[Steering & Suspension] Noise after driving through water....

[rbm109]

Hello all,

We've had our Berlingo (2005 MkII) now for a few months and, on the whole, it's fantastic. It goes just about anywhere with the canoe on the roof and a tonne of stuff in the back and as close as a car can get to a whistle and a smile.

BUT...as you may have noticed, we've had a little rain recently - especially up here in the Lakes where drainage is not the priority. Anyway, if I drive through a body of water (quite a lot...not just surface water) with the front nearside wheel, I immediately get a grinding noise from that corner which I can feel (mildly) through the steering - it feels a bit like a lumpy CV joint. It goes away again very quickly and I can't see anything easily. It's not loose trim as I've secured all of that already.

At any other time, the car is problem free; it steers, stops etc fine. Only water brings on the noise. It's as if enough volume and pressure is displacing something or getting in somewhere.

Any clues please? I'm not familiar with the car particularly and although I have been a competent amateur mechanic in the past, it was on old Land Rovers and very different technology.

Cheers!

Robert.

[Ol'Jeffers]

Check the inner wing fasteners! This is a known problem:
The lower part of the plastic inner wing is moved by the water and rubs against the tyre because the force
of the water breaks the retaining clips. Mine made a noise like a siren!:lol:

[rbm109]

Check the inner wing fasteners! This is a known problem:
The lower part of the plastic inner wing is moved by the water and rubs against the tyre because the force
of the water breaks the retaining clips. Mine made a noise like a siren!:lol:

Well, Ol' chap, I shall look at them again. I know that I did have that problem. I once stopped at the noise and found the plastic from the back of the wheel arch bent up behind the wheel. There are now several new screws in there. I've had a wobble of the rest of it and not found anything else loose...but I will check again. Thanks :thumbsup:

Any other ideas out there?

[Ol'Jeffers]

I know it's a bit late now, but using screws is not the best option. The plastic fasteners can be bought cheaply on eBay. Screwing the inner wing into place will greatly increase the chance of rust creeping in. HTH

[rbm109]

Yes, I thought that but had no idea where to get the clips. Now that the holes are there they're probably best left with the screws in. I included LOTS of copper grease so I might get away with it for ten minutes :-)

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[Ol'Jeffers]

You may be better off with 'pop' rivets.....

[rbm109]

You may be better off with 'pop' rivets.....

The rain stopped for a while and I never quite got around to having a look but the rain came back, the noise noised so this morning I had a look.

[Image: th_DSCF6636.jpg]
This the the bit that I've already screwed down. I know this bit was loose as the first time we had the "noise" this was bent back against the wheel...dead give-away.

[Image: th_DSCF6632.jpg]
There's been some accident damage "repaired" in the past and this is the front trim from the passenger side. It's solid down the outer edge even if not put together correctly.

[Image: th_DSCF6638.jpg]
This inner piece is where it should be but very wobbly. However it seems no more wobbly that its equivalent on t'other side and that one doesn't make any noise.

[Image: th_DSCF6637.jpg][Image: th_DSCF6629.jpg]
These are general views of the other "stuff" in that corner. It looks fine to me, but what do I know? I'm still trying to work out where they've hidden the leaf-springs.

In conclusion, I can't see anything that's gratuitously loose. There's nothing obviously close to the drive shaft and CV joint either. I suppose it could still be the wobbly plastic but it'd have to bend an awfully long way.

NB: all the above photos are "clicky".

[j90xxx]

Check the inner wing fasteners! This is a known problem:
The lower part of the plastic inner wing is moved by the water and rubs against the tyre because the force
of the water breaks the retaining clips. Mine made a noise like a siren!:lol:

Mine did that last week!
Lashing it down, pitch black, hit a big puddle (didn't see it till last second).
Pulled the rear of the front wheelarch liner and folded it against the tyre!
Fortunately it went back fine and next day found a couple of correct plastic trim fixings in my 'parts bin' (the n/s one had been missing for ages). :woop:

[rbm109]

Hm. Glad it's not just me, but the rear most trim on mine's pretty well secured now.

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