please help before i get a big hammer....citroen zx

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weety
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please help before i get a big hammer....citroen zx

Post by weety »

ok i am trying to help a friend with her zx

its a L reg 1.9 diesel without power steering

thing is it has a strange metallic 'scruping' noise coming from the nearside front..... the noise usually occurs on overrun and goes away if you accelerate or brake

the noise occurs whether the car is in gear or not and is occuring from 40mph upwards (though at some speeds it doesnt make noise at all)

my first thought was warped brake disc so i changed the discs and pads and the noise went away for a week or so then came back

so then i thought slightly sticking brake calliper so i carefully cleaned up the calliper (that didnt seem to be seized anyway)

this had no effect at all and its still making the noise

full lock turns reveal no noise from the driveshaft but can a driveshaft fail but in a non knocking way? (if you see what i mean)

i have never owned a ZX so i am a bit stumped...anybody got any idea what it could be?

Cheers
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R reg xantia 1.9td 186000 miles veggy power expired
L reg renault clio 1.9D 91000 miles expired at 107000 miles
x reg clio 15d veggy power bottom of the car rotted through
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jeremy
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Post by jeremy »

I doubt if this is the problem - but I have/had one on our ZX 1.9D (with power steering). This sounded to me like a wheel bearing as it was a grinding/oscillating noise from the front off side when negotiating sharpish left bends at reasonable speeds.

I sent it in for the bearing to be replaced today - and am told its a tracking fault causing the drop link to foul the wheel/tyre. I haven't investigated yet and think the starting point will be to centre the steering rack and then set the tracking from there. Its been professionally tracked using laser gear but I thought it was useless when it was done as there was no provision for centralising the rack, just relying on the steering wheel being set correctly.

I think the first thing to do is have a good look at the wheel and the suspension to see if there are any marks.

This may have started when new tyres were fitted and it may be that Kleber are a slightly different shape to Continentals. They always have been 175/65 x 14. Anything wider would be more prone to the problem.

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Last edited by jeremy on 18 May 2007, 17:31, edited 1 time in total.
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AndersDK
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Post by AndersDK »

Like the handbrake cable scrupping on the front wheels of a BX. Very odd noise and seems to disappear and then sometimes get back randomly.

Also fitting too wide tyres to the BX front could make them scrup against the McPherson hydraulic suspension strut - while cornering only.
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Post by citronut »

maybe the calliper is touching the disc for some reason,or its them there odd shaped ZX pads been fitted the wrong way up,as each pair is handed
regards malcolm
weety
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Post by weety »

i have changed discs and pads and it makes the same noise as before....calliper doesnt appear to be seized and there is no indication of anything rubbing

really strange looks like a driveshaft change now!
M reg xantia 1.9td 266000 miles expired
R reg xantia 1.9td 186000 miles veggy power expired
L reg renault clio 1.9D 91000 miles expired at 107000 miles
x reg clio 15d veggy power bottom of the car rotted through
06 c5 2.2 TD wowser so much power and comfort 160000 miles
mezuk04a
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Post by mezuk04a »

My two bob worth is my ZX diesel started becoming a little noisy, my mum took quite a while to show me which by that time it had become quite scary to drive and listen, it was a clunking type noise that didnt seem to have any pattern (this is going back over a year so my memory isn't spot on regarding it), but it turned out to be a gearbox mounting, it was replaced and the fault disappeared.

Just thought it would be worth adding as a possibility.
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Re: please help before i get a big hammer....citroen zx

Post by Sl4yer »

weety wrote:full lock turns reveal no noise from the driveshaft but can a driveshaft fail but in a non knocking way? (if you see what i mean)
One of the driveshafts on my old 1.4i failed in a similar manner, except that it only made the noise when under load, and usually only over about 50mph. When it first happened, I thought something was dragging on the wheel!

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jeremy
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Post by jeremy »

I've now had a look at the suspension and yes the nearside wheel does touch the end of the droplink joint with the anti-roll bar. However it only does this when jacked up with the wheel turned hard left - so its not typical driving conditions and certainly not the noise I'm grumbling about.

Drive shaft failure: Classic failure of outer joints is a clacking noise when the car is driven in a tight circle. However the inner joints can fail - usually a rumble on acceleration as can the intermediate bearing which is on the right hand shaft. You may be able to detect play by grabbing the inner joint and pushing up and down or twisting. Its also worth squeezing the bellows which may re-distribute the grease. Its also worth driving the car for a short distance and then feeling for heat - which may be a giveaway.

Other possibilities - hub bearings - often shows up on cornering when the load changes. Sometimes applying the brakes when its making the noise will stop it as it may alter the load between inner and outer races - and usually one will fail before the other.

Its also worth having a good look at the engine mountings - especially the one under the battery (a mirror may help) and a general look round for something touching the bodywork.
jeremy
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Post by mezuk04a »

Ah, engine mountings, that seems to have refreshed my memory... I believe the cause of the zx was down to an engine mounting!!!!
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Post by Peter.N. »

I suppose someone hasn't fitted a wrong handed steering ball joint? I did this on my XM and it works OK but scrapes the wheel when turning hard.
weety
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Post by weety »

ok the car has now had new brakes and pads (and i checked there wasnt any build up of corrosion behind the disc) the pads seem to be wearing evenly and i have cleaned up the brake piston/ensured the calliper slides freely

today i swapped the driveshaft over (no effect noise still starts at exactly the same point in the test drive)

swapped the wheel (no effect) also checked the inside of the wheel plus inside the wheel arch for any evidence of contact between suspension items etc

checked the gearbox mounting (seems ok)

and i cant find any play in the wheel bearing (which is a 'life of the car' one anyway)

my next step is changing the wheel bearing unless anyone can think of anything else??
maybe the calliper is touching the disc for some reason,or its them there odd shaped ZX pads been fitted the wrong way up,as each pair is handed
regards malcolm
when i changed the pads i replaced the pads the same way round as they came out.....cant see any helpful piccies in the Haynes BOL do you have a piccie or description of how the pads should look in the callipers....

Cheers

Peter
M reg xantia 1.9td 266000 miles expired
R reg xantia 1.9td 186000 miles veggy power expired
L reg renault clio 1.9D 91000 miles expired at 107000 miles
x reg clio 15d veggy power bottom of the car rotted through
06 c5 2.2 TD wowser so much power and comfort 160000 miles
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