Technical 500 Rattle

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Technical 500 Rattle

Satisfaction of 500 driving position

  • Good, able get good steering wheel seat angle

    Votes: 9 81.8%
  • OK, could be better seat angle

    Votes: 1 9.1%
  • Bad, can't seem to get either at right angle

    Votes: 1 9.1%

  • Total voters
    11
  • Poll closed .
Don't worry about it. Both my Fiat and my Renault have had the side of dash not fitted properly. If I bang it with my fist it will go in, for a while. My old Punto had piece of plastic lining on B pillar not clipped in too. Its only cosmetic, it won't fall out (well, mine never did:))


It's fitted perfect everywhere else apart from the bottom corner right next to the steering wheel where it's next to the height adjustment lever. Only noticed last night when I was looking for imperfections so it's my own fault. I don't think that wee corner being loose would cause any rattling would it? We've put some thin bits of sticky number plate tape hidden under it just to fill out the wee gap. This won't damage it in any way wi it?
 
What's that? Still it stops when driving if I push in the plastic. Also another annoyance I noticed is where the dashboard ends just next to the steering wheel, and next to where the steering wheel adjustment lever is, the edge of mine and a few cm isn't pushed right against the plastic. It's on secure everywhere else so won't fall off, but my sisters is totally pushed together. Bad luck strikes for me afain



It should just push in on lugs.

The top cowling is held on by 2 screws. You have to take the bottom cowling off to get to them though. Beware, the bottom cowling screws are a real pain to get done up again. The top one has a small plastic bracket with a screw either side and I've broken that before when I didn't realise it was held on by screws. Probably something has got in there and is rattling around.
 
Hi can anyone help!

I swapped my Smart car for a Fiat 500 as i have always wanted one, but starting to get disalussioned as it has this rattle/clunking from underneath. It has been in and out of the dealers 4 times (god knows how much i have spent but its still not fixed). I can only hear it when going slowly and it does sound a bit like a rattly exhaust but its not and its from underneath the passenger front seat or rear footwell. Its driving me round the bend, i've had the shocks replaced, the exhuast checked and the hand brake cable casing replaced but its still there ! can anyone offer any suggestions!
:bang::worship::cry:
but id like to be (y):):D

I had what might be the same rattles and mine turned out to be rear shocks - replaced and all good (y) no idea if the same :though:shrug:
 
It should just push in on lugs.

The top cowling is held on by 2 screws. You have to take the bottom cowling off to get to them though. Beware, the bottom cowling screws are a real pain to get done up again. The top one has a small plastic bracket with a screw either side and I've broken that before when I didn't realise it was held on by screws. Probably something has got in there and is rattling around.

Thank you. This morning while waiting to go to work, I was pluttering and directly in the centre of the top, directly under the steeering wheel, there's a gap and if you feel inside, there's plastic that pushes in... not sure what this is or if it's meant to push in or out? This bit here... that couldn't be snapped if it's pushing in?
 

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That is a chunk of polystyrene type stuff. It sits on the top metal rail that the air bag screws to. I think it's just there as something to absorb vibration. I'm not sure you should be able to see it.

My steering wheel position is up as high as it can go, so not sure if this is why it's visible, or of this would be more likely to make it visible. I'm guessing if the steeering wheel position was lower, it would be hidden?
 
All,
Just had my car into the garage when my boyfriend was getting his car through its MOT and they said they can't see anything that would be causing the 'clunk' when going over speed bumps. They had the car on its wheels and they were under it and couldn't see anything, and then had it up and off its wheels, and couldn't see anything that would be causing this clunk.

They've said to leave it until it gets worse and ages more as it'll be more easy to pinpoint the cause. Is this right enough? I'm worried to be driving it knowing it could get worse and not knowing what the cause is.
 
Sorry to be a nuisance! My car has now started to develop a squeak when my steeering wheel is being turned left or right at slow speeds, as well as the clunk. Rattling inside the car from under the steering wheel column (and I think the dash panel where fog light buttons are) has got worse. Sorry to be a pest but no garages here are open at the weekend, I've had it in for the clunk and they couldn't see anything. Now the squeaking steering started I'm wonder if they're connected? Really want this sorted.
 
Sorry to be a nuisance! My car has now started to develop a squeak when my steeering wheel is being turned left or right at slow speeds, as well as the clunk. Rattling inside the car from under the steering wheel column (and I think the dash panel where fog light buttons are) has got worse. Sorry to be a pest but no garages here are open at the weekend, I've had it in for the clunk and they couldn't see anything. Now the squeaking steering started I'm wonder if they're connected? Really want this sorted.
Possibly the front strut top mounts. When I first got my car it made a clunk when turning at slow spread and stationary. I initially thought it was from under the steering wheel. Got the front top mounts replaced and all was well.

On a side note regarding clunk noises, does anyone else on here with the 1.3 diesel get a clunk from the dpf area when turning off the car shortly after it has done a dpf regen?
 
I've said to my boyfriend I bet it's top mounts but he said I'm being paranoid. I googled and see Macpherson Struts also... I have no clue what they are but see they can cause both clunk and steering squeak too.

I'm so annoyed though as my MOT was only 2 months ago. Is this something they maybe just missed? Thank you,
 
I've said to my boyfriend I bet it's top mounts but he said I'm being paranoid. I googled and see Macpherson Struts also... I have no clue what they are but see they can cause both clunk and steering squeak too.

I'm so annoyed though as my MOT was only 2 months ago. Is this something they maybe just missed? Thank you,
The front top mounts get rusted and clunk rather than move smoothly. They're attached to, but are separate from the shocks and springs meaning they can be changed independently.

There's also little top hats you can get that push on and stop water working its way into the new mount nut.

It's not an mot failure. Its more like a gate having a rusty hinge. It still opens perfectly but squeaks.
 
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The front top mounts get rusted and clunk rather than move smoothly. They're attached to, but are separate from the shocks and springs meaning they can be changed independently.

There's also little top hats you can get that push on and stop water working its way into the new mount nut.

It's not an mot failure. Its more like a gate having a rusty hinge. It still opens perfectly but squeaks.

Thank you. And that could be cause for steering squeaking too? Any idea how much top mounts are?
 
I think some folks are confusing the top mounts with the top cups.

The parts which are visible when you open the bonnet (and usually rust quickly unless covers are fitted) are the top cups, not the top mounts. Their only purpose is to stop the front struts from falling down when the car is jacked up (or if you hit a mega pothole at warp speed). With the weight of the car on its wheels, there is normally a small gap between the top cups and the bodyshell; it is higly unlikely that they could be the cause of the squeak and replacing them, whilst cheap and easy unless the threads are rusted solid, won't fix your problem.

The top mounts are located at the top of the suspension strut, between the bodyshell and the strut; they're not visible unless you dismantle the suspension. They can, and do wear - significant wear is an MOT fail, and could be the cause of the squeak, but you'll need to remove the front struts from the car to replace them. Unless they're significanly worn, you can test (and probably fix) this by the spraying a small amount of a silicone rubber lubricant through the hole beneath the top cup onto the top mount. Do not, under any circumstances, use WD40 for this as it attacks rubber compounds and could cause top mount failure.

A can of silicone spray is very useful when trying to isolate the cause of a squeak; it won't harm most materials so is safe to use, but don't get it anywhere near anything you're planning to paint as even the smallest trace of silicone will spoil a new paint job. For this reason, it's a banned substance in any bodyshop.

You do have to remove the top cups to take out the front struts, and if they're seriously corroded and the threads are damaged, you'll have to replace the front struts, which is a good reason for keeping the nuts which secure the top cups well greased and covered.

Another very common cause of squeaks when turning the steering wheel is friction between the steering wheel trim and the rotating parts of the column, including the wheel itself.

Cars, particularly cheaply built ones, are prone to developing squeaks and rattles as they age; for the most part, these are annoying but benign. Many, many years ago I remeber reading that if you're a person who's obsessed by this, you should restrict yourself to buying only new cars if you can.
 
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Here's a picture to help of the strut (less the top cup visible inside the engine bay) the white section within the strut is the bump Stop there if you bottom out the suspension the top mount is the rubber part right at the end on the left.
Further back is the same picture plus all the parts separately before assembly in the first picture on the far right you have the rubber part and the silver part next to it contains the swivel bearing going on the top of the spring allowing g the whole thing to turn with the steering.
 

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Here's a picture to help of the strut (less the top cup visible inside the engine bay) the white section within the strut is the bump Stop there if you bottom out the suspension the top mount is the rubber part right at the end on the left

Yup, I've changed my previous post to reflect your more accurate choice of wording.
 
Thank you. Going to get some silicone spray today and will try this. Is it easy enough to get to the hole beneath the top mounts, or does the whole suspension need dismantled to do this?

Unfortunately I can't afford a brand new car, especially with the new car tax costs. ?
 
Thank you. Going to get some silicone spray today and will try this. Is it easy enough to get to the hole beneath the top mounts, or does the whole suspension need dismantled to do this?

Unfortunately I can't afford a brand new car, especially with the new car tax costs. ��

It's not possible to get any lubricant in there without taking it all apart, you have the large rubber bushing to locate the top of the strut in the car (also provides a small degree of movement and provide sound deadening ) then there's the top mount, both of these two are bolted to the top of the assembly to make the completed strut, the part that fails is the bearing that transfers all the stress seen here on the left, it's the small circular part unpainted(on the top) in the middle not the whole thing, you can see from the picture higher up just how difficult it would be to get to the bearing once its all together spraying from the top would do no use either.
When I replace ALL of the front suspension these two parts were the only two bits I re used as they seemed still serviceable, I did clean and repaint the top spring end caps/top mounts.
 

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