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156 Front End Rattle

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6K views 36 replies 11 participants last post by  Pud237 
#1 ·
Hi, new here so please feel free to redirect me if I posted this in the wrong place.
I have just taken ownership of a 156 2.0 JTS Sportwagon. I love it already, but it does have several issues. Nothing major or unusual for an old car. The only thing that really concerns me is a rattle from the front end when I go over bumps in the road (and there are many bumps these days).
I picked the car up last weekend so have not had a chance to look at this properly yet. But I will investigate this weekend.
The steering feels tight with no unusual knocks or sounds when turning lock to lock. The car turns and steers spot on with no tracking issues. But when I hit a bump I hear this low pitch but quite loud rattle. I am pretty sure it is something hitting the bodywork underneath the car. I just wondered if anyone had any pointers as to where to look?
 
#3 ·
Front suspension likely culprits are upper wishbones (balljoint or bushes), lower wishbones (balljoint or bushes), anti roll bar bushes or anti roll bar droplinks. There are other things that can rattle but these are the main causes. If you can almost feel the knock through the floor I'd be tempted to say its most likely anti roll bar bushes as this knock gets transmitted straight to the bodyshell and you can feel it more like that than you can in the steering. Wishbone problems tend to show up in poor handling and knocking felt through the steering wheel.

If you're anywhere near Penrith feel free to bring the car up to us, we do free healthchecks and can probably give you a list of things that need sorting soon and things to watch out for in the future.
 
#5 ·
Hi, thanks for the input. It is indeed a dull kind of rattle, usually 2 or 3 low pitch knocks in quick succession after hitting a bump, predominantly from the passenger side I think. And yes I can feel it through the floor, but there is nothing transmitted to the steering wheel. The other minor issues are things like headlight alignment, climate control issues and just legal tyres, that sort of thing.
But yesterday however, I got the dreaded MCSF message and engine warning light. Quite common apparently?
 
#6 ·
But yesterday I got the dreaded MCSF message and engine warning light. Quite common apparently?
Its common for cars to develop faults, but MCSF is not a specific fault, its just a message that is displayed to tell you that there is a fault of some kind and you need to plug in with diagnostics to find out what the fault is.
 
#7 ·
I'll guess at the ARB bushes/drop links or both. Started off on my GT with a noticeable rattle over rough surfaces and bumbs with noticeable knocking on n/s but definitely from under the car. Then knocking on o/s and finally it felt like the whole car was taking the force of bumps to the extent I was swerving to avoid cracks in the road.

I kept having to leave it as I've had one issue after another to sort over the last few months to sort out as priority, but having finally got the bushes done this week the car is totally transformed. No more rattling, knocking or crashing.

Unfortunately another noise has developed in the last 2 weeks diagnosed as play in the n/s driveshaft in the inner joint, so it's going back in the garage again in a week.
 
#8 ·
Ok, I have a good idea where to start looking then, hopefully it is just a drop link that is bad. Replacing the ARB looks like a pain and not a job to be doing laying in the gutter. I don't have access to a garage to work in the warmth. Motorbikes are my usual thing, coz I can get them in my shed. :classic:
 
#9 ·
I fitted strongflex to my uppers, replaced lowers with TRW. New TRW drop links. Autolusso Powerflexed the ARB. I have a slight metallic creak coming from somewhere noticeable on acceleration from standstill, to a lesser extent on firm breaking. It's not that loud but I would like to sort it. Sounds like coming from n/s but not 100% sure.

The only thing I can think of was I over tightened and stripped the rear outer mount. The inner is solid. Do you think this would be enough to cause a slight creak, even though all over bolts felt fine? Am considering placing a longer bolt and nyloc nut to see it that helps. Any comments?
 
#15 · (Edited)
Congrats with your "new" Alfa 156 SW. Lovely car. :smokin:

Am a bit confused, what you mean by “rattle”, but for an Alfa 156 the most likely culprits for a rattle would be the heat shields placed in front of the exhaust manifold and just above the exhaust muffler and catalytic converters.

You also might want to have a look at the under tray beneath the engine. The air intake filter housing also tend to be able to make a rattle noise in case it isn’t fitted properly (which after a while might even cause MAF failure because of the vibrations)

In most cars you would also hear a rattle from the engine, in case of low oil level.
So if you are new to Alfa Romeo it might be appropriate to remind you to check the oil regularly (at intervals of about a fortnight or three weeks). It’s important that the oil level always reaches exactly at the max. mark of the dipstick. The JTS requires 10 W60 synthetic oil.

Apologies if you already knew all that.:eek:

A rattle sounding a bit like a diesel engine up to 2500 rpm might also be caused by a faulty variator.

If that sound is actually coming from the suspension I fully agree with those above giving advise on that.
 
#22 ·
Suspension issues are well covered here and pretty easy to diagnose with the car up and a big screwdriver or crowbar.
I'm sure if it is suspension the answer is here. The ARB bushes are cheapest part but hardest to replace...
My left field suggestion would be any of the catalytic converters. Both my sons 147 (front cat) and brothers 147 (middle cat) developed rattles when the ceramic stuff inside broke away. Easy enough to confirm - with the car up I hit the cat with a rubber hammer and I could hear the loose stuff inside and from the cabin they confirmed it was the same noise.
 
#23 ·
Had the front of the car up today. Took some photos of the ARB bushes NS then OS.
The ARB moves about 1cm either way when I push and pull on it, it also makes the same dull clunk noise that I hear over bumps. Although while driving it makes a couple of thumps like it is spring loaded.
 

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#25 ·
Yep if you can move the bar side to side then the bushes are worn. Flexi section of the exhaust off then drop the subframe a few inches and the bar will come out the side with a bit of wiggling. If yours is the same as mine you'll need a 12mm or 1/2in drill bit to drill the mount bracket rivets out.

It's 3 or 4 hours work (or more if the exhaust bolts give you trouble) so if you want to be double sure, unbolt the drop links and tie up the bar, then go for a short drive. If all is silent, carry on with the bush replacement. Also with the drop links off you should be able to see up and down movement of the bar in one (at least) of the bushes, which is what actually makes the noise, not the side to side movement. To diagnose mine, I stuffed a packer between the outside of the bush and the shoulder on the bar to stop the side to side movement, but it still made the exact same noise.
 
#26 ·
To diagnose mine, I stuffed a packer between the outside of the bush and the shoulder on the bar to stop the side to side movement, but it still made the exact same noise.
I was thinking of trying the same, but thanks, now I know it will probably make no dif. I have a couple of other things to do under the car, exhaust heatshield fell off and oil/filter change, so I will probably replace the bushes and drop links at the same time, I'll try unfastening the links first though and see if the noise goes away.
 
#27 · (Edited)
Got some stuff sorted this weekend, oil/filter changed, heat shield reattached. I also disconnected the drop links from the ARB and and cable tied it out of the way. The annoying rattle has indeed gone. So good call on the ARB. The car is currently being used for pottering around town/to and from work, max 10 miles a day. Nothing more than 30mph. Shouldn't be a problem if I leave the ARB disconnected until the new parts arrive???
 
#33 ·
Where I live in NZ if you have an accident and your car is found to have some fault then the insurance company must prove that the fault contributed to the accident in order to deny a claim. So if you lose control in wet conditions and your car has bald tires, they can legitimately deny the claim. If you are stationary and the car is rear ended, they cannot deny the claim just because your front anti roll bar drop links have fallen off.

I assume those that worry about insurance companies in this way also never break the speed limit, because that will give them a more legitimate out.
 
#35 ·
Well the new drop links and ARB bushes arrived on Friday. Weather being what it was this weekend, I didn't get around to doing the bushes. Put the new drop links on and I will sort the bushes when I have more time and less wind and rain.
I also replaced all the wipers and the rear gas struts, car is coming along nicely, just the ARB bushes and a couple of other little things to go.
 
#36 ·
I had a look at sorting the ARB bushes last week, but decied it was beyond the resources I had to hand. So went to my local garage. He said yeah it will take 2 to 3 hours. Cool I said when can you do it? Dropped the car off this morning on my way to work. Went back to get it on the way home and he had done... nothing. He made a start apparently, then decided it would take him way more than 3 hours, so put back what he had removed and parked the car up for the day.
So I guess the ball is back in my court.
 
#37 ·
I see this all the time, a local garage near me brought us a V6 cambelt change a couple of weeks ago that they'd gotten halfway through and decided the best course of action would be to give up on - much more profitable doing easy stuff like Fords and Vauxhalls than working out how to do a complicated job on an old Alfa, especially one they are likely as not never going to do again.
 
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