Hi Guys,
I really hope somone can help me.
I have a Focus 1.6Zetec (Black) on a 01' plate, 80k miles.
Driving around town its a really nice, acceptable drive (For what it is) but when I drive at between 55-60-70+ MPH It sounds like the car is doing 95-100MPH!, Kind of like a revvy, vibrating droney noise.
It *appears* to be coming from the front, left (possibly becuase im driving all the time so thats where I visualise the noise).
I have been told that it may be the "air intake, box/filter" but i can't picture this making this kind of noise.
People have been in the back and when i point out the noise they say "sounds like its coming from back here"
1: Anyone else had this issue/noise? Simular? What was it? Did you fix it?
2: I have not yet been to get the wheels balanced, but this seems like a too easy fix to me?
3. Rear wheel barings, these have been tightened/greased recently (5months ago)
4. Road noise? I apreciate there may be an element of road noise My Tires are Goodyears (Que debate on tyres :P)
Any Sugestions welcomed!
THANK YOU SO MUCH IN ADVANCE!
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Sounds like a wheel bearing. Does it change in pitch as you go around corners? Focus rear wheel bearings are a known weak spot.
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RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
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You don't say how long the noise has been there but is it a coincidence that you've had the rear bearings tightened. Could they have been over-tightened? or if they needed attention could they need replacing.
Can't see any way that an air filter would cause this noise.
I have a '53 Focus 1.6 with only 11k miles and while I think it's a great all-round car I am slightly disappointed with the road noise at motorway speeds which is probably caused by its firm suspension.
Please advise if you find the problem.
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Thank you for your replies keep em' coming!
The noise has been with the car for as long as i have had it, 5 months.
Yes, this is "noise" at motorway speeds and on motorways etc.
I need to have the balancing done anyway.
Do you think I could lower the tyre pressure a bit then take it for a run down an A road? Mite give me a benchmark see if the noise changes.
The noise starts at 60MPH and gets worse up until about 85-90 where it doesnt get any worse if I hit 100MHP, I dont drive at these speeds normally only testing.
Anyone had their car in the shop/garage and had anyone mention "this noise might be becuase of...." ?
Also i was advised to lift the back of the car, handbreak on, and check if there is any play in the wheel barings....Silly question, where is the place to check the wheel barings on the back? (drum brakes)
THANK YOU ALL
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Jack up the rear wheels and rock each one side to side and/or top to bottom. There should be no noticeable play in the bearing. By spinning the wheel as fast as you can by hand you may be able to identify over-tightening of the bearings.
There will of course be some resistance to spinning from the brakes if they are adjusted correctly.
This can only be done with the handbrake off. Leave the car in gear to ensure stability.
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Just to eliminate it, check there is no uneven wear across tyres. If something is out of alignment you may be getting scrubbing/vibration effects, but I think this would vary with road/tyre temp and tyre pressure..so it is only an outside chance. Presumably if you disengage clutch at speed (on quiet stretch of road) and freewheel it briefly the noise remains?
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Thanks Both of you.
I will check the barings and make sure these are ok or not ok as it may be.
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I have disengaged the clutch at speed on smooth road and the noise is still the same.
Thank you
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Rear wheel seems a little "stiff" and when i spin it as fast as i can it appears to rub or grate. same with the front....This is on the left hand side only...
I dont feel very much movement at all in the barings or wheel hub just a very small amount of play, which is the same on both sides.
The front left wheel is def out of alignment.
1. How much to replace BOTH wheel barings? parts and fitted?
2. How much is balancing?/tracking?
Cheers guys, so much help!
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If you can "see" the front wheel out of alignment, then definitely get it aligned anyway.
If it is a wear pattern, this can also be due to driving style, worn/misaligned suspension components and underinflation, but normally alignment.
Bearing replacement can be tricky and expensive(£100s), some cars garages just replace entire hub assembly. As it is expensive, you need to get it confirmed professionally. Rubbing/ grating when spinning the wheel may just be a slight catching of the brake discs. A bearing often will be heard as a low rumbling sound.
Balancing normally around £5 per tyre, give or take a few quid. (£4 at my local fitter)
Tracking around my way is £10 - £70 depending if it is 4 wheel adjustment or 2 wheel adjustment - depends on the make and model of the car if you need 4 wheel adjustment.
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Superb! Thank you Salt for your comments and indeed everyone else.
I think I will book the car in to get the wheels balanced and while i am there paying for a service get a 2nd opinion on the barings/hubs.
:)
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For some info on Focus rear wheel bearings, see my thread here : www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=51893&...e
I thought I had a problem with a noisy exhaust at first, but it turned out to be one of the rear bearings. The noise was best descibed as a 'droning' which varied with speed and, in my case, was noisiest at around 50 - 60mph.
The 'excessive play' test mentioned above is not always a reliable way of identifying a faulty rear wheel bearing in my experience. There was no excessive play in my wheel, yet the bearing was subsequently found to be faulty.
I was able to pin-point the problem by discovering that the noise (which seemed to come from the rear of the car) almost disappeared when going round left-hand bends, pointing to the left rear wheel bearing. The only way this method wouldn't help is if the bearings have gone on both sides I guess !
A bearing was around £40 from Ford or around £18 from Unipart (PartCo). I had to get the old one pressed out and the new one pressed in to the drum/hub by a garage, as I couldn't generate the kind of force needed at home.
By the way - Focus bearings are cartridge bearings so don't need extra greasing and in fact you'd probably struggle to, as they're pretty much a sealed unit and are designed to be replaced, not re-greased. The only adjustment needed is to make sure the hub nut is tightened to the correct torque.
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SUPERB! Im pretty sure this is the solution to my "droaning" problem...If its not Im leaving the handbrake off and its going over a cliff...
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SUPERB! Im pretty sure this is the solution to my "droaning" problem...If its not Im leaving the handbrake off and its going over a cliff...
No don't do that, it'll set the airbags off and bounce back up again !
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There's no guarantee that your problem is wheel bearing-related, but it certainly sounds possible.
I read on another forum that places like Kwik Fit charge around £50 to change a wheel bearing, but I couldn't find one local to me that did them.
If you're no stranger to a bit of car DIY, then the cheapest option is to remove the drum/hub and get a garage to do the pressing for you. I was lucky enough to find a friendly guy in a local garage who did it for me for nothing because it only took him a minute to do it, with the right equipment.
Even if you have to pay for half an hour's labour, it'll still be cheaper than paying a garage to do the whole job (anything up to £100 I reckon)
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Changed the wheel barings as they were shot,
STILL MAKES A pink fluffy dice NOISE!....
Air noise?
{expletive deleted. Next time I'll delete the whole post. See
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=33415 for further clarification - DD}
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