Ford KA 1.3 - Ford KA sounds like Death!!

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
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Fri 22 Jul 2011 23:43
Ford KA 1.3 - Ford KA sounds like Death!! - Prince23

Hi all

The mother's 2001 KA sounds terrible. Just had new lower wishbones both side. Now when you get up to about 30-40 mps there is a very loud whirring noise coming from somewhere, plus the power steering has gone. Only thing I can think is the steering rack? Anyone good any better (cheaper) ideas?

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Sun 24 Jul 2011 13:16
Ford KA 1.3 - Ford KA sounds like Death!! - prdillingham

Doubt it's the rack - need to go through a sequence starting with the simplest! Is there power steering fluid in the reservoir and are there any leaks? Is the auxiliary drive belt ok and driving the power steering pump? Sounds like it's not been put back together properly - wonder if the whirring noise is a driveshaft issue - if you grab the middle of each driveshaft and push it back and forward axially along its length, is there slight free play?

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Sun 24 Jul 2011 13:23
Ford KA 1.3 - Ford KA sounds like Death!! - jc2

There aren't wishbones on this car-if you mean the lower suspension arm,it can be changed without affecting the driveshafts.

Edited by jc2 on 24/07/2011 at 13:24

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Mon 25 Jul 2011 13:19
Ford KA 1.3 - Ford KA sounds like Death!! - prdillingham

You're completely right - it CAN be, but on the other hand if someone didn't know what they were doing and pulled it out a bit far, or one of the bearings on the joint fell of or is breaking up, all the little rollers could be sitting in the grease in the rubber boot... and that would give a lot of play and sound like death...

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Mon 25 Jul 2011 14:00
Ford KA 1.3 - Ford KA sounds like Death!! - jamie745

In my experience the engines used in the old Ka's and indeed in many Ford's dating back to the Romans sounded like death quite frequently anyway!

Edited by jamie745 on 25/07/2011 at 14:09

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Mon 25 Jul 2011 18:06
Ford KA 1.3 - Ford KA sounds like Death!! - Bedhead

I'd say the rack has burst it's seals and the PAS pump is running dry.

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Mon 25 Jul 2011 23:22
Ford KA 1.3 - Ford KA sounds like Death!! - Prince23

Power steering fluid isn;t leaking from anywhere but its gargling. I've tried bleeding the power steering but to no avail so I'm guessing its the power steering pump thats gone. Since there is no power steering, it isn't being pumped around and the pump runs off the belt so this could be making the noise??

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