Driveshaft - warranty fix? - SOLVED

[sparky Paul]

Jocko is talking about the exhaust, yes - get hold of the tailpipe and bounce it about - see if you can hear anything.

It's always worth doing the droplink, it's so easy to rule out the most common cause. Who did the droplink, did you have a chat with them about the problem?

Are there any clues as to the area the noise is coming from? Any particular corner, or does it sound like it's all around you - coming from the bodyshell?  Does steering position affect it, is it more likely to knock steering straight ahead, or on bends?

Did the noise come on gradually, or suddenly? Did it coincide with any work carried out, such as when (or soon after) you had the gearbox bearings replaced? It could be as simple as something loose, engine or gearbox mount, brake caliper carrier, subframe mountings, etc.. Lots of stuff has to be disturbed to remove the gearbox.

I've had so many different causes of knocks over the years, but metallic sounding ones are more likely to be a droplink, balljoint or top mount. Bushes usually have obvious tears or other visible damage to make that sort of noise. A loose top shock absorber nut sounds similar to a droplink. Failed engine/gearbox mounts can make some horrible noises. There are even lots of silly things on the bodywork that can rattle and knock on bumps. The most obscure one I had was a shock absorber, felt perfectly normal but knocked like a droplink when driving. After going through everything else, replacing the shock absorber cured it.

It's just a matter of working through the most likely candidates, then moving onto more obscure stuff. If someone looks it over, mention that the gearbox has been out... it's a very long shot, but if they forgot to torque something up, it could have worked loose. I've even seen a new droplink knocking after a day, because the nuts had been tightened up with the suspension off the floor - the top nut subsequently worked loose.

[metallicpearl]

Jocko is talking about the exhaust, yes - get hold of the tailpipe and bounce it about - see if you can hear anything.

It's always worth doing the droplink, it's so easy to rule out the most common cause. Who did the droplink, did you have a chat with them about the problem?

Are there any clues as to the area the noise is coming from? Any particular corner, or does it sound like it's all around you - coming from the bodyshell?  Does steering position affect it, is it more likely to knock steering straight ahead, or on bends?

Did the noise come on gradually, or suddenly? Did it coincide with any work carried out, such as when (or soon after) you had the gearbox bearings replaced? It could be as simple as something loose, engine or gearbox mount, brake caliper carrier, subframe mountings, etc.. Lots of stuff has to be disturbed to remove the gearbox.

I've had so many different causes of knocks over the years, but metallic sounding ones are more likely to be a droplink, balljoint or top mount. Bushes usually have obvious tears or other visible damage to make that sort of noise. A loose top shock absorber nut sounds similar to a droplink. Failed engine/gearbox mounts can make some horrible noises. There are even lots of silly things on the bodywork that can rattle and knock on bumps. The most obscure one I had was a shock absorber, felt perfectly normal but knocked like a droplink when driving. After going through everything else, replacing the shock absorber cured it.

It's just a matter of working through the most likely candidates, then moving onto more obscure stuff. If someone looks it over, mention that the gearbox has been out... it's a very long shot, but if they forgot to torque something up, it could have worked loose. I've even seen a new droplink knocking after a day, because the nuts had been tightened up with the suspension off the floor - the top nut subsequently worked loose.

I did the droplink myself - it was a pain to do because the nuts sieze but at least I can rule that out.

The noise tends to happen when I'm driving straight ahead, on uneven surfaces. It's sudden dips in the road which seem to be the biggest trigger and when it happens, I can feel it throughout tbe front of the car. At first, I thought that it must be the nearside but thinking about it, most divots in the road tend to be to the left because of road use etc.

Here is a video link - you'll see that as I approach some bad patches of road, I get the normal suspension noise, accompanied by the metallic sound, like somebody has a can of bolts rattling underneath.

I did have the brakes stripped and cleaned not long before this started but this all seems to be in order...

[coffeecup]

That seems more of a clicking sound rather than anything 'down below'

[sparky Paul]

Is that the noise at 0:01 0:03 and 0:07 with suspension noise?

...then more clearly clunks at 0:34 and 0:37 whilst turning round?

[metallicpearl]

Is that the noise at 0:01 0:03 and 0:07 with suspension noise?

...then more clearly clunks at 0:34 and 0:37 whilst turning round?

Yes, it is the noise at 0.01, 0.03 and 0.07. The clunks later on are because I'm dropping off a kerb and are (I think) normal.

[sparky Paul]

It's not that clear from the clip, I couldn't really hear it on the laptop speakers. I can hear it on headphones.

You have to appreciate that it's not easy to diagnose from here, but it doesn't sound like a droplink-type noise, they are altogether louder. Possibly the beginnings of a bottom balljoint, sometimes overlooked as they rarely seem to fail these days, though it could easily just be something loose. The fact that it happens more on the straight (when the control arm and antiroll bar are relaxed) would still sway me towards suspension, but this is all very speculative, you understand.

You could find a quiet road and run one wheel at a time over a road hump or pothole to try to narrow it down to one side or the other.

[metallicpearl]

Thankyou for that:)

I has anybody changed the Antiroll bar bushings on a GE? Is it a pain?

This seems like a logical step so I can eliminate the ARB.

Thanks:)

[sparky Paul]

I has anybody changed the Antiroll bar bushings on a GE? Is it a pain?

This seems like a logical step so I can eliminate the ARB.

http://hondafitjazz.com/manual3/en/html_en/ZOOM000000000000411.html#000

Access is a bit fiddly, but straighforward, and the bushes are split so it should be easy enough. Remove the clamps, lift up the bar and slide out the old bushes. Use a bit of Fairy if you replace with new ones, so they slide in easily and slip into the clamp recesses.

If you pry the ARB about, it should be fairly obvious if a bush is damaged or worn, but they should be easy enough to replace.

[metallicpearl]

I has anybody changed the Antiroll bar bushings on a GE? Is it a pain?

This seems like a logical step so I can eliminate the ARB.

http://hondafitjazz.com/manual3/en/html_en/ZOOM000000000000411.html#000

Access is a bit fiddly, but straighforward, and the bushes are split so it should be easy enough. Remove the clamps, lift up the bar and slide out the old bushes. Use a bit of Fairy if you replace with new ones, so they slide in easily and slip into the clamp recesses.

If you pry the ARB about, it should be fairly obvious if a bush is damaged or worn, but they should be easy enough to replace.

Thankyou very much

[metallicpearl]

Well, I've done absolutely nothing and it's temporarily stopped!

I wonder if it has something to do with the copious amounts of rain we have had as that's the only thing that's changed. We have loads of rain.

[sparky Paul]

Well, I've done absolutely nothing and it's temporarily stopped!

I wonder if it has something to do with the copious amounts of rain we have had as that's the only thing that's changed. We have loads of rain.

If you remember, near the start of this thread, I asked

Is it less noticeable in wet weather? Less/more noticeable on bends? How about low speed over road humps? Can you feel anything through the steering wheel or the floor? Is it a hard metallic rattly knock, or a softer thump noise?

Quiet once it's had a good bath - that's a balljoint symptom.

[metallicpearl]

SORTED!

Many thanks for everybody's helpful suggestions.

It was the brake pads rattling in the calipers. I'd had it back to the dealer before the rattle started because the brakes were squealing and the anti-rattle clips weren't holding the pads properly. This wasnt picked up when it went back in again for the brakes.

I found and sorted it myself as the dealer refused to do any more without payment upfront. Honda have stopped responding to my emails as well so it looks like I'm on my own for any future rattle issues.

Thanks again, all

[sparky Paul]

At least it's fixed!

Anything rattling that's a metal to metal contact can be quietened down with a deluge, always worth bearing in mind.