General Constant rumbling sound

[drumdmc]

My partner has a 57 plate 1.2 Dynamic 360 with 42000 miles and in the last few weeks a groaning rumbling sound has appeared. At first i thought it might be a wheel bearing but the noise is always there whether driving straight or on corners. The sound increases with speed and will make the same noise whether in gear or free wheeling. Difficult to tell where exactly where it is coming from.

It passed the MOT last week with only one advisory of slight play in a drop link joint, very much doubt that would be the problem.

Anyway the car is still under warranty until mid July so she took it to Arnold Clark's to have it looked at. They checked it over and road tested it and said it sounds like a gearbox fault. It goes into gear no problem and all gear changes are smooth. It is booked in next Monday to get the gearbox removed and if it is found not to be faulty she has to pay £312 in labour charges So there is a possibility of forking out all that money and still be no further forward. Why would they not check driveshafts, CV joints, transmission bearings first instead of taking out the gearbox. Sounds slightly iffy to me and the usual giving a lone female a load of bull.

Anyone any idea what it might be, difficult i know without hearing it but have there been reports of similar things happening to Panda's.

 

[jrkitching]

Anyone any idea what it might be, difficult i know without hearing it but have there been reports of similar things happening to Panda's.

My money would be on a wheel bearing - they can groan even when there's no detectable play at the wheel.

It happened to me once, and several mechanics (me included) thought it was a diff bearing. Once I'd removed the driveshaft & spun the hub, the cause fortunately became obvious, but the lack of play in the bearing fooled us all.

If the car is under warranty, then I wouldn't put up with any nonsense about being charged for removing the gearbox - there is obviously a problem & it's the dealers responsibility to diagnose & fix it at their expense, end of.

 

[Dev100]

Whatever you do don't let Arnold Clark touch it! They aren't mechanics but fitters! My wife has been ripped off twice there now, last time they insisted she change the front tyres to pass an MOT, when wear was the same on the rears but apparently they didn't need changing!

Speak to a proper garage first

 

[drumdmc]

I know, i should have said Arnold Shark. Made me wonder what they will do if they take the gearbox out, stare at it and say it looks ok and put it back in.

Just wish i could be there when she takes it in but she will have a list to tell them before they even try and charge her hundreds of pounds.

It's like having a leak, calling in a plumber, he dismantles your shower puts it back together says that will be 300 quid please and i couldn't find your leak!

 

[Dev100]

My wife had a list too.... £700 later.... Inside six months I had to spend 500 on new rear suspension that was faulty when they had it in!!!!

 

[maggers]

Unfortunately it's how dealers work and part of the reason i baled out and went back to working for independents. Every minute has to be accounted for and if they spend 5 hours diagnosing something and don't find the fault they still charge you whereas the place i work for goes on a no fix, no charge basis. You may loose a bit of money but you keep the customer. Anti roll bar links can make a rumbleing noise, hard to say without hearing it. Did you buy it from Clarkes? Irrespective of that, if they say it's a gearbox fault then they should'nt turn round and charge you if it is'nt. May be worth a second opinion at an independant before you take it in, perhaps one reccomended by a friend or relative rather than pot luck.

 

[portland_bill]

If you are a member of AA or RAC ask them, before it goes in. They may offer assistance as an engineer visit.

 

[james2609]

My money is on the wheel bearings too. I found that anti-roll bar links tend to clunk, not really groan. As said in a previous post, wheel bearings can fail and not have play in the wheels. Jack a wheel up and give it a spin. If it's grinding, 95% certain it'll be a wheel bearing.

 

[Dev100]

Funny this should come up as today noticed a whine coming from the car between 30&65mph, sometimes sounds engine area sometimes exhaust.

Without stripping it down I'm thinking exhaust baffle is loose and causing a strange resonance or the alternator belt is cracking, I will be changing the cam belt in the summer any road, so may as well do this as well.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

How can they have the cheek to charge labour if the gearbox isn't at fault. They're the ones who should be diagnosing it. Not you :bang:

 

[drumdmc]

Just a quick update. After getting no joy from Arnold Clarks so called customer service dept saying that is the way they do things by charging folk for their guess work. The good lady booked the car into a local garage in Dundee that my brother uses. The guy went out in the car, listened and said wheel bearing, (well done to those who said this) Got back to the workshop jacked it up found no play in bearings but when spinning the wheels heard the offside one groaning. It is getting a new one fitted tomorrow. Decided it was better not letting the AC idiots anywhere near it despite there still being a few weeks warranty left, simply because we just don't trust them.

They will be getting a rather strongly worded letter and basically told where to go. That is my partner, my daughter and a good mate all been mucked about big time by these clowns. Needless to say none of us will ever step foot into a AC stealership again

 

[james2609]

It is very worrying when the one place you'd expect to get this fixed easily (not necessarily cheaply) can't even spot a failed wheel bearing when they have the car! Glad it's getting sorted