504 GL auto drama.

Wildebeest

Wildebeest

Well-known member
1000+ Posts
Fellow Frogger
Joined
Oct 19, 2004
Messages
2,743
Location
Perth Western Australia
Heading home from shops all of a sudden the accelerator stuck. I controlled the run away beast by riding the brakes until I was able to pull over and switch off the engine. On restarting, the engine revs went sky high!
Eventually found the floor mat had caught under the accelerator pedal. Managed the journey home with no further excitement.
After about an hour I went back to the 504, re-arranged the floor mat and started the engine, an unholy din erupted from under the bonnet! After a short idle the noise went away I then went for a short run, no more noises while on the move.
All sorts of things are by then going through my mind [a short journey]. I visualised a cracked or broken piston, a big end, oil light going out normally, a cracked exhaust? Unable to get under to examine this one.
I then carried out a compression test more in hope than desperation, all readings good and even. The week old plug tips were white with no oil. A vacuum test showed my original setting with no variations.

I have been able to drive the 504 for couple of days now and apart from the start up racket it goes normally.
Now, my final thought is that the auto drive plate has cracked contributing to the start up noise but nothing on driving. I'm wondering if the strain on both the engine and trans on my holding the stuck throttle with the brake has caused this or any other damage ?

Anyone??
 
Last edited:
Hi WB, Commiserations, but the only thing I can contribute is this :

If the car is an older 504 in which the accelerator pedal is the old style in which it comes up from the floor rather than the later style in which it hangs down from above, change it to the later style. The slot at the back of the older type wears eventually and causes it to stick in the ON position.

Sheesh ! Just what type of unholy din was it ? Tinny ? Or deep and throaty ?


I'm unclear on whether it still makes this noise every time you start, or just that one time...

You may find out the problem in a few weeks....the hard way. :blackeye:
 
Beano said:
Hi WB, Commiserations, but the only thing I can contribute is this :

If the car is an older 504 in which the accelerator pedal is the old style in which it comes up from the floor rather than the later style in which it hangs down from above, change it to the later style. The slot at the back of the older type wears eventually and causes it to stick in the ON position.

Sheesh ! Just what type of unholy din was it ? Tinny ? Or deep and throaty ?


I'm unclear on whether it still makes this noise every time you start, or just that one time...

You may find out the problem in a few weeks....the hard way. :blackeye:
Click to expand...

Thanks Beano,
The pedal is the later, pivots at the top.
The noise occurs when cold or at first start up. It is quite loud, a rattle that made me think it was a piston or the flywheel drive plate.
It goes away completely on warm up. Suggesting my later thinking of the exhaust or pipe support ?
As you say, time will tell?
 
Not that i'm an expert on these cars but have you any idea where the noise is coming from?

Is from the front of the motor? From the transmission area? From inside the engine?

Maybe some basic trouble shooting will help locate the noise, eg take off all the drive belts and start the car to see if the noise is still there.
 
Hi Wildebeast, I would check engine mounts haven,t de laminated (more so l/hand) due to full throttle and braking hard in gear it would be over stretching l/hand mount and compressing r/hand mount.If eng mount has broken air filter (more so if oil bath type ) may be hitting on brake master cylinder pipes on start up,check air filter rubber mounts as well....jus a couple of thoughts.....jim
 
hi Wildebeast, brain fade again but remembered that you should also check cooling fan blades if eng mount has broken as fan blades may hit on shroud on start up and cause damage to blades.......just another thought.....jim
 
Reply to Self.
After a week or so troubleshooting and getting professional opinions as well as from friends. I went on to our friend Google, informative section on drive plate problems and noises. Have come to the conclusion that it is the auto drive plate.

Now comes the problem, do I enlist professional help, getting quotes etc and working out if the cost of repair outweighs the value of the 504. '79 model. I have no illusions of the cars value, no GT Falcon prices here!!
I am unable to do this type of mechanical work because of physical limitations.
If this job, replacing the drive plate, was a backyard job what would be the best method of attack? Removing the engine or the auto trans, the latter by trundling the rear axle assembly and gearbox back so leaving clearance to operate?
I'm thinking the engine out?

Over to You my Friends.
 
Bugger.

Of course it isn't just the value of the car so much as the cost of a comparable replacement that isn't loaded with someone else's problems..... Anything over 20 years old is worth diddly-squat. In fact over ten years and most "ordinary" vehicles seem to be about $5000!

Sounds like a good opportunity for a working bee for the Peugeot Car Club of WA. They probably owe you one or two! :)

(Just a suggestion in case someone is looking...)

Cheers
 
JohnW said:
Bugger.

Of course it isn't just the value of the car so much as the cost of a comparable replacement that isn't loaded with someone else's problems..... Anything over 20 years old is worth diddly-squat. In fact over ten years and most "ordinary" vehicles seem to be about $5000!

Sounds like a good opportunity for a working bee for the Peugeot Car Club of WA. They probably owe you one or two! :)

(Just a suggestion in case someone is looking...)

Cheers
Click to expand...

Over 30 years old the prices begin to skyrocket.
 
Sorry to hear about your drama Mr Wilde.

When we'd just got our licences, myself and my brother went out in Dad's Triumph Dolomite and got into a 'drag' with some Holden or other, brother driving. We won, because the mat got stuck on the throttle pedal and we ended up doing about 150km/h in a 70 zone. Lesson learned, I pass this on to any youngsters I encounter talking about car mats...last time just the other day to my son's P-plater GF.
 
Wildebeest said:
Reply to Self.
After a week or so troubleshooting and getting professional opinions as well as from friends. I went on to our friend Google, informative section on drive plate problems and noises. Have come to the conclusion that it is the auto drive plate.

Now comes the problem, do I enlist professional help, getting quotes etc and working out if the cost of repair outweighs the value of the 504. '79 model. I have no illusions of the cars value, no GT Falcon prices here!!
I am unable to do this type of mechanical work because of physical limitations.
If this job, replacing the drive plate, was a backyard job what would be the best method of attack? Removing the engine or the auto trans, the latter by trundling the rear axle assembly and gearbox back so leaving clearance to operate?
I'm thinking the engine out?

Over to You my Friends.
Click to expand...

I try to stick a inspection camera into the bell housing and have a look .

Based on the fact that:

1) I've never heard of 504 or 505 breaking flex plate
2) I wouldn't want to pull out the engine to discover the flex plate is OK
 
Wildebeest said:
Reply to Self.
After a week or so troubleshooting and getting professional opinions as well as from friends. I went on to our friend Google, informative section on drive plate problems and noises. Have come to the conclusion that it is the auto drive plate.

Now comes the problem, do I enlist professional help, getting quotes etc and working out if the cost of repair outweighs the value of the 504. '79 model. I have no illusions of the cars value, no GT Falcon prices here!!
I am unable to do this type of mechanical work because of physical limitations.
If this job, replacing the drive plate, was a backyard job what would be the best method of attack? Removing the engine or the auto trans, the latter by trundling the rear axle assembly and gearbox back so leaving clearance to operate?
I'm thinking the engine out?

Over to You my Friends.
Click to expand...

I try to stick a inspection camera into the bell housing and have a look .

Based on the fact that:

1) I've never heard of 504 or 505 breaking flex plate
2) I wouldn't want to pull out the engine to discover the flex plate is OK
 
I have heard of flex plate bolts coming loose, and that would make a racket.

If I remember correctly, removing the big dust cover allows you to see the flex plate one corner at a time. There is a bolt on each corner. Just rotate the engine to see each bolt. There are 4 of them.

Er....this is on Series 1 505s, anyway. I'm assuming the 504 was the same, as it's the same engine.

It's an easy job....jack up car, support and chock properly so you don't get squashed, and undo three bolts which hold on the big dust cover on the bell housing. They are 11 mm.

Best to first have a look at what's going on in there if you think it's that..
 
Last edited:
I have one of those devices with a lens on a flexible stalk with lights and a screen Mr W. Happy to come over and poke it into the right place.
 
We had a flex plate crack on my sons 740 volvo ,made an unusual noise under load ,i cant understand how a flex plate problem would go away after starting ,unless something is getting caught up on the starter gear as it is engaging .have you considered the hydrolic tensioner on the timeing chain ,,that noise would be on the front of the engine ,im thinking it may be flapping the chain until oil pressure is up ,try takeing the starter off ,rotate the engine by hand whilst checking out the ring gear from the starter hole , sounds like ,something has come loose or broken from the over revving, pugs ps check the simple things first
 
Beano said:
I have heard of flex plate bolts coming loose, and that would make a racket. If I remember correctly, removing the big dust cover allows you to see the flex plate one corner at a time. There is a bolt on each corner. Just rotate the engine to see each bolt. There are 4 of them. Er....this is on Series 1 505s, anyway. I'm assuming the 504 was the same, as it's the same engine. It's an easy job....jack up car, support and chock properly so you don't get squashed, and undo three bolts which hold on the big dust cover on the bell housing. They are 11 mm. Best to first have a look at what's going on in there if you think it's that..
Click to expand...

Do you think the noise would go away when driving and just be there at startup? Sounds unlikely to me but I'm not quite familiar with what it looks like.
 
I have finally been influenced by Google. Type..auto trans flex plate noises ?
But am still open to the many good ideas being forwarded.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top