Hello, For ages and ages now, I've been having this annoying metallic knock/clunk that seems to be coming from the front of my car (MK2 GTi). Its recently had an MOT and it passed even though it had this noise. I just don't know what the hell it is. http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=w71uoi&s=3 I tried to record the noise on my phone tonight, its not as prominent as it is when driving it, but you can still hear it. I recorded it whilst in second gear, driving in a straight line, on an even road. It makes the noise at all times, in all gears. Just a total pain in the ****. Really hope that someone can help me identify the noise, I had an outer drivers side CV replaced about 8 months ago, and I had a new CV boot on the passenger side for the MOT. Any help would be very much appreciated, I'm sick of people turning round and looking at me when I'm driving. Thanks.
does it only make the noise when moving, and if so does it change with speed? I had a similar noise, turned out to be the rear dust cover from the gearbox hellhouisng had come loose and was sitting on the driver side driveshaft.
Yeah, it only makes the noise whilst moving. Gets quicker with speed etc, but the noise isn't always in a steady pattern. Sometimes makes a noise over speedbumps, but just a single knock. What is the best way to check the housing? Was it an easy fix? Thanks for replying.
Easy to access it from under the bonnet, its just at the rear of the block, above where the driveshaft is bolted to the gearbox. Get your hand in there and see if you can feel it, just a thin bit of sheet metal held on with 1 bolt.
I don't think its the dust cover. I got under the car and the driveshaft is loose, it moves back and forward when I shake it. I take it that its not supposed to do that right?
it should have a bit of movement, as the shaft changes length slightly as the hub moves about. is it play at either end of the shaft or just a bit on the shaft itself? Saying that they arn't usually 'loose'
I've just got the car up on a kerb and had a look underneath. The socket headed bolts on the inner CV joint are loose, which is making the inner CV move. I'm guessing that this might be the cause of the problem, the CV joint shouldnt really be loose should it? And i take it that the bolts need to be torqued up? Its making me wonder if the driveshaft is warped as well.
Do I need a special tool for the CV bolts? They look different, they have a sort of star pattern on the inside of the bolt.
Right, well, I bought some splined bits off eBay in the end, needed a M8 bit for the bolts. Anyway, tightened them up, and its still making the noise [:^(] The CV joint doesn't rock around any more, but the driveshaft does seem to be loose. It moves back and forth when I shake it at the inner CV end. The movement seems different to the slight play in the passenger side. How does the driveshaft bolt up to the CV joint? I'm wondering if there is something else which has come loose and is causing the noise? I'm pretty sure that the noise is due to the play in the driveshaft now.
Just a thought, I had a similar noise to that many years ago and it tuned out to be the metal plate behind the brake disk, it was rubbing on something. Bent it back a bit and no more problems.
Inner CV joint might have shafted, especially if there's excess play in it. I had it on my Corrado once, annoyed the hell out of me!
Sounds like that CV joint. This is what i'd do, but I'm far from an expert. Jack up the car so the relevant front wheel is off the ground, with the car in neutral spin the wheel by hand and listen carefully. You should be able to tell if it is the problem.
What exactly does that mean? Can anyone reccommend what I should do next? Apart from going to a garage of course. My local VW specialist relieved me of nearly 500 recently for services rendered, and I can't spend any more cash on labour fees.
Sounds like you may have lost a circlip at one end of the drive shaft - I think your on the right track though. Best thing would be to remove the drive shaft and strip down both ends - messy job with all that old cv grease but at least you should be able to find out whats wrong. Not too bad a job, if you can look at a Haynes manual it will show you exploded diagrams of each end.
If the CV joint was loose won't the grease of escaped, therefore knackering it? As a general suggestion, could it be the diff pin? I thought there was something about it wearing some rivets away and then popping through the gearbox case?
^ I was worried about that originally. Do you mean that SMS thing (self machining syndrome)? If it was that, surely my gearbox would have gone ages ago wouldn't it?
