Volkswagen Polo IV - Rattles for first couple of miles; rattle stops

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Wed 12 Dec 2012 16:18
Volkswagen Polo IV - Rattles for first couple of miles; rattle stops - treetrx

My Polo squeaks and creaks (and rattles a little) for the first couple of miles or so of a journey; then the noise stops and driving seems quieter normal. It seems to happen if there is any uneveness in the road or often when I change gear or brake.

I took it to the garage and after a quick look they said it was the front nearside wheelarch bush, which they said needs changing; and they want to change the offside front bush at the same time. So the car is booked in for tomorrow.

I'm not sure they're right, as the noise seems to be nearer the offside middle or rear of the car. They'll have to run it further up the road anyway to see that the noise stops.

Can anyone please tell me what else it might be?

Also they said changing the bushes would be a couple of hours' work. Is that right, and approx how much would parts be? And do both need changing? (Though that was the junior mechanic's estimate - they are generally very fair.)

Thank you in advance

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Wed 12 Dec 2012 21:10
Volkswagen Polo IV - Rattles for first couple of miles; rattle stops - Big John

Squirt of WD40?

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Wed 12 Dec 2012 22:18
Volkswagen Polo IV - Rattles for first couple of miles; rattle stops - treetrx

Thanks, not sure whereabouts though, I'll suggest it to the garage in the morning. Having looked at the Advisory Note from the last MOT, the nearside front shock absorber had a 'slightly reduced damping effect' and 'a light misting of oil'. Could the problems be related to that?

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Wed 12 Dec 2012 23:31
Volkswagen Polo IV - Rattles for first couple of miles; rattle stops - Crasher

Have the bushes at the back of the front wishbones checked, what are called consul bushes. If these are split, consider polyurethane replacements from a company such as Powerflex as these are easier to fit and will last a lot longer. There does not seem to be a dynamic downside to these, I even managed to get away with fitting them to my wife’s Polo 4 GTI and she is very fussy about her ride quality…

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Thu 13 Dec 2012 08:19
Volkswagen Polo IV - Rattles for first couple of miles; rattle stops - treetrx

Thank you I will speak to the garage about the consul bushes this morning.

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