Project Clio 16v

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

it could be the box, but when I had it mate it was a nice box, smooth and silent.

I have a new un-used still in its renault box drivers side clio driveshaft here if your interested.

Level 10 User Joined: 04 Nov 2005 Posts: 575

how much for the driveshaft?

If it was the box will it just always be noisy, or would it cause problem?

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

there oil in it? Is it leaking from the shaft seal?

shaft to you if you come get it Â£15

Level 10 User Joined: 04 Nov 2005 Posts: 575

yup, plenty oil in there. I'm not sure exactly where you mean by the shaft seal but not any oil leaking from around the driveshaft that I have noticed.

I'll get back to you on the driveshaft, the main problem is just getting through to you as petrol will prob cost more than the shaft, lol, but I'll see.

Level 10 User Joined: 04 Nov 2005 Posts: 575

after a few more drives of the car this is what I have found. The noise is actually present at all times apart from when accelerating. Although I said before it wasn't there under braking it appears I was wrong and it is there. The noise is also there if cruising in neutral, but if you then rev the engine a little it goes away till you come off the accelerator. From that would it almost certainly be the box? If so is it likely to be causing a major problem or is it fixable by any chance? - other than a new gearbox.

Really hope it's not the gearbox but can't see round it being that. If it is the box I think the car will just be sold on but if not I'll keep it as it drives quite nice tbh.

Level 8 User Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 270

how would the gearbox make a noise if you are in neutral, the gear box driving anything

Level 10 User Joined: 04 Nov 2005 Posts: 575

because, although i'm not totally sure how the box works, when the wheels turn something inside the box must turn as well, whether it's in neutral or in gear as the driveshaft goes from the wheel to the box. This could still leave the driveshaft as the possible problem if it wasn't for the fact that the noise goes away when the eninge is reved slightly. Would that not mean it was the gearbox?

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

input shaft turns when the clutch is engaged, the release bearing turns all the time, did you fit a new one?

Like I said that box was fine and quiet, it was taken out then fitted to your car. I doubt it could have knakcered itself in the time in between.

Does it make a chattering noise at idle?

Level 8 User Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 270

think chris H has a point. about the cog box and the release bearing, was it changed this could be the cause of ur problem.

Level 10 User Joined: 04 Nov 2005 Posts: 575

no chattering at idle and the release bearing was replaced. The noise is there in all gears and whether the clutch is engaged or not. The only time it's not there is when accelerating or if you rev the engine in neutral.

Level 10 User Joined: 04 Nov 2005 Posts: 575

ok, I've now realised that if you edge the bar back or forward very slowly there is a kind of clunking noise you can hear. I've take a few videos (below) to try and let you hear the noise. The videos are just with me rolling the car back and forward with the engine and handbrake off. I've put next to each video which point in the video you can hear the sort of clunking noise. The noise is different to that which you can hear when driving, but I'm guessing both must be linked as neither were there before.

Video 1 (10 and 19 seconds)
Video 2 (7 and 14 seconds)
Video 3 (9 and 10 seconds)

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

vid 3 isn't there and that clonkign could be loadfs of things, does it do it with the car jacked up?

Level 10 User Joined: 04 Nov 2005 Posts: 575

I'll sort 3 in a minute but it's pretty much the same again. I'm going to try it with it jacked up in a minute, main problem is a lack of time at the minute to do anything with the bugger. It was certainly making a noise last time I had it jacked up but wasn't so much of a clonking noise if you know what I mean. I'll get back to you about it in about 10 mins though mate as I'll go and have a look now.

Level 10 User Joined: 04 Nov 2005 Posts: 575

I went out and tired spinning the drivers side wheel with that side of the car jacked up. What I found was that there was a noise which I think is what I hear when driving. The noise is from around the are of the end of the drivers side driveshaft. Theres two video below, one is with me spinning the wheel and the other is where I actually grabbed the end of the driveshaft and tried pulling it back and forth and it seems to have a little (very small amount tbh) bit of play but as you can hear it does make a noise when you do that.

Video 1 - This is with me spinning the wheel
Video 2 - this is where I tried pulling the driveshaft back and forth at the gearbox end. (I'll add the link to this in a minute as it's not been upleaded yet and takes a wee while.)

Would these video give any better indication of what it could be?

Level 10 User Joined: 04 Nov 2005 Posts: 575

Video 2

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

hmm does appear to be box related.but if it was the diff it would be making a lot of noise all the time tbh.

Level 10 User Joined: 04 Nov 2005 Posts: 575

After being out earlier I found out that although I had said before the noise stops when I rev the engine in neutral if the car is just freewheeling i'm now not so sure. I know the noise is still there even if revved to about 2krpm but after that I'm not sure if the noise goes away or is just drowned out. So tbh it does seem as though the noise is there all the time.

As the noise does pretty much seem to be there at all times, does it look as though it's the diff? If it is, I presume there is nothing that can be done other than a new box?

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

well its impossibel to say over the net, but I always liked the box cos it was quiet and never popped out of 2nd which 80% of them do.

So its a bit surprising to me.

Level 10 User Joined: 04 Nov 2005 Posts: 575

ok, thanks for the help anyway. I'll probably take it somewhere to confirm one way or the other. Might get my dads mate to have a look as he used to be a mechanic, but I don't really like the guy as he tends to haver a load of shite at times.

If it turns out to be the diff, does it mean it would definately replaced or are they sometime noisey but will go on for a good while?

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

they can soldier on making a lot of noise, lot of noise means you can clearly hear it over the engine at full chat, a sound that wakes the dead and they can be ok.

nails on chalkboard noise.

Level 10 User Joined: 04 Nov 2005 Posts: 575

That video I took the other day was with the drivers side jacked up and the passenger side on the ground. So I tried today spinning the passenger wheel with the drivers on the ground and I got exactly the same noise when the wheel was spun. Am I right in presumming that means it's definately the gearbox at fault as it means it definately isn't one of the driveshafts?

If so, have you got any gearboxes around that you can sell at the minute chris?