Knocking from rear driver side

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Andy Beats
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Knocking from rear driver side

Post by Andy Beats »

Anyone else experienced a knocking from the rear driver's side in their car?
It seems to have arisen since the warm weather and/or the recall for the handbrake.
The reason I mention the warm weather is that I've had quite a few cars where tailgates would knock depending on whether it was hot/cold.
Metal expansion/contraction etc.
Nothing loose in the boot.
Which side is the exhaust, I had a quick look yesterday while washing it, but the tip is hidden by plastic mouldings?
phillos
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Re: Knocking from rear driver side

Post by phillos »

Did you check for midgets with hammers hiding in the cubby?
Andy Beats
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Re: Knocking from rear driver side

Post by Andy Beats »

Knocking is doing my head in, it's pretty constant now.
I've tightened down as much as I can in the boot (the foam block that holds the can of goo and towing eye etc)
How is the long pouch containing what I assume to be the jack supposed to be secured, it's just floating around the wheel well just now
WTF is the point in giving us a jack when there's no spare anyway?? :?
What I really need to do is remove all these items and see if the knocking still continues.
Andy Beats
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Re: Knocking from rear driver side

Post by Andy Beats »

Also noticed that vehicle status on the middle screen says 'bonnet/door/boot open - see multifunction display for details"
Yet the multifunction screen (middle of instruments) says 'no entries'
I'm beginning to suspect the noise and this are related and there's a problem with the tailgate.... :roll:
chris.tayler
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Re: Knocking from rear driver side

Post by chris.tayler »

Mines developed a knocking/squeak this last week. It’s going in Wednesday to look at this and dash crackle. Will report findings.
chris.tayler
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Re: Knocking from rear driver side

Post by chris.tayler »

So i had dealer inspection today (to look at this and dash rattle). The dash rattle was resolved by putting some additional packing in behind the dash (like a foamy sticky pad).

The rattle turned out to be the tailgate. They tried quickly adjusting the bump stops but it didnt resolve. It's going back in next week for them to start looking at hinges, mounting alignment etc.
Andy Beats
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Re: Knocking from rear driver side

Post by Andy Beats »

Pretty sure it's my tailgate knocking too, I'll mention it at the service.
Everything else in the boot is secure.
monkeyhanger
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Re: Knocking from rear driver side

Post by monkeyhanger »

This tailgate talk does make me wonder whether my chipped paint on the tailgate bottom edge is due to me slamming my tailgate closed a bit hard or whether there's play on the hinges causing rubbing and rattle impact.

Might be worth you checking your bottom edge of your tailgate for paint chipping about 5" in from either side where the curved edges meet the central straight bit of the tailgate bottom.
Andy Beats
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Re: Knocking from rear driver side

Post by Andy Beats »

Interestingly, the rubbers on the tailgate are on a 'click' for adjustment.
I've tried one click anti-clockwise on each rubber, moving the tailgate away from the body.
See how I get on, the clicks are at least easily recorded and put back.
Andy Beats
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Re: Knocking from rear driver side

Post by Andy Beats »

Hmmm, I'd say the one anti-clockwise click each side has made it worse.
I went back to the standard setting and have now gone one-click clockwise, which presumably takes the tailgate nearer the body.
See how I get on.
Next move will be to get a willing volunteer to sit in the back and try to locate the knock.
monkeyhanger
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Re: Knocking from rear driver side

Post by monkeyhanger »

Andy Beats wrote: Thu May 09, 2019 12:14 pm Hmmm, I'd say the one anti-clockwise click each side has made it worse.
I went back to the standard setting and have now gone one-click clockwise, which presumably takes the tailgate nearer the body.
See how I get on.
Next move will be to get a willing volunteer to sit in the back and try to locate the knock.
I don't think you changed it at all. Mine free spin. If you are getting any clicks then it is rubbing the rubber stopper on the splined body.

To adjust the strikers, you unscrew the Allen bolt through the hole in the rubber striker bulb (its tiny, needing a 2 or 3mm Allen key) a little to slackened it off, then you can pull the bulb outwards by a click or more, or push it back in by a click or more and then tighten up the Allen bolt. The bolt tightens everything up again - like a screw through a rawl plug tightening it up in a hole.

Just did a little experiment on my scuffed/chipped areas.

At rest/closed there is a 4mm gap between the bottom edge of the tailgate and the rear bumper beneath it. I spread out flat a 1mm thick blob of blu tack. I then filmed the blu track and closed the tailgate as softly as I could with proper lock engagement, with 1 attempt that wasn't quite hard enough.

Every time I did it hard enough to close properly, the blu tack was indented. With the gentlest adequate touch, the tailgate comes at least within 0.5mm, assuming the blu tack doesn't cushion the blow. It seems inevitable for the 2 surfaces hit each other with reasonable force to close.

Very likely those surfaces collide when driving over even a minor road imperfection.
Andy Beats
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Re: Knocking from rear driver side

Post by Andy Beats »

monkeyhanger wrote: Thu May 09, 2019 2:26 pm

I don't think you changed it at all. Mine free spin. If you are getting any clicks then it is rubbing the rubber stopper on the splined body.

To adjust the strikers, you unscrew the Allen bolt through the hole in the rubber striker bulb (its tiny, needing a 2 or 3mm Allen key) a little to slackened it off, then you can pull the bulb outwards by a click or more, or push it back in by a click or more and then tighten up the Allen bolt. The bolt tightens everything up again - like a screw through a rawl plug tightening it up in a hole.

Just did a little experiment on my scuffed/chipped areas.

At rest/closed there is a 4mm gap between the bottom edge of the tailgate and the rear bumper beneath it. I spread out flat a 1mm thick blob of blu tack. I then filmed the blu track and closed the tailgate as softly as I could with proper lock engagement, with 1 attempt that wasn't quite hard enough.

Every time I did it hard enough to close properly, the blu tack was indented. With the gentlest adequate touch, the tailgate comes at least within 0.5mm, assuming the blu tack doesn't cushion the blow. It seems inevitable for the 2 surfaces hit each other with reasonable force to close.

Very likely those surfaces collide when driving over even a minor road imperfection.
No these are definite clicks on the plastic threaded part that goes into the tailgate sides.
I'll measure later and see if the clicks are actually doing anything.
I can't see why they'd click if they weren't there for adjustment, I'm thinking the factory setting is something like fully in and then X clicks out.
chris.tayler
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Re: Knocking from rear driver side

Post by chris.tayler »

Andy Beats wrote: Thu May 09, 2019 2:45 pm
monkeyhanger wrote: Thu May 09, 2019 2:26 pm

I don't think you changed it at all. Mine free spin. If you are getting any clicks then it is rubbing the rubber stopper on the splined body.

To adjust the strikers, you unscrew the Allen bolt through the hole in the rubber striker bulb (its tiny, needing a 2 or 3mm Allen key) a little to slackened it off, then you can pull the bulb outwards by a click or more, or push it back in by a click or more and then tighten up the Allen bolt. The bolt tightens everything up again - like a screw through a rawl plug tightening it up in a hole.

Just did a little experiment on my scuffed/chipped areas.

At rest/closed there is a 4mm gap between the bottom edge of the tailgate and the rear bumper beneath it. I spread out flat a 1mm thick blob of blu tack. I then filmed the blu track and closed the tailgate as softly as I could with proper lock engagement, with 1 attempt that wasn't quite hard enough.

Every time I did it hard enough to close properly, the blu tack was indented. With the gentlest adequate touch, the tailgate comes at least within 0.5mm, assuming the blu tack doesn't cushion the blow. It seems inevitable for the 2 surfaces hit each other with reasonable force to close.

Very likely those surfaces collide when driving over even a minor road imperfection.
No these are definite clicks on the plastic threaded part that goes into the tailgate sides.
I'll measure later and see if the clicks are actually doing anything.
I can't see why they'd click if they weren't there for adjustment, I'm thinking the factory setting is something like fully in and then X clicks out.
I can confirm those bump stops do move, but you must pinch the loose rubber to engage the threaded bolt underneath. The garage showed me this as something to play around with until the vehicle goes in next week for them to look at (greasing seals, monitoring movement etc).
Andy Beats
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Re: Knocking from rear driver side

Post by Andy Beats »

chris.tayler wrote: Thu May 09, 2019 2:49 pm I can confirm those bump stops do move, but you must pinch the loose rubber to engage the threaded bolt underneath. The garage showed me this as something to play around with until the vehicle goes in next week for them to look at (greasing seals, monitoring movement etc).
Yup, if you pinch the rubber then the plastic threaded bit underneath clicks and I'm assuming goes in/out.
Did they suggest clockwise or anti-clockwise for you?
BTW the allen bolt inside the rubber bits on mine is a good 5-6mm easy.
chris.tayler
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Re: Knocking from rear driver side

Post by chris.tayler »

Andy Beats wrote: Thu May 09, 2019 2:52 pm
chris.tayler wrote: Thu May 09, 2019 2:49 pm I can confirm those bump stops do move, but you must pinch the loose rubber to engage the threaded bolt underneath. The garage showed me this as something to play around with until the vehicle goes in next week for them to look at (greasing seals, monitoring movement etc).
Yup, if you pinch the rubber then the plastic threaded bit underneath clicks and I'm assuming goes in/out.
Did they suggest clockwise or anti-clockwise for you?
BTW the allen bolt inside the rubber bits on mine is a good 5-6mm easy.
They said try both ways. They warned against maxing it out or screwing it all the way in, which i of course ignored straight away. With it all the way out the lid sat proud a good 5mm, with it all the way in it was in by the same amount. Neither made any difference.

In my opinion now the noise is mainly seal squeaking, but will find out next Wednesday.
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