OK the story starts , took my 05 STI with 25k on the clock into the main dealers to have the knocking from the rear nearside sorted(under warranty) this was a metallic knock when I went over rough road or made sharp turns (like F1 cars warming up their tyres ) not the dull clonk that some have . Dealers replaced both shocks and top mounts , aswell as performing the rear window fix .......picked the car up and no change it still knocked as bad as ever . With the help of my Dad who used to be a mechanic we pulled her apart to find out what actually was making the noise , it was definatly coming from the area around the top of the nearside strut . Took out the rear seats drove down the road with my dad in the back who said it sounded like a metal knocking on metal just like a spot weld had poped undone . He pushed the rear bukhead hard, away from where it meets the side (hard to explain but basically right in the corner behind the seatbelt reel where the two pieces of metal meet) and hey presto no more knocking .

The next step was to get a nice piece of wood cut at 45% and just hammer the point into the corner to push the metal apart a bit , you might have to take the rear shelf off to allow you to get a good hit at the wood .
So far it hasn't returned

Just thought I'd post this in the hope it may help someone , because I can't imagine the ' expert mechanics' at the main dealer would have spotted this in a month of Sundays

Dave

 

Most interesting. I wonder if this would help the Classic shape guys too?
Hope you have contacted the Importers in West Bromwich, West Midlands.

 

To be honest I wouldn't know how to go about it , I have got to the point where i just give up with the main dealer network now days , if they cant just plug in another bit of kit or look it up in a book then I may as well get my dog to look at it . 3 days they had my car ( had to order parts etc) and they give it back to me with the same noise as it went in with, with no explaination at all , I guess they just hoped I wouldn't notice . I had a similar on- going saga with my previous wagon with an electrical fault .

Dave

 

International Motors they are called, just remembered!

Understand the frustration though.
Specialists are just so much better.

good luck, and we've learnt from your Dad's work!

 

Just hope it helps to ease someone elses frustration too ......think my Dads getting too old to be thrown about in the back of a car without any seats in too

 

He is about as old as me then!
But knows a thing or two.