Noise when i let off the throttle?

[Rishi]

If im driving in gear and then take my foot off the accelerator, when the car stops coasting and 'engages', when it starts engine braking i think... it makes a clonk/tap noise, mostly in 2nd/3rd

I don't think its much to worry about as i usually keep accelerating, or brake/dip the clutch, and all of those would stop it happening, but i just heard it today when i turned the radio off

I thought i heard it loud in the drivers footwell once but the rest of the time its just a general front end noise

Any ideas?

 

[ryan197]

could be anything, i had a knocking noise that eventually got worse, did it when sudden stopping, lifting the clutch up after changing gear, going over bumps etc was a lower arm link bar on the passenger side front. but if your not getting while going over bumps i would say it could be engine mounts

 

[Rishi]

yeah i don't think its a link arm as i've recently done lots of work in that area & everything was fine, its more a gearbox/link or clutch noise

As soon as the car stops coasting & the gear engages it bangs/knocks, it's inaudible with the radio noise though, and only done it recently, could be the cold

I only drive her on weekends now really

 

[Steve S]

If it's from the front right and happens from cold it'll be the top stabiliser bar - had mine replaced for the same reason. £45 for the part.

 

[Foxspeed]

at a guess i would say its the gearbox/diff - mine has a slight whine when coasting and changes when under power which is usually a sign of gear backlash (ie slack in the gears meshing) as the torque flows through the gearbox gears

just a thought!

 

[Rishi]

If it's from the front right and happens from cold it'll be the top stabiliser bar - had mine replaced for the same reason. £45 for the part.

Where abouts is the top stabiliser bar?

Bare in mind it never makes the noise underbraking or going over bumps, its strictly when im in a low gear & the car stops coasting/engine braking starts

at a guess i would say its the gearbox/diff - mine has a slight whine when coasting and changes when under power which is usually a sign of gear backlash (ie slack in the gears meshing) as the torque flows through the gearbox gears

just a thought!

Yeah it really does sound like this kind of area in general, its not a very deep bassy knock so it sounds external to the gearbox, its almost a 'tap' noise, quite high pitched with a slight echo, almost sounds plastic like, and has sounded loudest around the drivers footwell, i was thinking master cyl

I try to drive around it which is usually not letting off the throttle when im in a low gear :thumbup: or if i have to let off the throttle & am going fast enough i change up a gear which stops it, like a higher gear is putting less strain so stops the noise, or i just dip the clutch/take it out of gear which also stops it, so its definitely affected by being in a lower gear

It seems there's a certain style the car likes to be driven in, and this noise definitely sends me the message that if im just coasting, change up a gear or take it out of gear altogether, the car just loves forward momentum!

.

 

[ian coles]

i have the same noise, when it gets warmed up it goes away, ive booked my car into lookers on monday to get them to check it out, i will let you know what they say but i dont use my car much either.

 

[ryan197]

Top stabliser bar is above and bolts to the cam belt cover

 

[Steve S]

Where abouts is the top stabiliser bar?

Bare in mind it never makes the noise underbraking or going over bumps, its strictly when im in a low gear & the car stops coasting/engine braking starts



Yeah it really does sound like this kind of area in general, its not a very deep bassy knock so it sounds external to the gearbox, its almost a 'tap' noise, quite high pitched with a slight echo, almost sounds plastic like, and has sounded loudest around the drivers footwell, i was thinking master cyl

I try to drive around it which is usually not letting off the throttle when im in a low gear :thumbup: or if i have to let off the throttle & am going fast enough i change up a gear which stops it, like a higher gear is putting less strain so stops the noise, or i just dip the clutch/take it out of gear which also stops it, so its definitely affected by being in a lower gear

It seems there's a certain style the car likes to be driven in, and this noise definitely sends me the message that if im just coasting, change up a gear or take it out of gear altogether, the car just loves forward momentum!

.

Top stabiliser bar won't knock when you go over bumps as it is to prevent/limit lateral movement (forwards and backwards).

Dependent on how worn it may be (if it is that) you'll be able to see the engine vibrating when looking at it with the engine idling. You'll also be able to manually 'rock' the engine. Put both hands on the left of the engine and give it a few hard pushes. Also push on the mount where it links to the engine - it should be completely solid.

The engine warms up, the mount expands and the knock goes away.

May not be this of course - just speaking from my experience as it sounds very similar.

 

[Rishi]

i have the same noise, when it gets warmed up it goes away, ive booked my car into lookers on monday to get them to check it out, i will let you know what they say but i dont use my car much either.

cheers, be sure to report back, it could be a cold/lack of use thing then as it never used to happen, only recently ive started walking to work so only drive on the weekends

i've noticed that after i've driven somewhere, got out & started driving again it seems to disappear

i was at first thinking the gearbox mount on the subframe but the bolt is tight & rubber bushing like new, the subframe its bolted to is older but that shouldn't make a dfference

 

[ian coles]

If it's from the front right and happens from cold it'll be the top stabiliser bar - had mine replaced for the same reason. £45 for the part.

Have just returned lookers renault they seem to be off the same opinion as steve, they took off the top stabiliser bar and refitted using some zinc where it joins the engine, the noise appears to have gone but i will have to try it from cold.

 

[Rishi]

Had a play around & doesn't seem to be any movement in the stabilizer bar, and the noise i got sounded like it came from much lower/behind gearbox

Hasn't been making the noise recently, put it down to using the car more over the holidays...

Happy new year everyone

 

[ian coles]

had mine replaced under the warranty at renault romford on friday, car only done 15k miles from new, tried next day from cold and its gone, i would change yours maharishi, my rb also makes this noise when cold thats on 12k but suzanne has the music on loud so she would not notice anyway, if you come down to north weald airfield on the 28th jan at 1pm to the cs meet you can compare the mount movement to my new one. cu ian

 

[Steve S]

Had a play around & doesn't seem to be any movement in the stabilizer bar, and the noise i got sounded like it came from much lower/behind gearbox

Hasn't been making the noise recently, put it down to using the car more over the holidays...

Happy new year everyone

There was no obvious movement in my stab by either when I looked at it. I got someone to gently rock the car by taking it to the biting point with the handbrake on. I could clearly see the engine tugging on the mount from this - you need to make sure the car is cold though < 10 degrees Celsius.

It's important to note though that I'd had the knock for about a year before it got bad enough that I could tell exactly what it was.

My car has only done 23k miles and I'm pretty sure one of my other mounts is shot now aswell...need to find out which one. I'm tempted to replace all of them to be honest as they're obviously shoddy. The thought of them tugging the manifold makes me nervous.

 

[Rishi]

right now im only using my car on weekends & it's not making the noise so im quite fine with it

the whole manifold thing is obviously concerning though giving how many of them have cracked...

 

[Rishi]

If it's from the front right and happens from cold it'll be the top stabiliser bar - had mine replaced for the same reason. £45 for the part.

Can anyone please describe what exactly needs changing?
Isit the whole stabilizer bar itself? Or 'some zinc' as a previous poster had fitted?

My knocking at -5c this morning was really bad. If the part is only £40 it's worth changing
My cars only done a touch over 10k!

Would i be able to change the part myself?
Im competant enough to do a service & i've changed my subframe/lower arms/hub assy before

Appreciate any help

 

[Steve S]

Can anyone please describe what exactly needs changing?
Isit the whole stabilizer bar itself? Or 'some zinc' as a previous poster had fitted?

My knocking at -5c this morning was really bad. If the part is only £40 it's worth changing
My cars only done a touch over 10k!

Would i be able to change the part myself?
Im competant enough to do a service & i've changed my subframe/lower arms/hub assy before

Appreciate any help

Yes whole stab bar. Easy to change but you will need to take the wipers off to do it. Wipers off, plastic trim at the bottom of the windscreen off and then it's just two bolts.

 

[Tiho]

Yes whole stab bar. Easy to change but you will need to take the wipers off to do it. Wipers off, plastic trim at the bottom of the windscreen off and then it's just two bolts.

No need to take wipers, just release plastic in left corner, and bolts are avaible.

 

[simb88]

just another thought to put out there. If no play etc was found in engine mountings, suspension etc. Its very possible that it is your acoustic valve opening and closing
Does it when engine braking down the rev range.
Incase you don't know where it is i'll get a quick screen pic from Dialogys and post it up!

 

[simb88]

number 4