Technical Vibrating/knocking noise from front right of vehicle

[Gozoguy]

Hi All,

Will try to make a long story short, here goes :

I have a 1997 Fiat Punto Mk2, 1.2 Litre Manual Petrol, 60Hp 8V.

Had all tyres changed 4 weeks or so back. Shortly after, we noticed a strange knocking/rubbing/vibrating noise from the front right of the vehicle (at least thats where it sounds like its from) while we are in the car driving, this noise would increase in frequency as the car got faster kind of almost like a flapping sound - flap, flap, flap, flap...... Decided it could be the front brake pads and visual inspection confirmed this. Mechanic changed the pads (right pad was very low) and decided that discs were fine so didn’t change them.

After this, the noise was still there.

We then noticed a further noise, this was more of a knocking from the rear of the vehicle. After inspection, I saw that the rear rubber exhaust mounts and the one in the middle of underside of the car had all perished and split in half and so exhaust was pretty unstable. For now, I have repaired the mounts using a temporary fix of cable ties around them. Exhaust seems stable enough and this other knocking noise has stopped.

The original noise I mentioned is still there.

It makes no difference of the car is free-rolling in neutral or with foot on the gas. The thing that effects it is the speed the car is going at, higher speed means higher frequency of the noise, slower the car speed, slowing the noise rhythm.

Ive attached some video recordings so that you can hear the noise, these were captured using a mobile phone inside the car, with the phone held on the drivers side beneath the steering wheel. A zip file of the videos is attached. Hopefully these help to explain what I mean.

Again to me it sounds like something rubbing or causing friction between brake pad and disc, but as pads have just been changed this is unlikely to be the case?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Mark

 

[Gozoguy]

Oh, the other point I didnt mention is that when we had the changed the Tyres changed, we also had the wheels balanced (this was done in pretty basic fashion to be honest). Wonder if this has caused or contributed to the issue?

Thanks as always for any feedback.

Mark

 

[varesecrazy]

Swap wheels..

Opposite corner..or even the spare

If it moved..it was the tyre

 

[judderbar]

Hi All,

Will try to make a long story short, here goes :

I have a 1997 Fiat Punto Mk2, 1.2 Litre Manual Petrol, 60Hp 8V.

Had all tyres changed 4 weeks or so back. Shortly after, we noticed a strange knocking/rubbing/vibrating noise from the front right of the vehicle (at least thats where it sounds like its from) while we are in the car driving, this noise would increase in frequency as the car got faster kind of almost like a flapping sound - flap, flap, flap, flap...... Decided it could be the front brake pads and visual inspection confirmed this. Mechanic changed the pads (right pad was very low) and decided that discs were fine so didn’t change them.

After this, the noise was still there.

We then noticed a further noise, this was more of a knocking from the rear of the vehicle. After inspection, I saw that the rear rubber exhaust mounts and the one in the middle of underside of the car had all perished and split in half and so exhaust was pretty unstable. For now, I have repaired the mounts using a temporary fix of cable ties around them. Exhaust seems stable enough and this other knocking noise has stopped.

The original noise I mentioned is still there.

It makes no difference of the car is free-rolling in neutral or with foot on the gas. The thing that effects it is the speed the car is going at, higher speed means higher frequency of the noise, slower the car speed, slowing the noise rhythm.

Ive attached some video recordings so that you can hear the noise, these were captured using a mobile phone inside the car, with the phone held on the drivers side beneath the steering wheel. A zip file of the videos is attached. Hopefully these help to explain what I mean.

Again to me it sounds like something rubbing or causing friction between brake pad and disc, but as pads have just been changed this is unlikely to be the case?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Mark

The basic sound is like a damaged wheel bearing and then you have the oscillation of the basic sound

 

[Gozoguy]

The basic sound is like a damaged wheel bearing and then you have the oscillation of the basic sound

Thank you very much for the feedback, is there a way that I can know for sure that it is the wheel bearing? Any other fairly straightforward check that I can do to confirm this (other than taking a mechanic)?

Best regards,

Mark

 

[judderbar]

Thank you very much for the feedback, is there a way that I can know for sure that it is the wheel bearing? Any other fairly straightforward check that I can do to confirm this (other than taking a mechanic)?

Best regards,

Mark

The usual way is to jack up the car and spin the wheels and check for movement by gripping the tyre as strongly as you can while moving it from the top and bottom and from left to right.


A mechanic could drive the raised wheels with the engine and locate that noise fairly confidantly I think.

 

[varesecrazy]

Thank you very much for the feedback, is there a way that I can know for sure that it is the wheel bearing? Any other fairly straightforward check that I can do to confirm this (other than taking a mechanic)?

Best regards,

Mark

Swap the wheel..

If it still does it..
See if changes of direction.. left or right turns.. make a difference

Lightly apply the brakes.. any change?



These are diagnostic moves in a process..

One step at a time

 

[Gozoguy]

The usual way is to jack up the car and spin the wheels and check for movement by gripping the tyre as strongly as you can while moving it from the top and bottom and from left to right.

Okay so I did this, and I could feel play from left to right (when my hands were at 9 and 3 o'clock on the wheel) but nothing when I tried moving from top to bottom (hands at 12 and 6). When just spinning the wheel, it does sound rough (scraping/knocking noise from within). So I guess that even though no movement from top to bottom it is very probably the wheel bearing?

 

[judderbar]

Okay so I did this, and I could feel play from left to right (when my hands were at 9 and 3 o'clock on the wheel) but nothing when I tried moving from top to bottom (hands at 12 and 6). When just spinning the wheel, it does sound rough (scraping/knocking noise from within). So I guess that even though no movement from top to bottom it is very probably the wheel bearing?

If it is the bearing the mechanic should have found a bearing that bad in an instant.

 

[Gozoguy]

f it is the bearing the mechanic should have found a bearing that bad in an instant.

If it is the bearing the mechanic should have found a bearing that bad in an instant.

I haven't yet taken it to the mechanic, will do so today and hopefully get this resolved.

Thanks all for the advice