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[mr singh]

i used an old rear silencer heat shield off a 2009 XK. brake pipes run along the rear bulk head but i figured its best to protect them over not having the heat shield fitted. picture of of reshaped and fitted should be on my things wrong thread.

[minimayhem]

i used an old rear silencer heat shield off a 2009 XK. brake pipes run along the rear bulk head but i figured its best to protect them over not having the heat shield fitted. picture of of reshaped and fitted should be on my things wrong thread.

Hmm read through your thread, couldnt find the post in question but saw something about the stabiliser bar.  Interestingly enough, I've thought about the mount being worn as when the car is parked with the nose up there is a fair amount of engine juddering felt.  This may be normal as higher amount of weight on the bar, but I dont know.  When the nose is pointing down, the rattle in question is heard.

One thing I didnt do is remove the heat shield to confirm its the issue, which I'll do tonight.

What I would say though is what the noise is only heard in first/2nd gear when pulling away, otherwise its all quiet (may be quiet over road noise!).  When pulling away the noise is heard in 2 bursts: noise - quiet - noise; as whatever is moving is shifting around as I drive away.  This confuses me quite a bit to be honest; I didnt think that engine/exhausts rock during moving away.

[cecil]

The power of the engine compresses the rubber in the stabiliser bar. Overtime the rubber shrinks,hardens and ovals making the hole bigger. This is not always visible unless the bar is removed. This means the engine judders. Our four fours are getting to the age where worn old rubber is beginning to cause issues round the car.

[mr singh]

i do recall posting something here regarding my manifold heat shield... ill have a look and get back.

pictures have now been added

[minimayhem]

Well finally after moving between houses/storage units Pip's days of being a van are over.  This weekend I spent 4 hours cleaning the interior - it was simply that dirty. 

She also got an early service and the engine stabiliser replace.  This really has helped with the engine wobble, but I can still feel it on occasion - in time I'll replace the other two engine mounts, starting with the side mount in a few weeks. 

Other than that I need to fix the front interior light which has come off (plastic tabs are broken, going to try and remake them). 

Also spent a stupid amount of money on car detailing equipment today.  The plan is this weekend to:

- Wash the car
- Clay bar the car
- Compound the car
- Polish the car
- Wax the car

I'm hoping that this removes all the light scratches/minor scuffs and gets her looking spankingly clean.  Once that's done she's back to being my little economic run-around, and the weeks are being counted down until the MOT!

[Problemchild]

Bet it looks fab

JJ

[El Tel]

Ooh, yes please - pictures when it's shiny!

I plan to do the same actually, had mine since March, black on black. The paint needs a good polish and wax, it's in good condition for 13 year old, but the birdsh*t has taken its toll here and there. (Any tips for that?)

I plan to get some meguiars to sort the swirling and polish the paint, and some more meguiars to polish up the headlights, followed by a good waxing. If it still needs it, I'll get the T-Cut out.

Unfortunately my front bumper is a bit cracked, it had a slight shunt before I got her. Can't see the damage from a distance but up close... I need to replace the offside and center pieces before I can get my exterior looking perfect.

BTW... Pip is a nice name. I named mine 'Fifi'... cute names seem to fit the Smart F4 well...

[minimayhem]

Pics!

Took me a while to get to due to a mess up with the delivery from DPD.  But yesterday she got the treatment that was deserved.

I should have taken pictures at each step, but alas,  hindsight.

Before.....








And after....







So much nicer.  Swirl marks are completely gone, as it most (but unfortunately not all) of the tar stuck to the bodywork.  But it really is so much better, the shine is back and the paint for the most part feels completely smooth.

Telsblay, best thing to do is get a clay bar and use that to get off as much residue as possible.  That'll prep the bodywork for the polish or compound the latter is used to remove paint staining/light scuffs - I had some what looked like some old bird poo and tree sap all over it and thankfully the compound + polish removed that and a lot of general light scuffs around the car.  Also did what your planning compounded+polished the lights too, so they are so much clearer now! Compound is best to use at first because its more abrasive.

[Deszus]

Do a trick that I do. Wash tyres, rinse with water and let it dry. Spray dry tyres with pledge (silicon based polish), and with sponge, spread it evenly over tyre.

Like new for next few days. Great looking even on 12 years old alloys like mine.

[minimayhem]

Been a while since I posted on this thread.

Well the car is still going.  Engine bouncing has gotten worse but its still driving.  Rattling from the heat shield has not got any worse.  The o/s/r caliper binded again last weekend to the point where the disc was bright red.  I've got new pads and pipes to fit this Saturday, fingers crossed it all goes OK because I'm getting pretty fed up with this car.

The knocking I think is coming from the front o/s top strut mount.  The car is still pulling to the left and replacing the ARBs didnt help.  Not sure what to do next.

[Brabs]

I’m sorry to hear that you’re getting fed up with your car! Don’t forget that our forfours are getting on a bit now and will be needing some maintenance and replacement parts, as would most cars of this age. The pulling to the left could be a wheel alignment problem. Easy to get checked. Calliper replacement is a fairly cheap and easy fix too as is the top strut mount. Could be the knocking is a broken spring.

 

[CrazyG]

Engine 'bouncing' !   As per a previous post in this thread it sounds
as if the rubbers have perished in one or both ends of what is inaptly
called the 'lower engine mount'...inapt as it is actually a stabiliser
to stop the engine rocking back and forth.
Read this Guide on replacing it..
http://www.forfour.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=301.0
but ensure you obtain the correct part for your car as there is more
than one. (For info see the last post in that thread)

Pulling to the left eh ?  The tracking could be out, possibly down to
a wheel being kerbed, or...from a sharp hard bang over a speed hump
or the impact damage caused when encountering a pothole, or even a
worn track rod end ! But it could also be caused by a broken spring.
That can sometime be easily identified by the car sitting lower on one
side at the front, otherwise give it a check over.
Jack up the front of the car, and chock the rear wheels.
Remove both front wheels...then visually checkout both front springs.
If both are ok, then refit wheels, lower the car and go get the tracking
checked and adjusted if necessary.
Unequal tyre wear is another sign of tracking out of alignment, or worn
track rod ends, and even a broken spring.
One 'give away' sign of a broken spring can be a graunching, grinding
or pinging sound as the steering is turned and the broken end of the
spring digs in to either the upper or the lower suspension mounting
cups of one of the suspension struts.

As for a strut top mount needing replacing.....hmmmm...possibly...
but I've not seen any needing replacing in all the years I've been
in or around the vicinity of S2smarts. Mind you, the 454's are now
15+ years old...so it may be 'their time' to start showing up.
However, unless you have the time, experience and tools to dismantle
the front suspension (including removing the pads and calipers) to
check them out, then I would strongly suggest you get those...in fact
ALL of the possible symptoms checked out by a Smart 'indie'.
To be perfectly honest, for the time it would save you as opposed to
the time it would take them to do it I would have your car checked
over by them...AND...whilst its up on the hoist have them also
change the lower engine stabiliser bar and...the rear brake caliper+pads.
Well worth it for the time and effort it would save you.

I'm not sure if every 'indie' has the facilities to check tracking, but
you can always ask.

[Problemchild]

Fixing is always going to be cheaper than a new car

Bear with
Bear with

JJ

[minimayhem]

I'll take a look at the spring, thanks.  I had the tracking done recently, and have replaced both engine mounts and stabiliser bar - I think its the clutch, although the bite point is fine and its not slipping.  Not sure what else it could be.  Its whenever I engage a gear the car bounces in the same motion as when its stalling.  I can counteract this most of the time with very smooth and rev matched gear changes, but not all the time.

I'm loath to replace the caliper again as the one on there is less than 6 months old after the last one bound and seized up.  The fact its my second caliper in a year makes me think its the pipe thats collapsed, as only one side is binding so it wont be the handbrake needing adjustment.

Picking up new pads tomorrow and I have the pipes already. 

[Problemchild]

Are you using s2smarts?

JJ