Hello All,

 

I have a Mondeo where I am getting a horrible metal clunk noise very randomly from the rear drivers side when going over small potholes etc.  Car has done 80K and well looked after.  MOT Garage found nothing wrong and neither did Kwik Fit, both say possible internal shock has gone and hence not visible but cannot guarantee that as shock appears to be working fine.  Any ideas and also any recommendations for garages trustable in Lakeside/Gray's Essex area ?

 

Thank you

One of the things worth checking is for a broken spring (at the very bottom in it's "seat")

Jack the car up, and with the suspension hanging carefully inspect the very last bottom piece of the spring for being broken (when they do this it does not normally affect the ride height). You may need the wheel removing - put an axle stand under for safety

MK4.5 on a 2015. That must be one of the last ones! Mk5 came out 2014. 

The shock top mount can make a right noise when worn. 

Thanks Iantt

Yes, it is one of the last 4.5, I specifically bought it because of this as I really like the mk4's, I have had a few and always been great.  I have no experience of MK5 so did not want one.

Shock Top Mount sounds viable, can you recommend a garage in or around Gray's, Thurrock that I can trust to do this work.  Trusted so many garages and been let down every time.  Car comes out worse than went in, cosmetic damage to areas worked on, jacking up in wrong places causing damage and the list goes on :(.

Thank you.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks TrevorB also, had this checked already by couple of garages who claim all is fine with springs.

Can't advise on a garage unfortunately. Any idiot at a garage should be able to remove a shock absorber and check the shock top. 

Hi Iantt

Yes, just seen a video on it, looks very easy to do and the original ford part is only £18 in various places.  Think I will order the genuine part and ask the MOT garage to do it while I wait, they only charge £35 per hr and no way this looks to be over 1 hrs work.

 

Thank you

 

Hello,

 

As an update, I had a machanic around to put a cambelt kit and water pump on the Focus I bought for the Son.  As a bonus it got rid of a noise I was hearing and must have been coming from one of the cambelt tensioners.  Anyway, I ask him to look at the Mondeo and he found nothing wrong with the top mount but he said the shock did not feel correct, too much easy movement at beginning of movement on the side I was complaining about.  I don't replace anything suspension as a single so I had both shocks replaced, only £15 labour each side and £110 for both the shocks from GSF car parts, for decent quality ones.  So hopefully that will have sorted the noise.  Time will tell, could not hear anything on a short test drive.

 

 

Hello,

 

Unfortunately, noise is still their, loud clunk of metal very random from drivers side rear.  Shocks changed and shock mount seemed ok when sorting shocks I am told.

 

Guess that's issue with random noises 😞

Can you make the noise happen if you bounce the car? maybe open the rear door and stand on the opening/sill and bounce the car whilst someone checks.

Hello Frembit, sorry for delay in answer, did not get an email to show been an update.

 

I tried bouncing up and down on both rear sills, I get a small spring type noise from passenger rear when I jump on drivers rear but not other way round and it's not sane noise as I have been hearing.  The noise I hear is a horrid metal loud clunk and normally happens when both front and rear drivers side go over a small issues in road i.e small potholes etc.  

Anything in the boot that could clunk or under the rear seat or in the spare wheel well? I carry stuff in the boot and once the carpet shifted and whatever was stored there was knocking on the boot floor (instead of the carpet)

Hello Frembit,

 

No, I have had whole boot out etc.  However what I have just done is jacked up and found small stones under the bottom spring, I see this can cause issues.  I have removed now and hoping for best.

 

Ok on a pet hate, why are garages etc still jacking Mondeo's up on their sills without the correct pad with a slit in it 😞.  Just found several places sill is bent has this has been done and tried to repair as much as viable with pliers and then applying paint over damaged areas as it chips paint etc.  I use the scissor Jack and am going to get a price of wood and cut a slit in it and then keep in boot, so I can hand it to any garage who works on my car :).  You can get rubber jack adapters but I hear they end up splitting in half.

Have you checked your exhaust brackets? I’ve had two exhaust Mount brackets fail resulting in metal clunking sound previously. Rear part before back box banging on frame at rear of car. The mounts attached to the car were fine but the ones that come with the exhaust were badly corroded and detached. 

Hello FredmeisterPNE 

 

I will double check them,. I have not heard the noise since I removed the small stones that were between the bottom spring and the mount it sits on but the noise is very random.  I will take it to some known areas at the weekend that have caused the noise in the past which is basically going over with the front and back wheel on drivers side a small defect in a road.  Going over anything substantial i.e a speed pump etc never causes the noise.

 

 

Hi All, just to advise situation still persists, one day I might find what is causing this random noise :).  

I would still try a shock top mount

Hi Iantt, I did ask the machanic to check top mounts when replacing shocks and he said they were good but I will probably get him to change as you say because running out of ideas.  Won't be yet though as bought the Son a MK2.5 Focus and that's costing me constantly, notice the areas underneath each corner of the boot rust badly on these, expecting caused by stone chips or something but at the moment having to change lower rear arms as previous owner has snapped bolts of when try to do something and left it, so machanic said will have to cut arms off, try and get bolt out and replace arms and bolts.  Once this is done will move back to Mondeo 🙂

 

 

 

 

On 5/23/2021 at 7:17 PM, Nightowl1 said:

Ok on a pet hate, why are garages etc still jacking Mondeo's up on their sills without the correct pad with a slit in it 😞.  Just found several places sill is bent has this has been done and tried to repair as much as viable with pliers and then applying paint over damaged areas as it chips paint etc.  I use the scissor Jack and am going to get a price of wood and cut a slit in it and then keep in boot, so I can hand it to any garage who works on my car :).  You can get rubber jack adapters but I hear they end up splitting in half.

Hi, read the last entry in this thread (Baldrick's) for an idea on that block of wood. Also, the rubber puck with a groove is OK, but don't make it too deep or it will split... but anyway consider them as a consumable and have a few spare ones, they aren't expensive anyway. 

https://talkford.com/community/topic/135466-mk3-jacking-point/

On 5/11/2021 at 2:37 PM, Nightowl1 said:

Hello All,

 

I have a Mondeo where I am getting a horrible metal clunk noise very randomly from the rear drivers side when going over small potholes etc.  Car has done 80K and well looked after.  MOT Garage found nothing wrong and neither did Kwik Fit, both say possible internal shock has gone and hence not visible but cannot guarantee that as shock appears to be working fine.  Any ideas and also any recommendations for garages trustable in Lakeside/Gray's Essex area ?

 

Thank you

Rates ford in Grays I have always found excellent 

Thank you Steven-k

Actually just had my SMax in their for a service and MOT couple of days back and will be using them for the service on the Mondeo in a couple of months.

Well actually it was Rates Fast Lane as get major service and MOT  for 2/3rds the price of just the service in the actual dealership.  Strange Setup when you get same service, ford parts used etc, did not get the fancy video I got with Essex Ford but was happy.

I will speak to them about noise when it goes in for service.

Thank you

 

Hi Nightowl1

Did you ever find out where the noise was or is coming from as I have the same issue and on the same side on my wifes car and like you I can't find anything wrong.

Thanks 

Sam

Hello Sam,

 

No I never got to the bottom of this, changed both shocks with no improvement and now I am getting a creeking from same side at slow speeds.

The puzzle goes on...

Yeah I'm getting the same thing ive replaced the trailing arm bushes shocks ,top mounts and drop links with no joy

Thanks for info Sam, I was going to go for Top Mounts next also, but as you have had yours done with no joy, I won't bother.

Could this be subframe bushes ?, I am sure when I bought car they said mine were recently changed but I have no proof of that but MOT centre said look fine.

I guess this also leaves the springs but I am no machanic, so not sure if these could cause such noises ?.