Hi all,

My 1999 1.6 Felicia Estate has decided to make a banging noise every now and again.

It does it when I turn left out of a junction near my house. The junction is one of those raised speed rampy affairs SEE HERE As I come off it turning left I here '1 donk', then it carries on down the road OK.

It has done it on the odd occasion on a flat junction but not very often. It's fine on long sweeping bends like when you come off of a motorway. It only seems to do it when pulling away while turning left.

It also does it when I leave my house doing a 3 pointer. I turn right, stop, then it donks when I'm reversing and turning left. I then pull away doing a right again and it's fine.

Last night I checked the bearings and all seem good back and front. I've also tried the ball-joint test where you stop but just leave your foot on the brake pedal and let the car bounce back, but it doesn't donk...???

Any other ideas?

Cheers, Aaron.

Engine/gearbox mounts?

Engine/gearbox mounts?

I did wonder that. What's the best way to test them to be sure?

Load them a lot with on/off power and left foot braking, should do the trick.

could be a whole myriad of things tbh, likely candidates are the anti-roll bar links/bushes, rear engine mount, suspension top mount.... get underneath it and have a good poke about with a lever bar to check for any play in the key areas

lower ball joint i bet

Got a few days off next week. I'll give it a good once over.

Cheers.

I was thinking top mount, ARB links, engine mounts in reducing order of probability.

Was out and about yesterday and paid a bit more attention to the banging. Sometimes it does it when I pull away, but only occasionally. It also did it a couple of times when coming to a stop and also on a bumpy section in the road.

Just hope I can pinpoint while I'm off ths week.

I think I've got a similar problem on my 56 plate fabia vrs. I was told at last service (Sep 09) that the front wishbone rear bushes were worn but I've waited til this service for a replacement so I'm hoping as soon as new poly bushes are added it will go. I get it when maneuvering slowly and sometimes when setting off. I get sweaking too but think that when its rained so might be something else. I've also noticed recently that when changing down a gear my steering pulls a little. Just hoping its all related the the worn bushes.

just had another thought on this, it may be the exhuast system banging on the rear axle as it moves about under load

I think I've got a similar problem on my 56 plate fabia vrs. I was told at last service (Sep 09) that the front wishbone rear bushes were worn but I've waited til this service for a replacement so I'm hoping as soon as new poly bushes are added it will go. I get it when maneuvering slowly and sometimes when setting off. I get sweaking too but think that when its rained so might be something else. I've also noticed recently that when changing down a gear my steering pulls a little. Just hoping its all related the the worn bushes.

If you have a squeak that goes away when it's raining, it's almost certainly a dried out rubber bush somewhere in the suspension. If you can find where, a few drops of brake fluid (old stuff is fine) will probably cure it for several months.

just had another thought on this, it may be the exhuast system banging on the rear axle as it moves about under load

Do you know what? You may have a point there. I had to have my exhaust re-aligned a few months ago as it was banging in the middle. Whoever fitted it, fitted it pi$$ed and then just used the rubbers to pull it over. I had it re-aligned at a little garage near me but it may have settled and dropped a tad. We'll see.....

the exhuast sometimes bangs on my pickup, on mine it rattles against the brake pipe where it goes into the rear compensator

Turns out my problem was just the bushes, one had completely worn off so was causing the wheel to move about and make knocking noises when manouvering or going over bumps, new poly bushes fixed the problem and is an improvement on oem. Maybe you could check your bushes too?

Due to the weather and other commitments last week, I didn't get as much time to look at this issue and I would've liked.

I did manage to get the old girl serviced before the heavens opened and also eliminated the exhaust banging.

On my way home last night though, I had the radio off and was really listening out for the bang and it did it over a speed ramp hitting it head on/straight, but not every time, only once or twice. I must get under there this weekend!!!

Hi,

I've got the same clunking/banging on the passenger wheel, I was told it was the suspension but had that changed and it made no difference.

My exhaust is fine, had a new one today but its made no difference either.

Its pulling the steering to the left as I'm setting off and banging in 1st and 2nd gear and banging as I'm going over speed bumps and setting off from junctions.

Has anyone found whats causing this as there seems to be a few people on here with the same problems, also where would I get a new engine/gearbox mounting if it is that, ebay seem to be a little sparse on parts.

What "suspension" was replaced? Do you know which parts?

Well I finally managed to get a week off and catch up with a load of jobs that have been lingering... I also managed to investigate this mysterious bang a bit further.

On closer inspection I think the front strut rubber top mounts have gone, When I jacked the car up and wiggled the springs the shocks were moving around in the top mounts a good few millimetres. I take it these shouldn't have any play in...?

I think when I'm turning left off of that raised junction the strut must be moving around in the top mount when the load is taken off it. Then as the car straightens up and settles the strut must be banging into place.

Everything else looked pretty tight under there....?

i've replaced my top mounts probably 4 times in the last year now... due mainly to misuse, the oe part is none-too-strong.. so i would say that you may have solved it in your case ^^

EPIC FAILURE today on the Felicia...

Got the top mount kit from Joirily which also included new top bearings and cups. Sweet me thinks, but trying to undo the lower pinch bolts and... SNAP!!!!

After much hammering and WD40'ing the damn thing would NOT budge. So I tries the other side. Disaster again. It doesn't snap, and it does turn, but the damn thing just won't come out...???

Gonna have to ring up the local garage and get them to try and have a go. :'(

Heat is your friend in both cases. Pinch bolts often rust in place on Felicias, so you'll need some heat to get it freed up - the one that turns should come out with some persuasion using a suitably-sized drift. I've generally found that freeing up beforehand with a good few clouts with a hammer and then soaking in penetrating fluid a few hours before and then getting some heat on BEFORE trying to loosen them is the way to go - takes longer if it would have just come out, but saves a LOT of time if you would have ended up snapping things off..

(and yes, I know I'm bolting the stable door WAY too late!)

LIfe's a bit busy at the moment and everything is a bit of a rush so I didn't plan the prep in advance. :( I also don't have a heat source for this unfortunately.

Good thing though is that the shocks are now ready to fall out after all that banging. Just need that bolt out!!!!! Hopefully the local garage won't charge too much.

Drove the old girl round to the local garage today. Hopefully he can sort the stuck pinch bolts. Just waiting for the call with the price...

Was a bit scary driving round there with the shocks flapping around. Left early and took it slow. She got us there though, bless her.

SHE LIVES!!!!!

Just got a call from the local garage. They managed to get the knackered pinch bolts out and fitted the top mounts etc... that I got off of Mr Jorily.

Let's hope the banging is cured now....