# Renault Trafic steering



## Cameradude (Feb 25, 2011)

whenever i turn left i hear a clunk noise from my steering???
I can feel it through the pedals
at first it was very intermittent but now its every time i turn left
it doesn't happen when the van is standing still, but if i'm driving very slowly i can make it happen every turn to the left
It only happens turning left from the centrepoint of the steering so if i turn slightly past the straightline point of the steering and then quickly turn left, turning the wheel only slightly i can make it happen. the van is an 08 trafic 2.0 115 and is under warranty but the garage can't find the fault.
has anyone had this problem.
many thanks
Paul


----------



## kjms1 (Jun 4, 2010)

front CV joints make a clicking noise when turning if they are bad ... that what i would be looking at first ... might want to check the hub bearing while your right there checking the joint


----------



## Cameradude (Feb 25, 2011)

Cheers for that kjms1, but the clunk I get is only 1 clunk for every turn left, not a constant clunking noise, but I do understand what you mean, I've had a similar fault to that on an Escort cv joint


----------



## tom99S104x4 (Aug 10, 2009)

hi, if its a front wheel drive van you may whant to try jacking the front end up and putting it on jack stands to get the front wheels off the ground . start it put it in drive and have somone turn the wheel while you lay next to it and maybe you will here the noise and get a better idea where its coming from. i do this from time to time to find out where the noises are comming from. its scary but if you take all precautions and make sure the van is steady you should have no problems.


----------



## Cameradude (Feb 25, 2011)

Cheers for that tom99s104x4, its food for thought.
I bought the van new in 08 and its going back in the garage under warranty, the warranty's just about up and I need it sorting, the guys at the garage are a bit stuck so i'm trying to help out. I think they are going to contact renault now cos they've exhausted all there options. Its got 48,000 miles on the clock and the noise has been there for about the last 25 thousand mile, its just getting worse.
many thanks


----------



## Manxie3 (Nov 8, 2011)

Hi, 
Please could you let me know if you ever got the front end knock/clunk noise sorted??? I/my 2008 115 traffic van is suffering exactly the same symptoms. (front end knock when turning left) My van only has 25000miles, has been in garage for 2 weeks now and still not fixed! 
They have however replaced the steering rack, power steering pump, track rod ends. They now think (after consultation with Renault UK) the cure might be to replace a 'gel filled engine mount'. I have no idea if this will work but its all on warranty so they can replace the rest of the front end as long as a cure is found.
If you have anything that can help or shed some light on the case that would be GREAT! 
Cheers :xolconfus


----------



## Cameradude (Feb 25, 2011)

Hi All, I do apologise for not getting back on the forum but yes I have the solution to this problem.
It hasn't been sorted on my Trafic yet but the problem is inside the van believe it or not.
My local Renault garage where I bought it from done some digging and got in touch with the Renault Technical department and someone there had actually had experience of this problem.
there is a link bar that joins the brake pedal to the servo unit, I believe this is called the "brake bar".
there is end play on this bar and it only makes this noise when you turn to the left.
Apparently because the Renault van is predominantly manufactured for the european market (left hand drive) these vehicles do not have this bar fitted, because the pedals would normally be on the left hand side and the brake servo is on the opposite side of the bulk head to the pedals and is therefore not needed.
This bar is approximately 25mm in diameter and goes from the brake pedal to the other side of the van where it join with the servo linkage.
with the wheels of the van in a straight line, grab hold of the bar and move it from left to right and you will reproduce the exact same noise as the fault.
It is probably better to get someone else to do this while you are seated at the steering wheel and you will feel it for yourself.
I havn't had anything done about it yet because I was more concerned at first what the actual problem was but I think it only needs some shim in it to reduce the amount of movement and maybe dampen the noise.

I hope this is helpful to you.
All the best
Cameradude


----------



## Ciderprovider (Jan 16, 2012)

Hi you say you have the answer to the problem did you get it done in the end to find out if it was the "brake bar"?
I have the same problem so befor i tell the garage just wondered if you had it all sorted.


----------



## Cameradude (Feb 25, 2011)

Hi no I haven't had it done but I definitely know this is the problem on my traffic because the mechanic had put some heavy grease on it to stop it sliding along and to cushion it and I drove the van for about a week before I noticed the knock anymore. I'm waiting till the weather gets a bit warmer and I'm just going to sort it myself. I've never had a reply from the renault garage. They were gonna ring back when renault themselves had come up with a solution, I just need a little time to think of what to do but I'll let you know when it's sorted. I'm not worried too much cos I know what the problem is and before I knew I was a bit concerned because I thought it was something to do with the linkages outside the van. Just to give you some peace of mind try getting someone to hold the brake bar steady while you're driving it around for a while and this will satisfy you i'm sure.
All the best Cameradude


----------

