Bang , Clonk... Big problem

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 26 Oct 2009, 08:03

top the gear box up via the plastic vent plug on top of the box, wipe/clean then remove the plug with a 17mm socket,

the level should be down by about 1lt

regards malcolm

Neilsouth · Post by **Neilsouth** » 26 Oct 2009, 14:30

Thanks ^ :

Bad news though , still doing it

. Makes a loud clonk,bang noise and you can feel it through the car and even you can even see gear stick move when it does it. Dad mentions he can see the wheel's jump , jerk through both left and right when this happens.

Spent over £200 so far and still the car is off the road , 4 weeks and counting.

Gutted

HDI · Post by **HDI** » 26 Oct 2009, 14:58

Sounds like this the diff or gearbox now

Neilsouth · Post by **Neilsouth** » 26 Oct 2009, 15:12

HDI wrote:Sounds like this the diff or gearbox now

I was thinking the same thing

Neilsouth · Post by **Neilsouth** » 27 Oct 2009, 15:28

Car is in the garage now , was awful to drive... Bang/donked when i turned the wheel and when i straightened up after a turn i could feel the steering wheel wanting to tug to the right.

It's either the diff or still a driveshaft fault , it changes gear perfectly so i don't feel it's gearbox related

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 28 Oct 2009, 15:22

I wonder if this is the front springs. maybe there is a broken one, citroen did fit faulty suspension springs to some models, i bought a berlingo that had a broken offside spring and it clonked when you turned the steering it also pulled to one side as well.

get yourself a torch and shine it up the front wheelarches and have a good look at the suspension springs I wouldn't mind betting that one of the springs has broken which can go unoticed. I understand that some springs were badly cast and the metal had air bubbles in it which caused fracture of the springs in some models.

it definatley causes the vechicle to pull to one side and it can clonk as the broken sections pass over each other.
if it is this it is well adviseable to replace both springs together otherwise your pulling to one side wont stop, as i found out the hard way.

regards Nigel.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 28 Oct 2009, 19:16

thats probably why citroen/peugeot came up with those spring catchers i have seen on picasso's, i belive it is ment to stop the spring going through the tyre

regards malcolm

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 29 Oct 2009, 08:49

Malcom,

my berlingo when I had it the offside spring snapped up inside the wheel arch well above the tyre.
I reckon this is this chaps problem.
he is definately explaining the symptoms of a broken spring, the pulling to one side and the clonk when steering as the broken sections pass over each other. its a pig of a job to change a spring/set of springs they are very compressed, my mobile mechanic at the time a well seasoned mechanic repaired mine and nearly broke his fingers and he had the proper clamps to compress the new springs, its probably a garage job this one.
it is very easy to miss a broken spring thats why I said use a torch even in daylight to inspect the coils very carefully, the first time we looked we couldnt see anything dirt and the the fact that citroen paint the coils black doesnt help in low light levels, it may be that the coils have snapped further up inside the wheelarch also making it difficult to detect.

regards Nigel.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 29 Oct 2009, 13:39

i do understand what you were saying Nigel, but i have also seen them snap at the lower end,

this could be due to the same reason

regards malcolm

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 30 Oct 2009, 12:56

blimey, those springs must have been really bad I suppose they could break anywhere along their length Malcom but wouldnt you say the break is more likely to be missed if at the top tucked inside the wheelarch? wheras at the bottom you'd probabbly find it taking a wheel off? seems strange that there isnt any feedback on this anymore. perhaps he has sold the car on?

regards NIGEL

Neilsouth · Post by **Neilsouth** » 30 Oct 2009, 17:27

It's the diff , the diff is locking up and then releasing causing the noise and the car being thrown in one direction...

Utterly gutted , possibly half the price of the car to fix. I know it was just a car problem but after everything that has happened in my life this year i nearly cried. Why!

HDI · Post by **HDI** » 30 Oct 2009, 17:35

Ouch , thought it might be ! Whats the plan then , replace the whole box with a used one or repair ?

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 30 Oct 2009, 17:38

OOO err sounds nasty probably cheaper to buy a second hand box on a pallet than have it repaired in a garage. less than a ton anyway.

my third gear was replaced by a garage before I bought the car and the reciept says £1500 me I would have replaced the box, easier and cheaper and whilst your there do the clutch, clutch lever bearings and thrust bearing to, its just to uneconomical not to, unless of course its all already in good nick.

glad you found the problem anyway mate.

regards Nigel.

Post by **CitroJim** » 30 Oct 2009, 17:46

It'll be an MA 'box. Very plentiful and not hard at all to replace. It's a doddle in a Saxo so in an Xsara with a bit more space around it, a walk in the park I would have thought.

A scrapper should provide for an economical price. Definitely cheaper than rebuilding your old 'box..

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 30 Oct 2009, 19:09

Yes and while your at it weigh the old box at a scrappy with a weighbridge scrap metal has a really good price on it at the moment.

it'll certainly pay your postage or delivery charge on the replacement box.

regards Nigel.