Xsara problem.

[JohnD]

For several weeks my daughter's Xsara has developed a squeek - it's from the rear and mainly when going over road humps or rough roads. The squeek is more pronounced when the car has more than the driver on board. The car is an 02 on just over 100K miles and my first thought was the bearings in the axle beam being dry. I've drilled and tapped for grease nipples, putting in three guns full in each side. It's just made no difference. Next thought was rear brake pads. Those have been removed, cleaned and copper-slipped. Again no difference. Exhaust has been checked for rubbing, as have the shock absorbers. Rear wheels spin without any roughness or movement. Spare wheel carrier has been sprayed with WD40 and the boot checked for loose gear. Any ideas - I don't know what to look at next.

[CitroJim]

That's virtually everything covered John...

My next port of call would be to look at the rear subframe mounts, both fore and aft. Check the bolts are tight on the fore ones and check that the aft ones (the sandwich mounts) are not delaminating.

Otherwise, one or more of the shockers may be squeaky or have a squeaky and failing rubber bush in one of the eyes...

[citronut]

or if the brake discs have not been run the the edges of the working surface, then new pads have been fitted,
were the new pad runs against the rusty band/s the disc/s this will/can squeek,

regards malcolm

[JohnD]

Thanks for the reply Malcolm. The pads aren't new. I took them out yesterday. They are about a third worn. I cleaned up the discs and the calliper slots, copper-slipped the backs of the pads and replaced them. I'll probably replace discs and pads before next MOT in July, but the cleanup made no difference to the squeak.

When the rear wheel is spun there's no sound of roughness and no movement but could a wheel bearing be the guilty party?

[Gibbo2286]

Does the Xsara not have a brake compensator mechanism under the right hand rear? Maybe that could be your noise, it has a spring, levers and plastic nuts if I remember correctly and is in action when the weight in the car varies.

[nick]

Does the Xsara not have a brake compensator mechanism under the right hand rear? Maybe that could be your noise, it has a spring, levers and plastic nuts if I remember correctly and is in action when the weight in the car varies.

I think the mk1 Xsara did, but ISTR on the mk2 it was controlled electronically via the EBD system and ABS sensors? I don't recall my 2002 Xsara having any sort of mechanical compensator on it.