Why Does My Car Clonk?

[tidypug 5 2 Cars]

This has been happening for ages now, its just starting to get a little worse now and its getting right on my tits When i start from a a stand off there is a loud clonk that i think comes from the passenger side. Then if i brake hard ish there is another clonk. I had a passenger in and asked if he could fell anything when it makes the noise, he said he could feel something in the foot well. I haved replaced both drop links and bottom arms a few months ago. I've just gone around and checked all bolts that hold the engine as well as the sub frame bolts and many others, all are tight. I even got my crom bar in to see if anyhting was loose in the bushes. The only thing i can now think of is could it be a part of the chassis flexing?

[jackherer 543]

you say you've checked all the mounts, but have you checked the two bolts holding the gearbox mount to the battery tray and the four bolts holding the battery tray to the inner wing?

[tidypug 5 2 Cars]

i haven't had a look at that mount, but i will, i'd thought of that.

[boldy205 75]

checked the anti roll bar bushes?

l

[tidypug 5 2 Cars]

i've checked the engine mount under the battery tray and its very tight, so its not that, shame . I used my crowbar to check the anti-roll bar bushes and they seemed ok, its probably one of the last options though as i am running out of things that could be loose

[RichF 1 2 Cars]

Mine clonks, but I know what it is

 

The door is really, really loose on it's pins and it shunts backwards and forwards under acceleration/braking. (With the door open I can pivot it up and down a good inch or so )

Edited February 2, 2004 by RichF

[Anthony 1,003]

The door is really, really loose on it's pins and it shunts backwards and forwards under acceleration/braking. (With the door open I can pivot it a good inch or so )

Same reason my old car used to clunk, so it's worth checking

[ALEX 98 1 Cars]

Is there play in one of the drive shafts.

Next time under the car see if one of the driveshafts feels loose (grab hold of it and give it a good rattle) and compare the difference with each other.

Alex

[jonah 1]

Don't ask me how but a loose / worn wheel bearing can cause this symptom as well - jack up the car and see if you can feel any play in the bearings. Check both sides as noises like that tend to travel and make it easy to mistake which side they're coming from...

[Guest davidt83]

Did you ever manage to find out what was causing this problem mate? I have the same thing with mine now, on checking my nearside driveshaft it does look as if its not completely flush with the engine block. How could this be, if the engine is sat in the correct position?

I also seem to be getting a bit of grease being sprayed from the same shaft but cant see any massive splits in the gaitor.

 

Its a 1.9 engine and box in a 1.6 shell, with 1.6 shafts and hubs.

 

I was supposed to drive the car about 200miles back to uni in london down the motorway, is this totally out of the question if some of the grease is spraying from the gaitors?

[elrikos 0]

have you chaecked the brake caliper pins?

put the car in reverse, reverse a few metres and brake. you should hear the clonk. then put it in first, drive a few metres and brake.

if it clonks bothe times its the slider pins that hold the front calipers to the car, after a while they wear and make a bang noise.

[KRISKARRERA 2 1 Cars]

have you chaecked the brake caliper pins?

put the car in reverse, reverse a few metres and brake. you should hear the clonk. then put it in first, drive a few metres and brake.

if it clonks bothe times its the slider pins that hold the front calipers to the car, after a while they wear and make a bang noise.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah funny you should say that because I had that once and discovered the caliper bolt was missing!!

[Guest davidt83]

cheers guys, i managed to fix the clunk noise, just tightened all the engine mounts up properlly and the ones under the battery tray were reasonably loose. I will check though to see if it clonks in reverse though.

 

As for my driveshafts well that still seems to be losing some grease, and possibly oil aswell from the shaft not sitting properlly in the box. Ill try and get some pictures of it, but if anyone has any I could compare with that would be great.

[Guest davidt83]

Just thought I'd add that Ive tried looking for a split in the gaitor, the one nearest the engine on passenger side (they all seem to seep a bit though...) and cant find anything really

[Guest edcotic]

i've got something similar in my MI16 running on a 1.6 drivetrain.

 

I've checked all mounts/bushes and all seem fine.

I can provoke the noise if i agressively pop the clutch from a standstill (particularly in reverse) - mate of mine checking outside the car reckons it eminates from the gearbox/final drive!

 

have u solved yours yet?

 

Ed

[tidypug 5 2 Cars]

Yup, i sorted the problem ages ago . It turned out that the hub carrier had worn oval were the ball joint went into it, meaning that the ball joint was always a bit loose. Which caused the clonking.

[hodgy 0]

how old are ur strut top mounts?