HELP needed - What's this noise?

[cupra_ahhh]

Hi guys and gals. I was driving my car on Saturday, parked it up, then went to drive it again a few hours later and this very worrying rattling / banging started to happen. It sounds awful, almost unsafe.

It's coming from the read of the car, sounds like it's coming from the boot, but it's on the outside of the motor. It's more obvious when I go over bumps.

I've had it up on ramps and have and checked the underneath, given the exhaust a shake and a prod and it's not that. It's not the jack in the boot either. I can't see anything loose and I can't replicate the sound unless the car is moving.

https://soundcloud.com/ccannon1210/whats-this-noise

It's a mk2 FL Cupra.

 

[rllmuk]

I can't listen to the sound but have you checked the brake disc dust shields? They rust, come lose, rattle and sound horrendous.

Edit: Not sure I mean dust shield lol. stone shield.

 

[cupra_ahhh]

I can't listen to the sound but have you checked the brake disc dust shields? They rust, come lose, rattle and sound horrendous.

Edit: Not sure I mean dust shield lol. stone shield.

I checked the one on the passenger side and it seemed fine. I didn't check the drivers side. I'll check that one tonight, but so far, everything that I've managed to put my hand on seems fine.

 

[GS16LRHP]

It sounds like it could be broken coil springs, or exhaust.
Does it sound like a loose jack moving around, especially if you go over any bumps?

You might get lucky without jacking the car up and be able to feel if the coil springs have broken in the rear. The coils are seated in the coil spring arm/lower control arm and you might feel something loose in the bottom of the housing/"cup" where the bottom of the coil is mounted to the arm. If not, you could jack the car up and take off the wheel on the side where you think the noise is coming from and have a look at the rear coil springs especially the bottom.

 

[cupra_ahhh]

It sounds like it could be broken coil springs, or exhaust.
Does it sound like a loose jack moving around, especially if you go over any bumps?

You might get lucky without jacking the car up and be able to feel if the coil springs have broken in the rear. The coils are seated in the coil spring arm/lower control arm and you might feel something loose in the bottom of the housing/"cup" where the bottom of the coil is mounted to the arm. If not, you could jack the car up and take off the wheel on the side where you think the noise is coming from and have a look at the rear coil springs especially the bottom.

I'm 99% certain it's not the exhaust, and yes, it does only really happen when going over bumps and drain covers etc. I'll have a look tonight and see if I can feel for anything broken. It does sound like there's something rattling around,either an incredibly loose nut or bolt. As you say, could be a bit of metal that's broken off the spring. Thanks for the feedback, I'll update later.

 

[andycupra]

jack in the boot?
definately outside the car?

is that sound recorded when car is on the move? i presume so?

exhaust, any heat shielding, anything in the boot around the spare tyre,

 

[cupra_ahhh]

jack in the boot?
definately outside the car?

is that sound recorded when car is on the move? i presume so?

exhaust, any heat shielding, anything in the boot around the spare tyre,

Yup, definitely from outside the car, I took the jack set out from the spare wheel last night and put it on the back sear, definitely not that. The only thing in the boot was the space saver wheel.

Sound was recorded while driving, not more than 30mph on normal roads. I checked the heat shielding and that seems all ok, gave it a bit of a tug and it didn't really move much. Couldn't see any missing nuts.

I've juts gone out now to check the springs and couldn't feel anything untoward. I took a picture of each test spring but I'll need to upload them.

 

[cupra_ahhh]

Rear right wheel



Rear left wheel



I wouldn't know if anything looks wrong.

 

[MrFwibble]

Can't access the sound clip but I had a rattle from the rear, took it to my mechanic and they found a stone rattling around on one of the rear springs. Maybe check where the rear springs sit and have a feel around for anything?

 

[ZiggyEP3]

It almost sounds like a tool is loose rattling around under one of the seats, like it had been in the foot well and slid under and under the carpet etc.

You need a bumpy private road you can go on and have someone else in the car to crawl around having a listen to where its coming from and if possible have another car with its windows down beside you to listen from the outside.

Just ideas as i know rattles like this can be annoying. I had a scraping noise on my old MK1 Astra GTE which sounded like it was from the back but on closer inspection it was the metal bracket that holds the front washer bottle on had rusted through and the thing was scraping on the road.

 

[cupra_ahhh]

It does doesn't it! That recording was taken by my missus, she was in the back moving it around. She took a recording from hanging outside the rear window, and along with a lot of wind noise, can still hear it. I could post that up too if that would help.

What I don't understand is that I'd been driving it for about 15 miles without a hitch, then once I'd left it for a few hours and got back in, it started happening. Damn cars. It was left outside of a very out of site garage, so I'm 100% certain no one had touched it while it was parked up.

 

[ZiggyEP3]

Have you taken the spare wheel out to check nothing has fallen through the holes in the spare wheel ?

 

[cupra_ahhh]

Have you taken the spare wheel out to check nothing has fallen through the holes in the spare wheel ?

Yup, completely emptied the boot except for the space saver shell. Definitely nothing in the boot, nothing behind the seats.

 

[GS16LRHP]

You might need to jack the car up and look into the arm that seats the coil spring as in the pic below. There is a hole in the middle of the arm, you might be able to stick a finger in there to feel if there is any loose metal in there. If the coil spring is broken you probably won't see it from the angle of the pics that you've posted as the coil spring usually breaks at the bottom:

 

[andycupra]

cant listen to sound clip again, keeps crashing.

are you sure its not the exhaust? going over the rear beam, or it could be something connected to the exhaust, such as an exhasut clamp thats come loose, - the exhaust would feel secure but the clamp would rattle on it.

 

[cupra_ahhh]

Hiya, Yup, nowt in the boot. As I said, I removed the jack and contents of the boot and placed it on the back seat to take this recording. I'm not going to be able to get the wheel off until Sunday, so I'll update then. Still a ball-ache but if I can get better access to the spring then that'll help big time.

 

[verbal_kint]

If you want someone else to help you look I work in Bromley and can pop along. In return you might help with my noise/vibration in the front.

I recently had a new back box put on and that hits the rear axle, so thinking my suspension might be soft. I also know I have a 11mm socket enjoying life in the wishbone after falling in there.

 

[cupra_ahhh]

If you want someone else to help you look I work in Bromley and can pop along. In return you might help with my noise/vibration in the front.

I recently had a new back box put on and that hits the rear axle, so thinking my suspension might be soft. I also know I have a 11mm socket enjoying life in the wishbone after falling in there.

Hi guys, thanks for all your help on this. Sorry I've just replied, been on a stag doo since Friday. Right then, I jacked it up earlier, wheel was a pain to get off but after removing it I saw this little ******* tucked away right next to the wheel in the suspension arm.

Turns out the spring has indeed broken at the bottom, so thanks a lot and well done those who suggested that, and where to look. I wouldn't have thought that.




Would you suggest replacing both springs or just the one? As this one looks proper rusty I was thinking both....what do you think? Any idea of cost?

 

[GS16LRHP]

Hah! Got that little bast4rd spring in the end I thought it might be the coil spring that was broken by the sound clip you uploaded.
I would replace both as it's usually a matter of time until the other one breaks due to corrosion and metal fatigue.
They're not too expensive to replace. My sister replaced two rear coil springs a few months ago at Kwik Fit for around £180.
The coil springs themselves aren't too expensive but labour is, roughly a 2 hour job for both.

Give Dave @ Sere a shout in the forum: http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=249 he's away on holiday now but will be back on the 15th July. You might need your VIN but more importantly the car model and year and the colour paint dots on the coil. You might have two blue and two pink dots on your coils

 

[Fmxvxx]

2 springs in and out in about 30 mins on the driveway just need to jack the vehicle up place the rear on axle stands place the jack underneath the bottom arm and take the weight of the spring remove the lower bolt on the shock absorber and slowly lower the jack pull the arm down and pull the spring out. to fit just pull down place the spring in line it up jack the bottom arm until the strut bolt lines up tighten it by hand the first thread or two to prevent cross threading then tighten it fully, lower the jack check the bolt is still tight and repeat on the other side.