Mondeo Mk3 - Rattle from rear left corner

DaveyD

DaveyD

DaveyD

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Hi guys,

My Mondeo has had this issue for a while, but it has started getting more noticeable recently:

Basically, when driving along, going over a speedbump/dip in the road etc, I hear a metallic rattle which sounds like I'm driving over a loose drain cover every time the car has a bump. I have narrowed it down to the rear left, however I'm not 100% sure on what it is.

Firstly, there's 2 clips on the brake pads that appear to have snapped (see two pics). Could these contribute to the noise when the wheel is turning?




Secondly, with the handbrake on, wheel off, I can ever so slightly move my wheel hub a few degrees within the brake disc, is this normal? I'm assuming this is just slack in the assembly.

I've struggled to find anything loose with the wheel off, and giving the assemblies a good hit to try getting the rattle doesn't do very much, however if the wheel is fully bolted up on the ground, I can repeat something like the sound, but can't pinpoint it.

The garage I had it serviced at replaced the rear subframe bushes as they were worn and thought that would get rid of the noise too, but it's not helped.

It's also not the exhaust or mountings, as these all seem to be OK.

Thanks in advance.

Dave
 
Sounds like rear subframe bushes to me. But you have had them fixed so no useful idea i'm afraid. Not a spring or something, or something around that suspension area loose? Discs will move on the mondeo a bit when you have a wheel off as they are held in place by the wheel!
 
I'll take it to the garage again, as they said that it should have fixed it.

It seemed to rattle a lot more when the suspension was loaded rather than on the jack (with me then hitting the sidewall of the tyre to make the rattle). The wierd thing is that the rattle sounds like something relatively wobbly/rattly, but I can't find a thing that's loose other than those two clips on the pads?

Dave
 
I can't remember exactly what it was now but mine had something similar and it was something located above or near the fuel tank, a loose strap or cable I seem to remember. Hard to see with the fuel tank in place.
 
Bushes are a good shout, the mk3's eat them.

Its worth checking the heat shield thing above your exhaust, my old one used to rattle about whenever there was a bit of weight in the back.
 
I have this on mine and have narrowed it down to the actual exhaust bumping against the underside of the car when I go over a bump in the road.
 
fullspizz said:
I have this on mine and have narrowed it down to the actual exhaust bumping against the underside of the car when I go over a bump in the road.
Click to expand...

+1 for that.

I had a Mk2 Mondeo that did more or less what the OP's did, nothing obviously wrong with the exhaust.

My spanner monkey dropped the exhaust & re-fitted it & all was well again. :)
 
fullspizz said:
I have this on mine and have narrowed it down to the actual exhaust bumping against the underside of the car when I go over a bump in the road.
Click to expand...

Could be this, but he reckons this has been checked, I had one on the rear passenger exhaust hanger right by the bumper, knocked right on a bolt holding the crash structure in, couldnt hear it when wiggling the exhaust, I put an old cycle inner tube on the hanger and it stopped the knocking.
 
could be bushes or even the break-pad rattling in the calliper, my car had this problem and new pads fixed it.
 
I don't think it's exhaust, as I can hear the rattle when I give the tyre a good whack and doesn't change when I hold the exhaust, and do it. I've also given the exhaust a good wobble and can't hear or see anything wrong with it.
 
Can you lie on the ground with your head under the rear of the car and listen while someone else gives it a good whack?
 
An update.

I've taken the car back to the garage for them to check for the noise, and they noticed the brake pad springs and said that they were the problem.

I'm a little dubious still - would brake pads rattle around that much? I'm assuming it's new brake pad time if that's the case.

Dave
 
Unlikely to be just the springs but worth replacing anyway.
At least it'll rule that out and you have new springs. :D

Rear antiroll bar links / bushes also a favourite on those too. Such a weedy bar :D
 
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