[Steering & Suspension] Knock from front nearside when turning

[jonnie100]

Hi all. Just bought an 04 2.0 hdi desire, 120k miles yesterday. It's in excellent nick with good history. All was well on test drive and then drove it 150 miles home, very impressed with engine. When I got back to my town and started doing low speed turning, it started making a knock knock noise on nearside front and steering wheel would need slight correction. Nothing over bumps etc, just low speed turning.
I checked the history last night and there is a recent dealership bill for an £800 major service which includes fitting a new cv boot cover to nearside.
Does this sound like the cv joint was ropey and the 150 mile journey has made it worse that it now makes the knock noise?
If so, how easy is it to replace? I do most of my own work on my cars so prepared for most things.
Thanks.

[geoff]

Could easily be the CV joint, if the boot fails then dirt etc will enter the joint and the grease will be flung out , the fitting of a new gaiter is often a sticking plaster so to speak. A new shaft or service exchange unit is straightforward to fit.

[jonnie100]

Could easily be the CV joint, if the boot fails then dirt etc will enter the joint and the grease will be flung out , the fitting of a new gaiter is often a sticking plaster so to speak. A new shaft or service exchange unit is straightforward to fit.

Thanks Geoff, that is what I was thinking. It's also had a new spring, strut mount and link done on that side in the last year which narrows things down a bit. Shall investigate further next week. Looks like I have my first job to do on it sooner than I wanted but could be worse.
While I'm posting, have a couple of newbie berlingo questions.
Long time since I owned a diesel so things might have moved along abit. Is the diesel heater plug light supposed to come on at all? It's never illuminated so far but starts fine.
Where is the diagnostic port and can anyone recommend a budget code reader? Not needed so far but about time I got one for future use.
Thanks

[jonnie100]

After 1 week of ownership and a colder spell the last 2 days I finally have a brief appearance of the diesel light coming on, (for about half a second) at inital morning start up then nothing for the rest of day. At least I know it's working now.

[Trevor]

It is quite rare in the UK to see the glow plug light come on, nice to know it works though
The Diagnostic port is if I remember correctly under the fuse flap by your right knee.

[jonnie100]

Thanks Trevor.

[ffrenchie]

The glow plug light comes on when it gets to 2°C on our car. If it's just the CV joint clattering a bit on full lock I would leave it till the weather picks up before I looked further into it. They will clatter for years before they give up.

[ajcommercial]

Might be something simple like a lose hub pinch bolt ??

[mikep1973]

It could be anything. Mine's still bloody well making a knock when turning right at some times, usually when entering a roundabout or similar. A proper loud knock too, felt under passengers feet and through steering.

So far it's had... wait for it... to sort this out..

New top mount and bearing
New strut
New spring (old one broke)
New bottom arm and bushes
New driveshaft with CV joints.

It still does it. There's no play in anything. It's passed 3 MOTs like this.

It's having another bottom arm and top mount next week along with a track rod end and anti-rollbar bushes. I have a feeling that the lot who replaced the bottom arm last time tightened it without the car's weight on it and ruined the bushes as it did it almost instantly on getting it off them but they had it twice and said they can't find anything wrong.. I suspect a new bottom arm will solve it if fitted properly.

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