Shake down the car

Q1: My 1.5-year-old Ford Fiesta once gave out a loud bumpy sound on level road while I was driving it at 15kph. The noise  disappeared after a week.

Ford mechanics couldn't tell where the sound come from and asked me to come back later for further checks. A week later with the sound gone, the mechanics said he can’t analyse the problem without the sound.

What could be the cause of this bumpy sound as I am concern it may come back again?

HH Yong
George Town

All cars components are installed using fasteners (bolts and nuts). Sometimes, there are components that are not properly or evenly aligned during installation.

When driven on the road and exposed to vibration, they may cause unusual sounds but they go away when the components are evenly aligned after exposure to vibration.

You have nothing to worry about because the car is still under warranty.

One thing you could do is to drive the car on bumpy, uneven roads or let it pass over small gaps on the road to shake the car body and expose any loose components if present. If such faults surface, your warranty should cover it.


Q2: My 10-year-old Proton Waja has severe vibration the moment I cold-start the engine. The vibration eases off when the engine heats up, and this takes about 5-10 minutes.

What's the solution?

Steven
Kuala Lumpur

During a cold start, an engine creates more noise and vibration as internal lubrication starts but they are muted by the rubber insulation of engine supports.

If these rubber insulations are worn out, the noise and feel of the engine vibration will be more pronounced.

Have your engine and transmission supports checked and see if the rubber insulation of those components are worn out.


Q3: The remote key of my Alfa has stopped working. I've replaced the battery but still no dice.

Unfortunately, the key failed with the car locked so opening it sets off the alarm.

Is there a simple way of disconnecting the alarm?

Italian Dude
Malacca

There is a simple way to resolve the problem if the alarm has a separate module.

Just disconnect the alarm module and the connection between alarm and starting system should be connected directly.

But if your key is the immobiliser type and the alarm is triggered or programmed in the ECU you have no choice but to get a new key.