I thought it was too good to last. Since replacing the gearbox, clutch and front rollbar droplinks on my JTD130 I've had a few months of troublefree motoring. However two weeks ago I noticed some new noises (more of an occasional grumble than a knock) coming from the rear. Yesterday a knock started from the front (worse when turning the wheel). I've had it up on the jack and shook each wheel top and bottom and side to side. Other than normal front steering motion each wheel has no movement. When I was jacking it up on the drivers side I did notice a groan from the rear (coil or damper?). If it ever stops raining I'll get the front wheels off and check the droplinks that I put on.
I've got the Porter manual for the marea but has anyone come up with a fault finder?
If anyone has any ideas I'd really appreciate it. The MOT is up in two weeks so I have to get a move one - in fact I may take it to be MOT'd in the hope the fail sheet will give me some clues.

PS I've also got a copy of eper on CD (bought of ebay) but I can't get it to work - is that just me or does everyone have the same problem.

I changed the drop links and the ARB and that fixed my suspension noises. The rear was all in great shape and it just seemed that the thumps were at that end of the car when you heard them. yours may be the aux belt tension pulley breaking up this will get worse when the power steering loads it up

My weekend has just started doing something like this too... no worries when I picked it up 400 miles ago, but it is getting progressively worse - the bumps don't seem to cause it a problem, more like lateral movement, i.e. when you pull away or stop, you get a knock from the front of the car - not every time, but often, and not related to steering wheel position.... Looks like an ARB inspection if the rain ever stops!

Still haven't sorted the problem yet but I have got eper to work. I've been able to print off exploded diagrams of the front and rear suspension to give me a bit of a clue. Now I just need to learn Italian.

I've got a copy of it coming in the post, should arrive tomorrow, so I'll have a scan too.... the knocking is more irritating than anything else, as the car runs really smoothly otherwise! One of the girls at work is Italian, so perhaps I can persuade her to give me some help!

Why u not got them in English?

Mine arrived today and it is in English!
The noise seemed to stop for a bit earlier, but came back with a vengeance later on!

It finally stopped raining for long enough for me to have a good look at my Marea's front suspension.
When I changed the droplinks, my local fiat dealer didn't have the correct nuts for it. I couldn't use the old ones on the drivers side because it had the wrong droplink fitted (much thinner and with smaller threads). The new droplinks have a thread unlike anything I had nuts for, however I did have some Japanese shock absorbers (for a Mini) with the right nuts - unfortunatly not locking ones.
You've guessed it - one of the nuts had come off. The droplink has almost bent double. My worry is if it caught and damaged anything else. I'll find out on Saturday when I put it all together again.
Still don't know what the groan is at the back yet but I'll find out when I MOT it next week.

Sounds painful... good luck and I hope nothing else got damaged along the way. My knocking is getting steadily worse now - can't see anything obvious, but suspect it is either the ARB or the link to it. I've booked it into the local Fiat repair shop that my girlfriend uses for an honest opinion on Tuesday.... hopefully it won't be anything too bad, as it was only MOT'd a month ago with no advisories, and it has only done 500 miles since!
It's def. from the front, and you can feel it in the footwells - seems to be worse offside, but that could just be because I am sitting there.

Have you replaced the lower arms Rockhampton? When were they last replaced?

I don't know if they have been replaced..... the service book has been regularly stamped for the car, but there is little in the way of receipts for other work..... is it a known issue? (I'm pretty new to the mechanics of the Marea - I've run Saabs for years so I'm on a learning mission....)

They go through lower arms as quickly as they do cambelts! I'd be very suprised if it wasn't worn. Just the weight of the car breaks down the rubber bushes.

I've changed the bent droplink. Hopefully I've been lucky. The only damage I can see is to the wire for the electonic brake wear indicator (I hope thats what it is and nothing to do with ABS)
I've also got eper in english now (found the language list)

Wow... that's quite fubar!

Wow... that's quite fubar!

(edit: a bit like this double post )

Looks like you have had a lucky escape!

I've managed to have a quick peek under mine now, and all I can see that is obvious is on the nearside wishbone - there is a nut and bolt about 2/3 way along - the nut is seized to the bolt, and there is about a 1/2 inch of play - so it looks like it was holding something on the upper side of the arm that is no longer there....so the bolt protrudes about 1/2 inch loosely under the arm now, hanging from the seized nut. There is the same bolt on the other side, but it is in solid, but can't get behind to see what is there without taking the wheels off, and not able to do this at present (it is lashing down again!). I've looked at the diagrams, and I can't see it on there..... any ideas? - the bushes and fixings at both ends of each arm appear to be okay.

Cheers,

Glenn

Is it through a round hole in the trailing edge edge of the arm?

If so, there shouldn't be anything through it. That hole is from the Bravo/Tipo days of the lower arm connecting to the anti-roll bar.

Yes, it's at the trailing edge, about 2/3 the way along from the inner side of the arm. It's odd that it's got about 1/2 inch thread there, so the bolt is 'floating' in the hole. Perhaps whoever had the car last has used parts off another car? If they did, that's not so good, and they should have cut the bolt out. The actual arm looks very clean though. I'll see if I can get a picture of it when it goes on the ramp on Tuesday.... like I say, there is one on the offside arm too, but the bolt looks new and is in correctly, but I could only see it, not get my hand around the back. Typical, it's stopped raining now but it's pitch black!

Well, the verdict is new drop links and anti-roll bar - £270 quote at my Fiat Dealer. It'll have to wait though, as I've just shelled out for a major service.... safe enough to drive, just bl**dy irritating!

My Marea failed its MOT today. When the droplink failed it looks like it took out a CV boot and the track rod end. Also possibly the bottom wishbone but that may have been a problem before. Other than that it failed on headlamp aim (already fixed) and hand brake effect (hopefully just needs adjusting - or at worse could be calipers?)
The rest of the work is booked for Monday.