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 Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 6:44 am |
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Joined: Apr 18, 2013
Posts: 186
Trade Rating: 0
Location: Ashington, Northumberland
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I've only noticed this start today. Turning the wheels at a standstill gives a single loud clunk well before the end of the steering travel. If I turn it full lock to lock it's 2 loud clunks, again before the end of the steering travel.
I've heard this could be a top mount bearing becoming worn. How likely is this? Or could it be something sticking at certain points of the steering travel then freeing itself?
The car is a 2000 1.4LX, over 100k on the clock. The handling is exactly the same and there are no other noises when driving, just the clunk when stationary and low speed. Any ideas?
Cheers
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| I ain't nuts, I'm condiments, I've been promoted | |
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Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 7:02 am |
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Joined: Jan 29, 2011
Posts: 6526
Trade Rating: +10
Location: Westhoughton, Lancashire
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Could be top mounts, but could also be a damaged spring.
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Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 7:03 am |
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Joined: Feb 07, 2010
Posts: 2949
Trade Rating: +6
Location: Athens, Greece
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Could be top-mount(s) but you shouldn't be turning the steering wheel when completely stationary much.
Also, check tracking.
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| 1.4i, 2001, 3-door, China Blue
Repair safely - Drive safely | |
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Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 7:03 am |
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Joined: Feb 07, 2010
Posts: 2949
Trade Rating: +6
Location: Athens, Greece
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| 1.4i, 2001, 3-door, China Blue
Repair safely - Drive safely | |
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Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 7:30 am |
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Joined: Apr 18, 2013
Posts: 186
Trade Rating: 0
Location: Ashington, Northumberland
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Cheers guys, I'll try get a good look at the spring later when it stops raining lol. V I was only turning it full lock when stationary to try work out at which point the clunk was happening. It seems to be consistently around the 3/4 from central towards full lock in both directions.
I've only had the car a few weeks and no warning signs before this morning so could a spring have snapped on a steady drive home last night? It was bitterly cold this morning so maybe if there's no heat in the engine bay the rubber on the mounts would be harder than normal and make it sound louder I assume? I'll do the drive to work this afternoon and see what the noise is like after a few miles when everything's warm. If it's the spring there'd be no change whatever the temperature I assume.
Do the top mount bearings have a habit of sticking at all? It certainly feels like something is sticking slightly. I'm thinking if it's early days a bit of grease on the top mount bearings to see if that helps?
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| I ain't nuts, I'm condiments, I've been promoted | |
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Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 7:38 am |
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Joined: Feb 07, 2010
Posts: 2949
Trade Rating: +6
Location: Athens, Greece
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I meant generaly turning the steering wheel when completely stationary, let alone full-lock.
Unless you are bleeding the power-steering hydraulics that is.
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| 1.4i, 2001, 3-door, China Blue
Repair safely - Drive safely | |
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Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 9:40 am |
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Joined: Jun 20, 2012
Posts: 1176
Trade Rating: +1
Location: West Country
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I hear the same clunk exactly in the same manner - just when slightly started turning of the pavement when stationary, and then pulling off.
I see traces of liquid around the offside shock-absorber, but suspension is same hard as stone since I bought the car, i.e. it doesn't bounce
(I'm getting confused now - the last info I got that the tell-tale signs of suspension going are that it keeps bouncing. But my father used to say >10 years ago that when absorbers feel incredibly hard - that means they're gone..)
Can this ^ also be the cause of my pulling to the left when accelerating? Sorry to cross-post 
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Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 12:15 pm |
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Joined: Feb 07, 2010
Posts: 2949
Trade Rating: +6
Location: Athens, Greece
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Your dad is right.
Shocks can go very soft or very stiff when they're gone.
Don't know about the rest though.
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| 1.4i, 2001, 3-door, China Blue
Repair safely - Drive safely | |
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Posted: Wed May 15, 2013 5:31 pm |
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Joined: Apr 18, 2013
Posts: 186
Trade Rating: 0
Location: Ashington, Northumberland
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I had a look at the top of the strut mounts in the engine bay tonight (under the plastic caps) and noticed a difference between the two. The rubber on one seems quite loose and moves a bit by hand, the other doesn't move. The one that doesn't move looks to be in good condition but there's loads of gunk around the base of it whereas the other is squeaky clean.
Should these rubbers move and if so how freely?
Good thought about the shocks. I did the bounce test and they seem fine, exactly the same result both sides and no clunks when bounced. Had a look at the drop links and they look fairly new. By the time I got around to the track rod ends it was going dark so couldn't see too well. I'll have a good look in the morning. Checked for the common CV problems on full lock in a car park and no sound at all from them.
How full should the power steering fluid be? Mine's about 15mm below the top of the reservoir so I'm assuming that's ok.
I've tried to get a look at the springs and they look ok but I can't see the top of them. With the bonnet up the noise seems to come from the driver's side high up in the engine bay so it's leading me to suspect top mounts or if the spring is at fault then it's damaged right at the top where I can't see it.
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| I ain't nuts, I'm condiments, I've been promoted | |
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Posted: Thu May 16, 2013 2:50 am |
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Joined: Jan 29, 2011
Posts: 6526
Trade Rating: +10
Location: Westhoughton, Lancashire
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I'd get the top mounts changed. Do both sides as they have both done the same amount of left and right movement.
You'll have to remove the strut anyway, so you can check for other damage or problems while you're at it.
The power steering reservoir cap should have a dip stick attached to it with min/max marks stamped on.
Edit. Just been out to take a photo of the cap for you and it's not min/max, it's H-C-ADD marked on it
Mines a 2003 1.4. 15mm from the top seems very high, possibly 10-15mm too high (hot) so in essence, if the TU3A and TU3JP run the same power steering, you could be over filled by 30mm
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Posted: Thu May 16, 2013 5:16 pm |
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Joined: Apr 18, 2013
Posts: 186
Trade Rating: 0
Location: Ashington, Northumberland
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SOLVED!!!
I put some spray grease on the rubbers and let it work into the seams then took it for a drive down some local bumpy roads to let the grease work it's magic as the suspension works and the knocking when steering has gone completely.
A word of caution here folks, if you're going to do this then do one side, go for a decent drive, and then have a look in the wheel arch. Where I sprayed the grease on the top mounts in the engine bay may look solid but trust me, it'll run down the shock and can end up on the tyre or brakes so you don't want that stuff on both sides at once for obvious reasons. I did mine late at night when the roads are deserted too and being in a rural area that kind of minimises any risks.
Maybe as the car had been stood for quite some time before we bought it some things just needed a bit of grease on them. The door hinges and brake load sensor were other things that needed greasing (the doors creaked badly and grease on the lower hinges freed them of all the dried on gunk and now they're smooth as silk).
As the top mounts are cheap enough I'll go out and buy a set right way and at the first sign of another knock I'll get my mechanic mate to change them both but for now it seems better than ever. The only place I directly sprayed the grease was on the seams of the rubbers on the top mounts so I can only assume one was sticking and then the knock was it freeing itself.
Thanks for the info on the steering fluid Macca, most appreciated. I'll take a good look at it in the morning. I know the oil had been overfilled at some point because the ICV and MAP sensor was leathered in it but it doesn't burn any oil nor smoke at all so that points to overfilling and it coming up through the breather I guess. So it satnds to reason the same person has been a bit over-zealous with other fluids. I'll have to give it a good look over.
Cheers for the help and advice guys.
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| I ain't nuts, I'm condiments, I've been promoted | |
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