further advice on picasso front wheel,cracking sound? help

deano1970 · Post by **deano1970** » 08 Jan 2011, 22:28

ok, thanks for all previous advice on the above topic. the garage told me after inspection the spring was fine,as was everything else they checked.They came to the conclusion it was the top strut mount and they replaced it yesterday.The same problem exists....loud "cracking" sound coming from fron offside wheel,especially when going over speed humps etc..I rang the garage this morning,and they know it didn't fix the problem and want it back on wednesday to have another look. What I want to know is, should I have to pay for bits they have put on the car that clearly haven't fixed it? I know nothing about cars and this is the reason I pay a garage £32.00 an hour to find out what is wrong and fix it...They obviously got this wrong,but is it right I have to pay for it even though it didnt fix the problem? don't see why I should?? If a dentist pulled out the wrong tooth,you wouldnt expect a bill for the wrong one would you?? not happy?

Post by **RichardW** » 08 Jan 2011, 23:34

Is it a sharp-ish knocking noise? Ours does this too - it's down to some play in the brake caliper slides - we had new slides fitted, but that didn't cure it, needs a new caliper carrier really, but I haven't got round to it yet.

deano1970 · Post by **deano1970** » 09 Jan 2011, 00:12

it started like a sort of noise like a mudflap hitting the body work,and it's got louder and louder,really loud now.going over a speed hump,even really slowly,people look round because of the cracking noise it makes.but I don't think,because I pay handsomely for a garage mechanic to find the problem and fix it,I shouldn't have to pay for bits they stick on because they "think" that is the problem? noise sounds to be coming higher up than the brakes and the bottom of the spring,which both sides have the cup fitted at the bottom,is closer to the trye on the drivers side than the passenger side. I pointed this out to the garage but surely they would see that anyway. between the tyre and bottom of spring is one fingers difference,with the side that is making the noise,being closer to the tyre than the near side?? if that makes sense??

HDI · Post by **HDI** » 09 Jan 2011, 09:39

No, you don't have to pay if the garage didn't solve the problem, as you say, that is their job.
If the noise only happens when the suspension is being compressed then it is going to be something that is affected by that movement, but there are quite a few components associated with the operation of the suspension. Will be interesting to discover the culprit !

DickieG · Post by **DickieG** » 09 Jan 2011, 10:09

On the subject of who should pay, on holiday last year I was speaking to a BMW technician who works at my local dealer, he stated that BMW now have a policy that any wrongly diagnosed warranty work costings get passed back to the dealer who then passes them back onto the technician. One of his colleagues made a mistake and was landed with a four figure bill to be taken out of his wages

needless to say he left the company.

deano1970 · Post by **deano1970** » 09 Jan 2011, 10:25

it doesn't nave to be going over speed humps,but is usually when going on any uneven road, ie potholes etc. if on a long straight good road,it won't do it. I will let you know as soon as they find out. It's back in on wednesday....just annoying.. AS they say they have checked all the parts they thought it could be,and replaced the top strut mount,I am not too worried about driving it but the noise drives you mad,there are about 7 speed humps to get into town.I have started going the long way round just to avoid them??

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 09 Jan 2011, 11:31

maybe they have mounted the strut top into its bolt holes the wrong way aroiund?????, if this is possible as the could put the strut closer to the tyre,

or is it possible the noise is a drop link knackerd,

regards malcolm

handyman · Post by **handyman** » 09 Jan 2011, 12:28

Either that or a knackered bottom ball joint.

H

deano1970 · Post by **deano1970** » 09 Jan 2011, 14:03

well they said ball joints fine,spring itself is fine.someone else mentioned possibility of drop link and I told the garage this. don't even know what one is,but it's their job to know isn't it? I told them because it was mentioned on here but they have replaced the strut top mount and still same. ball joint ok so maybe it is this drop link? I will mention that to them again see what they say,but I aint paying for the stuff they put on it when it hasn't fixed it??

HDI · Post by **HDI** » 09 Jan 2011, 15:35

Noise on a car is never described the same way by any 2 people !
From your last description of the noise I would say that it's a drop link thats thrown the towel in. The noise will seem to keep time with the bumps on the road, but I would describe it as more a knock than a crack.
However, the drop link is the first thing a garage should have checked !
The drop link is a steel rod with a ball joint at each end which connects the anti-roll bar to the suspension leg. Cheap and easy to replace.
They are about £15 / pair as a pattern part and about 30 minutes to replace per side if the bolts aren't too badly corroded.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » 09 Jan 2011, 15:57

HDI wrote
"30 minutes to replace per side if the bolts aren't too badly corroded"

or even if they are its about the same time if you already armed the angle grinder with a cutting disc

also to be fair a garage/mechanic will only try to translate what the owner tells them,

regards malcolm

JamesQB · Post by **JamesQB** » 09 Jan 2011, 16:04

If it appears to be happening when the spring compresses, can you cause it to make the noise by pushing heartily on each front corner of the car, to imitate suspension movement when going over bumps, potholes, etc?

deano1970 · Post by **deano1970** » 09 Jan 2011, 16:30

no,I cannot make it do it when the car is stood still,no matter how hard I try,and as for the garage only translating what I have told them,they have had the car and been able to drive it and hear the fault for themselves. It probably is a knocking sound but it is really loud,considerably louder than when it first started....so I do not know..hopefully by wednesday they will have it fixed.I will mention the drop link again to them,but as you say,surely they would have checked this?

HDI · Post by **HDI** » 09 Jan 2011, 17:44

citronut wrote:HDI wrote
"30 minutes to replace per side if the bolts aren't too badly corroded"

or even if they are its about the same time if you already armed the angle grinder with a cutting disc
regards malcolm

Indeed but there isn't much room for an angle grinder around the top bolts. Probably less than 30 mins though, I was erring on worst case scenario.

Post by **RichardW** » 09 Jan 2011, 20:59

Deano,

The noise you describe does sound a bit like ours - get them to check for play in the brake calliper - it doesn't move much but it seems to resonate right up the stut into the car, and sounds higher up than it is - I was sure it was the strut top bearing to start with.