Droning Xantia!

[ecohouse1]

Morning folks

My 1.9 TD Xant has just started a faint droning that is related to road speed. I pushed in the clutch and noise remained, pressed on brakes and remained.

Threw her is some weaving and noise stayed the same ie didn't worsen under weight of cornering.

It only starts after driving a few miles, ie not when cold. Its not intrusive but I know its there.

First thoughts were either a wheel bearing(though god knows which one) or intermediate driveshaft bearing on the O/S?

Car has done 122k miles - I presume on original bearings all round though cant be sure as no S/H when I got her.

Are the TD Xants known for any weaknesses that would cause this drone?

I have changed a couple of BX and a Pug 309 bearing and it was a b8gger to get out!

Cheers

Alan

[c.morewood]

Alan, My Xantia was on her original wheel bearings at 130k .. till I moved here.. since then I've had both rears done and the fronts have been done at least twice.. I think one is going again.
I'd imagine it might be wheel bearings.
But as you know mines an Hdi so the Td's might have some different noises

Chris

[Stewart(oily)]

I had a rear wheel bearing that made a noise for a few years before it finally revealed itself.

[Peter.N.]

I would go along with that, a wheel bearing is the most likely cause, it will probably get worse but it may take a long time. My 406 had an intermittently noisy wheel bearing when I bought it, nearly 30,000 miles later it still has, mostly when it gets hot and the grease thins.

Peter

[Chlorate]

Worth jacking it up and checking for play in the bearings just to make sure you're happy with it.

I've been on a noisy bearing before for a while and regretted it in the end. But it was some time before it became stupid to drive.

[addo]

Someone's got to say it...

Have you checked the passenger seat?

[Peter.N.]

You probably won't find any play in it as what usually causes the noise is failure of the case hardening on the outer ring, this leaves tiny pits that the balls drop into but only under pressure by the weight of the car.

Peter

[ecohouse1]

Thats what the radio is for!!

TBH, if I can still hear the noise over the kids - so maybe it is worse than I thought.

Are the Xant wheel bearings in the same vein as BX Pugs etc ie remove a circlip and the, press drift out the old bearing?

The last one I did was a Clio and put the hub carried in an old tree stump with a hollow - then judisious use of sledgehammer! Out it popped!

I have really fought BX ones in the past and had to give up and pass to a garage who had it cherry red with oxy and then a press!

[ecohouse1]

Any tips on identifying the likely culprit wheel? I threw her into a weave and there did not seem to be any variation in the drone? I am thinking of just leaving it to worsen so I can identify the culprit....

[bonnyman750]

Hi Alan,

- "My 1.9 TD Xant has just started a faint droning that is related to road speed. I pushed in the clutch and noise remained, pressed on brakes and remained.

Threw her is some weaving and noise stayed the same ie didn't worsen under weight of cornering.

It only starts after driving a few miles, ie not when cold. Its not intrusive but I know its there.

First thoughts were either a wheel bearing(though god knows which one) or intermediate driveshaft bearing on the O/S? - "

Exactly the same symptoms as mine when the intermediate drive shaft bearing (eventually) shed its cage...Changed bearing for a new one from GSF...noise gone! I have posted on the forum the GSF part number somewhere as it didn't (then) come up on their website as a separate part...

HTH

Glyn

[ecohouse1]

Thanks Glyn - how easy is it to change? I will probably wait to see if a wheel bearing reveals its hand but good to know...

[bonnyman750]

Hi Alan,

I found it relatively easy to change and I think I followed another thread on here which gave a run through of what to do...do a search or read the Haynes B.o.L as it is documented there too.....

cheers,
Glyn

[Peter.N.]

If you don't have access to a press the bearing outer can be removed by running a ring of weld metal around the inside, when it cools it shrinks and you can lever it out with a couple of screwdrivers.

Peter

[sparksie]

If you don't have access to a press the bearing outer can be removed by running a ring of weld metal around the inside, when it cools it shrinks and you can lever it out with a couple of screwdrivers.

Peter

Wow.
Thanks for that, Peter.
I'm getting longer in the tooth by the day, but I still wouldn't have thought of that.
Nice one.
The press is one item I'd never have at a roadside/customer's premises. I often have to drive bits of car back to the workshop, when I can't come up with an on-site workaround. This tip is getting added to my armoury. The TIG/inverter plant is easy to carry and can be used with ordinary ARC rods, so no bulky gas bottle to heft around.
In fact, weld quality would be irrelevant here, so a use for old, damaged, or damp rods has finally been found!

[Peter.N.]

As you say the quality of the weld is irrelevant as long as it sticks, its the heat that does the job. You will be surprised how loose it makes it. You can use the existing bolt with a selection of spacers/washers to press the new bearing in.

Hope it goes well.

Peter