Possible binding brake(s)

[jasper5]

This one sounds like a process of elimination to find the fault.
Firstly, I would run it up to normal speed then take it out of gear and freewheel, A wheel bearing noise would be heard freewheeling, sometimes it gets worse with movement of steering wheel, sometimes the noise goes off.The noise would be a humming or a whirring.

A transmission noise would go away if you took it out of gear and freewheeled.A driveshaft would clunk on turning the steering in the direction of the problem.

Do you feel anything through the steering? If so, I would check the tyres for being out of shape or a bulge in the tread or sidewall.I've had many wheel bearing noises traced to tyres, the steering would "wobble" in your hand and make a thudding sound.Strangely enough, my son's Astra had a loud noise on his o/s front, turned out to be a huge screw stuck in the tread, made a horrible noise!
A rear tyre or bearing fault (rear bearings are a common fault) would give a vibration humming throughout the car, like it was shaking the wheel, ie, an "S" shaped tyre.

I guess I would jack up all the wheels and make sure no brakes are sticking on, then spin up each one in turn, starting with the main suspect.If you have axle stands, jack up n/s front and axle stand it, then start the car and put it in gear, let out the clutch and change up through the gears, then take it out of gear, you will soon eliminate or confirm wheel bearing, of course, if the brake is stuck on, don't try to run it on the axle stand.Take care with safety.

I hope I you made sense of my post and it was useful.

All the best.

[Doggy]

That's what I thought... but nothing happens. No sound of motors, nothing.

Is there something you have to do to enable the system?

Sometimes need to 'wiggle' the rotary switch, from folded to L or R positon & back again on mine.
*embarassed to add* needs ignition sw. on pos. 1 or more

[mjb]

Firstly, I would run it up to normal speed then take it out of gear and freewheel, A wheel bearing noise would be heard freewheeling, sometimes it gets worse with movement of steering wheel, sometimes the noise goes off.The noise would be a humming or a whirring.

First thing I did after I got it out of first gear! I may not be too savvy under the bonnet, but if the clutch or gearstick "cured" the sound I wouldn't have blamed the brakes to start with I've also done a low-speed test against a wall with the windows open tonight.

The sound is a grinding when going at walking pace turning into a constant droning hum at speed, and definitely coming from the nearside

A transmission noise would go away if you took it out of gear and freewheeled.

I'd have definitely noticed that (it's REALLY loud inside - louder than the roar of the V6 at speed), although isn't part of the gearbox being driven by the diff when freewheeling?

Do you feel anything through the steering?

Nope

I guess I would jack up all the wheels and make sure no brakes are sticking on, then spin up each one in turn, starting with the main suspect.

Funnily enough, I did just this tonight. However I took my trolley jack but forgot the bloody handle so I only attacked the n/s front wheel.

It turned freely, but there was a very quiet irregular grinding noise and much more worryingly a rattle. It sounded like something falling every 180 degrees I turned the wheel. It was never *exactly* 180 degrees, but very close. Would this indicate I need a new driveshaft because the CV joint is shot? Or maybe a ball bearing rattling about (do wheel bearings use ball bearings or are they liquid like a computer hard drive?)? I can't think of anything else that could be aligned to the wheel position, but I freely admit I know crap about this stuff...

[steve_earwig]

3 Front hub bearings - 5 spanners!
renewal

Note: The bearing is a sealed, pre-adjusted and prelubricated, double-row roller type...
blah blah blah
Note: A press will be required to dismantly and rebuild the assembly; if such a tool is not available, a large bench vice and spacers (such as large sockets) will serve as an adequate substitute. Blah blah blah

1. Remove the swivel hub assembly as described in section 2.

I wouldn't fancy tackling this one in the street

I'm still not sure what it is though - bearing or UJ. UJs usually make a racket on full lock (clop clop clop) while the noise from bearings changes as you sling the car about. I suppose this more applies to "wearing out", completely destroyed might be different.

[mjb]

I wouldn't fancy tackling this one in the street

Aye, I'm already thinking it's a garage job.

[jasper5]

Driveshaft (CV joint) would knock on full lock, but if badly worn, would also knock or rattle driving straight.

I would have the wheels on the ground and grip the driveshft, twisting it back and forth to try and hear any rattle or feel any slackness....compare it with the other side.

Again, jack it up and drive the wheel through the gears and listen for the noise.

I've done wheel bearings in the street, taking off the whole hub and bashing out the old bearing and gently knocking in the new one, you have to soak the whole bearing assembly in WD40 or penetrating oil, there will be a circlip of some sort to remove.
I have a socket that fits the old Ford Granada rear hub nuts, this is usually perfect for knocking out bearings.

Can't think of anything else.

[MartinV6]

I'd have definitely noticed that (it's REALLY loud inside - louder than the roar of the V6 at speed)

OK, I'm worried about my hearing now - neither my wife nor I noticed any odd noises. Saying that, I did not notice that interior fan you mentioned either. Perhaps commuting 100 miles each day on the bike has had more effect than I thought.

I hope you get it sorted cheaply, and easily whatever it is.

Martin.

[mjb]

OK, I'm worried about my hearing now - neither my wife nor I noticed any odd noises.

It's easy to assume the noise is normal - it's quite similar to the engine sound of modern Ford diesels


I've got another problem though. The clutch is slipping I've just been out and confirmed it - third gear at high revs, quick change to 4th, straight back on the gas with the other foot clear of the pedals and it'll just sit there on the rev limiter.

However, the clutch feels very spongy and bites incredibly high without any feedback other than the strong vibrations (which start a fair bit before the bite), and the brakes aren't as sharp as I'd expect, so I've got me a bottle of DOT4 and am going to try a brake fluid change with the new engine mount before I jump to conclusions. Now how on earth do you bleed the clutch on these things Guess I'm off to Halfrauds tonight for a D9 Haynes

[djp30djp]

This is begining to sound like a DMF problem, what engine is it.

[mjb]

3.0V6 (ES9J4) - solid flywheel

I'm going to have the hydraulics bled and top mount changed tomorrow (maybe tonight on the hydraulics, if I can bleed the rears without getting the jack out), so we'll see what that does for the symptoms... I'm hoping the slipping clutch could just be that the fluid between the cylinders has become aerated through the rubber, taking up more volume and thus pushing the clutch in on its own. I did mention it bites exceptionally high...

The fluid's a bit manky, so it's possible, non?

[steve_earwig]

I don't know if it's possible or not but it won't help.

Now how on earth do you bleed the clutch on these things Guess I'm off to Halfrauds tonight for a D9 Haynes

If it's the same as the cars covered in the D9 Haynes there should be a nipple on the slave cylinder, you'll have to shift the air filter etc. to get to it. Haynes says you can't use an eezibleed (some bollox about the fluid foaming), you have to do it the old-fashioned way with an assistant pressing the pedal and a tube into a jar from the slave.

[mjb]

Now how on earth do you bleed the clutch on these things Guess I'm off to Halfrauds tonight for a D9 Haynes

If it's the same as the cars covered in the D9 Haynes there should be a nipple on the slave cylinder, you'll have to shift the air filter etc. to get to it. Haynes says you can't use an eezibleed (some bollox about the fluid foaming), you have to do it the old-fashioned way with an assistant pressing the pedal and a tube into a jar from the slave.

Yeah not long ago I realised I'd got a scan of the D9 Haynes around, so had a peek. I think the system it was referring to was a pressurised bleeding tool. A one-way valve should be fine - it's essentially the same as the 2-man method, except using a valve instead of the other guy opening and closing the bleed nipple...

On a (very) quick inspection earlier I couldn't see the bleed nipple on the rear calipers. Erk! Could be co-codamol time again :/ How much are cheap cordless impact drivers suitable for removing wheel nuts nowadays? Can I get one from Tescos?

[DaiRees]

On a (very) quick inspection earlier I couldn't see the bleed nipple on the rear calipers. Erk! Could be co-codamol time again :/ How much are cheap cordless impact drivers suitable for removing wheel nuts nowadays? Can I get one from Tescos?

I got a 12V (fag lighter) one from Aldi or Lidl for about £15. It's done all sorts of 15yr rusted, shyte covered bolts on my Zook so I'm quite happy with it.

[mjb]

Here's a thought - would a shot CV joint not make a lot more noise and some vibration on turning, and change in intensity under hard acceleration/braking?

I'm also wondering if i'm wrong about the front n/s too, as the grinding really does fill the inside of the car (and my head) making it very difficult to pin the sound down... How loud would a shot bearing be with the wheel in the air?

The only way to get to the bottom of this is going to be to get to the work car park on Saturday and break my back getting each of the wheels in the air ain't it :/

[jasper5]

With the wheels off the ground, it would be fairly obvious if you had a faulty wheel bearing or a drivesahaft/cv joint problem, the wheel bearing will hum loudly, the driveshaft/cv joint will rattle loudly.It will be obvious if you compare the suspect wheel to any other.