Hi, I'm new here, just been recommended this site and it's fab!

I was hoping you might have ideas about some noises I've been hearing from the front drivers side over the last few days. The noises seem to be quite intermittant at the moment but there has been some knocking and a strange creaking noise only at very slow speed and particularly when decelerating or braking and on bumpier roads. It's happened when going straight and turning either way but particularly to the right. Also when I've just been driving if I push done on the front drivers side wing there is a creaking noise, particularly as it comes back up, it returns to the correct position and isn't bouncy (this doesn't happen when the car hasn't been driven for half an hour or so it only seems to be when it's all warm).

I've had a look as best I can with little knowledge and all I've noticed is that the gaitor on the outer cv joint (drivers side) has detached at the thinner end so that it can be pushed back and there is little lubrication left in it. I've driven it in circles on full lock both ways this morning and there is no noise from doing that at all so I'm assuming I've found that before the cv joint has got damaged.

Any suggestions you have would be great as I'm supposed to be doing a 600 mile round trip next week and the garage can't look at it til tuesday.

Thank you very much, Yeti

(Forgot to say it's a 1997 Felicia 1.6 GLXi (P reg)

If the noises are happening when the car is stationary, or moving in a straight line, it's probably not the CV joint. Speaking of which, you did give it some extra grease when refitting the boot, didn't you?

The creaks seem most likely to be dry rubber bushes, which can easily be cured by putting a few drops of old brake fluid on them.

dosn't brake fluid kill paint as well?

dosn't brake fluid kill paint as well?

Yup it certainly does... totally strips the paint clean off a car!!

It sounds to me that the top bush on the right hand strut has gone as i have the same knocking noise and cant be ar*** to change mine!! It costs under