This started happening as of 19:15 today when I drove into town to drop somebody off. It was fine earlier today.
Basically, when I pull away from stationary or near stationary, I get a strange 'clunk' noise. I cannot be sure whether I can feel it in the car or not. It's difficult to describe what it sounds like It doesn't sound like a metallic clunking, if that helps..
It only happens I pull away from very low speed - ie, from standstill in 1st, or from low speed in 2nd pulling away from a speed ramp.
I've got a 450 mile round trip in the car at the weekend and no time to get it sorted before then, what can I do?
Car is a 1999 2.0 16v Mondeo.
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Had an orion that did something similar once. Not a subtle noise at all, absolutely unmistakable. Took it to a main dealer who returned the car and asked me to book it in again as they hadn't been able to test drive it "because it was raining"(!).
I took it to my brother (more talented than I in mechanical things)who popped the bonnet, leaned on the engine and diagnosed a broken engine mount (correctly). I hope you are as lucky.
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Are these expensive to fix and how urgent is it that it gets fixed? Like I said I have to go away in the car at the weekend.
FWIW, on the advice of a friend, I tried it in reverse and there is no noise..
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If the clunk happens just as the clutch bites then it may be the exhaust 'O' ring, which is up near the manifold I believe. I had similar symptoms a few years ago on a MK1 M reg and it turned out to be this. Cheap job if i remember rightly.
PP
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That sounds encouraging. If it is this, what is happening when it goes clunk? What I need to know really is if I can get this fixed after the weekend and thus, after my trip to Swansea.
Somebody else has suggested a 'Rear torque restrictor' which is apparently a big rubber bush under the gearbox.
Is there anything I can poke about with under the car to have a look? What am I looking for?
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Well when I bought a 1995 M plate Mondeo (secondhand in 1997) it was making a distinct clunk as the clutch reached its biting point. I took the car straight back and they said immediately that it would be this 'O' ring. I'm no mechanic, but I believe it fits somewhere around where the manifold and exhaust meet. It lets the exhaust touch something else I was led to believe which is what you hear. It was a ten minute job for them to change and I wasn't charged but was told it wouldn't have cost much anyway.
Could be a few different things by the sounds of it.
I had other clunks on my 2000 X reg when I bought it which turned out to be CV joints, driveshafts and link arms but the clunks from those were pretty constant, not just on setting off.
PP
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On the advice of a friend, I just had somebody look at the engine whilst I 'tried' to drive away with the handbrake on full. The engine was moving significantly despite the car being stationary, which apparently means its one of the engine mounts?
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That would be an indication of a broken engine mount yes. There should be a small amount of movement though.
PP
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Michael , don't rule out the rear brakes esp. if it has drums/shoes . I've repaired 3 cars this week each of which had an initial clonk when pulling away . A brake cyl . had leaked fluid onto the shoes creating a sticky paste which acts as a glue and sticks the shoe to the drum , it also renders the braking efficiency worthless on that side at least .
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Get a decent low mileage Sierra - they are much more reliable.
I do agree they are hard to find these days, but I never regretted turning my nose up at a succession of Mondeos which I thought "ought" to be the "Bee`s Knees".
After 230,000 miles, I have to admit, it cannot go on for ever, and a 13 year old cheapo car has no cred (which I do not mind). But I am worried about getting a Mk 3 Mondeo, which is the obvious choice. The reliability aspect is all important.
Good luck,
AS
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Get a decent low mileage Sierra - they are much more reliable.
So they should be, considering that most of the running gear started in the Mk3 Cortina!
I keep reading about the suspect reliability of the Mondeo, but both of mine have been fine (a 1996 Mk1 and a 2004 mk3). I'm sure there are some bad ones out there, but there were a lot of cars sold so you'd expect to hear of some problems. My BMW 330d by comparison had a number of unscheduled repairs right from the off. I've owned a few other cars in between too, including a Subaru, a Peugeot 406 v6, a Saab 9-5 Aero and a Vauxhall Vectra. The only other one which needed no repairs was the Subaru.
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Agree about Subaru - my 99 Legacy Estate had been very good. But not as nice to drive as the Ford 4x4 and terrible ergonomics.
Nice to hear your Mondeos have been good too; as you imply, several swallows don`t necessarily make a summer.
AS
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