Rattle is driving me mad

When we are in the van the slightest movement causes a rattle,just like something metal swinging and hiting metal,i have checked the silencer and its not that,the noise is coming from underneath it sounds like its coming from the gas tank.
Has anyone else experienced this or has any suggestions.

Rich

This may not apply - I don't know if your vehicle has coil springs - but that sort of metallic clanking can come from a coil spring when the top part has broken and has dropped within the rest of the coil, where it rattles when the vehicle moves. Once heard, never forgotten!

Cymro wrote:This may not apply - I don't know if your vehicle has coil springs - but that sort of metallic clanking can come from a coil spring when the top part has broken and has dropped within the rest of the coil, where it rattles when the vehicle moves. Once heard, never forgotten!

Thanks for the reply,i don't know if it has coil springs,if it has how do i check to see if that is the problem.
the base vehicle is a Peugeot Boxer.

Rich

Whilst we wait for other owners of Warwicks to give the definitive answer (and I fear my solution won't apply as the Peugeot probably has leaf springs) you could kust look underneath: if you see next to each rear wheel a large steel spring (about 12 inches tall, fixed vertically) then that's a coil. If it's there, look carefully inside the coil: is there a broken-off piece of the coil? It will clanl like a marine buoy!

But I suspect if it's  peugeot it'll have leaf springs (long flat peieces of steel, about a meter or so long) running parallel to each side, near the rear wheels.

Yes it has leaf springs,i have looked underneath and can hear it clearly when my wife rocks the van,it is not the exhaust,it sounds like the gas tank or near by but i cannot find anything,it sounds like something suspendid and clanging against metal

rich

It is probably the float mechanism in the gas tank

pjkxpjkx wrote:It is probably the float mechanism in the gas tank

Thanks how can I cure the problem

I have just rung Auto Sleepers and they say there is nothing in the tank to rattle 

Have a crawl underneath and get the SWMBO to shake the van and see if you can isolate exactly where the noise is coming from.

Jaytee wrote:Have a crawl underneath and get the SWMBO to shake the van and see if you can isolate exactly where the noise is coming from.

Yes I have done that several times,Auto Sleepers told me there was nothing to rattle in the gas tank(incorrect)I rang Gas It who supply Auto Sleepers and there is some thing inside that could rattle and suggested using some gas up to see if that helps.

P.S when the wife shakes the van and I put my ear to the tank I can hear the rattle inside.

Fingers crossed that will suss it. GasIt are very helpful.

We have a 2009 Symbol and experienced a loud rattle underneath, metal on metal, and found it was due to a missing rubber pad on a rear leaf spring.  The noise manifested itself whenever driving over the smallest bump and sounded bad, but thankfully was easily fixed.

Try filling up with gas so the float is in the 80% full position.  Hopefully the rattle will disappear.  If not, check the alignment of the gas tank ( there are loads of references to this if you Search )  The gas tank is AS favourite thing to screw up second only to fitting the AirTop bolts upside down.

Wikipedia says
Modern fill valves are usually fitted with an automatic fill limiter (AFL) to prevent overfilling. The AFL has a float arm which restricts the flow significantly but does not shut it off entirely. This is intended to cause the pressure in the line to rise enough to tell the bowser to stop pumping but not cause dangerously high pressures...

Here is an example picture to show AS
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Pete J

I have used some gas (using the cooker) and the rattle has reduced,when I last filled the tank at the pump I carried on holding the button in hoping to get more gas in and may have moved or damaged the limiter.
On Monday I will ring Gas It to see if it needs looking at.
Rich

I would be surprised if you have damaged it.  At 80% full the pump should detect the limitation to the flow and shut off whether the button remains pressed or not.
Best of luck, Pete J

pjkxpjkx wrote:I would be surprised if you have damaged it.  At 80% full the pump should detect the limitation to the flow and shut off whether the button remains pressed or not.
Best of luck, Pete J

I have used more gas and there is no rattle,i rang GasIT to ask if it was safe to use now i have dislodged the limiter and float arm,and he said it was perfectly safe to use.

Rich

rich g wrote:

pjkxpjkx wrote:I would be surprised if you have damaged it.  At 80% full the pump should detect the limitation to the flow and shut off whether the button remains pressed or not.
Best of luck, Pete J

I have used more gas and there is no rattle,i rang GasIT to ask if it was safe to use now i have dislodged the limiter and float arm,and he said it was perfectly safe to use.

Rich

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