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Creaking upon acceleration? Rattle 1.5-2k?

E

Ep33by

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25
Hey all type R owners,
I have a 2002 ep3 type R and having a small drama,
Upon acceleration from traffic lights i have creaking noise coming from front end,
it happens mainly in first and second gear (so low load when car starts moving)
I can get it to happen in other gears but must come off the accelerator and re-press it.
i searched and found a similar thread saying dry ball joints, my ball joints are leaking and i regreased them this afternoon, the noise still there, possibly could be subframe? As i recently replaced my front mount. Anyone else had this issue? And diagnosis?

also got a issue that doesnt bother me too much,
rattle/shudder noise between 1.5-2k RPM (goes away at 2,000rpm), i have read the thread above andso far removed driveshaft heatsheild but no luck, the other heatsheilds and iVtec cover all have no vibration or loose or corroded in anyway :s happy to continue moving other items, but i'm a bit sus as it may be just clutch release bearing or clutch springs rattling away or even clutch shudder.

i dont want to cause damage to my ep3 as irrts a great car :)

forgot to mention car 100% stock and have recently replaced rh engine mount and front!
Thanks!
 
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I know it sounds stupid but make sure your wheel bolts are 100% completely tight to resolve a shuddering. Also check the exhaust heat shield.

The creaking noise when accelerating is most certainly the steering rack. It is a known problem and i had the same issue with my EP3 02. The way to resolve it is a new rack but a short term fix is to locate the rubber covers that protect the joints. Make a tiny hole in the rubber and squirt lithium grease in there for around 30 seconds.
Now be careful about the holes you make because it is an MOT failure if your Mechanic spots it, but if you are neat enough no one will notice.
You may find you need to make 2 holes, 1 at each end of the seal like i did but this will stop the creaking if that is the problem for 6 months or so. Be warned though it will come back again and again until it is replaced. Be sure to check each end of the rack, mine was the drivers side.

Another thing that you can check is sometimes you will get a squeaking, creaking sound coming from the cables taht run over the engine head. Basically the cables can come loose from their metal clips and they rub against each other creating this sound.
Otherwise, the glove box can rattle as well. Just glue some foam to the corners and that will cease.

Unfortunately these cars can get a little creaky over time.
 
Wow very helpful post!
Just to clarify the wheels are all tight as went over them yesterday, in my opinion the shuddering is definately a metal on metal contact shuddering (only a noise-no vibration felt), similar to that of a heat sheild. I will remove exhaust heat sheild over the weekend!

Never would have suspected the steering rack!? What exactly is the cause? Sounds extremely odd as it happens only when driving straight from traffic lights, did see this was a common issue but wasnt certain that it would be a remotely similar creak, i would be under the impression that a steering rack creak would arise upon steering operation. Ill see if i can make some holes and squirt grease in there over the weekend, not a drama if it fixes it for a couple of months, as i will re-do every service.

edit: just had a look on youtube at other owners steering rack creaks and sounds similar! Car noises are incredibly frustrating! Its amazing how steering rack slides creak like this, hopefully wont fail anytime soon :S

thanks
 
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Didnt get a chance to do the fix over the weekend :( i heard a squeak as well on a long drive today, is this the same noise getting worse?
 
Thanks for the help! I regreased my rack today with quick pin holes, worked a treat! No creaking! Great!

rattle still evident! Removed rusty exhaust manifold heatsheild today!
 
Would you mind doing a quick how to on this rack greasing malarky, preferably with pics? :D
 
I didnt take any photos and is night time where i am,
the rack geasing is all over the net :)

The most simple way is listed above, but again;

-obtain spray grease from local automotive shop (with small nozel)
-locate your steering rack at the back of the engine bay
-note the 2 black dust boots either side of the steering rack
-create using a very small pin a hole in one of the boots, be sure not to scratch your rack slides! (Underneath boots)
-squeeze the nozel into the pin hole and spray! Heaps! , repeat on other boot. Ensure holes do not tear as this is a MOT i believe
-turn steering wheel left and right and repeat a few times
-test drive and see how it goes! There are reports of it taking 2 days for the grease to get around the rack

This is a short term fix, imo i'll just keep doing this rather than replacing the rack unless it's a completely nessicary

This is the quick easy DIY way to do it, many people do not reccomend this.
You can cut the boot clamps on either side and re-grease effectively along the shafts, then refit boots with clamps or zipties :)

easy enough? :) let me know how you go
 
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Still trying to trace the vibration, mainly heard in too high of a gear going up hills just before 2,000 rpm. This is my first manual car so it might just be clutch shudder? Not sure :S
 
Ep33by said:
Still trying to trace the vibration, mainly heard in too high of a gear going up hills just before 2,000 rpm. This is my first manual car so it might just be clutch shudder? Not sure :S
Click to expand...

If you're creeping up hill and press the clutch suddenly.. Any noises then? Ie engine mount
 
No noises then, very strange. Drove a euro today and was similar noise so not really phased anymore.
All engine mounts ok as i swapped my broken ones :)
 
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