Stering Creaking Noise

[psycoops]

my ford galaxy ghia 1.9 tdi automatic 2003 , makes a creaking noise from the front when....

 

parking

3 point turn

pulling out from a parked space

a half or full stering turn

 

any answers please asap

[mikej]

Seized bearing on the strut top mount, mine has been doing the same for over a year now, very very common due to the poor design of the top mount cups which do tend to collect all the rain water due to crappy design. You could try soaking the top mount with oil and see if that works if not replacment is the only cure i feel. You may want to leave it untill your changing the whole top mount though as it's a pig of a job.......

[tiny]

Not necessarily! Drop links are a very common source of this sort of creaking, I had it twice.

 

Before you go to the trouble of changing the top mounts you should have a look at the drop links.

 

As they are only a 5 minute job to remove, whip them off and see if the creaking dissapears. Non OEM links are made to wildly varying standards, whilst most of the time they simply wear and start to knock, they also can loose their lubrication and start to creak loudly.

 

Im my experience the ones off ebay are a waste of money. I bought a set off ebay (zeldautos IIRC) and they started to creak within a month. It took me ages to track down the noise as the links were the last thing I checked because they were new(I changed both top mounts AND shocks whilst trying to cure the creaking). The next set from a factors didnt last long either.

 

Apparently the latest ones from Ford & VAG are much improved and whilst at least twice the price it can be worth the expense if you dont have to change them again.

[gregers]

mmmm thanx for that tiny,mine is begining to creak a little bit when turning left wondered what it was?but after reading your post looks like it could be my prob(fingers crossed) as mine are nearly 3 years old and done nearly 20 k,so i will defo be getting a decent pair when the time comes,

but i allways thought you just had a knocking noise didnt realize they creaked aswell.

[mikej]

I'm NOT saying the drop links arn't your problem and they are a peice of cake to change but having gone through 3 pairs this year alone these links tend to give you a knocking, bumping noise. I personally have never had any sort of creaking at all from these, knocking every time ! ( If you are going to change them anyway don't buy cheap ones, go to Fords or VW as mentioned and bite the bullit it's cheaper in the long run ) If you try starting your car , don't drive it just turn the wheel, if it creaks like an old spring on rubber then my money is on the bearing.. Edited August 23, 2009 by mikej

[tiny]

Mine would creak stationary, moving, engine running, engine off, and it was loud enough to be so damned annoying I simply couldn't put up with it. Have a search for previous posts on the matter there are a few here and elsewhere.

 

Mike, im not trying to start an argument, but if you re-read your first post it says-

"Seized bearing on the strut top mount, mine has been doing the same for over a year now, very very common"

theres no -it could be or perhaps about it, im not saying it isn't but when we all give advice it must be balanced in such a way that we do not start someone down a long arduous (and quite costly) road without considering all other possibilities, thats why all I said was "not necessarily".

 

It was advice (in my case bad advice!) like this that started me down the route of changing the top mounts to absolutely no avail! I also had to change the shocks due to corrosion on the upper threads, total cost about

[DaveM]

another possibility

check the rubber boots either end of the steering rack, (and the power steering fluid level)

if the boots are full of liquid, then yor seals are 'letting by' so it's a new steering rack.

 

(speaking from exterience, about

[Saif Rehman]

Mines started to sound exactly like the OP's issue this week - just hope it's the drop links and not the steering rack as the above post stated.

Off sick from work at the moment so the car isn't get used - will report back once i'm up and running again! (and start getting paid again)

[mikej]

Tiny , my advice is based on MY own findings after owning a galaxy for 4 years now and changing both front struts and many drop links cheap and original in that time. IT IS MY OPINION ONLY and if someone wishes to act upon my advice then thats upto them, without examining the vehicle yourself it will always be just that, an opinion, a suggestion of possible cause thats all it could ever be from anyone who offers advice inc you. If you feel i am offering bad advice just because you had some then that again is just your opinion and although you may not agree or don't like it doesn't mean it's wrong. I don't need to re-read my first post as i know exactly what i said. Advice and suggestions as you say should be balanced but please quote: Mine would creak stationary, moving, engine running, engine off, WTF :) my money is still on the strut bearing.....

[Saif Rehman]

..........but having gone through 3 pairs this year alone these links tend to give you a knocking, bumping noise.

 

 

3 pairs in just short of 9 months :)

 

I'm haven't changed mine once yet and have had my car now for coming up to 3 years with 137k on the clock - and passed all previous (and current) MOT's without any problems/advisories until very recently as per my previous post.

So. I too will very interested in the OP's outcome.

I wonder if the OP will return with the diagnostics and cure...........we wait and see.

Edited August 31, 2009 by Saif Rehman

[tiny]

Ok Mike, keep it going and a thread soon turns into an argument, adding comments such as WTF just lower the tone of respectable forums and detract from the validity of any persons posts.

 

You posted "If you try starting your car , don't drive it just turn the wheel, if it creaks" and afterwards I posted "Mine would creak stationary, moving, engine running, engine off" so that you don't convince somebody to follow a particular route if more than one fault could give the same syptoms.

 

I also stated that I wasn't saying that your diagnosis was wrong nor did I say you were offering bad advice, but hey you chose to ignore that and carry on with an argument that really needn't be. Try reading both of our posts carefully without adjusting the context of mine.

 

Now if you don't mind I won't post on this thread again, I am finding this rather tiresome.

Edited August 31, 2009 by tiny