Dear skoda-ers,

Wonder if you can help me out.

My 1998 Felicia 1.3L (manual, done 66k miles) suddenly starting making a very loud grumbling noise whenever it rolls. The noise get louder the higher the speed and is very loud, I don't dare to take it above 25mph.

It's not a metal on metal sound, more like a low-pitch whine.

There's no other symptoms other than a faint smell of hot rubber....

I took it to a nearby garage and they weren't very keen on checking it out, they had a quick drive and said it's the gearbox and not the wheel bearing.

Can anyone advise what it could be? I'll take it to another garage for a second opinion next week but some prior knowledge would help me a lot!

Thanks so much in advance!

Have you had a visual check round the car and mainly the wheel arches...

Could be a something dragging on a wheel... has been known before...

thanks heaps!

I'll check it out tomorrow morning!

I don't believe the gearbox can pack up after just 66k and the burnt rubber smell must mean something...

At least I can go to bed with some hope tonight, really love the car

Drive shaft maybe burning rubber could be a c.v. boot as they are made of rubber

If the smell is definitely rubber and not oil, I get this nasty feeling that a tyre is rubbing on a strut or the bodywork.

MUCH THANKS TO CONTRIBUTORS HERE!!

Had a quick look around the tyres and found the problem (I know, it seems obvious but then again, I'm quite a dummy when it comes to cars :P ).

The drivers side front shock absorber gave up the ghost, so the coil spring was resting on the tyre....

Wise word by Homer...... Simpson........doh!

The local garage was embarrassed too, but 2 hours and 75 quid later, I drove home happy.

Is 75 quid too much for a new shock absorber? I was too chuffed as I was very close to scrapping the car (couldn't afford 300+150 labour for a new gearbox).....

Not bad for a complete strut, supplied and fitted.

Hah... knew it!

I seem to remember someone else a while back that was having similar problems and it turned out to be the suspension strut resting on the tyre!!!

Glad you got it sorted mate... and hope you have many more happy years of rubber burning free motoring in your felicia... hehehe