Stringy

Hello chaps,
I wonder if you can help with a nasty problem that has just occurred on my 1999 C4 996.
Only gets driven once a week these days, brakes are a bit bindy for a while but other than that all goes well.
Had some new rear tyres last time I drove it.
Back from 2 week hol, take car to work, brakes a bit bindy...

I find that on a right hand bend, with moderare acceleration - terrible noise from the front, maybe left front wheel. Stops happening after a second or two and all perfectly fine when going straight or right turn with low acceleration. It is repeatable.

Could the psm be kicking in due to the tread depth delta of the tyres? Really bad noise though, difficult to describe. I noticed a red light flash on but not sure which one. Drive shaft?
Had it up on jacks, nothing unusual at full lock turning wheels by hand.
Any help appreciated please.

DTMiller

The noise sounds like a wheel bearing. Easy check. Jack up the left front. Grab the top and bottom of the tire and try to rock it. Shouldn't be any play. If there is, probably the bearing. That's the most likely based on the noise.

extanker

take it to the po dealer

FRUNKenstein

I agree with DTM - classic wheel bearing symptoms. How many miles on your car?

mlee2122

Another vote for wheel bearing..... had same sympton on previous cars. Get it replaced before it seizes up.

Stringy

Thanks for the replies chaps.
The car has around 80,000 miles.
Will give the wheel a wobble and let you know.


Why is it just on right hand turns? It goes as well as it ever did in a straight line?

Stringy

By the way, this isn't just a little rumbling noise or whining, it's a very nasty grinding/interference type noise.
Why would a light come on - red I think - unless it was me stalling the thing with shock....
With the wheel off the ground, it rotates smooth enough. It's a C4 so it doesn't just spin.

DTMiller

I don't know the precise functionality but the tell tale symptom of a bad bearing is a loud grinding/groaning noise in turns. Bad left bearing makes noise in right hand turns and vice versa.

If it's really bad the wheel will be wobbling on the axle which could cause the traction control systems to think something is amiss. It's not a guarantee that's your issue but definitely start there.

wildbilly32

Like DT said try to pull-push from top and bottom with wheel off the ground. Rotation does not always tell the story.

808Bill

First car?

Stringy

Hello all,
Just jacked up each of the front wheels, I can detect no play at all when trying to wobble top and bottom of tyre as hard as I can.
What next?

Any ideas appreciated...

Gretch

This is what I thought, too. I was wrong. I had to change out a good bearing to find out how wrong this diagnosis is.

DBJoe996

Not all "wheel wobble" tests will manifest as a bad wheel bearing. Symptoms suggest a bad wheel bearing. Think of the mass and g-forces exerted on the car when turning, and the forces on the wheel bearing. Grinding crunchy terrible noise may be a wheel bearing going bad, yet not bad enough to wobble. When making a right hand turn, the mass of the car is on the left side, placing a lot of load on the front left wheel bearing. Could be going bad, but not bad enough to wobble.

DBJoe996

So what did it turn out to be?

DTMiller

Gosh, I'm so terribly sorry for your loss.