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MG MGF Technical - Clicking noise

No it's not me clicking the mouse! :)

If you guys have been around for a while, you guys would know that I had a long tiring saga to fix a cross-member beam. At the end I replaced my trusty exhaust clamps with new welding done by my mechanic. Fixed it for good.

Now since that time (May), recently a slight clicking noise started. (damn it)

I don't know what it is. It's a very slight noise, just like when the door opens and stops after one notch, and open further it makes that sort of clicking noise. Well my door does. I sprayed WD40 a few weeks ago on door hinges, and maybe that's having a side effect? For example since it can move around better, it might be moving when driving around (closed)? It's from the front, but don't know where exactly.

It only clicks (slight click) on hard travel on suspensions, but not with twisting of the chasis. If I drive out of the garage, I have this 1.5cm drop (both wheels at the same time) (garage door edge), and it sometimes clicks. When I go up twisting parking places, it doesn't click (it did with broken welds I had it twice, so I know what it sounds like).

I called my mechanic, asking him what it could be, he reckons that it cannot be the cross member beam, because he has done it many times and none of that failed. I know he knows what he is doing and he did 360degree welding.

What else could it be other than the cross member beam?

The clicking usually happens when there is a suspension travel. I.e. when there is a new sealed road, the ground is a little higher than the old one. When going through these.. sometimes clicks.

I can't make it to click all the time though..

Since may I did

1. Lowering kit
2. bumper off to paint headlights / grills

And nothing else.

Didn't not raise one side of the car or anything that could have twisted the cross-member beam to cause any cracking. Lowering kit wouldn't have damaged suspension because the actual hydras pressure was increased in the suspension.

What other things could it cause clicking?

Hope it's not like Dieter's. Maybe should try oiling the bonnet hinges. Or maybe it's the door.

As long as this doesn't get worse I don't mind. It's not loud at all. Just worrying that it might be the cross member beam again!!
:(
Hanah Kim

Worn shock absorber bushes ????

Sounds like the noise mine made before I replaced them.

Andy
Andrew Dear

Hi Hanah ive had my car lowered and fitted adj shocks and had this clicking noise today on my way to a show and found it to be some of the spot welds on the suspension plates had come unwelded was very difficult to pin point took most of day but have rewelded and now ok,see my comment on gen thread aghh missed mg events,wouldn't mind betting this could be your prob to worth a check ,cheers Dave T6 DCM.
D C MORRIS

Andrew:

Shock absorber bushes were replaced with polyurethine ones when I was getting lowering kit fitted. So I guess not that..?


D C Morris:

It's coming from the front? And not that loud. Doesn't happen over speed bumps. :-(
Hanah Kim

It's going to sound silly,

But take out the spare wheel and tool kit (they maybe causing the sounds ?)

Drive around for a day without them, it takes the weigth out the front of the car (and takes a couple of kg's of stress out of the front supension)

Matt
Matthew Minion

Matt, iliminated already. :)

Well, the spare is back in.

The car doesn't seem to make that noise any more after I pushed the car up and down a little to give it a suspension travel. So far ok.

Will let you know tomorrow.

(I checked the car underneath and when I scraped the towing eye, also toook some out of suspension strut holder which looks like _o_ (there are on both sides left and right which holds the black strut in place))

The person (who is not a mechanic but a car exhaust welder) thought since the suspension movement is not impaired and still has that shape, should not be a problem, but a little worried about rusting.
Hanah Kim

Well the noise is back, and now going to the mechanics to see what's causing the problem.

Might have to trial and error of fitting the exhaust clamps back on, if this illimiates the noise, then it's the cross-member. Likely to leave the exhaust clamps as they worked well.

:(
Sad
Hanah

Just an update.

As I have realised, just like other times (but keep forgetting), I left my car in the sun for about 5 hours, and the frequency of the clicking has decreased dramatically. So my verdict is the cross-member beam.

I told my mechanic about my concerns, and he told me (as he is my friend) that he will do the job for free. But what he is worried is what has caused it to crack again. He has done this many times (about 5 Fs) and never came back with problems. So if this is from poor welding, then fair enough another go. But if it's not and something is stressing the crossmember beam, he wants to find out.

If from other sources, we will have to find what it is that's causing the noise. Which is going to be more difficult to find.

He is a little concerned about fitting the lowering kit as it might have changed some stress levels in the car. But I have heard no complaints from BBS users using lowering kit, so I don't think this is the problem.

If any of you guys out there have an idea to why my cross member is being cracked please let me know.

The welding was done in early Winter time, and now it's the end of the Winter (recently had some hot days). But mere fluctuation of about 15 degrees celcius in total. Maybe might have to put exhaust clamps back on and weld that too in place?

Hmmm... I don't have time to put clamps back on for now, so I will do that in the weekend.

Meanwhile, any ideas please leave them here!

Cheers.
Hanah
Hanah Kim

Hi Hanah

Iam in one of those moods again so forgive me.

Problem solved once and for all by installing good speakers in the T Bar and cranking the hell out of them - no queaks or clicks - All gone! and a good solution except for the hearing aid when you lose your hearing

David
David

Hahaha good one David!

Actually Rob's ex-exhaust is helping in that department. And my new JVC LH2000 headunit (I sold my Kenwood MP6090 for good price, almost for the new unit!) will hopefully distract me more from the creaking.

Have you sussed out the cross-member beam yet?

David, I want to install speakers in T-bar like yours, as I want to fix 6x9s... or I could spend 500 dollars to get a subwoofer in the glove box. But... the problem is I don't have any money now. -900 dollars on my cheque account after sending Rob money. :(

Oh well...
Hanah Kim

Update,

Clicking gone after putting one exhaust clamp on passenger's side.

Thus it was the broken welding.

Will get it sorted if it starts to click again. :-)
Well it will be for free, so no worries there.
Hanah Kim

This thread was discussed between 22/09/2002 and 02/10/2002

MG MGF Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGF Technical BBS is active now.