General Noise

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General Noise

tobyd10

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Hi.
I've been running the panda for a couple of months now and apart from a dodgy thermostat that I need to change when I get a free, dry weekend day it's been good.

As it's my first panda I wonder are they all noisy? By this I mean that there is lots of road noise from the front end. I don't think it's bearing or brake noise as had the wheels up and off.

It could be tyre noise but wonder what else it might be. The noise does vary depending on road surface but could it be coming through something worn out such as strut tops or some bush or other. The car has done 85000 miles and is 14 years old.

I will double check the bearings etc when I do the thermostat to rule that out again.

Cheers
Toby
 
I think the panda is noisy. Colleague just picked up an 04 plate Micra for his lad and we have been driving it at work, it seems very very quiet in comparison to my MJ.
 
Despite little insulation, the Panda is not overly noisy. Mine is certainly quieter than the current Fiesta, and similar to the Fabia.

Tyres make a big difference. At one point the new ones were rated only 1db quiter but made a significant difference.
 
To be fair the Micra is a petrol, although it does come in a 1.5 diesel.
 
Despite little insulation, the Panda is not overly noisy. Mine is certainly quieter than the current Fiesta, and similar to the Fabia.

Tyres make a big difference. At one point the new ones were rated only 1db quiter but made a significant difference.
I'll second that :)
At 153K, our MJ has had several brands of tyres fitted from new. Very quiet (especially for a diesel) for a small car - if the tyres are quiet!!! The original Conti's weren't bad, a couple of other makes used in between have been quieter. The cheap tyres on the front at the moment are absolutely horrendous - on newly surfaced roads they're deafening :eek:
 
My bet is tyres swap front to rear and listen for any difference.

It's also possible for rear wheel bearing noise to not be obviously be coming from the back end. Complete hubs are about £30. Be sure to get the ABS version.

Front wheel bearings need special tools.
 
Cheers for the feedback.
I think it may be crappy tyres and unfortunately the rears are the same brand so swapping won't identify the issue.

When I get a dry day to do the thermostat I plan to jack the rear up to do a bit of fettling on the rear spring holders so will check those bearings too.

What tyres are those that feel their tyres are quiet running?

Regards
Toby
 
Bearing noise would most likely be a grinding or rumbing noise, suspension tends to be knocking or squeaking. Tyres will be a whooshing roar type noise increasing with speed.
I have a 1.1 and while the engine can be loud under load I wouldn't say that its that noisy cruising along and I've not noticed a tyre noise really.
If you go on to a tyre sales site it will have a db noise rating for each tyre , compare a few, just bear in mind that db is a logarithmic scale not a linear one so every 3 decidel rise is a doubling of the sound, a variation of 1 or 2 decibels between tyres could make quite a difference but it could also be that they are getting noisier as they wear, I have continentals on mine currently which are quiet but even with Vredestien Quadracs it wasn't noisy.
Just a long shot, could it be a binding brake pad? I assume you would notice this from the braking performance but you could see if one of your wheels is a lot hotter than the others after a drive.
 
Just for those who are interested, here's a stripped out Panda 1.1 showing the standard bulkhead insulation. Not too bad for a cheapy car :)
IMG_20191018_121409.jpg

IMG_20191018_121426.jpg
 
Brakes with friction material only ever make a squeak or squeal. Usually they make no noise at all. Metal to metal (worn out pads) is obvious as it happens only when the pedal is pressed.

Stones trapped in caliper or splash guard scrape like the worst chalk on board noise.

Wheel bearings rumble and can sound like tyre noise. The clue is no change when the tyres are swapped about.

Engine and gearbox input (first motion) noises rise and fall with engine speed.

Everything else will be a clunking or knocking.
 
Well I got the thermostat changed and also wire brushed the rear spring cups.
After some crust rust converter it had a few coats of stone chip.

Took the opportunity to check the wheels and they spin freely with a slight catch in the rear driver side but very little.
Wiggled all the wheels and no bearing movement either.
Guess it may be tire noise and as the tyres are passed their first flush of youth I will have a look around.
Regards
 
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