michaelh 0 Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 I have run this past three - THREE - well respected Golf specialists and we are all stumped. Huge gratitude to anyone out there who may be able to help.My 1996 VR6 5-door has developed an annoying rattle/graunching noise that appears to be coming from the front suspension. The car is completely stock, has done 133,000 miles and has always been serviced to within an inch of its life. I've had it for 12 years and it has never been crashed or modified. My car is (apart from this) in near-perfect, unmolested condition.The noise only happens at low-speeds, gets a bit louder as the car gets warmer (suggesting bushes but they are all new/OK) and is more or less unrelated to road surface conditions. It occurs even when the engine is off, in forward or reverse and can best be described as a metal-meets-plastic grinding rattle coming from the front OS. It disappears at speed and there is nothing wrong with the handling. It is doing our heads in.Now then, this is what it is NOT:I have basically had the front suspension rebuilt, with new shocks, springs and bushes (all OEM). The ARB bushes have been done, as have the ARB links and, natch, the top mounts. The noise persists. The three mechanics who have examined the car have checked engine/gearbox mounts, steering rack play, driveshafts, the exhaust, wheel bearings, brakes and basically anything else under there that moves. All is as tight as a whistle. There is no loose trim. I even checked for cracks in the monocoque. Nothing. All engine ancilliaries - battery, alternator, aircon gubbins and so forth are firmly in place. We are at a loss. I am told the wishbone bushes are completely sound and, as yet, I have not tried replacing these components. It could be that, but to be honest I doubt it. The last guy who looked at this car has 20 years experience fettling Mk2 and Mk3 Golfs and really knows his way around these cars. He has run out of ideas. I also use a specialist in Cornwall who has been in the VW business since 1980. He too could not get to the bottom of it.Where else can we look? I feel this may be something either so bleeding obvious it is staring us in the face or, alternatively, our car is literally hunted by a gremlin. Help! Link to post Share on other sites
Lukey. 381 Posted August 21, 2012 Report Share Posted August 21, 2012 Arch liner? Link to post Share on other sites
Vw_owner 1 Posted August 22, 2012 Report Share Posted August 22, 2012 dont know but try and get the car moveing whilest haveing someone sit on the front slam panel with the bonnet open, might be able to identify better from there, or have someone walk alongside the car and listen out for the noise... Link to post Share on other sites
michaelh 0 Posted August 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2012 Not arch liner, have tried sitting on front of car but to no avail. You can hear something, but noise is only clearly audible inside car. Link to post Share on other sites
Daverse 175 Posted August 22, 2012 Report Share Posted August 22, 2012 From inside the car? Strange.. dont want this to soubd silly vit is it coming out of the speakers? If your having grounding issues some stereos have been known to make random noises. Link to post Share on other sites
michaelh 0 Posted August 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2012 It's not stereo. Definitely something that moves. Real bugger .... Link to post Share on other sites
Evodave 0 Posted November 6, 2012 Report Share Posted November 6, 2012 Deffo gremlins......Could it be noisy cv?..poss not much grease in cv boot etc?Ive just had a simler noise happen to me...but the back right engine/gearbox mount knackered on mine..doing that 1st.....Cheers. Link to post Share on other sites
Woodyman84 3 Posted November 6, 2012 Report Share Posted November 6, 2012 may seem a crazy idea but have u thought about jacking it securely so u can run the car with front wheels off the ground.may help find the problem.did this with an old mk2 golf of mine. make sure its very secure tho lol Link to post Share on other sites
Pieman 0 Posted November 6, 2012 Report Share Posted November 6, 2012 Sounds to me like the rear engine mount. Link to post Share on other sites
Lukey. 381 Posted November 6, 2012 Report Share Posted November 6, 2012 With the top mounts did you use new bearings too? Did you check the track rod ends and ball joints for play too? I've had these that don't feel like there's any play in them on the car but get them off and play about with them and you can feel play. For the engine mounts have you yanked, pushed and pulled the engine back and forth and every which way? It should be solid and you shouldn't be able to move it. Link to post Share on other sites
VIW28 29 Posted November 6, 2012 Report Share Posted November 6, 2012 Know you said it was plastic on metal kind of noise but check all your subframe bolts too, including the ones through the front wishbone bushes Link to post Share on other sites
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