Top suspension mount?

[guest6326]

Just had an MOT done and passed (woohoo)

Had 2 advisories though for both, top suspension mounts? having a bit too much play on them?

Been quoted around £140 (originally just to do the one side, which we though would have needed doing before MOT)

Just wondering if it is actually that difficult to do?
Will I have to remove the entire suspension to replace it, or can I just do it all without the need of removing all ?
TIA

[Jocko]

Looking at the Haynes manual it would appear to be doable by jacking up the car, supporting the suspension, undo the top mount then lower the suspension. You may need a spring compressor to allow you to remove the bottom of the top mount. I am sure someone here will have done it and be able to give you a definitive answer.

http://www.hondafitjazz.com/manual/A00/HTML/00/SAA2E00B20200019101KBAT00.HTML
 
You can see the exploded view here.

[degzi]

Mine have been advisory for the last 4 year.

I think mot testers find it hard to judge if they are worn or not. When there's no pressure on them from being on a lift they do wiggle around a bit.

[guest6326]

Mine have been advisory for the last 4 year.

I think mot testers find it hard to judge if they are worn or not. When there's no pressure on them from being on a lift they do wiggle around a bit.

Worth leaving and seeing how it goes On?

[degzi]

I would.

If they are knackered you will hear them clunking and knocking on speed bumps.

They tend to wear out on heavy engined cars more.
 

[sparky Paul]

Looks like the same sort of floating top mount arrangement as our other car, a Ford Galaxy, which is essentially a modified VW Golf suspension.

This type of mount rarely suffers wear, the only problem you are likely to encounter is a seized bearing. The top mount is designed to 'float' when the wheels are off the ground, resulting in significant movement, both vertical and lateral, and this is quite normal. The top mounts should be tested with full weight of the car on the suspension, when the large rubber bush is compressed in its correct position.

Despite direction being issued to testers by VOSA regarding free play in this type of suspension arrangement, some MOT testers still mark this down as an advisory, or even a fail, when there is absolutely nothing wrong.

[degzi]

  Exactly as Paul said.
He explained better than me.

 I always take advisories with a big pinch of salt.  My previous car had a mcpherson strut advisory for 2 year then magically went away without any advisories.

In general if your car isn't making any creaking or knocking your suspension is ok.

[guest1372]

Reiterating Paul's comment, there is also a guidance note issued by New Zealand testing agency to cover this (attached below, page 4).  I believe there may have been an incidence mentioned in this forum where a car was failed, had two new replacements elsewhere then was failed again due to tester's misunderstanding of the allowable movement in the top mount when unloaded.

"2002–08 Honda Jazz front suspension
Honda NZ have advised that the top suspension mount on 02–08 Honda Jazz models are sometimes not inspected correctly as the top strut mount system differs from other Honda models (Figure 1).
Because the system requires a pivot at the top of the strut assembly, the tapered bush is not held tightly in the strut tower.  This means that when the vehicle is raised, the top plate rests on top of the strut tower (Figure 2), and the front suspension becomes unloaded and quite loose.  This is normal.  However, when the vehicle is in the normal operating position on the ground, the conical bush is pushed up into the strut cavity, eliminating all free
play, with the top plate slightly above the strut tower top surface (Figure 3).  Honda NZ don’t normally expect wear in the bush unless there has been an accident.  Some older model Jazz have had play reduced (but not eliminated) by having a different bush fitted to align with other Jazz models and to have one bush part number, although that does not mean that the original bush was worn out."
--
TG

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