BX niggles

[mnde]

Here's 3 niggly faults that I hope someone can help diagnose:

1) On rough roads while travelling at low speed (e.g. roadworks) I can feel the steering wheel jumping around in my hand over bumps. What is the culprit? I've had the fubared lower wishbone bushes replaced recently, so it can't be that. There is also a knocking sound. The car passed its MOT in April, with no advisories. The bush in the steering column had popped out, but it now neatly held in place with a cable tie.

2) Sometimes if I accelerate briskly while turning into a side road, I can feel a juddering/pulsing through the steering wheel. Does this mean my HP pump is tired? The belt is nice and tight and was replaced a couple of years ago.. I have had to retighten it a couple of times since then though. The steering doesn't feel particularly light either... The accumulator sphere was replaced in March. LHM is nice and clean and "new" looking still.

3) When I select "low" position, there is a strong smell of LHM inside the car as it descends. Any ideas where that could be coming from?

Cheers,

Mark.

[DLM]

(3) Is possibly to do with the method used to equalise pressure within the lhm reservoir. At the top of the reservoir, attached to the filler cap by a t-piece, are two clear plastic tubes to allow air to vent out of or into the reservoir. One terminates above the reservoir in the wing, the other terminates somewhere else I can't remember. If either of the ends is terminating very close to the air ventiltion intake in the bonnet scuttle, or if the reservoir is overfull and hence one end is ejecting excess lhm rather than air, then this could be the cause.

Otherwise, have a good look around the lower subframe to check whether the return pipe from the front height corrector is leaking. This is the most frequent place for an octopus to start to splitting and failing.

Also, have a look inside the front wheel arches to check the state of the front strut return pipes, which may also be perishing, cracking or just plain broken.

(1) and (2) could be many things, but check the top of the struts for free play - though there may not be much you can do about this. Worn struts can also start to move from side to side internally.

If the "pumping" on steering hard is very regular and is pulling your hand to and fro, suspect the pump. Also check the main tank-to-pump pipe for pinholes or cracking. I had one of these more or less disintegrate at the tank end while changing it recently.

[mnde]

If either of the ends is terminating very close to the air ventiltion intake in the bonnet scuttle, or if the reservoir is overfull and hence one end is ejecting excess lhm rather than air, then this could be the cause.

I'd not thought about that... I don't think the reservoir is overfull, because although my usual garage has the habit of topping up an already full reservoir so that the yellow "top-hat" is at the very top of the sight tube on High, the level was correct at last check because until recently I had a leak from a rear cylinder vent pipe, and I had to top up a couple of times.

Otherwise, have a good look around the lower subframe to check whether the return pipe from the front height corrector is leaking. This is the most frequent place for an octopus to start to splitting and failing.

I forgot to mention the octopus was replaced at the end of 2006.

Also, have a look inside the front wheel arches to check the state of the front strut return pipes, which may also be perishing, cracking or just plain broken.

These are both around 2 years old, but I'll have a look.

If the "pumping" on steering hard is very regular and is pulling your hand to and fro, suspect the pump. Also check the main tank-to-pump pipe for pinholes or cracking. I had one of these more or less disintegrate at the tank end while changing it recently.

Yes, the "pumping" is regular and it does feel like a back-and-forth judder rather than just a vibration. I now recall Mr Rutherford mentioned that the pump was sounding a bit noisy when I was down at his in March. I have a spare I can try if I'm feeling brave!!

Thanks,

Mark.

[mat_fenwick]

If the strut return pipes are pattern one, they don't seem to last as long. Mine had been done just before I bought the car and lasted about 2.5 years. Because of that I went for genuine ones when I did the job last, and I think Mulley has had a similar experience. Mind you genuine ones could have sat around deteriorating for a while I suppose...not sure if they have a best before date!
The good news is that they aren't difficult to change, but if you had asked me that question when I was doing them by torchlight in the rain sat in a puddle the night before my MOT I might have suggested otherwise.

[DLM]

The absolutely essential tool for replacing strut pipes (or rather, for undoing/fastening the strut clip) is a pair of carpenter's pincers, in my opinion.

These allow you to grip the clip effectively where it needs to be gripped, and cuts the time take to do the job immensely.

Also I'd check the reservoir to pump pipe thoroughly before thinking of replacing the pump: even a pinhole can make a pump seem tireder than it is.

[mat_fenwick]

Either pincers, or a tile nibbler (having lost my pincers when I moved house). Both have similarly shaped jaws which grip at a point.

[kermit the frog]

Mnde
Try checking the front subframe bolts are tight especially the front two near to the anti roll bar bushes ( i think they are 15 or 16 mm head)

I had a similar thing with mine and they were only a couple of flats from tight and it knocked over the slightest bump / cats eyes.

Also check the links from the wishbones to the anti roll bar on both sides They too can cause a noise.

The noise you are describing on a lock could be an outer drive shaft joint.
Check for signs of grease from the boots.

Good luck hope this helps

Regards Kermit

[mnde]

1) On rough roads while travelling at low speed (e.g. roadworks) I can feel the steering wheel jumping around in my hand over bumps. What is the culprit? I've had the fubared lower wishbone bushes replaced recently, so it can't be that. There is also a knocking sound. The car passed its MOT in April, with no advisories. The bush in the steering column had popped out, but it now neatly held in place with a cable tie.

Knocking sound has got worse on o/s, now almost constant - sounds like the noise a golfball makes as it clatters into the hole. More pronounced when the o/s wheel hits a bump. Also have started to get those "blowing exhaust" sounds, especially when cornering, so I'm thinking I've got a balljoint and/or a wheelbearing on the way out!

Mark.

[DavidRutherford]

This is beginning to sound more and more like a dead wheel bearing.

Try jacking the car up (in high, as normal) then grab hold of the wheel at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock and see if there's any play (rock side to side) Then do the same holding the wheel at 6 and 12 o'clock.

This will need to be done with the handbrake off, as otherwise the pads will hold the disc (and hence the wheel also) solid, and you won't feel any play.

Edit: I've just also thought... this could be a dead CV joint. Certainly the wibbly steering wheel could easily be caused by that. Pop the car on Drive-on ramps (if you have any) and try to lift the driveshafts. If there is any movement then you have your culpret. This wouldn't have been found at MOT time..

[mnde]

Now that's interesting, because yesterday I thought I might have found a clue. I was shaking the offside front wheel (on the deck), and the rear side of the tyre felt sticky. Had a look and there are telltale signs of grease that looks like its been thrown outwards. I'm going to take a better look when I have a torch, but I reckon my CV outer boot has split. BTW, ramps in my possession = 0. Mebbe I'll look out for a set at the National.

I've had several CV boot failures on the GSA (caused by over tight ligarex straps) where the outward sign was grease thrown through the wheelholes and outwards in straight streaks due to the centrifugal forces...

Anyhow I've retired the BX for the time being and swapped to the good old G. I don't know how I ever managed with just the one car....

Cheers,

Mark.

[mnde]

I had a good old look yesterday with the car in high and steering on full lock. The outer CV gaiter doesn't appear to be split. I reckon the sticky stuff on the inner edge of the tyre is old LHM spillage from lubing a strut or something. It tends to make a sticky mess when it reacts with tyre rubber!

I grasped the wheel at the top with both hands and shoved it back and forth. There be a clonk... and a grindy sound. Whatever it was prompted me to check the wheel nuts... which were all nice n tight. Put car back in normal height, and shook the wheel again and it was much harder to reproduce the noise, if that makes sense... Any suggestions before I ..*gulp*.. book it in?

Cheers,

Mark.

[DavidRutherford]

I grasped the wheel at the top with both hands and shoved it back and forth. There be a clonk... and a grindy sound.

That be a wheel bearing.

Recipie for a wheel bearing. You will need:

One new bearing.
A fairly hefty press*.
Sockets/spanners etc. to remove the hub.

*or, if you're in the mood for a laugh, a propane torch for the hub and a domestic freezer for the bearing.

[kermit the frog]

You be right David
That be a wheel bearing that be.

Liquid nitrogen is better for fitting bearing's but a bit dangerous for home use.

Regards Kermit

[docchevron]

Liquid nitrogen is better for fitting bearing's but a bit dangerous for home use.

PAH! I laugh in the face of danger!
Round here we smoke Liquid nitrogen, cook wiht it, and blow holes in walls with it!

Ok, some , all , or none of the above may or may not actually be true.....

[mnde]

Well after having a chinwag with David it looks like it might be... wheel bearing change @ teh National = FTW

Mark.