Drumming noise from front at low speed?

[a993lad]

Hi guys,

Just joined this forum as I have my first unidentifiable problem with my Berlingo since I got it 6 years ago.

Hope someone can help. Car is an 02 Diesel multispace.

It's started making a sort of knocking/drumming noise when the car is rolling along at low speed. Becomes noticeable at about 25mph and more or less fades away at about 40+mph.

In this speed band the noise continues whether the car is in gear or not (have flicked it into neutral to check) so it's nothing to do with gearbox or engine revs.

Thought it might be wheel beearing or drive shaft.

But (not sure how relavent this is) it immediately disappears if I depress the brake lever a tiny amount - ie so I'm not actually braking.

This made me think it could be a warped brake disc? Although I did have new disks fitted just a couple of years (12k miles) ago.

Interested to hear any thoughts on likely cause.

Thanks

Marc

[brodfather11]

Hi guys,

Just joined this forum as I have my first unidentifiable problem with my Berlingo since I got it 6 years ago.

Hope someone can help. Car is an 02 Diesel multispace.

It's started making a sort of knocking/drumming noise when the car is rolling along at low speed. Becomes noticeable at about 25mph and more or less fades away at about 40+mph.

In this speed band the noise continues whether the car is in gear or not (have flicked it into neutral to check) so it's nothing to do with gearbox or engine revs.

Thought it might be wheel beearing or drive shaft.

But (not sure how relavent this is) it immediately disappears if I depress the brake lever a tiny amount - ie so I'm not actually braking.

This made me think it could be a warped brake disc? Although I did have new disks fitted just a couple of years (12k miles) ago.

Interested to hear any thoughts on likely cause.

Thanks

Marc

If a warped disc you would feel a kickback on the brake pedal when braking slightly

[Ol'Jeffers]

Could be CV joints, and as you said a warped disc, Loose caliper, sticking caliper (not returning fully). Could be a wheel bearing on the way out. Lots of 'could be' there. Best thing would be to get it checked if you are unable to do it yourself. Were the replacement discs cheapies? There's a lot of rubbish out there these days.
Let us know what the problem is....Welcome to our forums!!

[Husqyman]

I had the same (02 2.0 Hdi) thought it was wheel bearings though they shouldnt knock but more of a rumble.
turned out to be the crankshaft aux belt pulley, they are of a sandwich construction and the rubber damper breaks up leading to the knocking noise you having.

[Chris86]

if it goes away when the brakes are applied but applying no 'effort' as such I would hazard a guess at brake pads rattling in the carriers?- Has it had a set of pads since you have bought it?

Chris

[a993lad]

This problem has been solved so I thought I'd update the thread to help and warn others.

It turned out to be the wheel nuts which had come loose because the bolts weren't torqued up correctly!

They were only fractionally loose so you couldn't feel any play between the wheel and the hub when you jacked the car up and rotated the wheel back and forth.

My local mechanic had a hunch it might be this when I described the symptoms, particlarly when I said the knocking noise stopped when I was feathering the brakes.

He then removed one of the wheel studs and detected some minor wear on the last bit of thread which he suspected might be from the wheel moving back and forth a tiny amount on the studs.

Easily proven by loosening all 4 studs and then re-tightening and torquing correctly.

A quick test drive and problem solved!

Lesson learnt for me. Just because bolts look tight and feel tight doesn't mean they are.

[evdama]

Hence those silly looking green plastic triangles on lorry wheel nuts.
Did you renew the damaged bolts?