**FIXED** Steering rack CLICKING - Please Read....

[dean-weston]

Hi guys, 54 1.6vvt 5dr -

Iv always noticed a type of clicking noise from the front end when turning the wheel. iv had it checked out in the past and had it pinned down to a bad steering rack and a £300 bill to swap it..... HOWEVER... upon further reading, iv found this from "WEBCODE"


A clicking noise when turning from lock to lock is due the the Steering column lower U/J knocking against the steering rack pinion.. (easy fix that requires a new Nut and Bolt and the application on some Silcion adhesive on the back of the U/J). This is a very common problem on The new Megane and Scenic.. Should only take 3 hours including the time taken for the adhesive to cure..


Can anyone give me any more info.... Im happy to have a bash at this my self one weekend but need an idea just what im exactly doing... if requested i can record a vid of the noise and when it happens, but im quite sure this is it...

thanks all....

[dean-weston]

anyone??? Help would be greatfully appriciated

[Ray]

i believe that problem is rectified by renault for free... a letter went out to all owners. give your dealer (if you know the original dealer or servicing dealer) a call to see if they know it's been done or not.

[dean-weston]

I have emailed Renault customer service asking for a FOC repair - they called me shorty after to see what they could do. The rep I spoke with advised she wasnt aware of this issue but will look into it...

Can anyone provide details? i figure the more evidence i gather, the better

[davelowe]

A video would be nice - always interesting to gather evidence!

[dean-weston]

Hi all - still havent had any reply from renault - so they're getting a nice call from an angry customer this morning....

SO..... here it is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHBB1co_ ... rofilepage

Please let me know what you think!

[dean-weston]

Spoke to Renault this morning who told me this isn't a known fault and would need a diagnostic at the dealer, costing £50, (plus parts and labour to repair)

Refusing to pay this for them to tell me something is broken....... I'm looking down the DIY repair route again

So, can anyone offer any advice as to what is required, surely someone knows what this is and how to fix it?

Thanks again...

Dean

[pwjsmith]

It sounds like the noise is coming from the top spring mounts. Try the steering with the bonnet open and you should be able to detect the noise a little better. The other thing you could also try is raising the front of the care (safely) so that the wheels are off the ground, and then try the steering. The noise should be less as the load will have been removed. You could also go to KwikFit and let one of their guys have a look at it.

Hope this helps.

Peter

[davelowe]

That is a good suggestion - jack the front up on axle stands, then have someone turn the wheel lock to lock - if the spring 'jumps' as the wheel is rotated, the top bearing is bad. If you have a trolley jack, you can 'load' (carefully) the lower wishbone into its more normal position, and try again.

[pw981]

the noise on the video isn't the same noise what webcode is describing, as others have said it sounds like the top strut mounts..

[dean-weston]

Sorry for the late reply guys, iv been on holiday - so after taking your advice i jacked the car up and had a friend turn the wheel - no noise from the passenger side strut - a slight click from the drivers side - i got down and watched the spring as it was being turned and...... YEP!!! you can clearly see it jump when it clicks!

So there it is, now - can any body tell me what is involved with replacing this / cost of new bearing / any helpful advice ??

thanks in advance

Dean

[tomalamix]

Suspension top strut repair kit is the parts you need to change. It consists in a bearing and a base plate covered with rubber. i would recomend you to swap both sides.

You can do it if you have some set of workshop tools, but the most uncommon tool is the one to compress the springs and keep them safely compressed while you swap the top mount, everything else wont be a problem. davelowe have a tutorial about how to do it right on this forum

cheers

[davelowe]

davelowe have a tutorial about how to do it right on this forum

Do I?! Must have forgotten about that!

[tomalamix]

davelowe have a tutorial about how to do it right on this forum

Do I?! Must have forgotten about that!

well, its not really for the top mounts, its for the springs, but the way to reach them is the same:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15831&start=0

[dean-weston]

Thanks very much for this everyone, several places have told me this is the steering rack and offered a large cost to repair it. I'll give this a go possibly next weekend and let you know how i get on. once again - many thanks