slight knocking when pulling away

[hipwell]

When i pull away in my car slowly i get a slight knocking, its done it for as long as i remember and not got any worse but its starting to do my nut in now. No juddering or anything, its just noise.

I thought it may be the engine mounts but they seem ok..

Are there any common problems i should check for with roll bar bushing etc?

Ive got a powerflex dogbone and sportlines. Everything else standard in regards to transmission and mounts/bushes.

 

[mark smith87]

Could be the engine mountings are getting tired and allowing the engine to move around
I changed mine to K Tec ones a couple of years ago and it cured the problem on mine

 

[thermal-penguin]

Could be exhaust hangers I had a similar problem and thought I would try the exhaust mounts first as they are a lot cheaper, I paid £13.80 including vat from euro car parts for both the rear and the centre exhaust mount!

 

[St03 cup]

Try the gearbox mounting under the battery tray.. The bolts may have came lose slightly.. This happened to mine .. Cured the same problem u have described

 

[mark90]

Try the gearbox mounting under the battery tray.. The bolts may have came lose slightly.. This happened to mine .. Cured the same problem u have described

my money goes on this one tbh all 3 clios I had have had this problem

 

[cliosi20]

Ive the same prob i think it knocks when accelerating in 1st and 2nd not to sure which mounts or if it is the mounts do driveshafts knock?

 

[St03 cup]

It's mentioned above am 99% certain if u take out the battery n try the bolts on the mount u shall solve the problem.

 

[hipwell]

Thanks lads I'll have a look on Sunday.

 

[MrBlonde]

i have same problem mate,i changed dogbone & gearbox mount which did help a little but still knocking,did you sort the problem?

 

[hipwell]

Hi mate . I changed my clutch the other day and the nocking is worse now!

​So I'm going out in a minute to loosen the box mount, pull the engine forward and tighten up. Will report back

 

[MrBlonde]

Yeah i just had ago at moving the engine & i think it maybe top mount as i can move the engine a bit,so ive put a think washer inbetween the mount so there is no movement & i'll see if that stops the knocking.so hopefully it will & then i'll just have to get a new mount!.
had at look at the exhaust and seems fine,loads of clearance & no movement or any knocking marks.

 

[hipwell]

Just done what I said, put it all back together and had a drive. Seems to have stopped the nocking a little bit.

​My mounts are probably shot

 

[MrBlonde]

Yeah just took mine out & still knocking!.really sounds like the exhaust!.but all seems fine,need to put it up on a ramp really!.

 

[hipwell]

same.

just had an idea, somebody tell me if this a load of rubbish like

obviously the dogbone mount stops you pulling the engine forward when you loosen the engine mounts. So detach the dogbone mount first, loosen both box and engine mounts, pull engine forward, tighten engine mount top box mount, bottom box mount, then the dogbone last.

 

[MrBlonde]

Or maybe fit the uprated dogbone maybe?,my engine wont go forward anymore tho i dont think as mount will cover the bolt holes if go anymore.

 

[hipwell]

already got the powerflex dogbone.

i think i may get new mounts all round, its on 85k now and i believe they were last changed at 30k.

i know my knocking is related to the mount though because when i went out earlier to try and rectify the issue its nowhere near as bad as it was before.

 

[MrBlonde]

Ive already replaced the gearbox & dogbone mount & its still the same!.so either mounts or exhaust ay or what about driveshaft?

 

[hipwell]

ah right lol.

a buggered driveshaft could cause knocking, have you checked if there is any excessive play in the shafts or grease around the cv boot that could indicate a duff joint?

 

[MrBlonde]

There is play in that side,but thats down to wheel bearing & it has new balljoint & track rod end.ive not checked the driveshafts.is it just the simple case if seeing if it moves,like any play in it?

 

[hipwell]

dont quote me on it but i would have thought the best way to check it would be jack up the car and hold the shaft solid at the box end and see if you can rock the wheel forward and back. That way itl rule out and movement inside the gearbox

 

[Martin_172]

ive got this too, im running brand new engine mounts, bottom arms, track rods, track rod ends, dampers, top mounts, exhaust mounts lol the full lot, assumed it must be a driveshaft and I needed 2 gaitors anyway so I just replaced both shafts and still doing it, ive went over everything 10x and its all tight and ok! driving me nuts!

ive known cars to do it with a loose bottom arm to subframe bolt, try that!

 

[MrBlonde]

Could just be sonething simple like the exhaust?.as thats what it sounds like on mine.doing my head in to mate!

 

[Sunglasses_Ron]

I has this and it turned out to be knackered top mounts.

 

[MrBlonde]

Yeah im thinking that now,as i can slightly move the engine back & forth!.easy job to do?

 

[mikeh]

I've chased knocks around the front of my car since I've had it.

The first was resolved by pulling the engine forwards on the engine mounts.

Second time I believe was a combination of track rods, ball joints and top mounts (disappeared during a suspension refresh).

Most recently it was play in an inner track rod.

​

 

[MrBlonde]

Such a nightmare!.it really sounds like the exhaust knocking but the exhaust is really stiff and there is no play it it,but maybe it could be the centre mount??

 

[mikeh]

If it sounds like the exhaust is knocking - slacken the left engine mount and the gearbox one under the battery tray and pull the engine forwards. It's quite common for the manifold to knock on the subframe.

 

[MrBlonde]

Sounds like its coming from the centre tho & sometimes the bulk head.ive looked under the engine etc & theres loads of cleareance tho??

 

[MrBlonde]

Had another look over this morning and im pretty sure its the manifold/downpipe hitting the subframe as its really close to it and not the rest of the exhaust as to much clearance.but my centre mount is pretty fecked but not sure if that as the exhaust does not hang and its pretty tight on no movement also,i'll post a pic up

 

[MrBlonde]

 

[MrBlonde]

 

[hipwell]

New gearbox mount from gsf, pull engine forward and tighten up new mount.

Sorted!!

​15 quid wel spent

 

[MrBlonde]

Ive already fitted new dogbone mount and gearbox mount,just need new upper mount then & pull engine forward yep?.so slacken both top mounts and pull engine forward ie towards me yep?

 

[hipwell]

yep.

the engine will want to go back though, so pull towards you with one arm and tighten to nuts with the other.

 

[MrBlonde]

Ok cool i'll give it ago,cant find an upper engine mount on gsf or eurocarparts tho!.main dealer part?

 

[hipwell]

think so, i could only find the upper and lower box mount.

Lower doesn't take much strain though so i cant see that ever been needing to be replaced.

 

[MrBlonde]

Yeah being i have a spare dogbone mount i might try get hold of the uprated bushes and fit them and fit that which should help and i see most people do that & just replace the upper mounts with renault ones