Guest Jim Batten Posted October 25, 2005 Share Posted October 25, 2005 My Laika Ecovip MH (15000 miles) has been making a strange noise recently - well a stranger noise than usual. After 20+ miles i.e. it has had time to warm up, a noise, like something metallic rubbing up against a rubber bush, tyre or similar begins. This noise is independant of engine speed and is not affected by changing gear. The only link seems to be road speed. Disengaging the gears and free wheeling - not that I would ever do that - does not affect the level or pitch of the noise. With the help of mechanically capable friends, I have tried to locate the source of the noise but to no avail. A thorough check of the underside, mountings, prop shaft and bearings (3 of them) etc found evidence of a plastic drain pipe from the heater air intake touching the steering arm on the right hand side - but nothing else. I have scanned every MH site I can find in the hope that someone has had this problem before. My gut feeling is that it is a problem with the output shaft/ 5th/ 6th gear in the gearbox. Am I right ? and will it cost me millions to get it fixed ? Thanks in anticipation Jim Batten Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Neal Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 Jim This may sound stupid but remember, I haven't heard the noise... It's not worn brake pads is it? They can make strange noises and, sometimes, the noise isn't apparent. Here's hoping... Neal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim Batten Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 Thanks for that idea, Neal. Whilst trying to detect the source of the noise, we freewheeled (but with engine on tickover)from Langdon Beck, past the High Force Hotel and on down to Newbiggin, all in Teesdale, a distance of approximately 8 km., touching the brakes occasionally to adjust the speed. At no time was there any noticeable change in the noise that we could attribute to the braking system. We also tried opening the windows, driving past a pre-positioned observer, and had someone crawl about in the MH, ear close to the floor, all in attempts to pinpoint the source of the noise. The noise is louder in the cab, but the rest of the MH has a double floor and so would naturally muffle any noise emanating from below. I need this sorting soon. w/e of 4-6th November, we are due in Hexham and w/e 11-13th in the Lakes, both requiring the use of the MH as the base vehicle for activity weekends. I will keep looking. Thanks again, Neal, for the idea. Jim Batten Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Roy Hamilton Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 I hope that this not a daft idea, but you could try, if possible, jacking one of the driving wheels off the ground make sure the other 3 wheels are safely chocked, start the engine,put the van in gear and and keep clear of the spinning wheel and see if you can then hear the noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guy Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 Its also amazing what sort of noises a build up of brake dust can cause Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim Batten Posted October 26, 2005 Share Posted October 26, 2005 Thanks you Roy and Guy for your prompt replies. As I understand it, the Iveco Daily is fitted with "disc brakes with hydraulic floating calipers on front and rear wheels" with a manual parking brake on the rear wheels. This is similar to my car and is not, as far as I am aware, prone to the build up of brake dust. For this noise to begin, I have to drive a minimum of 20 miles, generally half to three quarters of an hour at my normal speed (!!!). Whether I drive on minor roads, requiring mucho uso of the brake pedal or cruising along a motorway seems to make no difference. Something must have to get warm for the noise to start. Once the noise has started, it is detectable down to about 20mph. It varies in overall volume as the speed changes but not in pitch. Is the 6 speed box (Type ZF S5-300) common? Thanks again for your interset. Jim Batten Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mel E Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 The symptoms you describe suggest that this noise is not the gearbox at all, or the brakes but one of the front wheel bearings. The fact that the noise is road-speed rather than engine speed related makes it unlikely to be the gearbox. I had exactly the same symptoms on a car recently. The main dealer wanted to take out the gearbox and take it to bits to find the problem, but a local specialist gearbox company diagnosed it - and cured it - correctly (and a lot less expensively!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim Batten Posted October 27, 2005 Share Posted October 27, 2005 Thank you Mel E for suggesting this as a possible cause and reminding me. I have had front wheel bearings go on me twice, once in a Bedford CF and once on a borrowed car. In addition, I have diagnosed and replaced front wheel bearings on at least two other vehicles. In all cases, when the wheel with the dodgey bearing was under pressure, ie turning to right (or left) it was noisy, when the pressure was off ie turning to left (or right) it went quiet. Swinging from side to side (slaloming) had the effect of increasing/decreasing the noise. In a front wheel drive car, the front wheel bearings and the gearbox are quite close together and the noise from either is transmitted through chassis members or body to apparently come from somewhere else. All very confusing. My MH has the gear box behind the engine, under the cab between the two front seats with the prop shaft, in three sections with three u.j.'s and their supporting bearings snaking off to the rear diff. The vehicle is now in the workshop of the dealer from whence we bought it, with a warranty claim being submitted. Their senior vehicle technician is reported as having said, on first inspecting the underside of the vehicle whilst it was on the ramp, that he could tell that the gearbox was at fault simply by the smell. My aim in all of this is to try to gain as much information as I can so that I am well armed If I end up in discussions with a recalcitrant warranty company. I have enjoyed reading all your answers and suggestions. They have made me think about what happened, what I did and what checks I had or should have carried out. I do not believe that I am the first person to have had problems like these, I still hope to find someone who has successfully dealt with them. The dealer has promised to let me have the MH for Thurs 3.11.05 I will keep you posted and let you know the result. Thanks again Mel E Jim Batten Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Neal Posted October 28, 2005 Share Posted October 28, 2005 Jim Definitely a good idea to find out as much as you can about your own vehicle. You say you do not believe that you are the first person to suffer this; well, you probably are not, but you just may be the first motorhomer to be affected due to the relatively small number of MH's on this chassis in the UK. Possibly a commercial vehicle dealer for the Iveco would be able to identify the problem in seconds if it is something that is known about. Anyway, good luck with the remedy and the warranty claim. Let us know what it actually was in due course. Regards Neal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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