Chirping noise

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 7:28 pm

Hmm, just started today, it seems to appear more when i'm going faster, around 60mph, any ideas?

I do have a cv joint gaitor that needs replacing, is it possibly that which has run out of grease & is causing the noise?

rmattila · Post by **rmattila** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 7:51 pm

On Independence day 2005 (it's December 6th here) i took the Wife for a trip around the local countryside. After about 15 km I heard a slight chirping noise. Stopped the car in order to check the LHS CV joint area. Nothing special there. Continued carefully, but after a few more km it became obvious that something is truly wrong with the CV joint. Tried turning the wheels as much left as possible and driving a few circles in order to bring grease from the periphery of the joint to the middle area. No effect. Stopped again, took the LHS roadwheel up and tried to feel what's causing the vibration. Got no wiser. Decided to head home the straightest way (approx. 30 km).

It was one of the most painful trips home ever (and believe me, I've had a few memorable ones), with the CV joint going totally mad along the way. Whenever engaged, the drivetrain caused the steering wheel to wander from side to side at the rate of the wheel (which was as low as possible, the car idling at 1st gear).

Got home though after what felt like an eternity, replaced the joint and went for a test drive. HEARD THE SAME EERIE CHIRPING SOUND FROM THE RHS JOINT! The vibrations caused by driving home with the disintegrating LHS joint had obviously been too much for the other hand side joint. Replaced it too, crossed the fingers..

..and have driven with those two joints for 300 000 km now. Opened the old ones and checked for damages, but somehow could never really figure out what the actual problem was.

Ever since, I've been "somewhat" allergic to all kinds of "chirping" sounds from the direction of the CV joints.

(Remembering this trip has over the years become an important part of Independence day traditions in our family. Didn't need foreign help to get home after all..

)

Post by **Defender110** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 8:04 pm

A canary with a fear of excesive speed trapped under the bonnet

KevR · Post by **KevR** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:52 pm

Does it increase when you go round corners? Is it causing vibration? If so, maybe CV joint - you should definitely get round to replacing the gaiter ASAP anyway before you wreck the joint.

But before you do, check whether it's a dry speedo cable causing the noise... Mine does it when it's cold - chirpchirpchirp, related to road speed and with a noticeable wobble on the speedo needle.

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Wed Mar 09, 2011 10:25 pm

Chirping has stopped since i had the outer cv gaitor changed which i find odd or a co-incidence as there was plenty of grease still inside it.

Another annoying noise i've noticed recently is when going over speed bumps, its a double sounding clonk. I managed to replicate this whilst at Shaunes whilst the engine was off & pushing down on the front of the car, it was quite loud. Any ideas of what it might be? Doesnt sound like a strut tbh, but who knows. Shaune thought it sounded like metal on metal causing that particular sound. Could it be loose anti-rollbars?

citsncycles · Post by **citsncycles** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 12:43 am

Could be a loose roll bar mount, or a drop link. Apparently the last job the previous owner of mine did before I bought it was replace soem sheared bolts on the roll bar mounts, so they can go. It's also possible that it's a ball joint or wishbone bush, but you'd have probably noticed some wayward handling with those!

Post by **Defender110** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 1:23 pm

I had a strange annoying but occasional knock / thudd that mostly happened as slowing down to take a corner / bend. The thud sounded like the subframe moving with the noise cominng from the font mid floor area. This turned out to be the ARB mounts. They didn't look loose and there was no sign of movement but when I put a spanner on the larger bolt heads they actually tightened up a good turn. I tightened them up and this has cured what was getting a very annoying noise.

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 9:34 pm

Pretty sure its not the droplinks as the noise is only made when going over larger bumps such as the one's i've mentioned & the Sheffield roads that i frequent are very crap so i'd notice a constant droplink noise.

I'm pretty sure that i've got a balljoint issue on the front driver side, if i hit anything large like a pothole or am turning right on a large bump it makes a hell of a noise. This noise is totally different to the one i can make the car do by pushing down on the front of it.

I'm hoping it is the ARB mounts, i'll have a look at them at the weekend & see if they tighten up at all. The roads round here just kill cars, most frustrating when i pay the same road tax as other areas of the country that have much smoother roads

Cheers for the input chaps. Anyone got any alternative theories to the sound?

Post by **Defender110** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 10:38 pm

MULLEY wrote:
Cheers for the input chaps. Anyone got any alternative theories to the sound?

A cat that ate the canary with a fear of excesive speed trapped under your bonnet now banging his head on that metal bonnet of yours???

citsncycles · Post by **citsncycles** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 11:12 pm

The roads round here just kill cars, most frustrating when i pay the same road tax as other areas of the country that have much smoother roads

There's somewhere in the country with smoother roads

Where???

Round here they actually employ people to travel round in vans and measure potholes in order to decide which ones to leave

(either that or they're checking for cyclists that may have fallen into them

)

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 11:39 pm

I consider anywhere outside of Sheffield to have smooth roads

Infact i've driven down smoother farmtracks tbh. The council could have saved a fortune on speed bumps, the roads are naturally that bumpy anyway.

citronut · Post by **citronut** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 7:55 am

i suppose it couldnt be one of the drive belts or a tensioner chirping,

regards malcolm

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 10:09 pm

Interesting thoughts malcolm, i'll keep that in mind if it comes back, the noise seems to have dissapeared for the mo, only to be replaced by that other clonking sound which can't be either of those as the engine was switched off. Infact, getting into the car tonight, as soon as i sat in i heard the clonk due to my weight causing the suspension to drop a little.

Way2go · Post by **Way2go** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 1:13 am

MULLEY wrote:as soon as i sat in i heard the clonk due to my weight causing the suspension to drop a little.

Rear arm bearings?

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Sat Mar 12, 2011 6:40 pm

Deffo not rear arm bearings as they were changed recently & i know that the specific creaking sound they make isn't the same as the clonking sound i'm currently experiencing, good idea though.