Hey all,

We have a fiat 500 1.4, semi-auto gearbox, pop plus.
Couple of days ago i have replaced brkae pads (diy) front and rear.
Just after the replacement i notice some kind of ticking noise coming from front left wheel. Its not from the engine. The noise sound like a drive shaft with no grease but it is not as rapid as a broken drive shaft and there are no leaks what so ever. And for now it seems that the knocks are stedy even when speed increases.
I can recreate this noise only when the car is moving, no gas/brakes applied and steering pointing straight or slightly right. It is not related to the gear selected and sounds even when at neutral.

The only thing i can think about is maybe when i replaced the front pads a applied force on on the left wheel when the other is on the ground. I unlocked the screws before i lift the car up but give some moderate force to screw the bolts out.
I asked a garage to look at it he said it related to brake pads. I dont think he is right.

Btw
When the car is parked on first gear, is it on first gear actually or there is any pin that lock the gearbox like ‘p’ on automatic planetary gearbox?

Thank you guys have a great fun with you fiat today. Such a nice car.

Does the noise change or disparear when you apply the brake's?

Stone in tyre?

When brake applied the noise seems to disappear.
Its sound a mechnical noise.

What do you mean by: "The only thing i can think about is maybe when i replaced the front pads a applied force on the left wheel when the other is on the ground. I unlocked the screws before i lift the car up but give some moderate force to screw the bolts out".

Are you talking about the wheel bolts? If you unscrewed them with just one front wheel off the ground then that's not a problem. The force would be transmitted through the CV joints and they're capable of taking a lot more force than what you would have applied.

If the CV joint is worn and your pad change just made the problem show up, then you'll be able to confirm it by turning the steering wheel hard left and then reversing the car in a circle. The CV might "click" or judder.

Assuming the CV is okay... I would remove the wheel, slide the caliper off the disc and check that the pads are properly seated in the carrier. Put some copper grease on the ends of the pads where they fit into the carrier.. but not so much that it can get on the disc.

The pads should be a snug fit in the carrier.. but not too loose, or too tight. Cheaper pads often jam in the carrier, so if you can't move the pads out of the carrier without using a screwdriver or lever, then they're too tight. They should just fall out themselves if you push them.

Take them out, clean and copper-grease the carrier slots and then use a file on the pad locating tabs to reduce the size until it fits properly. Better known pads (e.g. Brembo) fit better and I've never had to modify those.

If the disc has a big lip on it, then that might be contributing to the noise. You could remove the discs and get them ground smooth but 500 discs are cheaper than paying for someone to do the work.. so if the discs look worn, just buy new ones.

Otherwise check the steel disc protector (make sure it's not touching the disc) - it's thin enough so you can bend it away from the disc with your fingers.

When the wheel is off and caliper is off the carrier, try rotating the disc by hand and see if you can hear the noise then. If you can, then the noise is definitely not the brakes.


Ralf S.

Take the wheel off and turn the hub to see if you can hear anything like above mentioned it'll be something simple catching.

As for your second question - the Dualogic does not have a ‘park’ detent (the Alfa Romeo TCT does, but that also has an auto-style selector with P position). When you leave a Dualogic parked in gear, it’s exactly like a manual transmission parked in gear. As the gear is always going to be 1st or reverse, the car won’t roll away.

With regard to the first question, I think Ralf S. covered everything. Aftermarket pads loose in caliper is what I suspect.

-Alex