Technical Steering wheel clunk noise

[akyttala]

My 500L started to keep weird clunking noise when turning steering wheel back and forth.
There is no play anywhere and car goes straight in highway.

I read about steering shaft problems in small 500, and greased steering shaft joints and slide part with white lithium spray but at least now it didn't help. I hope it helps after few days when grease goes all the way in joints.

It sounds that clunk is coming inside car, can't hear anything outside.

Can powersteering break and start making noise suddenly?

Or is ot possible that steering rack is broken? Can a track rod end be broken without any play? Maybe noise somehow passes inside car along steering shaft and it only sounds like it is coming from shaft/powersteering/etc?

I really hope it is some cheap broken part, like track rod, but I'm little desperate if it is something expensive as I can't hear it outside, where all the cheap parts are.

 

[Mike1alike]

Take the cover off and identify on the rack exactly where the noise is coming from. There is a connecting piece between EPS motor and the rack. When I had problems with the EPS I found that part had grease inside, it comes over those little shafts. I didn't understand then why is there grease, as that part stays locked on the shafts and revolves with them, but because that is how I found it, I put it back the same, with plenty of grease. Never had noisy problems but I did heard of it and it was identified as coming from there. So take a look. Here are pictures with that

 

[yelruc]

My 500L started to keep weird clunking noise when turning steering wheel back and forth.
There is no play anywhere and car goes straight in highway.

I read about steering shaft problems in small 500, and greased steering shaft joints and slide part with white lithium spray but at least now it didn't help. I hope it helps after few days when grease goes all the way in joints.

It sounds that clunk is coming inside car, can't hear anything outside.

Can powersteering break and start making noise suddenly?

Or is ot possible that steering rack is broken? Can a track rod end be broken without any play? Maybe noise somehow passes inside car along steering shaft and it only sounds like it is coming from shaft/powersteering/etc?

I really hope it is some cheap broken part, like track rod, but I'm little desperate if it is something expensive as I can't hear it outside, where all the cheap parts are.

If the sound is something like a spring twanging it is likely to be a front suspension strut top mounting faulty. It didn't happen all the time came and went periodically, there was no play and it passed the MOT! Just changed one on the mem sahibs car, sorted.

 

[akyttala]

Take the cover off and identify on the rack exactly where the noise is coming from. There is a connecting piece between EPS motor and the rack. When I had problems with the EPS I found that part had grease inside, it comes over those little shafts. I didn't understand then why is there grease, as that part stays locked on the shafts and revolves with them, but because that is how I found it, I put it back the same, with plenty of grease. Never had noisy problems but I did heard of it and it was identified as coming from there. So take a look. Here are pictures with that

Thank you. Your power steering pictures looks like one in Punto, 500L have different kind. Do you think it is safe to open it? It would really be a disaster if some springs etc. jump out when opening and there is no way to know how to assembly it again.

 

[Mike1alike]

There are no springs to jump, nor something else. It's easy to put it back, all you need is proper tools to unscrew the screws considering the spaces are tight there. Yes, my pictures are from Punto. But I think although it looks different, technically it's the same thing cause it does the same thing. So between the electrical motor's shaft and column's shaft is a piece that connects them, the one I've mentioned. I think the 500L has it too, but you can check videos about it to make sure. Anyway, before taking it down locate the source of the noice. If it's coming fron there, you take it down and fix it.

 

[akyttala]

If the sound is something like a spring twanging it is likely to be a front suspension strut top mounting faulty. It didn't happen all the time came and went periodically, there was no play and it passed the MOT! Just changed one on the mem sahibs car, sorted.

There is two types of noise in car. Noise that comes from steering wheel when rapidly steering from left to right and right to left when stationary. Maybe steering wheel axle joints etc. It is not audible when car moves.
And then noise which clearly comes somewhere in wheel support. Actually noise from left wheel sound little like spring twanging. Right side sound more like two metal surface hit eachother quietly or something. It also seems that noises more often comes after car is not driven for few days and when driving every day noise disappers.
I will buy new strut supports and book time for change at garage. Maybe they are stuck etc. Old man who owned car before me only drove like 3000km in year so car have seen lot of standing and there is an pld saying something like "car is only happy when driving".

 

[akyttala]

There are no springs to jump, nor something else. It's easy to put it back, all you need is proper tools to unscrew the screws considering the spaces are tight there. Yes, my pictures are from Punto. But I think although it looks different, technically it's the same thing cause it does the same thing. So between the electrical motor's shaft and column's shaft is a piece that connects them, the one I've mentioned. I think the 500L has it too, but you can check videos about it to make sure. Anyway, before taking it down locate the source of the noice. If it's coming fron there, you take it down and fix it.

Thank you. I'll try to locate noise. I'm quite sure it comes from inside car and there is no noticeable play on steering axle in my opinion, but propably second opinion would be good to have.
I haven't yet found good pictures or video of 500L powersteering teardown. I assume Fiat haven't use different power steering in every model so maybe some other more common car (Tipo, Giulietta, MiTo for example) have same steering rack. I will search for more info.

 

[Mike1alike]

Look, this is the piece, detailed photos
.


Dd you managed to locate the noise? Fixed it?!

 

[ILoveFiat]

Hi,
I had exactly that strange clunking noise when turning the steering wheel. (20 18 500L)Sounded very disturbing but didn't believe it was the powersteering or some other mechanical issue. It seemed to come from the inside. After some experimenting with steering (car lifted) I found the issue. It's the spring (for me left as I am left steering) that kind of moves in it's saddle when turning the steering wheel. You can test it by grabbing the spring and try to move/wiggle it. I could reproduce the exact clunking noise. I suspect the rubber housing on the spring get's damaged, drying out the spring saddle and as the tension of the spring gets less throughout the years it can wiggle. I gave it a good portion of grease so there is less friction and behold, clunking noise was gone. So, it;s worth trying for you, maybe it's the same issue that can easily be fixed. In the long end, probably the spring has to be replaced so there is enough tension and the spring cannot move anymore.

 

[Kenny Punto]

Hi,
I had exactly that strange clunking noise when turning the steering wheel. (20 18 500L)Sounded very disturbing but didn't believe it was the powersteering or some other mechanical issue. It seemed to come from the inside. After some experimenting with steering (car lifted) I found the issue. It's the spring (for me left as I am left steering) that kind of moves in it's saddle when turning the steering wheel. You can test it by grabbing the spring and try to move/wiggle it. I could reproduce the exact clunking noise. I suspect the rubber housing on the spring get's damaged, drying out the spring saddle and as the tension of the spring gets less throughout the years it can wiggle. I gave it a good portion of grease so there is less friction and behold, clunking noise was gone. So, it;s worth trying for you, maybe it's the same issue that can easily be fixed. In the long end, probably the spring has to be replaced so there is enough tension and the spring cannot move anymore.

Hi, I have a 2014 Punto and think I have the same clunky noise. Is the spring you talking about located inside the cabin under the steering wheel?
Any help will be appreciated

 

[ILoveFiat]

Hi, it's the front suspension spring. Google it and You know what I mean. Worth a try, not to be said you have the same problem but ever since I greased it the clunking is gone.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Suspension strut top mount bearings get worn and the bearingd get jerky. Parts are c. 45 euros a side and 3 hours to do both sides. Bumping, pinging from thiscan be replicated by tapping the spring. Raise both front wheels and turn steering from lock to lock. You can mostly feel bad bearings if you pur a hand on the springwhile annassistant turns the steering. Should not be immediately dangerous but needs repaIr without too much delay.

 

[akyttala]

Hi,
I had exactly that strange clunking noise when turning the steering wheel. (20 18 500L)Sounded very disturbing but didn't believe it was the powersteering or some other mechanical issue. It seemed to come from the inside. After some experimenting with steering (car lifted) I found the issue. It's the spring (for me left as I am left steering) that kind of moves in it's saddle when turning the steering wheel. You can test it by grabbing the spring and try to move/wiggle it. I could reproduce the exact clunking noise. I suspect the rubber housing on the spring get's damaged, drying out the spring saddle and as the tension of the spring gets less throughout the years it can wiggle. I gave it a good portion of grease so there is less friction and behold, clunking noise was gone. So, it;s worth trying for you, maybe it's the same issue that can easily be fixed. In the long end, probably the spring has to be replaced so there is enough tension and the spring cannot move anymore.

Hi, I have a 2014 Punto and think I have the same clunky noise. Is the spring you talking about located inside the cabin under the steering wheel?
Any help will be appreciated

Never put grease on spring plate.
If spring moves it means strut bearing is stuck. Next step is spring braking.

i got my 500L finally fixed. Strut bearings were changed in last june withtout any difference.
Then it started new much worse clunking and I took it to garage to change shocks.
Left front shock was faulty. There were 2cm empty in upper position before shock absorber started to absorbing shocks.
I don't know why di*kheads in first garage didn't notice it when changing bearings.

Second garage also noticed broken spring, probably broken because shock didn't work.

They changed springs, shocks and strut bearing and now 500L is ok again.

This whole thing took so much time and money that I really hate that shitbucket and haven't really driven it since I took my summer-Punto when 500L was in garage.
Punto, even after over 370000km, is so much better and comfortable car that I'm just going to sell 500L and keep driving Punto.