any car experts or mechanics who can advise please

worried123

Hi

Are there any car experts or mechanics who could give their opinion please. I am female, know nothing about cars and my poor corsa is now 10 years old...03 reg - I need it for my work and at this moment in time it needs some work done on it but there arent too many pennies to spare. In fact, I have spent a small fortune on it this year alone......the last thing was a full service. I need a new car to be honest but I am not in the financial running for one at the moment.

I know that it had a nearside, front inner driveshaft gaiter showing signs of wear and at the service recently was told that it had torn...probably completely. It is going into the garage in a couple of days and they feel/think that it just needs a new gaiter......However......

For a very long time now the car has made a loud cluncking, clicking noise as though something is shifting underneath the car when i do three point turns and take sharp corners......I mentioned this to them when i had 4 new tyres put on recently and they just said it was probably the tracking.....so had super tracking done on it.........goes without saying that this did not fix the problem.........the car also makes a sort of intermitent squealing type of noise whist driving along and it sounds as though it is coming from the right side wheel area.......and as mad as this sounds, a while back, after the new tyres had been put on I noticed that area....sounding like the wheel was making a sort of noise like a steam train after i had made a fairly fast journey and was slowing down to pull in somewhere...(I know - madness.....but the only way i can describe).
(regarding the sort of squealing noise.....i have had the belts replaced.......I am wondering whether it is something to do with that inner cv joint??)

I have been googling and I am reading things about the need to replace the entire axle assembly (apparently cheaper than just replacing the joints).......and more scarily I am reading things about replacing the drive shaft.......

I know nothing about cars but I am sure the car needs far more than just a gaiter replaced.......it also seems to lose oil (i did have a faulty oil pressure switch a few months ago and a major oil leak and had the switch replaced and i dont feel this is leaking).......but i do have to top up quite a lot.....

Just so worried about this car......I need to keep it on the road for maybe another 2 years if i can - heaven knows it has had enough money spent on it........my major worry is how much sorting the car out is going to cost........They are a reputable garage that many people use but they do mainly see older cars and have a tendency - unlike other rip off garages - to just do the bare minimum (they know me - a long standing customer and they know i am not rich and just want to keep this car on the road for as long as possible)........however, often the bare minimum leads to major problems later........

Can anyone advise as to what the problem sounds like....they think they are just going to replace the gaiter but i know things have got far more serious than that.......can anyone tell me roughly how much what you do suggest is going to cost me please....

Many thanks...

facade

I had an 03 plate Corsa for 9 years.

Mine used to make a tremendous CRACK underneath that I could feel through the steering when turning, it was the anti-roll bar drop links: about £7 each. If it is more of a bang/clunk you may find the exhaust is loose, or an engine mount has gone.

Your noise from the back is either brakes shoe related, or needs a new wheelbearing, probably £50.

The CV gaiter is a few pounds plus labour. If you havent left it too late that is all it needs.

Your most serious problem is the oil. My Corsa never used a drop between services, sounds as though your engine is getting well worn possibly valve seals, or piston rings, either will cost more than the car is worth really.

Just fix the CV gaiter and ask them to give the front suspension the once over, get the rear brakes/wheel bearings checked and start saving for a newer car. It will keep going a while yet as long as you keep topping up the oil.

gilbert_and_sullivan

Trust your mechanic he will know what to do about the driveshaft, it might need replacing or it might be fine for a couple of years once repacked with grease and new gaiter(s).

On the subject of oil, so long as the leak isn't too bad, buy a 5 litre can of suitably inexpensive oil and keep it topped up, its probably burning far more than it leaks and it will cost serious money to cure that.


'''They are a reputable garage that many people use but they do mainly see older cars and have a tendency - unlike other rip off garages - to just do the bare minimum (they know me - a long standing customer and they know i am not rich and just want to keep this car on the road for as long as possible)........however, often the bare minimum leads to major problems later........'''

Thats a good garage attitude for older cars, no wonder they are busy....other places can't spend your money quickly enough.

Your car sounds like its in its autumn years, no point in spending huge amounts on the thing, you say yourself you only expect another two years out of it.

arcon5

Clicking noise is most certainly the drive shaft. Last one I had done was a mondeo and cost about £120 all in. It was the inner cv joint, had it been the outer it would have been much less.

The squeak could be either brake pads wearing or possibly brake discs warped or something like an auxiliary belt squeeling, maybe a bearing on one of the wheels. The cambelt is usually on the drivers side - get this checked!!

skitler

for someone who knows nothing about cars, you seem to know a lot.

you also know the car is knackered buy don't want to admit it to yourself, sounds to me like you are going to spend another fortune on it to be just where you are now, just like having the tracking done.
if the mechanic knows whats wrong, then get him to fix it and you will pay but if its not fixed then he dosnt know whats wrong with it so you don't pay. see if he likes them onions, or is it apples, hard to tell with mechanics.
other than that I could fix it, maybe, perhaps, honest. if they cant fix it im as good as them as neither can i.

Norman_Castle

a while back, after the new tyres had been put on I noticed that area....sounding like the wheel was making a sort of noise like a steam train after i had made a fairly fast journey and was slowing down to pull in somewhere...

If this started just after the tyres were fitted suspect the tyres or fitting. Don't trust a garage which suggests their tracking service for driveshaft noise.( Did they offer to Fit things Quickly?;)).
Driveshaft boot and regrease will lessen or stop the noise and prevent it getting worse. My last car had two noisy driveshafts which had new boots. Four years later they were no worse.

poppasmurf_bewdley

The clicking on turning the steering wheel is indicative of a knackered Constant Velocity Joint (CVJ), which can happened when the boot covering it becomes loose or torn, thus letting in water, grit, etc.

It will need replacing before it fails. If it fails, you will lose the drive to the wheels.

worried123

Many thanks to everyone for your replies....very grateful.

I had a few advisories at the mot a little while back.
offside front anti roll bar link dust cover showing signes of wear.
Tyres nearing the limit - had these all replaced.
Nearside front inner driveshaft gaiter showing signs of wear
Oil lead from engine area (told to just watch oil level)
exhaust rear silencer corroded (slight leak - do this next year)

At the service about 2 months ago i was told the gaitor had now split.

I am very grateful for your replies and have made notes for when i take it into the garage.....

I want to try to keep it on the road for another two years if pos as although its knackered, as you rightly say, I cannot afford a new one at the moment and just want to sort out these obvious problems...

Thank you again.

facade

Concur a continual clicking noise on full lock is the outboard CV joint worn. Quite common on Corsa of this age, as the original metal clips that held the boots on were spotwelded, and came apart allowing the grease to escape and dirt to get in. They were mostly picked up at the first MOT (when out of warranty) so there are a lot of Corsas with prematurely worn outer joints.

worried123

Hi - thank you

What is a constant velocity joint.....and if it is this, does it mean that it doesnt need a need a new drive shaft and all those other scary things........they are intending just replacing the gaiter on tuesday........but i feel that i should i should call them tomorrow to explain that it may need more than that.......i dont want tot ake yet more time off work to go in again
is the velocity joint expensive......

Many thanks

worried123

Facade thank you

I have been told that it is the nearside inner driveshaft gaiter showing signs of wear and the gaiter has since split completely what is the outboard cv joint please........and is it a separate thing to the inner driveshaft gaiter......sounds as though this is going to end up very expensive.......
Thank you