Solution to clunking noise from front offside

[alpineSi]

Transport blocks!

Car is just over a year old and had an occasional clunk sound at low speed going over bumps, which now I'm back in the UK with it is really noticeable given the plague of aggressive speed bumps and potholes here.

Rang local dealer Pentagon Chilwell to try and get it looked at, and over phone their workshop manager diagnosed it as possibly some transport blocks being left in the suspension. Took it in today and 15 mins later he was holding them in his hand.

I really can't believe that this car was delivered to me and has been in for two recalls and a service in Spain without anyone noticing they hadn't finished prepping it.

Fwiw, he said this is something they've found before in cars from other dealers, so if you've got a clunk on a new car (and the suspension is pretty firm), get it looked at.

 

[RUM4MO]

Oh I've heard of that happening with some VW Group products in the past, sad to hear it is still going on, now if VW Group offered a bounty for the return of these bits it might not be an issue?

 

[alpineSi]

Oh I've heard of that happening with some VW Group products in the past, sad to hear it is still going on, now if VW Group offered a bounty for the return of these bits it might not be an issue?

Amazing! VAG-wide memo required on this one then...

 

[RUM4MO]

My daughter's new Leon Cupra came complete with faults logged in 9 controllers, some with dates that coincided with its build date, no evidence of a proper PDI being done I'm afraid. I just saved them and cleared them to avoid a visit or two to her dealership.

 

[Crossthreaded]

Transport blocks!

Car is just over a year old and had an occasional clunk sound at low speed going over bumps, which now I'm back in the UK with it is really noticeable given the plague of aggressive speed bumps and potholes here.

Rang local dealer Pentagon Chilwell to try and get it looked at, and over phone their workshop manager diagnosed it as possibly some transport blocks being left in the suspension. Took it in today and 15 mins later he was holding them in his hand.

I really can't believe that this car was delivered to me and has been in for two recalls and a service in Spain without anyone noticing they hadn't finished prepping it.

Fwiw, he said this is something they've found before in cars from other dealers, so if you've got a clunk on a new car (and the suspension is pretty firm), get it looked at.

Hmm? What do these blocks look like and where are they located? got a picture you could post?

I ask because ever since I bought my Ibiza 1.0 ST (2016) it's had a very interesting little noise from it's front suspension. It's best described as "Pockle Pockle" and is most noticeable when driving over speed humps. It's been there from the day I bought it new in March 2016 and is neither getting better or worse. The car's out of warranty now and the dealer had two goes at sorting it but, whilst agreeing they hear it - I went out with the mechanic the first time I reported it - they have absolutely no idea what it could be and say they've never heard anything like it before. I must say, with a life in and around the motor trade behind me, neither have I! I have narrowed it down to the O/S front and, whilst being unable to reproduce it by bouncing the car with my hand on the wing, I can make it do it by jacking up that corner till the wheel is just clear of the ground (with my trolley jack) and then dropping it quickly. The noise is coming from the area around the upper part of the strut. I'm guessing top mount, gator (sounds a bit like what a gator might be able to produce), strut itself, who knows? I can't get any better resolution. I'm not giving up though, I will find it! Just a little reluctant to stick my head under the wing when I'm dropping the car off the jack!

 

[alpineSi]

Hmm? What do these blocks look like and where are they located? got a picture you could post?

Didn't get a picture myself, but there were three and they looked exactly like the pink ice hockey puck-sized things in this Golf forum thread: https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2189

I Googled VAG transport blocks and it's distressing how many results came back.

 

[Crossthreaded]

Didn't get a picture myself, but there were three and they looked exactly like the pink ice hockey puck-sized things in this Golf forum thread: https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2189

I Googled VAG transport blocks and it's distressing how many results came back.

OOOOOOWH! Fitted under the gator, at the top of the strut/damper rod? Right in the area where my noise is emanating from (careful boy, don't use words you're not sure off!) Especially if there are several of these fitted to each shocker then maybe if they left one behind that might be the problem I've got! There might be some relevance in that I bought the car through a third party broker (got a really exceptional deal that way) but I don't know if the PDI would have been done at the source he procured it from or if his technicians did it - or maybe didn't do it? I think there's scope for confusion there. If family commitments allow (extremely pregnant daughter in law due to deliver any minute - exciting, another grandchild for me to roll on the floor with!) and if the weather isn't sweeping the streets with rain, I'll try to get time to check it out tomorrow. In any event I'll report back here when I've had a look.

 

[Crossthreaded]

Well, it was worth a look anyway, but I'm afraid no transport "pucks" to be seen. I did notice though that the plastic ring on the offside strut which acts as the bottom mount for the gator was not located properly into it's groove. I would guess that because of this it might be able to "slop" up and down on the bottom part of the strut? I would also guess that it probably wouldn't be moving on short strokes which might explain why the noise is not evident unless I go over something like a speed bump. Anyway, I've slid it back up so that it's "fingers" engage with the groove on the side of the strut as intended. Wonder if the "pockle" will have gone next time I drive her? I've thought for some time that the noise could be something to do with the gator but just couldn't envisage how it was managing to do it. - Fingers, toes and everything else crossed!

 

[alpineSi]

Good luck!

 

[Crossthreaded]

Ah well, the "Pockle" would seem to be still with us! I do have one small thread of hope for this solution though which is that the first speed bump didn't seem to produce the noise. Maybe I just missed it? anyway I'm going to have a look to see if that plastic ring/mount (whatever it's called?) has jumped out of the indentation which is obviously meant to be where it's located. It relies purely on the tension of the plastic fingers. If it's jumped out there is scope to, at least temporarily, secure it in place with some tying wire. and so it goes on - - -.