Cars used to develop squeaks and rattles over time didn't they? Unexplained creaks from somewhere behind the dashboard which could never be cured.
In recent years though, they do seem to have been screwed or glued together better and such irritations are now, in my experience anyway, more unusual.
However, my car has in the past few weeks developed something I absolutely can't trace. the only way I can think of to describe it is the sound of a small object rolling/rattling from side to side somewhere in the rear half of the car whenever I go round a corner.
If I had found a small loose screw or something in the bottom of the spare wheel well or wherever I'd not have been surprised. it only manifests itself under lateral forces but remains silent under braking or acceleration.
Well, I've checked everywhere I can think of, under carpets, in the door bins, under the boot floor etc etc. Whatever/wherever it is, it's well hidden. I may have to learn to live with it of course but y'know how it is...
I'll find it one day.
Have to.
|
Don't forget all cars are ventriloquists. You will search for years for the loose thingy "in the rear somewhere", and find it one day under the bonnet.
Been there done that...
|
It will never be found* and will annoy you for the rest of your time together. At least you know I shall for ever wear a leering grin every time I see a LEC and think of you.
*it might be found the day before the car is due to go back...... I had one once, I found a golf ball rattling around in the rear floor heating vents after three years.........
|
|
Mrs F has dropped a pound coin into the heater ducting of her C3. When you corner hard it rolls across with a rattle. It must be very annoying but so would hauling the heater apart.
|
|
Workers at ford used to put coke bottles in the sills before they welded them shut......
|
>> Workers at ford used to put coke bottles in the sills before they welded them shut......
Yes. 'Industrial sabotage' it was called. Car workers were well paid by the standards of the time but the work was unhealthy and tiring because they were forced to keep pace with the production line. The unions couldn't control that to the satisfaction of their members. So they punished their bosses by building annoying faults into the product.
The same essentially irrational and self-destructive technique was used by US and French car workers (but I've never heard of Swedish or German ones doing it).
|
|
A guy I used to work with put a golf ball under my spare tyre which took a while to trace. Got him back though, I left an ungutted mackeral under his one August...
|
I read somewhere that there is a device for tracing those untracable rattles and vibrations that only happen when you are moving.
You record the sound, the device isolates the sound from the background noise, and then you play it back continuously at high volume. The theory is that the offending item will resonate in sympathy, but it will do it while stationary, so you can crawl about listening for the noise.
It sounds a clever idea, but does it work?
|
Ha !!!
I think I've found it, inspired by my own thread I've just been back out to the car. It's an estate and when you open the tailgate there are gaps about 4-5" wide which accomodate each top hinge. Most weekends there are bikes on the roof and in one of those recesses was a small stone which must have come off a muddy bike and which could well have been rolling about from side to side but couldn't possibly have had room to move fore and aft !
I'm going to persuade myself for now that's what it was. I couldn't bear to take it for a test drive just yet to find the noise is still there...
|
Well, it seems ok. I think I've found the culprit. Maybe.
Did a 7 mile round trip just now and all was silent apart from on one corner and the merest fraction of a second when I could swear I heard that thing, and then it went quiet again...
I'm sure it's fine.
I think.
|
|
People without this particular OCD just don't understand. All very well for you to say Alastair but I'd still know it was there...But it's not there now. I'm fairly sure...probably.
|
|
It probably isn't there, Pretty sure you have fixed it. You can rest assured now.
|
>> It probably isn't there, Pretty sure you have fixed it. You can rest assured now.
its not as tho you'll find another one because you are listening out for them now.
|
|
Is it not maybe your fag lighter that you hid when you were in denial??
|
|
Hearing odd sounds is on a par with hearing voices. Care In the Community beckons....
|
>> People without this particular OCD just don't understand.
Think yourself lucky you only have amateur acoustic OCD. Having done advanced acoustic analysis courses the slightest unusual sound is really irritating. It doesn't help in finding some of the obscure automotive squeaks and rattles though!
Persistence sometimes wins. :-)
|
If all else fails, someone has assembled summat wrong.
Try a hammer...:-)
|
One day I'm going to find you! - Crankcase
