Rattling front end

[fastbanana]

Hi,

Only bought my beat 4 months ago(yes its the banana colour), and I love it, or rather my wife does.

Got it serviced with honda soon after buying it and it's apparently in pretty good nick.

Only recently, when going at really low speed (5 mph or so) you sometimes hear a noise from the front drivers wheel direction, as if from under your foot pedal (no vibration though) which sounds as if a twig has got stuck in the wheel, a real clink sound.

I have no idea what the noise is, and I am no mechanc, can anyone shed some light on this problem, please. I worried that it is a strut or something like that , but that is a complete guess???

Also, hard to start sometimes when hot, but Relay has just been changed ???

Many thanks in advance if you can help.

C & J

[LawrenceHarding]

If this noise appears as you turn the steering wheel it could be an upper strut bearing. Have a look at the top of the stut as someone else turns the wheel and see if it moves smoothly or in small jerks.

[fastbanana]

Laurence,

I will have a look at that, when I get to the car next.

As further explanation the noise happens when you are going straight. It sounds like a a clank, clank, clank, not really loud, as I said like a twig being caught round the wheel. The noise stopps all of a sudden, apparently without reason.

There is also a tight, metal grinding sound, as if two things are a tight fit when you turn the steering wheel. The sound would make you think that it is just really well engineered steering, is this something to do with it??

I.m probably making a mountain out of a molehill, but with all the experience out there with you guys, no harm in stating the obvious I suppose.

Laurence, thanks again!

[Wh1teLeopard]

I had a similar noise with my smart. Turned out to be grit stuck between the discs and the mud guard on the back of the disc. Clean that out, see if it goes then.

[fastbanana]

Thanks for the advice on looking in there Wh1teleopard. I've been reading alot of your posts and you do know the in's and outs of a beat. And what you are going to do with your engine (as you have just sold one) has got me well interested.

Sorry to be cheeky, but have you got a pic of where roughly to be looking ?? :confused:

What a good bunch of guys you are. If you are ever in Northern Ireland let me know as there are very few beats over here.

My wife and I have resorted to doing a 2 car convoy down the antrim coast with my mate and his wife in their Z4.

Everybody looks at the beat though.

Ta ta from Ireland

[Wh1teLeopard]

I do just so happen to have a pic.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v661/Wh1teLeopard/DSC_1277-1.jpg

That's the back brake, but they're identical in the sense of guards etc

Behind the disc is a metal guard, (the black shield), it's there primarily to stop dirt and stones from interfering with your brakes. Sometimes bits of dirt or small stones get stuck between there and the disc.

Sometimes just rotating the disc without the wheel on can free it. However you may have to use a tool of some sorts to poke any stubborn bits.

If you have any compressed air (such as the kind that comes in a spray can for cleaning CD lenses) try giving that a squirt down there (don't use spray paint or anything other than air).

I thought the shock or spring had broken up on the smart when I first heard it, and it sounded just as you described. Clearing out the dirt got rid of it though. Hope that's all it is on yours as it's easy to sort out and free :)

[fastbanana]

Thanks for the good advice and the pic, a guy in my office just pointed out the bits you meant.

Still learning

Crawford.