Hi Everyone. I'm new here so hope I'm getting things right.

I've spent the last hour looking for a solution but to no avail.

 

About 18 months ago I noticed a slight clunking, rattling sound from the rear suspension sometimes when I went over speed humps. I mentioned this at the next service in Dartford but they could find nothing wrong. It then proceeded to get worse and started from the passenger side front as well. At my last service and first MOT I went to great lengths to explain the problem but again they could find nothing wrong? 

 

By then I noticed that it was worse when it was cold and when the car warmed up it virtually never did it. It would do it over some speed humps at 10 to 15 MPH. Some times it wouldn't do it at all !!!

 

Last week I took it to a highly recommended mechanic who cleaned out the brake drums and greased them with copper grease. The only effect it had was to lighten my wallet by £65

 

I'm at the point of trading it in and getting a new one out of sheer frustration.

 

Any clues anyone?

Mines does the same rear drivers side it sounds like on just one specific speed bump where I live but never on the others! 

I hope the technician / mechanic cleaned them out and used a little 'white grease' inside and only Copper Grease between the brake drum and the wheel.

& Copper grease behind the front brake pads.

 

Maybe something else altogether from the brakes but if the mechanic can not find what it is they can not fix it obviously.

I'm a little confused here - what am I missing?

From your description about noises, why did A highly recommended 'mechanic' start doing some work on your brakes? - or was this additional to your request to trace the source of the noise?

A bit of both really. The brakes sounded like metal on metal anyway and he thought that the brakes were making the clunking sound when going over speed humps. They were not. The sound of metal on metal is gone but the clunking is still the same.

 

 

We may be onto something! I took a call out mechanic round the block today so he heard the clunking. Then he got me to drive over the speed humps in neutral. There it was- the clunking sound. Then he got me to park up. Put the handbrake on. Put it into gear and slowly let the clutch out till it bites. We then swapped places and I could see that the engine was moving four or five centimetres as the clutch engaged. An engine mount is broken.

 

Lets see what happens when its replaced

 

PM 

Interesting, don't forget to update us....I have a clunk, but I thought it might be the suspension arm ?

Sorry to say it - I would not be inclined to use the 'highly recommended mechanic' in the future. I quote -   "he thought that the brakes were making the clunking sound when going over speed humps". 

Hope the alternate approach/repair does the trick for you.

Please keep us updated as I have a grumbling noise at low revs. I've checked underneath the car & inside the engine bay but can't find anything loose. I was thinking it might be an engine mount today.

Edited 7 February, 20179 yr by Jeeves73

I think this is the rear suspension creak/clunk issue- Mine does this when cold or wet. I believe this is due to lack of grease applied at the factory to rear suspension bushes, although some people traced it to the boot not being fully shut?

I'm trying to reply to Gumby and report on what heppened today after having the engine mount replaced but no matter what I do it will only let me add to this posting from yesterday!! Where am I going wrong?

 

The following is yesterdays posting.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

We may be onto something! I took a call out mechanic round the block today so he heard the clunking. Then he got me to drive over the speed humps in neutral. There it was- the clunking sound. Then he got me to park up. Put the handbrake on. Put it into gear and slowly let the clutch out till it bites. We then swapped places and I could see that the engine was moving four or five centimetres as the clutch engaged. An engine mount is broken.

 

Lets see what happens when its replaced

 

PM 

This is todays posting

 

The mechanic arrived, spent about an hour and a half fitting a new rear engine mount. Said it was fixed. Paid him £120. Took the car for a drive and it was still rattling. Not as much but it was still there. He gave me the busted engine mount and sure as eggs are eggs it was broken.

 

What to do now? I think I'll trade it in on a new Fabia and let Skoda repair it.

 

Gumby did you grease your suspension bushes and if you did did that fix it?

Sorry to say it - I would not be inclined to use the 'highly recommended mechanic' in the future. I quote -   "he thought that the brakes were making the clunking sound when going over speed humps". 

Hope the alternate approach/repair does the trick for you.

 

SORRY EVERYONE

for some unknown reason, when I pushed 'reply' - my earlier post re-appeared and got resent !!!

Edited 10 February, 20179 yr by 2ndskoda

I'm trying to reply to Gumby and report on what heppened today after having the engine mount replaced but no matter what I do it will only let me add to this posting from yesterday!! Where am I going wrong?

 

The following is yesterdays posting.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

We may be onto something! I took a call out mechanic round the block today so he heard the clunking. Then he got me to drive over the speed humps in neutral. There it was- the clunking sound. Then he got me to park up. Put the handbrake on. Put it into gear and slowly let the clutch out till it bites. We then swapped places and I could see that the engine was moving four or five centimetres as the clutch engaged. An engine mount is broken.

 

Lets see what happens when its replaced

 

PM 

I'm not sure what is happening here. I can't see where this is being posted and yesterdays post doesn't seem to be here?

 

After replacing the rear engine mount it seems better but its not fixed. Here we go back o the treadmill once again

Have you checked for leaking damper? Clunk at low speed over speed bump or cobbles. At this time of year there are plenty potholes, so could be weeping shock absorber, worn top mount, etc.

On 7/2/2017 at 11:02, PremMak said:

An engine mount is broken.

 

Lets see what happens when its replaced

 

PM 

Which side is broken I've got a clunk under braking from passanger side front (rhd car) I've double checked everything never thought of the engine mount 

 

jd 

Hi JD

 

It was the driver side rear (RHD)

 

I'm thinking now that its the shockies that are leaking. If you think about the gas strut on the tailgate, which is similar in many ways to a shock absorber, its very sluggish when its cold and barely holds up the tailgate but as the weather warms it lifts it with ease. When the shockie is cold there would not be so much resistance and it could rattle. When it warms up there would be more resistance?

PremMak

I am not being rude, but you are floundering from one guess to another (which is costing you un-necessary expenditure).

Take it to a reputable garage and get their opinion. A skoda dealer will be aware of all (hopefully) of all the little traits and nuances of the Fabia - and should quickly home in on the offending item(s).  DO NOT go spending money on new shocks at this stage

Yes of course you're right but I started with Skoda garages - Trans City Motors in London and Motorline in Dartford where I had the car serviced.

 

They both said they could find nothing wrong with it?

 

I'm not about to buy new shocks. I'm thinking more along the lines of trading it in for a new one if there are any good deals around.

 

Thanks for the advice. Its welcome.

 

PM 

Last week I was away and saw a place doing free 4 wheel alignment checks (Bush) So got them to check. They came back with the diagnosis that the caster was out. They don't do those repairs so they were not touting for business. I had one mechanic look at it. All he would say was that it was a big job and expensive requiring reploacing the sub frame?

 

Where I go now I don't know?

PremMak

it is quite usual for Fabia caster readings to differ from the reported 'Norm' - cant quite understand why you have jumped from one problem (the knocks and sounds) into a second issue - stop worrying and pursue the original problem first, and dont get too concerned in the matter of caster angles.

 

If you make time to go through literally hundreds of posts on the subject of tracking - you will see that disparity is normal. Replacing the subframe is going to get you nowhere (unless of course it has been damaged by severe impact/road accident) and cost an arm and a leg.

The steering is vague and I have to be constantly correcting it. I thought it may be related to the knocking. This place "BUSH" were offering free 4 wheel alignment checks bit they could not do repairs. They said it was a long way out. I'm getting a quote tomorrow to have it repaired. If its very expensive then it's time to trade it in

Forum members will be very interested to know how your problem is addressed - particularly what the quote lists (actual items to be replaced), and what the cost is estimated to be.

 

If you do decide to proceed, get an undertaking that the repairers guarantee that the published castor angle will be achieved.

Please stay in touch on this one.

Edited 21 February, 20179 yr by 2ndskoda

Will keep forum posted on outcome

 

PremMak