I'm experiencing a noise from steering column.

[Shovelhead74]

I hear a clunk from the head of the steering column when turning corners or negotiating roundabouts, in fact when the car is stationary and I push or pull the steering wheel it will do it. I took it to a dealer who said that the mechanic couldn't find the root cause of the fault and yet tightened up the head if the column and I had to pay £50.00. It was ok for a while but the problem is returning and becoming progressively worse again. Should I have to pay for this attention after all it isn't down to wear and tear as the car is only a 70 plate.

 

[drmcw]

Does this help?

 

[Kithmo]

The dealer should not have charged you for this just because he didn't know the cause.
I would take it back and ask them to resolve the problem or at least give you the money back as they haven't fixed it, then ask them to fix it under warranty.
My dealer tightened mine up FOC, but the noise came back by the time I got home.
The noise was coming from the tilt mechanism on mine so I tightened the nut on the opposite end to the tilt lever on the lever shaft. I tightened it just to the point of not being able to move the lever (after adjusting the tilt to my required level) and that stopped it. I now find, after about 11 months, I can just about move the tilt lever if required but the click noise has not returned.

 

[Pict]

Mrs Pict had a new steering column fitted to her 2020 ZS EV back in October 2021 for this click/knock. Been ok since and all done under warranty.

 

[StattoH]

I hear a clunk from the head of the steering column when turning corners or negotiating roundabouts, in fact when the car is stationary and I push or pull the steering wheel it will do it. I took it to a dealer who said that the mechanic couldn't find the root cause of the fault and yet tightened up the head if the column and I had to pay £50.00. It was ok for a while but the problem is returning and becoming progressively worse again. Should I have to pay for this attention after all it isn't down to wear and tear as the car is only a 70 plate.

I had a very similar noise on my ZS EV a couple of weeks ago & mentioned it to my local MG dealer Charles Warner in Lincoln when it went in for a software update. When I picked it up he said that it needed a new steering column and that they'd ordered it and it would be fitted as a warranty item. A week later they rang me to tell me the steering column had arrived and it was fitted last Thursday.
The knocking noise has now disappeared and everything is good. By the way my car is also a 70 plate and has done just over 7,000 miles.

 

[Slipstream]

Your dealer should have known about this its a common fault on the zs. Mine had to get authorisation from mg to repair under warranty. Take your car back and demand your money back.

 

[Shovelhead74]

The dealer should not have charged you for this just because he didn't know the cause.
I would take it back and ask them to resolve the problem or at least give you the money back as they haven't fixed it, then ask them to fix it under warranty.
My dealer tightened mine up FOC, but the noise came back by the time I got home.
The noise was coming from the tilt mechanism on mine so I tightened the nut on the opposite end to the tilt lever on the lever shaft. I tightened it just to the point of not being able to move the lever (after adjusting the tilt to my required level) and that stopped it. I now find, after about 11 months, I can just about move the tilt lever if required but the click noise has not returned.

thanks for the advice

 

[Lovemyev]

Your dealer should have known about this its a common fault on the zs. Mine had to get authorisation from mg to repair under warranty. Take your car back and demand your money back.

The steering column “Knock / Clunk” has been picked up by many owners on the ZS EV Gen1 model.
It has been discussed at some length on the forum.
I am surprised ( but not really ) that the dealer has not picked up on this very common know problem ?.
A lot of dealers are very aware that waiting for parts from MG is a lengthy process and will avoid waiting if they can.
Take it to somebody who really wants to help resolve the problem for you !.

 

[Shovelhead74]

The steering column “Knock / Clunk” has been picked up by many owners on the ZS EV Gen1 model.
It has been discussed at some length on the forum.
I am surprised ( but not really ) that the dealer has not picked up on this very common know problem ?.
A lot of dealers are very aware that waiting for parts from MG is a lengthy process and will avoid waiting if they can.
Take it to somebody who really wants to help resolve the problem for you !.

Thanks for the responses - I have sent an email to MG and as soon as I get a response from them I will take issue up with the dealer.

 

[Julian Gabe]

Mine has been into the garage 7 times and had all the bits replaced and tightens and it still does! All done under warrantee though. And now the windscreen creaks as it's not glued in properly apparently.

 

[Lovemyev]

Mine has been into the garage 7 times and had all the bits replaced and tightens and it still does! All done under warrantee though. And now the windscreen creaks as it's not glued in properly apparently.

Are they sure it’s the glass and not the hard rubber gasket on the windscreen wiper scuttle panel, rubbing on the glass ?.
Known common problem.
Seven attempts to fix the steering knocking problem, tells me something is not really right there somehow ?.

 

[Julian Gabe]

Could be that I suppose. When it went in for service they said to book again and a windscreen company would take it out and in again. Be easier if it wasn't that though

 

[Lovemyev]

Could be that I suppose. When it went in for service they said to book again and a windscreen company would take it out and in again. Be easier if it wasn't that though

It’s a loud creaking / cracking noise, that sounds like it is coming from the location, where the front of the screen dips behinds the dash panel.
It tends to worse when the ambient temperature is low.
When the body flexes, and travelling over broken road surfaces, it can be heard easily.
A number of owners have taken to using a aerosol can of either silicon spray or PTFE and spraying it behind the hard rubber / plastic gasket.
This is a simple way to diagnose if this is the real cause of the problem.
My previous ZS EV ( along with other owners ) have witnessed this noise.
A longer term fix maybe to remove the scuttle panel and apply some silent tap to the gasket to avoid the gasket fouling on the glass.

 

[JohnInFrance]

almost everyone (including us) appears to be having this problem, you certainly should not have been charged for it as there is/are various warranty fixes from re-torquing the mounting bolts to replacing the steering column.
It is a known fault with known cures (some more effective than others) but regardless, you should be demanding your money back and the dealer to fix it correctly under warranty.

 

[Julian Gabe]

It’s a loud creaking / cracking noise, that sounds like it is coming from the location, where the front of the screen dips behinds the dash panel.
It tends to worse when the ambient temperature is low.
When the body flexes, and travelling over broken road surfaces, it can be heard easily.
A number of owners have taken to using a aerosol can of either silicon spray or PTFE and spraying it behind the hard rubber / plastic gasket.
This is a simple way to diagnose if this is the real cause of the problem.
My previous ZS EV ( along with other owners ) have witnessed this noise.
A longer term fix maybe to remove the scuttle panel and apply some silent tap to the gasket to avoid the gasket fouling on the glass.

Mine is more of a creaking noise constantly from all along the lover screen area so I think it is as the garage suspects.

 

[Lovemyev]

Mine is more of a creaking noise constantly from all along the lover screen area so I think it is as the garage suspects.

Thats it !.
Try the spray, you have nothing to loose other than another wasted trip to the dealer again !.