2006 Fiesta, driveshaft or differential noise

[MeldrewsMate]

My daughter's Fiesta has a rumbling noise which varies directly with road speed. I suspected wheel bearings or differential bearings. On inspection there was/is no oil leakage from the gearbox, and no discernable play or roughness felt from either wheel bearing.

I jacked-up the nearside wheel, leaving the offside wheel on the ground, and ran the engine at 2000rpm in second gear, no abnormal noise was heard.
I repeated the test with just the offside wheel raised, and the abnormal noises returned.
From the above, and a bit of listening for the source of the noise I determined that the driveshaft support bearing was causing the noise.

So to my questions:
1. Is this shaft bearing prone to failure, and therefore the most likely fault?
2. Assuming the driveshaft has been removed, what likely problems can be encountered in changing that bearing?

MM

 

[DaveHerns]

How did you deduce the driveshaft support bearing was to blame? They're not renowned for failure. When you say there are no leaks from the gearbox did you check it is full to the correct level?

 

[Peter.N.]

I would think most likely its a wheel bearing. Listen to the noise when you are cornering, if it becomes noisier or quieter in one direction it will be a bearing. The noise will usually not be present when there is no load, i.e. wheel jacked up.

Peter

 

[MeldrewsMate]

How did you deduce the driveshaft support bearing was to blame? They're not renowned for failure. When you say there are no leaks from the gearbox did you check it is full to the correct level?

.
A short length of hose in the ear can prove a remarkable directional tool. Oil level checked as part of normal servicing.

I would think most likely its a wheel bearing. Listen to the noise when you are cornering, if it becomes noisier or quieter in one direction it will be a bearing. The noise will usually not be present when there is no load, i.e. wheel jacked up.

Peter

The noise does not change significantly when cornering left or right (except for that assciated with the inner wheel turning slower than the outer wheel on tight turns). As stated, though, the noise was fully apparent with the driver's side wheel jacked of the ground, rotating, and by inferrence, unloaded. It did not change on gentle application of the brakes either.

 

[MeldrewsMate]

I suppose an application of some penetrating oil to the suspect intermediate bearing would be a useful diagnostic, in that it would temporarily lubricate a dry, rumbling bearing.

 

[Burnerman]

Another one for the wheel bearing......anything but the diff
With the suspect wheel spinning, use the screwdriver stethescope to listen at the bottom of the strut and the hub, and see what you hear.
The diff bearings are big taper rollers and rarely fail - I cant comment on the support bearing though - never replaced one.
John
I'll just edit this one......wheel bearings can last forever, but most don't - anything after around 80k in my experience.
J.

 

[Peter.N.]

Hi John

I had a support bearing fail on an XM to the extent that the shaft came out of the gearbox! But it never made a sound, not that I am suggesting that it couldn't.

The noise on a failing bearing is usually due to the case hardening failing leaving lots of little pits that the bearings can fall into so lubrication may not affect it but its worth a try.

Peter

 

[Burnerman]

Agreed, Peter.
Recently I've had some real howler bearings - initially there was no play at all, just plenty of noise, and the noise didn't change which ever way the car was steered. That threw me a bit!
Two months later, there was play in evidence although the volume of the noise hadn't particularly increased. This was on a Skoda Fabia estate, 07 plate, 85k.
I'm sure the bearings had minimal lube to start with....less drag, better economy if you can believe that rubbish.
Regards
John

 

[DaveHerns]

A short length of tube in the ear is only any real use for balancing carbs... Just because your gearbox was checked at the last service doesn't mean it's still full, it may have sprung a leak. I'd say most likely to be a wheel bearing and for what it costs, that would be my first choice.
PeterN , what XM did you have? I love old Citroens apart from the rust.

 

[Peter.N.]

Hi Dave

I had about six or seven 2.1 td estates over a period of about 15 years. Lovely cars, comfortable, roomy and 50+ mpg driven gently. None of them went rusty until about 6 or 7 years ago when it seems the galvanising expired. We had two most of the time, one for my wife and I even supplied my son with one, a couple of them had done nearly 300k and were still going well.

You could buy them very cheaply and if anything serious went wrong I just bought another one, but they rarely did. I would probably still be running one if they hadn't nearly all fallen to pieces. The last four all had the same registration letters 'YBL' and were reg in January '96, last ones with non electronic fuel injection, used a Bosch pump and lasted nearly forever.

Peter

 

[DaveHerns]

I nearly bought one of the last C5's , a 16 reg 2.0Hdi Exclusive Tourer with the Tech pack. Had an 06 reg one as a company car. Friends ran CX's and GS's in the 1970's. Maybe the DS brand will see some of the old Citroen quirkiness return.

 

[Peter.N.]

I replaced my last XM with an early C5 but was rather disappointed with it compared with the XM.

Peter

 

[DaveHerns]

I can believe that. The ride on the early C5s came in for criticism.

 

[Peter.N.]

The 2.2 with hydractive wasn't bad but the 2.0. was dreadful, used to pitch on uneven roads, I put all new spheres on mine and replaced the trailing arm bearings, to little avail. The 2.0. was much better on fuel, would do up to 60 mpg, you had difficulty getting 50 mpg from the 2.2.

Strangely though my son has a 2.2 coupe and that will do 60 mpg, with me driving it, he seems to have been in luck and got a good engine.

Peter

 

[Mottie]

How did you deduce the driveshaft support bearing was to blame? They're not renowned for failure. When you say there are no leaks from the gearbox did you check it is full to the correct level?

I’ve changed a fair few of these bearings in the past so definately not unheard of. Easy to check if you remove the shaft and spin it. You probably could just remove the retaining clamp (two 13mm nuts), lever the shaft away from the block and spin the bearing by hand. With the shaft removed, I’ve knocked them off with a cold chisel and drifted the new one back on using a length of pipe. Only knock the inner race though when refitting and not the outer one!