All right!

My 02 Octavia is making a knocking noise on the left hand side when Im driving slowly (below 30) over bumps, at speed there is nothing.

The drive feels fine, and its just gone through its MOT and nothing was reported so I didnt think anything of it but its beginning to get annoying.

Any idea what it might be and whether its gonna be expensive to fix?

Cant really tell a position, gf thinks its right under the passenger sides feet...

Sounds like it might be the anti-roll bar bush.

Sounds like it might be the anti-roll bar bush.

Is that bad? Expensive to fix? Is this summat that should have showed up on an MOT?

Here are few posts to have a peek at mate:

http://briskoda.net/octavia-i/knocking-front/120435/

http://briskoda.net/octavia-i/squeeking-over-bumps-leaking-doors/110709/

http://briskoda.net/octavia-i/anti-roll-bar-noises/110739/

Shoud give some ideas of cost and see if it sounds similar to what you hear.

I agree sounds front arb. If you do a search for "front roll bar" there are some others posts which may also help with ideas and costs involved.

front arb bushes or radiator mounts. both cheap diy jobs

loads of threads on both

Cheers guys, ill give my local garage a call and book it in, not very technical when it comes to cars so would rather have someone in the know do it.

I take it that this isnt summat that should have been found via the MOT?

Cheers guys, ill give my local garage a call and book it in, not very technical when it comes to cars so would rather have someone in the know do it.

I take it that this isnt summat that should have been found via the MOT?

An MOT is purely a visual check of items concerning safety. Nothing gets dismantled, removed or inspected with the use of any tools other than to check headlamp aim and exhaust emission

It's very possible that you may have a worn anti-roll bar bush, or bottom arm bush and yet it might not have been spotted by the tester. Visually it might've looked OK and that's why it passed.

You can buy a book of everything that is testable, methods of testing and reasons for rejection. When I did MOT tests I always remembered that I was testing a vehicle that belonged to someone, and never once failed anything just for the sake of it. I only ever failed items that I considered dangerous, and sometimes I would get a second opinion from a colleague if something was borderline. I like to think that I applied common sense to testing. Your MOT tester might've done the same with your car.

I also used to be a patrol with a major motoring organisation, and questions about MOTs were always asked by members. Sometimes when I went to a broken down car with a failed ignition module or broken cambelt the member would say "It's just passed it's MOT, shouldn't they have checked that?"

I'd be a millionaire if I had a fiver for everytime I heard that......

Edited 21 August, 200817 yr by Railroad

I only asked as I had just bought the car and it was MOT'd before I picked it up, so if it was summat that would show up in an MOT i could go back to the dealer and get himt o pay for the car to be fixed.

As its not then I will have to fork out, which I have no problem doing now

Just spoke with the local Skoda garage and was quote £170 to have the bushes replaced, didnt think it would be that much...

£170 to change the front anti-roll bar bushes?!!

The parts are like £10 max, and it's not exactly a tough job! They're probably charging £50/hour labour, and adding on some overpriced new bolts.

Try an indipendant garage, or ask for a full breakdown of costs before you get the work done by Skoda.

Other than that I guess your only other option is to buy yourself some new bushes and a Haynes manual........

Well, just been up to my local garage for them to have a look, it is the front bushes and its gonna cost me £55 to have it done there so its booked in.

£170 or £55, madness, how do they get away with charging such rediculous prices...

For that price I reckon they are quoting you on new arb, bushes, bush brackets and labour as that is roughly what I paid when I had the arb replaced.

Definitely front (lower) the anti-roll bar bushes. Sounds like the engine is about to fall out! £20ish from Skoda Main dealer.

They are not that hard to fit yourself. just need a long lever, minor tools and some swearing. bit fiddly but will only take you 30 minutes.

Make sure when you put one of them on it stays loose until you got the other end on. If you do the 1st one up tight you will never get the second one on. I was really swearing at the car until I loosened the 1st one back off.

Good luck

Edited 22 August, 200817 yr by Banana-Man

For that price I reckon they are quoting you on new arb, bushes, bush brackets and labour as that is roughly what I paid when I had the arb replaced.

I asked if that price included the ARB, but he said no, just the bushes, i was a little shocked and asked for clarification.

Mad price if you ask me, I shant be phoning them for any more prices.

My car is in need of having this done, the clunking noise is gradually getting worse.

Got the clunking noise fixed and the cause was worn radiator mounts, I also replaced the arb droplinks at the same time. £100 all in wasn't a bad price.

Just spoke with the local Skoda garage and was quote £170 to have the bushes replaced, didnt think it would be that much...

Sure that wasn't for the wishbone bushes :eek:

Silly money for ARB bushes, unless they assumed the old ones had taken the coating off the bar and would need to fit a new one.

Other thought; we are dealing with a vRS here? Because if not it's more likely to be the droplink than the ARB mounting bushes!

Silly money for ARB bushes, unless they assumed the old ones had taken the coating off the bar and would need to fit a new one.

Other thought; we are dealing with a vRS here? Because if not it's more likely to be the droplink than the ARB mounting bushes!

get some polybushies fitted..there only cheap..£15for arb £15 for link arm bushies..there a lot better then rubber bushies

£15 for link arm bushies

Do you mean links as iirc the bushes are sort of in the links,

get some polybushies fitted..there only cheap..£15for arb £15 for link arm bushies..there a lot better then rubber bushies

That sounds like a plan, where do you get them?:shiner: