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Tin Top noise. can you help me diagnose?
smart51 - 16/4/14 at 04:31 PM

My 2006 Peugeot 107 has started making a rumbling noise recently and it is getting slowly worse. It's a rumbling noise that becomes audible over about 30 MPH. I've tried coasting from about 40 MPH with the engine off and the noise is unaffected, so my first thoughts were wheel bearing. I've just jacked up the car and all the wheels feel solid when pulled side to side and top to bottom. The all turn freely too, with no nochyness or vibration. The noise is slightly louder when going faster but not particularly higher in pitch.

What might it be and where should I look next?


19sac65 - 16/4/14 at 05:38 PM

It sounds like a wheel bearing to me too
Have you checked the tyres for uneven wear,that will make the same noise
Run your hands around the tread both ways,see if its smooth both ways


coyoteboy - 16/4/14 at 05:39 PM

Inner CVs are a possibility, generally outers only make a noise during cornering but inners make a noise all the time or under load (be that accel or decal) and it tends to be more of a rumble than the knock of an outer. Does it go lighter during transition between accel and decal?


Slimy38 - 16/4/14 at 05:53 PM

Modern wheel bearings tend not to show obvious signs of failure, so I'm not surprised you moving the wheel shows no evidence. What sometimes shows them is cornering at speed, loading and unloading the corners should change the noise and hopefully point out which corner is the most likely failure.

Have you checked obvious things like worn pads, things stuck in the tyre, even new tarmac on the roads?


smart51 - 16/4/14 at 06:07 PM

Tyres are all fine. There's a very slight amount of feathering. You can barely see it but the tyres feel smother running your hands forwards rather than backwards. The result of enthusiasm!

I'll try coming on and off the power in the corners, but I can't say I've noticed any kind of driving that affects the sound. Opening the windows on one side or the other doesn't make it any louder, or at least not that you can hear over the wind noise.

Front brakes were new this time last year and the discs look fine. If I got 7 years out of the first set, I wouldn't expect problems so soon. The rear drums are original though.

Is there a physical check for the inner CVs that would indicate wear? (without having to take the shafts off)


MP3C - 16/4/14 at 06:27 PM

When I had a noise like that on my car, it turned out to be the tires that had warped and bulged in the summer heat (my assumption) and it made a rumble noise when driving. Changed the tires on the car and it was like driving a Bentley (road noise wise)

Matt


smart51 - 16/4/14 at 08:20 PM

Getting on and off the power makes no difference to the sound but cornering does. When turning right the noise goes away. When turning left it gets louder. It suggests the problem is on the right hand side. The pitch does change with speed which says it's to do with wheels or half shafts.

If the noise is louder when cornering, with the clutch pressed, does that suggest wheel rather than CV joint?


jossey - 16/4/14 at 08:28 PM

Wheel bearing most likely. My BMW didn't make any noise when in the air but lots on road.

Check the cv joint. Go into a car park and reverse with full lock on and see of it knocks that will rule that out.


adithorp - 16/4/14 at 08:59 PM

Sounds like a typical bearing description. As said above they're not always obvious when jacked up as the weight of the wheel is now pulling down on the bearing but in use the car is pressing it up so the bearing load is on a different part of the race. Description does suggest o/s but not always. Try jacking up and spin the wheel while holding the coil spring; That often magnifies the feeling.


beaver34 - 16/4/14 at 09:50 PM

We had a noise only turning left in the beetle we have, any left hand turn made a rumbling noise, not a lot but you knew it was there

After weeks of checking the odd things I sent it to vw, it had a new wheel bearing and has been 100% fine since


mcerd1 - 17/4/14 at 08:12 AM

quote:
Originally posted by smart51
my first thoughts were wheel bearing. I've just jacked up the car and all the wheels feel solid when pulled side to side and top to bottom. The all turn freely too, with no nochyness or vibration. The noise is slightly louder when going faster but not particularly higher in pitch.


I had exactly that with my 106

I'd done wheel bearings on it before and the first time there was no doubt that it was the bearings, but the second time it was exactly as you described above... (the original bearings would have been from 1992, the second set from ~2004)


checked everything over and over again and still couldn't find anything and the noise got worse and worse - in the end I thought it must be the diff bearings in the gearbox
so I got an identical s/h box from the breakers (only cost £40 - no one else wants a 4 speed these days) and a pair of new shaft seals for £10 - fitted it in a day and guess what the noise was still there just as bad as ever

the shafts were fine so then I tried the wheel bearings (~£50 each) - changed the left one because it felt a tiny bit rough - no difference to the noise
changed the right wheel bearing and the noise was gone !


inspecting the bearings that came off, the right was a little worn with dried out grease and the left wasn't much better so I didn't grudge changing them both
but changing the gearbox was a total waste of time (took 6 hours) and cost me £50 that I didn't need to spend
(my old perfectly good box is probably still living in mango's shed now)

[Edited on 17/4/2014 by mcerd1]


Fury1630 - 30/5/15 at 02:44 PM

quote:
Originally posted by smart51
Getting on and off the power makes no difference to the sound but cornering does. When turning right the noise goes away. When turning left it gets louder. It suggests the problem is on the right hand side. The pitch does change with speed which says it's to do with wheels or half shafts.

If the noise is louder when cornering, with the clutch pressed, does that suggest wheel rather than CV joint?


Did you ever solve this? My daughter's 107 has the same noise.

Ta

T