coarist

Mine has an automatic gear selector. It was squeaking and rattling when, for example, I push the side of the centre console. I started by pulling up the gear selector knob. Carefully work my way through. I did not remove the radio so the front lip will still be caught, but I can lift up the centre console enough to do my things. On each clip position a squirt of tiny amount of silicon lubricant is applied. Where I can, the seams are cleaned of deposit dust with a clean damp cloth. I also wipe away lubricant on surfaces that I do not intent to be there. Reassemble. It worked well. The squeaking and rattling are much reduced. You may ask why that matters. The reason is to make the ride quiet. When the car has some motion (bumpy roads, etc) the movement triggers this rattle. Selectively lubricating the catches reduce this to almost non-existent.

If the car is manual, check DMF dual mass flywheel.

Further developing the assumption that trap air needs purging, suppose that is the case, then try this: (1) make sure there is sufficient LDS fluid in the reserviour. (2) Lower the car fully then raise the car. This is to create circulation to hopefully purge the air out into the reservoir. The discharged air will eventually diffuse into the atmosphere.

Hi All, having re-read the postings many time over, I have this theory. If the suspension knocks when it is on an extending stroke, there could be trapped air in the hydraulic circuit of Hydractive. To test the theory, there are a few checks. Has LDS fluid reservoir enough fluid? At any time did fluid loss happen? Joins on the hydraulic lines, are there significant wetting indicative not only of leak but also air sucked in? Are the linking pipe work in good regular shape not been smashed by objects such as stones? And if the Hydractive is due for service which is a fluid change, the work may be able to purge the trapped air in the affected part of the circuit. Small amount of air in the hydraulics will not show when in compression, but even a tiny pocket on fluid side of the damp gate can expand indefinitely (relatively speaking) causing the bang when the strud hides the limit of the stroke. Air on the other side, on the contrary, does not adversely compromise the damper function in this manner.