I was backing The Mighty Vectra up the drive and it made a massive SPANG noise. At first I thought I’d hit something but I hadn’t.

All the tires are fine and as far as I can tell all the belts are where they should be around the engine. It also handled normally on the way to work so the suspension seems intact.

Any ideas?

Broken road spring?

probably a broken spring or suspension part mount, despite the apparent good handling.

best get someone to put it on a ramp and have a look.

c.v. joint (put full lock on…does it make a spang noise)?

once had a vw that got the dust cover on the top of the shock hung up on the spring from time to time. when you went over a speed bump the cover would bind on the shock, be hooked up on the spring until it came free with an almighty ‘twang’ that sent vibration through the car and made a hell of a noise. just reshaped it a bit and it was fine.
other causes of noises are available.

Better than a BELM noise ?

Hmmm… I was reversing straight backwards at crawling pace and the springs were replaced 2 months ago.

I shall drive backwards around the works car park at lunch time slowly in a tight figure of 8 shouting “SPANG YOU BASTARD” until a) it SPANGS or b) I get asked by the MD to stop it.

Stuck brake coming unstuck?

Did you have Vic and Bob in the back at all?

Perhaps you had a really, really, REALLY good idea but then forgot it?

Have you checked your junk?

Handbrake cable seizing on..

My car stopped making the dug dug ug dug noise toaday after I stuck the spare wheel on the front drivers side, unfortunately the sunroof jog jig jig jog noise is now more audible and the kachick dunk is still there and the ding dunk from the exhaust only goes away when she’s warmed up

french cars rock

some noise is better than no noise at all

I had a front coil spring (of my car) snap during the cold weather on the M6. I slowed a bit and pulled into the middle lane to try and make sense of the noise and the lowering of the front end when the loose end of the spring sliced clean through the sidewall of the front tyre.

That took a bit of keeping on the straight and narrow. Narrow in this case being a line of trucks doing 56 on my left and a line of cars doing 80 on my right.

Watch out for ‘Nureek’, ‘retut’ or ‘hanunga’ unfortunatly if you get these you know you are only moments away form a ‘Squrlookal’.

If you hear an ‘ARUBA’ you have John Fashanu stuck under a wheel arch.

some noise is better than no noise at all

Like a watch that’s only right once in a thousand years is better than a watch that’s right twice a day.

Harry – how old is it?

If its more than three years old / 40k miles my money is on a front coil spring – they are engineered to a budget and have a somewhat limited lifetime (conveniently just a bit longer than the warranty).

The good news is they are quite cheap (about £80 fitted).

The even better news is when the other side inevitably goes in a few months time you’ll know what it is!

Isn’t that the noise you get when you run over a baby robin or perhaps your tyres were realigning their logos with the valves?

54 plate. Springs replaced in February. My money is on the handbrake sticking TBH. It took a bit of an effort to get it to reverse yesterday.

Well, you need to go back and see who you ran over

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=spang

It could be a kid’s face next time

poly – Member

Harry – how old is it?

If its more than three years old / 40k miles my money is on a front coil spring – they are engineered to a budget and have a somewhat limited lifetime (conveniently just a bit longer than the warranty).
Sorry but that sounds like crap to me. I’ve had loads of cars with over 100k on them, all on their original springs (that I know of). The roads cart tracks round here are pretty hard on the running gear too. Most coil springs should last the life of the car. If you keep spanging coil springs after that sort of miles, you really need to stay off the pavements!

It hasn’t happened again, but in fairness to poly I have been told that the springs on the Vectra are fragile. Mine were replaced after 7 years / 65,000 miles.

I hear a sick howl from my car every time I drive into the petrol station

Likely to be a broken coil spring. Had two go on my Vectra, one at 80K on the rear and another at 110K on the front. Both made the SPANG noise, car handled sort of normal, but was unsettled over speedbumps etc. I really would get it checked though, mine cost about 25 quid for the spring and 50 more to fit.

EDIT: must read all posts before commenting myself… Have you had all the springs replaced?

My monies on the brake unsticking. Used to get it on my old mini’s drum brakes a fair bit.

EDIT: must read all posts before commenting myself… Have you had all the springs replaced?

😀
Maybe you should read them twice because I left these too clues.
😉

Springs replaced in February

replaced after 7 years / 65,000 miles.

I’d say handbrake too, especially if you have discs on the back

They are pretty bobbins

Maybe you should read them twice because I left these too clues

Was just wondering if it was more than two, since plural can mean two or more.

You shall no longer receive the benefit of my wisdom for flaming me so cruelly. 😥

biginn – I take it you’ve never owned a vectra then! Notorious for coil springs! Mine is driven with probably more than average amount of care and attention to bumps and potholes and went at 62k and 65k. Garage seemed to think that was better than most! I’ve never had to replace a spring on any other car I’ve owned.

Don’t take it so badly Twin. I don’t flame anybody on here. If you were within range I would give you a hug.

The front right is squeaking a lot, especially in reverse. Car into the garage tomorrow.

Sokay then. Is a hug the same as a cwtch?

Not if a cwtch involves a reach-a-round.

Yet again I leave disappointed 🙁

Spang / Squeak mystery solved.

Brake backing plate and new road spring for offside front.

After checking it would appear that it was the rear springs that were replaced in February and it looks like the near side front spring was done a couple of years ago. (appologies Twin, but still no reach-a-round)

Another £150 gone.

Vectra springs – Not awesome.

It’s the way springs are made: they now have blunt ends whereas they used to be ground to a taper (I remember when all this was fields…). The new style fails about half a turn in. Ask a garage mechanic or do a quick check on honestjohn.

Vectra – springs lasted >100k before replacement – is this a record?

they now have blunt ends whereas they used to be ground to a taper

Last set I bought had tapered ends on the back – the front ones didn’t but the cups in which they sat were moulded to suit.

Having a bit of a poor run with The Mighty Vectra.

Service
MOT
3 new springs
New brakes
Turbo pipe
Small vacuum hose

£1000

Pissed off.

Commuting on my bike when I can to save £3 on fuel per day. At this rate it is going to take 3 years of cycling in every Thursday and Friday to pull back the money.

Commuting on my bike when I can to save £3 on fuel per day. At this rate it is going to take 3 years of cycling in every Thursday and Friday to pull back the money.

Well that is only taking into account the charges up to now 😉

It keeps getting covered in bird crap too… and we live in an agricultural area so every time Farmer Palmer goes past with his DungChucker™ I get an organic two tone respray. Pah.