Weird noise

General General Lotus Talk
1

I’ve just recently started to hear a weird noise coming from the back of my S1 Exige. It sounds like a rubbing noise which comes and goes with each wheel revolution.

I’ve tried switching the engine off at 50 mph (and knocked it out of gear) and the noise is still there, so I don’t think its engine related.

Its been to the garage, who removed the rear undertray and had a good poke around, nothing about to drop off, no stones in calipers / discs etc nothing rubbing the driveshafts etc. Up on the car lift, spinning the rear wheels doesn’t generate the same symptoms either.

I’m at a loss!

I know its hard to do a remote diagnosis but can anyone suggest anything useful to look at / try ?

What do failed rear wheel / gearbox / diff bearings sound like ?

2

Toby

  • can you determine which side noise is coming from?

  • have you checked if there are any wear marks on the inner wheel linings?

  • is there any play in driveshaft ball joints. Jack up - put in gear and see if there is excessive play in the wheel…Had one go on mine but it made more of a ‘clonking’ noise.

  • In my limited experience wheel bearing failure sounds more metallic

Remember tho’ when you jack up the car you are not simulating same conditions on the road…

Try jacking one side up, in turn, and running car in gear - may help determine where noise coming from…

Best of

3

Wheel bearing!

I had the same daft symptoms as you described… finally had the RHS rear replaced and all QUIET!!!

The guys who replaced it at Peter Smith Lotus told me they had seen quite a spate of these failing recently. The bearing had done circa 38K miles.

Easy job for them… less than an hour from in to out… suggesting also that they are well practiced at this one!

Bearing is only �40 ish, plus the labour. You need a big bench press to do the job… so one for the guys with the correct kit me thought!

Good luck… I hope it is as simple as this!

Pete.

4

You need a big bench press to do the job… so one for the guys with the correct kit me thought!

Pete.

Or put the bearing in the freezer for an hour for easier fit!

To diagnose try driving a gentle left hand bend then a gentle right hand bend … If the noise changes then you can be pretty certain that it’s a wheel bearing…
Also while doing one side it’s probably best to do the other side too …as pretty soon it will do the same in my experience.

5

This is a long shot and probably isn�t it, but� I had an odd noise with my old S1 that emanated from the rear and it turned out to be the cat rubbing on the under tray. Just a thought?

6

This is a long shot and probably isn�t it, but� I had an odd noise with my old S1 that emanated from the rear and it turned out to be the cat rubbing on the under tray. Just a thought?

It hasn’t got a cat

But could be the replacement silencer pipe if not…

7

It hasn’t got a cat

Doh!

8

could it be a wheel-balancing weight flicking the handbrake cable as it rotates around? I had one of the P-clips shake loose once on my Elise and the handbrake cable was getting flicked by it just gently every time the wheel rotated. Worth checking anyway.