Hi everyone,

hoping someone might have some experience / advice for a first-time poster..

2004 MK1 Fabia 1.2 5 speed manual AZQ engine.

A new problem has recently developed - when pulling away in 1st gear (or going uphill), a horrible grinding noise, sometimes leading to thumping noise, from the front passenger side of the car.

The noise is intermittent - can go for days with no issue -, but seems worse when the car's warmed up. It only happens in 1st - I can't replicate it in any other gear.

Engine mounts seem ok (& all replaced in the last 14 months)

No play at the road wheel (3/9 or 12/6)

No obvious suspension problems.

No obvious transmission leaks, but I'll try to check the fluid level next.

New clutch (home) fitted 2 1/2 years / 12,000 miles ago.

 

The L/H driveshaft has been leaking a little grease where the inner joint bolts to the diff.

I'm hoping its the driveshaft, but nervous that it's only happening in 1st gear - does this maybe point to a gearbox issue?

 

Any help or advice would be appreciated before I lash out on a new driveshaft...

 

Many thanks!

 

 

 

 

It sounds like the traction control system activating on my MK1 Octavia when I pulled out across a wet or greasy junction provoking minor wheelspin, the MK2 did not do the graunching juddering but simply cut the power which was much more dangerous.

I dont know what the Yeti would do as being 4x4 it has never yet lost traction.

Assuming you were not booting it I would suspect a problem with the NSF wheel speed sensor, the system thinks the wheel is spinning because its getting an anomolous high revolution signal. It then tries to brake that wheel (very severely) against the torque being driven through it to transfer the drive to the other wheel which has traction. If the wheel was spinning it would work without any real drama, that it wasn't spinning causes all the graunching as its applying a braking force to a wheel which was transferring torque and will now be being dragged along the road by the other driven wheel against the pulsing braking force.

 

That was not supposed to sound definitive, its just me advancing a hypothesis.

Edited 23 July, 20232 yr by J.R.

Many thanks J.R. - That's given me a new line of inquiry that I'd not considered. I'll have to check if the car (my daughter's) has ABS or any other system that might fit your theory.

I'll investigate and report back.

 

Merci!

 

 

Could be final drive outer bearing(s) shot. Check the gearbox final drive output for play. With both front wheels off the ground grab the drive shafts near the inner flanges both sides and twist in opposite directions ie clockwise left/anti clockwise right and vice versa. Check there is no side play obvious ie flanges moving in/out the box.

many thanks xman, I'll be sure to give that a try.

7 hours ago, J.R. said:

It sounds like the traction control system activating on my MK1 Octavia when I pulled out across a wet or greasy junction provoking minor wheelspin, the MK2 did not do the graunching juddering but simply cut the power which was much more dangerous.

I dont know what the Yeti would do as being 4x4 it has never yet lost traction.

Assuming you were not booting it I would suspect a problem with the NSF wheel speed sensor, the system thinks the wheel is spinning because its getting an anomolous high revolution signal. It then tries to brake that wheel (very severely) against the torque being driven through it to transfer the drive to the other wheel which has traction. If the wheel was spinning it would work without any real drama, that it wasn't spinning causes all the graunching as its applying a braking force to a wheel which was transferring torque and will now be being dragged along the road by the other driven wheel against the pulsing braking force.

 

That was not supposed to sound definitive, its just me advancing a hypothesis.

 

I doubt a 1.2 has traction control.

22 minutes ago, TMB said:

 

I doubt a 1.2 has traction control.

 

I doubt a 1.2 could even break traction!