Chapter 1 Routine maintenance and servicing

1595Ford Fiesta Remake1•16 Every 10 000 miles or 12 months10.2b Check the condition of the lowerarm balljoint dust cover (arrowed)lubricant, together with dirt and water entry,resulting in rapid deterioration of the balljointsor steering gear.3 Check the power-assisted steering fluidhoses (where fitted) for chafing ordeterioration, and the pipe and hose unionsfor fluid leaks. Also check for signs of fluidleakage under pressure from the steering gearrubber gaiters, which would indicate failedfluid seals within the steering gear.4 Grasp the roadwheel at the 12 o’clock and6 o’clock positions, and try to rock it. Veryslight free play may be felt, but if themovement is appreciable, further investigationis necessary to determine the source.Continue rocking the wheel while an assistantdepresses the footbrake. If the movement isnow eliminated or significantly reduced, it islikely that the hub bearings are at fault. If thefree play is still evident with the footbrakedepressed, then there is wear in thesuspension joints or mountings.5 Now grasp the wheel at the 9 o’clock and 3o’clock positions, and try to rock it as before.Any movement felt now may again be causedby wear in the hub bearings or the steeringtrack rod balljoints. If the outer track rod endballjoint is worn, the visual movement will beobvious. If the inner joint is suspect, it can befelt by placing a hand over the rack-andpinionrubber gaiter, and gripping the trackrod. If the wheel is now rocked, movement willbe felt at the inner joint if wear has takenplace.6 Using a large screwdriver or flat bar, checkfor wear in the suspension mounting bushesby levering between the relevant suspensioncomponent and its attachment point. Somemovement is to be expected, as themountings are made of rubber, but excessivewear should be obvious. Also check thecondition of any visible rubber bushes,looking for splits, cracks or contamination ofthe rubber.7 With the vehicle standing on its wheels,have an assistant turn the steering wheelback-and-forth, about an eighth of a turn eachway. There should be very little, if any, lostmovement between the steering wheel androadwheels. If this is not the case, closelyobserve the joints and mountings previously10.2c Check the condition of the steeringrack gaitersdescribed, but in addition, check the steeringcolumn universal joints for wear, and alsocheck the rack-and-pinion steering gear itself.Rear suspension check8 Chock the front wheels then jack up therear of the car and support it on axle stands(see “Jacking and Vehicle Support”). Removethe rear roadwheels.9 Check the rear hub bearings for wear, usingthe method described for the front hubbearings (paragraph 4).10 Using a large screwdriver or flat bar,check for wear in the suspension mountingbushes by levering between the relevantsuspension component and its attachmentpoint. Some movement is to be expected, asthe mountings are made of rubber, butexcessive wear should be obvious. Check thecondition of the shock absorbers and theirbushes/mountings. On Van models, check theleaves of the leaf springs for signs of cracking,distortion, or other damage.Roadwheel check and balancing11 Periodically remove the roadwheels, andclean any dirt or mud from the inside andoutside surfaces. Examine the wheel rims forsigns of rusting, corrosion or other damage.Light alloy wheels are easily damaged by“kerbing” whilst parking, and similarly, steelwheels may become dented or buckled.Renewal of the wheel is very often the onlycourse of remedial action possible.12 The balance of each wheel and tyreassembly should be maintained, not only toavoid excessive tyre wear, but also to avoidwear in the steering and suspensioncomponents. Wheel imbalance is normallysignified by vibration through the vehicle’sbodyshell, although in many cases it isparticularly noticeable through the steeringwheel. Conversely, it should be noted thatwear or damage in suspension or steeringcomponents may cause excessive tyre wear.Out-of-round or out-of-true tyres, damagedwheels and wheel bearing wear/maladjustment also fall into this category.Balancing will not usually cure vibrationcaused by such wear.13 Wheel balancing may be carried out withthe wheel either on or off the vehicle. If11.2 Check the driveshaft gaiters by handfor cracks and/or leaking greasebalanced on the vehicle, ensure that thewheel-to-hub relationship is marked in someway prior to subsequent wheel removal, sothat it may be refitted in its original position.11 Driveshaft rubber gaiter andCV joint check11 The driveshaft rubber gaiters are veryimportant, because they prevent dirt, waterand foreign material from entering anddamaging the constant velocity (CV) joints.External contamination can cause the gaitermaterial to deteriorate prematurely, so it’s agood idea to wash the gaiters with soap andwater occasionally.2 With the vehicle raised and securelysupported on axle stands, turn the steeringonto full-lock, then slowly rotate each frontwheel in turn. Inspect the condition of theouter constant velocity (CV) joint rubbergaiters, squeezing the gaiters to open out thefolds. Check for signs of cracking, splits, ordeterioration of the rubber, which may allowthe escape of grease, and lead to the ingressof water and grit into the joint (seeillustration). Also check the security andcondition of the retaining clips. Repeat thesechecks on the inner CV joints. If any damageor deterioration is found, the gaiters should berenewed as described in Chapter 8.3 At the same time, check the generalcondition of the outer CV joints themselves,by first holding the driveshaft and attemptingto rotate the wheels. Any appreciablemovement in the CV joint indicates wear in thejoint, wear in the driveshaft splines, or a loosedriveshaft retaining nut. Repeat this check onthe inner joints, by holding the inner joint yokeand attempting to rotate the driveshaft.12 Exhaust system check11 With the engine cold (at least three hoursafter the vehicle has been driven), check thecomplete exhaust system, from its starting