Balls!!

[ledfoot]

Can anyone help me? I have now found a third bearing ball in the footwell...I'm worried it has something to do with the steering which is not rough or stiff when i steer but i have heard a click now & again (prob as the little balls pop themselves out).
Just been over to my ever helpfull 'stealers as my mechanic said try to get hold of an exploded diagram (which they did print off for me) but i was told they couldn't think of anything with a bearing on it anywhere on the steering column & it would be a whole new column @ £380!!
I'm about to try to remove the cowling round the column to see if anything is obvious but just thought id ask if anyone who had removed their steering wheel had noticed any sort of bush/bearing...
After just spending out on new disks & pads all round & a damper refurb being required i hope its not in need of a new column as well...
Fingers crossed someone can help me...if it didn't handle so well it would be up for sale...

 

[M3 Y RT]

IMO I don't think there's anywhere inside where the ball bearings can come from, certainly not the steering column, I think it's more likely the ball bearings have been hidden in some crevice somewhere in the interior and rolled out during some enthusiastic driving maybe.
Russ

 

[ledfoot]

Yeah, just dug around a bit under there & couldnt see anything that looked worn...it looks like a sealed unit (which explains why the guy at the 'stealers looked at me oddly when i enquired) Not too sure but im now thinking my indicator switch/stalk feels a bit rough so maybe they have dropped out of this...at least i can breathe a little better knowing my steering wheel wont come off in my hands when im giving it some...another thought could be something on the seat runners but i never really move the drivers side...
Anyway thanks for the opinion Russ.

 

[quik5i1ver]

I appreciate you mention steering, but as another cause of bearings appearing- I seem to recall that there may be some ball bearings in the seat runners or that area - search for rattling seats or something. Sorry this sounds a touch vague - someone else may recall better than I can.. Hope that helps.

 

[nickboazracing]

what size are they? Most likely out of the seat runners.

 

[ledfoot]

Cheers for the posts guy's...

They are very small, maybe 1-2mm. I'll have a closer look at the runners in the daylight.

I'm probably paranoid & had visions of something alot worse than it probably is...but after my wiper mechanism broke after 4 years & rattles begining to pop up around the dash, i just keep thinkin the worse...i know i shouldn't as its still a relativly new car & still only has 41k on the clock but it is french after all!

 

[son of solo]

you probably just "walked" them in, if they were greased and that size they would just stick to your shoe, have you been anywhere where this could have happened..?

 

[power ranger]

Are tehy white ball bearings?

If so there from the seat runner I have come across 2 in mine now as a few others I expect!

 

[Sam_K]

^^Same here, i think mine have been in half as well

 

[power ranger]

^^Same here, i think mine have been in half as well

Yes mine also have been in half and not complete.

 

[Jonc]

They're standard fitment on all French cars, they're for creating that annoying rattle from behind the dash, yours is broken so you won't get that authentic French rattle anymore.

 

[ledfoot]

The balls i found were metal. Don't think i could've dragged them in from work as i havent been in for a few weeks now & my work boots have very open grips so not much sticks to the soles.