In the City- el different noises can occur, which some driver have worried about. Here are some tips to interpret and if necessary the noises one may experience.
The brakes in el rub from time to time and squeak which is unpleasantly however not tragic.
Most simply one can fix this, if one chamfers the starting edges of the brake linings with a rough file or sandpaper.
Rough rattling with very strong braking promises nothing good. In older vehicles the brake linings have broken free from the backing plates and jammed the drums. After jamming and ruining the drums, cracks were also found in the wheels near the drum.
Here only the new axle pivots (fulcrums of the brake linings) with a mechanical bridge create remedy. Here in the picture this bridge is not yet available. If the brake fulcrums are bent only a new brake plate will fix it - the current factory part is much improved.
If there is always an clunk in the motor compartment with starting, then the middle rubber suspension of the motor could have loosened. Here there is problem that self-locking nuts/washer can solve.
The screw of the engine mounting plate must be tightened so that no play exists.
With longer driving downhill the front wheel warms up clearly due to braking, so that bearings used in the wheel can to get loose. This expresses itself then in "clacking" noises. After cooling of the brakes, then mostly everything is again correct.
There are different ways to fix this. First one must brake hard and long till the wheel get hot around bearings. Take the wheel off, and the bearings will fall out. Knurling of the bearing seat brings little, an adjustment with Loctites has already more success. The safest method is according to my opinion the insert of feeler gage tape between wheel and stocks (shimming).
This has also happened to me at the right rear wheel, however the wheels (rims) were in former times less accurately made.
Some days your City-el will develop a flat spot on the tires from sitting too long in the same position. The first 500 m when driving can result in a thumping noise.
With full steering angle it can also be that the front wheel at the body sharpens and gives something noises of itself there. This was stored in later series by a better processing of the body.
The belt drive can make noises if e.g. the belt is damagedhas. On the belt then possibly a cord hangs away in the belt protection edge. With these noises it is typical that the frequency is smaller, than those of the wheel revolutions
If this is the case, belts change.
Metallically pinging noises can occur if the belt wheel has bent themselves and at the aluminum disk of the belt protection cracked. The causes can be that the belt wheel on the axle moved, or that the sheet metal belt wheel is bent and will soon break.
The slip clutch at the right rear wheel can produce noises with driving along curves. The more plays has the metal plate of the clutch on the axle the more badly it squeaks. If one the clutch greases the noise goes away, unfortunately so does the function of the clutch.
The front wheel suspension can make much noises as it about for kneeling bumps. Kneeling noises develops if the cathedral (the large black section) in the body is loosened.
If one pulls the screws tight of ring around the cathedral, then the noises should be away.
For pulling tight one should be careful. One needs for it a socket wrench with long -- extension SW17 for down and a bent fork wrench SW 17 above.
I hope potential city-el buyers cannot by such reports be deterred. Like every cult, electric mobility has some peculiarities.
