Mystery Rattle On The Back

[seefive]

Hi

 

I've had a slight squeak/rattle coming from the NSR of my 2008 mk 2 petrol exclusive pretty much since I bought it 18 months ago. I took it into the main dealer in Autumn 2009 and they said there was play in the wheel bearing and arm bearing, and started talking silly numbers to fix.

 

Well I never really believed the wheel bearing story and sure enough there was absolutely no play in the wheel when I jacked the car up.

 

I finally got around to booking ito the indie/specialist garage that do the servicing today and they couldn't find anything wrong at all. They are well used to changing arm bearings, and know the signs (groaning noise when raising the suspension, and traces of rust,apparently) They did find slight looseness on the subframe bolts on that side, and tightened (1/8 turn) but nothing else found.I got a bill for just half an hour's workshop time, but the noise is still there.

 

Any ideas? Am I just being too picky maybe? At the risk of being controversial, are main dealers normally that far off the mark? The wheel bearing "advice" was just crazy...

[Guest shenden]

Hi

 

I've had a slight squeak/rattle coming from the NSR of my 2008 mk 2 petrol exclusive pretty much since I bought it 18 months ago. I took it into the main dealer in Autumn 2009 and they said there was play in the wheel bearing and arm bearing, and started talking silly numbers to fix.

 

Well I never really believed the wheel bearing story and sure enough there was absolutely no play in the wheel when I jacked the car up.

 

I finally got around to booking ito the indie/specialist garage that do the servicing today and they couldn't find anything wrong at all. They are well used to changing arm bearings, and know the signs (groaning noise when raising the suspension, and traces of rust,apparently) They did find slight looseness on the subframe bolts on that side, and tightened (1/8 turn) but nothing else found.I got a bill for just half an hour's workshop time, but the noise is still there.

 

Any ideas? Am I just being too picky maybe? At the risk of being controversial, are main dealers normally that far off the mark? The wheel bearing "advice" was just crazy...

 

Does it sound like a bed spring. Also if you stand at the back of the car and push down on the boot and pull back up can you here that sound. What speed does it a cure at straight after pulling off say 5 mph even or when say your at 30mph. The c5 is a bit prone for a clunk on the back axle due to the fact that it was not fitted in the right place so the Citroen people say. I had the same kind of sound as in a bed spring sound but the arm was all right and the mot bloke said its just dry mainly because i had it standing for a while. I hit all around the back end with PLUS GAS then drilled a hole in the arms and put grease nipples in them pumped grease in and it seems to have done the job for the time being any way right or wrong one of the 2 worked. But don't rule that wheel bearing out just yet because remember some bodgers have a tendency to try to over tighten them to get a mot. Take it on a say even a 5 miles drive then get out and feel the center of the wheels one will be cool or warmish and the other if its nakerd should near burn your hand. Some one soon will post to you that has had that exact problem or has experience in that field.

[seefive]

Does it sound like a bed spring. Also if you stand at the back of the car and push down on the boot and pull back up can you here that sound. What speed does it a cure at straight after pulling off say 5 mph even or when say your at 30mph. The c5 is a bit prone for a clunk on the back axle due to the fact that it was not fitted in the right place so the Citroen people say. I had the same kind of sound as in a bed spring sound but the arm was all right and the mot bloke said its just dry mainly because i had it standing for a while. I hit all around the back end with PLUS GAS then drilled a hole in the arms and put grease nipples in them pumped grease in and it seems to have done the job for the time being any way right or wrong one of the 2 worked. But don't rule that wheel bearing out just yet because remember some bodgers have a tendency to try to over tighten them to get a mot. Take it on a say even a 5 miles drive then get out and feel the center of the wheels one will be cool or warmish and the other if its nakerd should near burn your hand. Some one soon will post to you that has had that exact problem or has experience in that field.

 

 

Thanks for that. To answer your questions..

 

It doesn't sound like a bedspring - it varies from a slight "Chirp" like a plastic bush, to a louder rattle, never anything really alarming

 

Nothing when you push down on the boot - springs back silently as it should.

 

Drives silently from cold, starts rattling after driving a couple of miles, when you go over a bump. Not affected by different speeds, just different road surfaces.

 

Felt centres of both back wheels after 20 mile drive home tonight - both cool to the touch.

 

Garage checked wheel bearings, arm bearings, exhaust and heat shield - nothing. They are a long-established Citroen specialist and an MOT station, and I've been going to them for the 6 years I've been driving C5's.They were actually very complimentary about the condition and driving characteristics of my car, and they are not the type of place to give you any flannel, if you know what I mean.

 

Car is not due its first MOT yet- I bought it as a repaired cat d - 1 year old, 3k miles, and put it through an MOT before buying , to keep me and the Insurance company happy. Car is now on 23k miles

Accident damage was to the front end.

 

All very strange. Maybe I'll just turn the radio up!

[Guest shenden]

Umm i see its a 2008 car so i think we could safely rule the back axle out because they fixed that problom back on the 51 plate i think. God that is a bit of a odd one. Have they got a rolling road down that Citroen Garage. If they have and they should have then it may be worth sticking it on those rollers and running it on there so they can here first hand were its coming from. I hooked a wireless cam under mine and put it back to the lap top in the car. I am not shore if you would see whats happening but the sound would give you a good indication as to what part its coming from. In fact if you have a lap top just hook a 5 pound ASDA usb cam with a mike on it under a safe part of the sub frame and just aim it in the direction you think you can here it from. I have tried driving my own car with my head out the open door trying to duck my head under to here were bangs and clangs are coming from and it just gives you a bald head.