Rhythmic disc/rotor noise (with videos)
07-16-2017, 10:31 AM
#1
Rhythmic disc/rotor noise (with videos)
Hi guys,
Just bought my first S2000. It's a 2000 (X reg in the UK) with just over 70k. Silverstone with the red leather. Seems in pretty decent shape overall and I'm already in love with the engine, handling and looks!
It drives great overall, just one thing that doesn't seem right, but I'm not sure if it's just me getting used to the "rawness" of the car, and also this being my first convertible, maybe I'm just more sensitive to noises I couldn't hear before.
As speed climbs, there's this rhythmic metal spinning/sliding noise that gets louder and louder, sounds like the sound you get when your car has been sitting for a while and the discs/rotors have corroded a bit, and takes a while for the pads to skim off the corrosion. However, it's not a steady noise, it's rhythmic/pulsating. As I say, could just be that's how the discs sound as they go round, as I know they make light contact with the pads even when you're not braking, and could just be I'm not used to being able to hear it (this being my first convertible where I can hear noises from outside the car).
I went round each of the wheels, jacked them up and spun them by hand, taking a short video of each so you could check out the noise I'm hearing:
Driver side rear -
Passenger side rear -
Driver side front -
Passenger side front -
To my ear the rears are more pronounced and uneven, and also sound more like what I'm hearing (amplified with speed) when I'm driving.
The sound is there whenever the car is moving, i.e. if I'm going 40mph and dip the clutch to coast, the noise continues (and gradually dies down as the car slows down). I'm not sure if braking makes any difference to the noise, I'll check that next time I'm out.
My first thought from reading around was that it's probably the wheel bearings? But could it be as simple as warped discs/rotors? Or perhaps defective pads?
Hope someone can shed some light. Maybe it's just normal and I need to get used to it, but my gut feeling is something needs replacing, just not sure what!
Thanks in advance,
Rob
Just bought my first S2000. It's a 2000 (X reg in the UK) with just over 70k. Silverstone with the red leather. Seems in pretty decent shape overall and I'm already in love with the engine, handling and looks!
It drives great overall, just one thing that doesn't seem right, but I'm not sure if it's just me getting used to the "rawness" of the car, and also this being my first convertible, maybe I'm just more sensitive to noises I couldn't hear before.
As speed climbs, there's this rhythmic metal spinning/sliding noise that gets louder and louder, sounds like the sound you get when your car has been sitting for a while and the discs/rotors have corroded a bit, and takes a while for the pads to skim off the corrosion. However, it's not a steady noise, it's rhythmic/pulsating. As I say, could just be that's how the discs sound as they go round, as I know they make light contact with the pads even when you're not braking, and could just be I'm not used to being able to hear it (this being my first convertible where I can hear noises from outside the car).
I went round each of the wheels, jacked them up and spun them by hand, taking a short video of each so you could check out the noise I'm hearing:
Driver side rear -
Passenger side rear -
Driver side front -
Passenger side front -
To my ear the rears are more pronounced and uneven, and also sound more like what I'm hearing (amplified with speed) when I'm driving.
The sound is there whenever the car is moving, i.e. if I'm going 40mph and dip the clutch to coast, the noise continues (and gradually dies down as the car slows down). I'm not sure if braking makes any difference to the noise, I'll check that next time I'm out.
My first thought from reading around was that it's probably the wheel bearings? But could it be as simple as warped discs/rotors? Or perhaps defective pads?
Hope someone can shed some light. Maybe it's just normal and I need to get used to it, but my gut feeling is something needs replacing, just not sure what!
Thanks in advance,
Rob
07-26-2017, 06:48 AM
#2
Registered User
Where in the UK are you Rob? You could check the rotor/disc run-out -
For a MY 2000 car though i'd suspect the caliper pistons are old/rusty could be seized and not retracting..
For a MY 2000 car though i'd suspect the caliper pistons are old/rusty could be seized and not retracting..
07-26-2017, 11:14 AM
#3
definitely sounds like siezing up caliper... check wheel temperatures after drive. (but might not be always apparent as i've had intermittant issue with front caliper that went away and came back if car didnt get driven)
07-26-2017, 10:03 PM
#4
Remove the caliper pins, inspect for damage or rust, clean the rubber boots, clean the *hole as best you can, and lube the caliper pins with Syl-glide.
*I like to lube the pin with Syl-glide, stick it in the hole, pull it in, and out, in and out, wipe the dirty grease. Repeat a few times until the lube stops looking dirty. And then lube and tighten everything up.
Since you're already there, might as well pull off the brake pads, clean them up, and put the appropriate brake grease on the contact points. Bleed everything once done.
*I like to lube the pin with Syl-glide, stick it in the hole, pull it in, and out, in and out, wipe the dirty grease. Repeat a few times until the lube stops looking dirty. And then lube and tighten everything up.
Since you're already there, might as well pull off the brake pads, clean them up, and put the appropriate brake grease on the contact points. Bleed everything once done.
07-27-2017, 11:21 AM
#5
OP's noise is happening on EVERY corner, if one caliper is seizing why would it make this noise at every corner?
Has the car been sitting for a while? I just put on new pads and new calipers and one corner makes this noise. Could just be where the pads were sitting for a while and deposited some pad to the rotors, drive it for a while and it might go away.
Has the car been sitting for a while? I just put on new pads and new calipers and one corner makes this noise. Could just be where the pads were sitting for a while and deposited some pad to the rotors, drive it for a while and it might go away.
07-27-2017, 12:37 PM
#6
Corner? He said it makes noise all the time, not just on cornering.
Its could be uneven pad material on the rotor, in which case some very heavy repeated braking should clean it off. Brake hard from like 60 down to 10, like 5 or more times in a row, but without stopping. Make sure not to stop or it will only make the problem worse. The idea is to overheat the rotors a little, so pads can wipe them clean. Then drive a while without stopping to let them cool back down.
It could also be a bent backing plate, that scrapes rotor each go round.
Its could be uneven pad material on the rotor, in which case some very heavy repeated braking should clean it off. Brake hard from like 60 down to 10, like 5 or more times in a row, but without stopping. Make sure not to stop or it will only make the problem worse. The idea is to overheat the rotors a little, so pads can wipe them clean. Then drive a while without stopping to let them cool back down.
It could also be a bent backing plate, that scrapes rotor each go round.
07-27-2017, 12:49 PM
#7
Corner? He said it makes noise all the time, not just on cornering.
Its could be uneven pad material on the rotor, in which case some very heavy repeated braking should clean it off. Brake hard from like 60 down to 10, like 5 or more times in a row, but without stopping. Make sure not to stop or it will only make the problem worse. The idea is to overheat the rotors a little, so pads can wipe them clean. Then drive a while 8without stopping to let them cool back down.
It could also be a bent backing plate, that scrapes rotor each go round.
Its could be uneven pad material on the rotor, in which case some very heavy repeated braking should clean it off. Brake hard from like 60 down to 10, like 5 or more times in a row, but without stopping. Make sure not to stop or it will only make the problem worse. The idea is to overheat the rotors a little, so pads can wipe them clean. Then drive a while 8without stopping to let them cool back down.
It could also be a bent backing plate, that scrapes rotor each go round.
Trending Topics
07-27-2017, 01:43 PM
#8
OP's noise is happening on EVERY corner, if one caliper is seizing why would it make this noise at every corner?
Has the car been sitting for a while? I just put on new pads and new calipers and one corner makes this noise. Could just be where the pads were sitting for a while and deposited some pad to the rotors, drive it for a while and it might go away.
Has the car been sitting for a while? I just put on new pads and new calipers and one corner makes this noise. Could just be where the pads were sitting for a while and deposited some pad to the rotors, drive it for a while and it might go away.
so yea dont rule out any possibility...
08-18-2017, 09:48 AM
#9
Thanks for all the replies guys and sorry for going quiet, been (obsessively 
) trying to figure this out with lots of Googling and trying things.
Ok, here's what I've done/tried so far:
1. Replaced all discs and pads and got the calipers refurbed.
2. Disengaged rear driveshafts from hubs, wire brushed corrosion from heads, greased heads and splines and tightened up axle nut a bit further than it was before (both suggested on this forum).
3. Changed diff oil.
No joy - noise still there
I posted videos above of the disc seeming to "catch" on the pad at one or two spots on some of the discs. It still does this even with new discs and pads. Either that's just normal or... could it be that the bearings are shot causing some very slight disc undulation?
Even if that is the case, I suspect it may be unrelated to the noise I'm hearing, i.e. just a coincidence, and a minor issue, i.e. wheel bearings probably don't need replacing yet as they're not "howling" and I'm not getting any wobble through the steering wheel.
The closest videos I've come to what I'm hearing are these (I've been unable to video it very well myself while driving, comes out very quiet even though it's not in the car!):
Which are from these posts:
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/s2000-un...alled-1097615/
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/s2000-un...noise-1056022/
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/s2000-un...noise-1104589/
One of them ended up being a secondary shaft bearing which sounds difficult and/or expensive! The other two didn't update the thread with the outcome.
Is it sounding like it could be that? Has anyone else had a similar issue/sound to this? It's kind of like a circular saw winding down after it's been shut off, but constant and more of a "shuh shuh shuh shuh". Seems unaffected by braking, clutch in/out, accelerating/decelerating, if the car's rolling above around 20 mph it's there. Another telltale sign it probably isn't the discs as I first thought is it's actually more noticeable with the roof up and windows closed. With the roof down is much less noticeable, suggesting that the noise is coming from the transmission tunnel perhaps?
Really driving me nuts now! The car's great otherwise (only bought it a few weeks ago) if I can just figure this out I can get on with enjoying it lol!
) trying to figure this out with lots of Googling and trying things.Ok, here's what I've done/tried so far:
1. Replaced all discs and pads and got the calipers refurbed.
2. Disengaged rear driveshafts from hubs, wire brushed corrosion from heads, greased heads and splines and tightened up axle nut a bit further than it was before (both suggested on this forum).
3. Changed diff oil.
No joy - noise still there
I posted videos above of the disc seeming to "catch" on the pad at one or two spots on some of the discs. It still does this even with new discs and pads. Either that's just normal or... could it be that the bearings are shot causing some very slight disc undulation?
Even if that is the case, I suspect it may be unrelated to the noise I'm hearing, i.e. just a coincidence, and a minor issue, i.e. wheel bearings probably don't need replacing yet as they're not "howling" and I'm not getting any wobble through the steering wheel.
The closest videos I've come to what I'm hearing are these (I've been unable to video it very well myself while driving, comes out very quiet even though it's not in the car!):
Which are from these posts:
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/s2000-un...alled-1097615/
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/s2000-un...noise-1056022/
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/s2000-un...noise-1104589/
One of them ended up being a secondary shaft bearing which sounds difficult and/or expensive! The other two didn't update the thread with the outcome.
Is it sounding like it could be that? Has anyone else had a similar issue/sound to this? It's kind of like a circular saw winding down after it's been shut off, but constant and more of a "shuh shuh shuh shuh". Seems unaffected by braking, clutch in/out, accelerating/decelerating, if the car's rolling above around 20 mph it's there. Another telltale sign it probably isn't the discs as I first thought is it's actually more noticeable with the roof up and windows closed. With the roof down is much less noticeable, suggesting that the noise is coming from the transmission tunnel perhaps?
Really driving me nuts now! The car's great otherwise (only bought it a few weeks ago) if I can just figure this out I can get on with enjoying it lol!
Last edited by s2k341; 08-18-2017 at 09:52 AM. Reason: Clarification
