D

dog-man

Active Member
2006 TD4.

I have a metallic whirring / whistling sound which is only apparent from about 40 mph. It doesn't seem to increase with speed but is definitely not apparent below about 40 mph.

I have no sense of sound direction as I am deaf in one ear.

My wife seems to think that it is probably coming from inside the car luggage area. She sat in the rear seat today to try and narrow it down.
My first thought was perhaps some tools inside the lockable area rattling against each other but that would surely happen before 40 mph.

My wife is notoriously not good at sound direction even though she has normal hearing, so it is possible she is wrong.

Assuming it is coming from the rear of the car has anyone any ideas what to look for?
I will check out the storage area just in case, but I will be surprised if anything in there is at fault.
 
Yes, could be. I have just done some research and the vcu bearings are definitely a possibility.

Are there any tests I can do to confirm or deny?

Noise starts around 40mph. Still there if I take foot of accelerator and press clutch pedal.

If it is the vcu bearings, is it an urgent repair? What can happen if I don't replace them within a certain time?
 
They will just get louder until they eventually collapse, then you won't be able to move the car apart from limping along.

Don't really know about a test apart from giving the prop a wiggle either side of the VCU, not even sure if that will show a problem depending how advanced it is.

Might be worth whipping them off - should be fairly obvious then!
 
Anyone any idea what sort of price I could expect to pay a non LR garage to replace the bearings in case I can't find the time to do them myself?
 
I'm guessing £45/hour, shouldn't take longer than 30 minutes for an experienced spanner monkey, you can buy them from Ebay for varying cost (but GKN seem to be the best), or give Bell Engineering a call, they are very reputable and I'm sure they'll sell you some.

However, of course it would make sense to check that these are in fact the problem first!
 
Another question.........

Finding the time to do the repair myself might be difficult for a while, so if I was to remove the prop shaft can the car still be used until I find the time to repair and replace?
Is it just a case of removing the prop and the car is useable?
Would only be for about 3 weeks or so. No public transport for me to get to work. I work some funny hours.
 
dog-man said:
How would I know they are at fault if and when I take them off?
Click to expand...

Stick your locating up either on your profile ir the Fred and someone might be able to come and have a look/listen for cake or chips...:)

(I'm Wakefield/Barnsley ... )
 
When you take them off, if they are knackered it should be fairly obvious as they should be free and spin easily if they're ok, but you'll probably notice some movement in the bearing (not the wobbly rubber bit obv) and they may even be graunchy if they're worn.

I doubt they'll wear evenly so you should notice a difference bwetween the two.

It's fine to run the car without the prop, in fact it's recommended by some!

Except of course it might be a good idea to get it back on before the rumoured snow hits, otherwise you'll miss all the fun :)

[EDIT] Wot he said ---^ [/EDIT]
 
If your gonna spend time removing the prop, you might as well replace the bearings.....will take about the same amount of time.
 
I am hoping to remove my prop and vcu next weekend, weather allowing and run it as a 2xwd for a short period..
That will confirm whether the noise is caused by the vcu bearings or not.

I sometimes get the impression that something is holding back the car, as if it is caught in a strong head wind, so would I be right in thinking that the vcu could be on its way out?
The car has only done 45k. I know nothing about the history of the car except that I have had it for 2 years, it had 29k on the clock (genuine) when I purchased it and only one previous owner.

If it is possible that the vcu is possibly faulty, then I am looking at purchasing one with a pair of bearings from 'Island 4x4' for £390. Is this a good price?
It is claimed it is a GKN original.
 
dog-man said:
Is this a good price?
Click to expand...

No it isn't.

Talk to Bell Engineering. They seem to be the best company around to deal with.

Their recon VCU is £200 for starters.....mine was fitted for £300 with new bearings.

Look at their website and do Hippo's test which is a sticky at the top of the FL section.
 
Last edited:
dog-man said:
I am hoping to remove my prop and vcu next weekend, weather allowing and run it as a 2xwd for a short period..
That will confirm whether the noise is caused by the vcu bearings or not.

I sometimes get the impression that something is holding back the car, as if it is caught in a strong head wind, so would I be right in thinking that the vcu could be on its way out?
The car has only done 45k. I know nothing about the history of the car except that I have had it for 2 years, it had 29k on the clock (genuine) when I purchased it and only one previous owner.

If it is possible that the vcu is possibly faulty, then I am looking at purchasing one with a pair of bearings from 'Island 4x4' for £390. Is this a good price?
It is claimed it is a GKN original.
Click to expand...
with decent bearings , its not a bad price , and it is possible for any part to fail for many reasons ,removing prop- will rule in or out anything back including that bearings
 
Make sure you use GKN bearings. If they are less than £90 a pair they probably aren't and will fail quickly as many have found. They've increased in price a lot in the last couple of years!!
 
I've read about a few months in normal useage. Have a search for VCU bearings and you will see. Britpart are some of the worst and even the Allmakes and Bearmach ones don't fare that well. GKN ones are standard fit IIRC and FAG ones seem to be ok. All the cheapy ones you see on ebay are ****e. IIRC the one you were talking about can fit GKN on request but you will pay more. It's worth it though.
 
I have a similar noise comes on at about 40mph and increases as the speed increases. I have checked the central bearings and tested the VCU and they seem perfect. I've also checked the oil in the back axle (all ok) and changed the oil in the IRD ( no bits of metal on the magnet), could it be wheel bearings or tyres. The only problem I have had recently was a slow puncture on the front offside tyre that has left the tread a wee bit down on the outside parts of the tread.

Any help would be appreciated.
 
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