Hey

Firstly, thank you to anyone who may have some wise words of wisdom and secondly, apologies for the rather un-techy language I'm about to use.....blonde, female, what can I say! But I'm trying!!!

I've got a 2007 Fabia Elegance Estate 1.9TDi, MOT'd and serviced end Feb, about 75,000 miles on the clock.

About a fortnight ago, nearside front made a noise that I thought was my tyre blowing....kind of like a very dull bang, then a noise like air or fluid escaping coupled with a bit of a grinding/clunking noise....I was driving at about 25mph at the time...I stopped quick sharp but couldn't see a thing when I had a look....pulled off the road and had more of a nosey round....nothing to be found so continued the mile or so home with no ill effect and no more noise.... was expecting something to happen over the next day or so, but nothing did.

However, as time has gone on I've been aware of the steering being very light (checked tyre pressure, all's good) seems to be more movement in the steering wheel to go round bends etc with a little bit of play, but nothing to speak of.... Now there's also the occasional thump from the nearside front, but randomly, not specifically when going round bends, over bumps etc....

I still can't see anything, but I just know something's not right. The roads where I live are pretty harsh, all single track up hill down dale and bends, and as good quality as any of the UK's roads (ie: fairly rubbish!) and I have to admit to not being particularly light with my right foot....what can I say, I enjoy driving! I wondered about shocks, checked distance from wheel to wheel-arch on each side (only thing I could think of ) and can't say that there's a huge discrepancy there....

So....help....any ideas? Would so appreciate a nudge in the right direction before I have to wander into the garage tomorrow sounding like a total no-hope female! :S

Thank you!!!

Melanie

Sounds like it might be the console bushes? Sounds like the noises mine made when they failed, but it was a gradual thing, and not a result of a large bang. :S

Thank you Trigger-Fish

Well....think I've got the console bushes/ARB bushes problem as well...before this happened there'd been an 'on accelerator/ off accelerator / brake clunk' thing going on.......this recent thing is in addition, oh lucky me! And it was def more of a dull bang...me? prone to exaggeration? aw shucks, well maybe!

Had been really hopeful that I might get a few more suggestions here....I may yet!!

It the car sitting level?...tyre pressures all ok?....steering links all still attached etc? Brakes work ok with no pulling to one side?????

It the car sitting level?...tyre pressures all ok?....steering links all still attached etc? Brakes work ok with no pulling to one side?????

Yep, seems level, pressures sound....steering links attached...erm, :S sorry, can't answer that one...brakes good with no pulling to one side when breaking or just driving.... Had it in at the garage today and was shown my shot (and excuse my total lack of knowledge with correct terminology!) rear suspension bush on the NS and the nearly gone one on the OS....so going to have to get them replaced, along with the two gubbed tyres that were on put on in March...grrrrr.... quoted £350 for the job - sound ok??? Sometimes it totally sucks being a girl with not just too much of a clue about mechanics!

And thank you for your reply fabdavrav!

£350 including tyres? Cos that's a lot otherwise! I think I paid around £160 for that job, without tyres.

£350 including tyres? Cos that's a lot otherwise! I think I paid around £160 for that job, without tyres.

Yep, that includes 2 mid-range tyres and tracking....apparently £89 for the bushes but 1.5hr labour each side.... ho hum...and such are the joys of motoring! :(

Thanks TF

£89 parts? :S Unless I'm mistaking the part you're on about, I thought they were about £16-£20 for the parts. . .

Unless you mean £89 all in, in which case that sounds pretty good!

Sorry if that's all wrong, I'm exhausted and not with it!

£89 parts? :S Unless I'm mistaking the part you're on about, I thought they were about £16-£20 for the parts. . .

Unless you mean £89 all in, in which case that sounds pretty good!

Sorry if that's all wrong, I'm exhausted and not with it!

Hmmmm.....ok....well, no that was just the bushes, not the tyres, so....think I'll get a couple more quotes and see what like....thank you TF, honestly - when I was in the garage yesterday there was a bloke saying that he was getting a rough deal, said to him you ought to try being a girl and see how well you get on then!!!!!

Sorry, I'm not making sense! I meant if that was 89 quid for the parts, AND fitting of the bushes it was a good price. If it was 89 in parts, and THEN labour, then something is wrong there as the parts themselves aren't that expensive.

I feel your pain, I've seen my mum almost fall for the same sort of thing before, and a few friends. One paying for 'new disks and pads front and rear' on a Corsa with rear drums. . . :wonder:

Sorry, I'm not making sense! I meant if that was 89 quid for the parts, AND fitting of the bushes it was a good price. If it was 89 in parts, and THEN labour, then something is wrong there as the parts themselves aren't that expensive.

I feel your pain, I've seen my mum almost fall for the same sort of thing before, and a few friends. One paying for 'new disks and pads front and rear' on a Corsa with rear drums. . . :wonder:

Think it's me not having explained properly in the first place! I was told £89 for the parts, he said 'parts are only £89' but what really stings is the labour as it's 1.5hr each side....and that was bushes only.....I generally pay about £120/£140 for 2 tyres, fitted and tracking - So I guess I'm being quoted in excess of £200 for the bushes - parts and labour.... Will def pick up another couple of quotes.... Thank you for your help and advice! There are some things I'm not too bad with and I try so hard to talk a good story when I'm at the garage, but I still can't help thinking I've been landed with either paying over the odds, or paying for work that really isn't needed more than once and was stung really badly at one place, which resulted in one dead car...I've tried to be a bit wiser since then....

Ta muchly!

That sounds a bit odd. If it's the part I think it is, google suggests they're £16 (see SEAT Cupra PD160 Console Bush) each from the dealer (for uprated parts which should fail less often), which leaves them with a £60 parts profit! Yeah, can't hurt to ring around anyway. I've been stung when I first started driving my Fabia - £700 for a steering rack despite it being covered under warranty later. . .

If you search for 'Fabia console bushes' on google, or here you should see a lot crop up with reference to replacing them with the SEAT Ibiza items (same chassis/engines etc, just different body).

I wish you luck!