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Intermittent Knock from front end

jamesoc91

jamesoc91

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Location
Ireland
Car
2.2 i-dtec EX
Hi All,

I am trying to diagnose a problem with my 2.2 idtec.

I listening to a knock coming from the front end.
It happens when I come to a full stop and then again when I start moving again, however it only happens when the car has got hot, I noticed it with our recent spell of good weather. This same knock came last year when I was abroad with the car, but it went away when I got home so i didn't investigate it any further.
I had one mechanic look at it a few weeks ago and he claimed it was an engine mount that he claimed to tighten... i ***ume just to get rid of me and keep me quiet. He also told me that there was a small noise from the differential.
I then replaced the anti roll bar drop links and bushes as the bushes looked worn. This seemed to make the knock a bit quieter but now is back to what it was at again.
Today I phoned a mechanic and I described the symptoms on the phone and I was told it is more than likely the DMF.... :(
However I don't think it is. I still get the clunk when the car has been knocked out of gear and roll up to the stop. The clutch is not giving any issues, that are noticeable to me anyhow.

The knock doesn't happen when going over speed bumps and when the car has been on a long run it knocks at low speeds and sounds like a ball joint to me, but surely the mechanic should have picked up on a ball joint when he was checking it out for me..

Has anybody else had this issue and would be able to shed some light for me? Or else am I forgetting something

Thanks,
James
 
What mileage is on the car, could be engine mount, could be wishbone bushes, and as Mel's thread seems to suggest the possibility of steering rack issue, you need to get a trusted mechanic to get it on a lift and spend bit of looking things over.
 
Ok so development from this.
I dropped the car into the garage and they found a worn inner tie rod. This got replaced but didnt solve the issue. Then 2 weeks later I started having some clutch slip . So now the DMF and clutch have been replaced . But the knock is still there. Garage still cant find it. I can get it to knock when the car is hot and switched off when I rock the steering wheel.
So now I'm down to thinking it's either the rack or CV joint. Not feeling and wander in the steering but when I turn the steering slowly with the car running I can feel the steering almost moving in steps.
Any ideas before this turns into a bottomless pit of money
 
If it's the CV joints, I'd have thought you'd be experiencing wobble in the steering wheel.
 
Have a look at your calipers and make sure they're not binding, the knock you get when you stop and move on again could be caliper related. Same with the notchy steering you're probably feeling the caliper binding a bit more,
 
You need to get under the car on a set of ramps, and use a mechanics stethoscope to listen while someone turns the wheel back and forth, you should be able to pinpoint the source of the noise after a while.
Even holding onto the tie rods at the joint will give you an indication of the problem if its that part, it could also be the balljoints as already mentioned.
 
Did you have any resolution to this problem?
I have a similar knock now as well, 2013 Type S.
Using the brakes I can hear a slight knock while slowing down and accelerating, also taking off from a stop.
I'm thinking either brake pads moving in the carrier while dragging slightly or the driveshaft splines.
I'm going to try pulling the driveshafts and using moly paste on the splines and see where I go from there.
 
Mine does it too, when pulling away from a standstill, but not very often.
I read somewhere it's the rack, as also suggested above.
 
Sorted it, wheel nuts were coming loose probably due to the security bolt coming loose and removing itself.
I reminded myself why I hate them with a passion.
I had a spare set of Honda security nuts so have fitted them until I am able to get a set of proper nuts that can be tightened correctly unlike the security style ones.
All good now no noises any longer!
 
^glad you caught it early

adding to this, though not the same root cause, like you've stated; intermittent knocking can also be caused by something as simple as missing shims and retaining brackets for your brake pads or even a worn carrier (as I've found out the "hard way")
 
Knocks can be an absolute nightmare to find, very difficult.
I'm glad that it was only the studs in my case as I have had cars before that I had a great deal of time spent trying to find noises.
I remember an Avensis that I had to pull the steering column out of and grease the splined connection to the steering rack to stop a knock, the things you do for a quiet car.
 
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