PS pump and rack as a precaution, going to see how it goes now the car gets used a bit more in the better weather.

Butter Face

30,298 posts

160 months

Friday 6th April 2018
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I think my EP3 is doing the same, almost a clunking noise. Sounds horrible. I've already had 2 sets of top mounts on my car too rolleyes

designforlife

Original Poster:

3,734 posts

163 months

Friday 6th April 2018
quotequote all
yeah this is a weird one, no grind or clunk, and it's had fresh droplinks and is fully serviced.

Just this low groan, best i could liken it to would be underwater whale type noise. Almost like applying the brakes and hearing a groan...but discs/pads/calipers are all A-OK.

It never lasts more than a turn or two of the wheel, or a few feet of driving...but it's always been there and is slowly driving me nuts that it's unresolved!


Butter Face

30,298 posts

160 months

Friday 6th April 2018
quotequote all
Mine comes and goes, one day no noise, the next it's like a groan-a-thon hehe

Mines all new suspension (except top mounts), new droplinks, new balljoints and trackrod ends! Bloody thing just loves to hassle me!

designforlife

Original Poster:

3,734 posts

163 months

Friday 6th April 2018
quotequote all
mine is far worse in cold/wet weather, and only if it's been parked for 24 hours or longer, and only ever from cold.

i was worried that the PS pump or rack were going to poo themselves...top mounts is a lot less hassle if it is those.

And this does of course open up the option of getting coilovers if the shock is slowly on its way out.

designforlife

Original Poster:

3,734 posts

163 months

Friday 6th April 2018
quotequote all
just found some old paperwork.

The old girl was diagnosed as having "minor play in both front shocks" according to a checkover when i first got her.

Probably not the source of the groan...i'd almost think wheel bearing but baffled as to why that would only be from cold and for such a short time.

rich85uk

3,367 posts

179 months

Saturday 7th April 2018
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Would chewbacca describe the noise quite well? my FN2 does this sometimes when reversing into my parking space which is on a very slight incline, according to the Type R forums this is quite common with all the K20 models and happens more when its cold

designforlife

Original Poster:

3,734 posts

163 months

Sunday 8th April 2018
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Reasonably well, that or whale song!


Chris-DC5R

24 posts

82 months

Sunday 8th April 2018
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James,

Not sure on the noise myself but I would personally at this point advise against doing anything with the top mounts. When My top mounts went It was a clunk on full lock. Similarly to what a snapped spring may sound/feel like.

Hope you get it sorted buddy.

Regards
Chris

dtravis83

8 posts

103 months

Tuesday 10th April 2018
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Might be worth calling TGM Sport as they are pretty much gurus when it comes to the DC5. When I got mine I had a few things I wasn't sure on and Tom actually finished my sentence when trying to describe a noise I'd heard (rattling heat shield). Can't rate them enough!