Car Groaning

[londoneye]

My car has taken to 'groaning' (and no I am not fat !) when we get in and out.   Its especially bad in wet weather, and groans and creaks when you get in/out or lean on back.   It even groaned when I took a 6 pack of lemonade out the back the other day.

I've been to my local garage twice now and tried to describe said noises; I've included some Academy winning acting performances also.   However, on both occasions no matter how much I leapt up and down on back of car, and rolled around in passenger and drivers seat - SILENCE.   I think they quite look forward to my little visits ....

It's getting worse, and since I am garage-woman (as OH can't speak French) does anyone have ANY idea what it might be?   I would prefer on my third visit (when I will actually book it in for them to look at) to be able to suggest what it might be, so they look in the right general area ..

I know its impossible to diagnose a car via internet, but if I could say - perhaps its the 'blah' they might know where to start?

[Pierre ZFP]

Shock absorbers on the back suspension?

[londoneye]

Is that serious ?   Dangerous ?

What is it in French ???    My neighbour muttered something like amortisement to me the other day - ??    I think he was referring to the car !

[moonraker]

Amortisseur = shock absorber!

[Renaud]

You have to admire a car with a sense of humour.

[londoneye]

Ahhhh - perhaps we wasn't talking about the car then !

Well, sounds like on the rightish track - will write out proper word and take to garage, and say knowledgeably, perhaps it could be this ? - or I might just tell them my car has a sense of humour anyway, because they think I am insane already, so what difference !

Thanks everyone .. will give it a go ..

[Pierre ZFP]

Does the groaning only happen when you tell the car a very bad joke?

If it is the shock absorbers then yes, it is important to get them replaced as they form a vital part of the suspension to keep you on the road, especially when taking corners.  The classic test is to push down as hard as poss on one corner of the car then release rapidly.  It should then spring up and settle in 1 or 2 bounces.  Anything more and the shockers are shot.

The good news is that this is an easily replacable part and doesn't cost much to do, have them replaced in pairs though, i.e. not just one corner.

 

[londoneye]

V. funny Pierre !

Am going to book it in for a service and ask them to sort the shock absorber things out at same time.     Of all the things I miss about England, I think my mechanic comes top of my list.     Reliable, honest, sense of humour (especially about my imaginery noises in my car - not that this one is imaginery), not to mention a good mate now who has been to visit.   Wish I could import him over here !

[AnOther]

I'd say it's a bit premature to be diagnosing "shot shockers" when there are any number of other things it could be ranging from a simple dry bush (zero danger) to something as dire as a crack in the chassis or a suspension member (stop driving it IMMEDIATELY) so to even contemplate changing shocks at this stage, is a complete waste of time and money.

To be totally pedantic for a moment, what are commonly referred to as shock absorbers should in fact properly be called dampers. It's the springs on the car which absorb the shocks and the dampers are there to damp out the oscillations which might otherwise occur - end of lesson [geek]

Neighbours and other "experts" are wont to say things like "must be the shockers mate" when in fact 99% of them probably wouldn't recognise a shock absorber (damper) if one fell off a car in front of them [;-)]

If the noise is as persistent as you say but then doesn't show up at the garage then you may have to leave it with them for a day or 2 to properly check it out.

From what you have described so far though it doesn't sound like anything to get too worried about but that's not to say you shouldn't get it sorted or at least properly diagnosed ASAP.

If you said how old the car is and it's mileage it might be a reasonable indication of the likelyhood of the shockers being shot...............!

[londoneye]

ErnieY - now I'm worried.

Car is 6 years old, and has done just over 50,000 miles.

[cooperlola]

Really, londoneye, it's time you took your husband's body out of the boot.[;-)]

[londoneye]

I know !   You mean the groaning !!   sorry - another thread ....

[AnOther]

[quote user="londoneye"]

ErnieY - now I'm worried.

Car is 6 years old, and has done just over 50,000 miles.

[/quote]For a modern car that's nothing and unless they've been arduous miles, say lot's of off road use or carrying/towing heavy loads, I wouldn't lose any sleep just yet, clonking, banging, squealing, now THAT I'd worry about !

Just get it checked out ASAP to put your mind at rest.

[londoneye]

Will do - going to book appointment tomorrow.

Thanks all.

[jc]

It may be rear suspension bushes or shock absorbers-neither may may need changing-just a drier environment can cause it.

[Anton Redman]

Stop worrying immediately my car is just under 7 years old and has done 185,000 miles. It wimpers a bit when I collect tiles from BricoDepot but other wise is pretty silent

Sounds like bushes ( round pieces of plastic or rubber sleeved round bolts to stop cars groaning ) might be suspension or even the bits of rubber holding up the exhaust. Both pretty cheap but hard to find out which.

[AnOther]

2 can play that game Anton [:D]

Mine is just 7 years old and is about to turn 210,000 miles and apart from the odd squeak, creak and it has to be said, occasional groan, it soldiers on despite being called on to lug a fully loaded 8cu/m box trailer from UK every month for the last 8 months !

When the squeaks from the front suspension get too irritating saturation spraying with WD40 cures the problem for a few weeks.

BTW there's another thread somewhere about WD40 alleviating arthritis pain, tis a truly magical concoction !

[Dean]

It may help to know what car you have, I have a Citroen Xantia as a runaround and often when I park it the suspension groans. (actually my teenage son describes it as  'a farting car ! )

Dean.

[londoneye]

Its a Peugeot (never can spell it).   Perhaps French cars are prone to moaning !

Anyway have booked it in for a service for next week and asked them to have a look at general area of suspension, shock absorbers etc and played out the noise again for their benefit, so hopefully they will sort it out.    Used them before and they seem pretty good.

How on earth does everyone do so much mileage !         My little car must be very fresh and full of energy compared to yours.    Anyway, I have always had a full service once a year with my sadly missed mechanic, and its only around 16 months since he last saw it - don't think he would have missed anything too dire, although I suppose things can develop pretty quickly.

[LEO]

[quote user="Dean"]

It may help to know what car you have, I have a Citroen Xantia as a runaround and often when I park it the suspension groans. (actually my teenage son describes it as  'a farting car ! )

Dean.

[/quote]

Does it run on gas ?

[Jonzjob]

Why are hemorrhoids called 'hemorrhoids' instead of 'asteroids'?

For the same reason that canal and anal (canal without the sea?) are pronounced differently peut etra?

[Pierre ZFP]

[quote user="londoneye"]

How on earth does everyone do so much mileage !      [/quote]

I've realised that I do far greater distance over here than I ever did in England.

I did 40,000 Km last year at an average consumption of 7.2 l per 100Km which I'm pretty pleased about as the manufacturers figures say 7.1 l for urban cycle.

Not bad for a Chelsea Tractor.

[PaulT]

For heavens sake - that why radios are fitted. When a noise develops you just turn the radio up until you cannot hear it - end of problem [:D] When it gets too severe then you are in to the boy racer boom boxes and huge great amps.

Paul

[dave21478]

Does the handbrake hold well? because its pretty common for the rear to make noises as its loaded/unloaded if the handbrake isnt tightly gripping the rear drums or discs (whatever might be fitted) The loading and unloading of the car raises or lowers the suspension slightly, this acts as a lever to turn the wheels slightly. If the handbrake doesnt hold tightly, as the wheel turns it can make a juddering groaning noise.

 

Next time the car makes the noise as you unload/load it, yank the handbrake lever up higher and see if that stops it.

If its this, you should be able to replicate the noise by applying the handbrake as you normally do, then engaging either first or reverse gear and GENTLY pulling away. As the car tries to move, the back will squat down or lift up in the air slightly, and if this really is the cause, one or both of the rear wheels will turn slightly, making the noise. If this is the case, you have nothing to worry about, pull the handrbake on harder to make sure your car doesnt escape when parked. If the lever moves a lot before applying the brakes, the brakes will need adjusted which is a simple job for the garage.

 

 

 

[londoneye]

P2 - made me laugh, because although I can categorically say I have not imagined the groaning because OH hears it also, I was very prone to imagining noises in my car.     My mechanic bore with me very well on this issue until one day I went back to collect the car (which had been for service) and he said he had also managed to sort out my mystery noise for me.     Suddenly I felt really happy; I wasn't a neurotic female prone to imagining noises after all - it was real !!!   What did you do, I said.    He nodded sagely and said 'tuned it'.    God I said was that all it needed (my dad spent most weekends 'tuning' the car - never really worked out what he did but at last something I had heard of !)?

Yup, he said, retuned the radio to a better station and jammed the volume button louder for you, so you won't be able to hear any more of those imaginery noises, ok ???!!

Ah well ...