Broken CV Joint or Gearbox on its way out? FIXED

[leoncupra2012]

Car is a 2003 AUQ Seat Leon Cupra, Stage 2 240bhp mapped by Jabbasport.

Last Sunday I had a bit of a spirited drive down the dual carriageway and across a few roundabouts with some young lad in another car.

As I entered the last roundabout I heard a knocking/rattling from the front passenger side. I thought it was odd but then thought it was some sockets i had rattling in the compartment under the stereo.

I moved those and didn't hear the noise again, until i got almost home I went to go up a hill and it was in 4th instead of 2nd and it started making this knocking/rattling sound again.

Got home and forgot about it. Went out the next day and silent, no noises. Same again the next day. Wednesday i did briefly hear it as i reversed out my parking space at home and pulled off, but nothing.

Yesterday Thursday the noise became more apparent and got louder but was more apparent when turning left and right, once in a straight line it was pretty much silent unless i put the power down.

Friday today, driving to work and the closer i got to work the noise became more constant than the usual on/off it was before. Its now making this knocking noise when accelerating, in a straight line, left or right, its more so when the car is under load , pulling away, up hills etc.

The odd bit is, if im travelling along and i put the clutch down, the noise stops? the moment i lift the clutch it starts knocking again, the knocking gets faster the faster you go and slows as you slow down. if i put it in neutral whilst rolling along, same again, noise stops, put it back into gear and lift the clutch, the noise starts again?

Is this CV joint/driveshaft or the box dying? I need the car daily for work and that and if its a ticking bomb im going to have buy a cheap shed off ebay to get me to work for now.

 

[joshy514]

My tdi is doing the same sort of thing, but mine could be anything as its had new gearbox

 

[leoncupra2012]

Ive got no breakdown cover either, and its so low it wouldnt get on a recovery truck without mashing up something, aswell as i need it, just cant figure out what the hell is wrong with it

 

[cuprastoffs]

I have the same dull thud/knock and its my inner cv on the n/s shaft.
Fix it when it breaks.

 

[leoncupra2012]

lol, does it make like a knock knock knock noise intermittently ? mines the nearside too, £30 posted for a brand new shaft off ebay complete.

 

[ReDBull]

Is your car Yellow?

 

[cupraslayer]

Is your car Yellow?

Quality lol

 

[leoncupra2012]

Whats this whole is your car yellow thing about? I don't get it? Its silver/grey if it helps.

No ideas then?

 

[leoncupra2012]

Ive ordered a new shaft today.

Bolts look well seized up that i need to remove. Going to be fun

Another thing i noticed is that the car is pretty quiet when its cold, when it gets hotter after use the noise gets louder. Turning hard right now the noise is so bad you can feel a grinding/clunking through the floor of the car !

Terminal i think lets just hope it holds out for a few more days !

 

[George657]

If the noise goes away when the clutch is dipped, its either dual mas flywheel fault, or gearbox fault.

 

[leoncupra2012]

lol if it is then its getting broken up for spares.. havent got the time or patience or money to waste on old cars anymore ! Its just the fact the noise is worse when turning, more so to the right that makes me think CV joint, for £30 its worth a punt. I know if the box is ****ed and i try sell it im just gonna have arseholes on ebay all day long offering me a grand for it or something stupid.

 

[PSX]

Obviously without hearing the severity of the noise this is hard to diagnose, however I did change an outer CV joint.. when the actual problem was a support bar on the exhaust near the catalytic converter pressing against the body of the chassis and making a rumbly/buzzing/knocking sound when making right turns.

I diagnosed it by setting the noise off in a right-hand constant turn (empty car park).. dipped the clutch... and as I revved the car with clutch down, the noise appeared/disappeared.

Check your exhaust centre mount isnt snapped and have a look at the clearance of the left hand side of the mounting bars towards the downpipe end.

Hope this helps

Alex

 

[PSX]

Turning hard right now the noise is so bad you can feel a grinding/clunking through the floor of the car !

I had this too - a buzzing/grinding through the transmission tunnel


Alex

 

[leoncupra2012]

When the car is in neutral, or with the clutch down, doesnt matter if its turning, in a straight line it makes no noise what so ever, the moment the cars in gear, load is applied and clutch is up.. the noise starts.

Im gonna be really upset if the box is shafted

 

[leoncupra2012]

Something really odd is going on with this car.

I had not used the car all weekend until tonight i went out for an hour to meet a friend.

When initially took it out, it made a few of the usual clunks and then nothing. Picked up my friend and was driving about having a chat, just gentle driving, cruising not using the power and it started clunking, this turned into heavy knocking, the steering wheel was vibrating/pulsating and juddering left and right. It got so bad I had to pull over as I was struggling to keep the car in a straight line. If i let go of the steering wheel it would dive to the left violently.

Went and parked up for an hour, had a chat and what not and decided to head back.

Started it up, quite as a mouse, no jumpy/vibrating/pulsating steering wheel, no fighting to keep it on the road, completely cured itself.

I then dropped my friend off and headed home, i got about 5 minutes away from my friend and it started the same sequence events again, clunking, knocking and a handful to keep in a straight line.

Does this sound like CV joint related issue? To me the idea ive got of it is the bearings are shot in one of the joints, when the grease in the joint is cold (its -3 out there) it sort of supports the bearings better, but during driving the grease heats up and thins out? Giving more room for the bearings to jump about?

I only thought at one point the wheel was going to fall off it got that bad, but for it to cure itself after sitting for an hour or so. Totally bizarre.

 

[George657]

It's hard to diagnose over the Internet mate, but i suggest you don't use it until its looked at before you either harm yourself or another road user.

 

[PSX]

Loss of steering control/fighting the car would be more than an exhaust rattle then.

As said before, don't drive the car while it's in this state. Jack the car up at the front - check each corner - grip the wheel at the 12 and 6, then 2 and 7'oclock positions and rock it back and forth. If there is movement, it would suggest that the lower ball joints (wheel hub to wishbone) are shot - loss of steering control would suggest a failed ball joint.

If a ball joint fails then the result would be pretty terminal as the wheel would just buckle out from under the car. A failing CV joint will cause thumping during turns but to my knowledge, not a loss of steering.


Alex

 

[cuprastoffs]

Cv could be heat seizing causing it to snap the steering out your hands.
If your not confident taking it apart take it to a garage, as splitting the balljoint may be a pain(big hammer) and the spline for the driveshaft to gearbox flange is a 10 or 12mm not a common size in tool kit.

 

[leoncupra2012]

Shes fixed.

Outer CV joint was completely shafted. I think the boot was all that was holding it together and it was blue inside from the heat, no grease in there but the gaitor wasnt split? Odd.

I managed to snap one of the 3 bolts that hold the balljoint onto the arm but its alright ill get another bolt.

Then the undertray flew off on the test drive (hadnt even removed it !! )

Just the small matter of a dumpvalve that needs replacing, some vacuum hoses that are wrapped in insulation tape and a couple of temp sensors to go ! I love this car ! LOL

 

[Tessitura]

Since its fixed, im going to hijack this thread real quick, i get a knocking noise (single dull knock) when i turn, only at higher speeds tho, comes from under the floor i think.

At slow speed, theirs no sound when turning.
Dont feel anything through the wheel, just hear it.

From a little research, im thinking loose sub frame bolts?

Anyone have any thoughts?