What does a rear shock absorber do?

Shock absorbers are responsible for your vehicle’s smooth drive over bumpy or uneven roads and are an essential part of your suspension system. Your shock absorbers are gas-filled tubes that are compressed by a piston, dissipating kinetic energy to provide a comfortable ride for you and your passengers, regulating the rebounding of the car.

Renault

Groupe Renault is a French multinational automobile manufacturer, established over 120 years ago in 1899.

How popular is Renault in the United Kingdom?

This French marque has around 1.4million vehicles on the road in the UK today. Their numbers peaked between 2007 and 2008 at over 2million vehicles, yet have been on a slow decline ever since.

Sensibly priced options for middle of the road vehicles

Renault makes a wide-ranging selection of respectable vehicles.

As you’ll find with most manufacturers in today’s market, the cream of their crop lies with their SUV models. Other stand-outs are the RS models built for a much more fun driving experience and the electric models that are also sitting impressively in a steadily growing market.

Renault: a constant contender in all manner of motorsports

In the 1970s, Renault set up a dedicated motorsport division that went on to take the winners title in the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1978, with the Renault Alpine A442. They have been competing and achieving successes in both rallying and Formula One ever since.

Renault Formula One

Renault debuted their first formula one car (and team) at Silverstone in 1977; it was the first of its kind to include a turbo engine. The team continued until 1986 and shortly after, in 1989, they began to supply engines to the successful Williams-Renault car.

The Benetton team was renamed Renault F1 in 2002, and the team went on to win the constructors championship in both 2005 and 2006 with Spaniard Fernando Alonso at the wheel.

More recently, Renault powered the winning Red Bull Racing team in 2010 and returned to racing as a team in their own right, from the 2016 season onwards.

How often should shock absorbers need replacing?

You can expect shock absorbers to last at least 50k miles. Your owner’s manual may specify a different mileage or duration, as this figure is only a guideline. You should also have your shock absorbers checked after heavy contact with potholes, curbs or large rocks in the road.

The law, vehicle regulations and your MOT

Car suspension is a common reason for MOT failures. Broken or faulty shock absorbers, including oil leaks, will be a definite fail at an MOT.

What happens when we replace your shock absorbers?

• Our efficient and fully qualified mechanics will examine or test-drive your car to establish the cause of the problem.

• Wherever required, a shock absorber will be replaced, and you’ll be advised of any other connected or associated problems arising from its malfunction.

• You will also be advised of any other parts that may need to be replaced for the best operation and health of your vehicle.

• Once the faulty shock absorber has been replaced, our mechanics will test it thoroughly to ensure the correct running of the new part and make any adjustments required for its premium operation.

What causes a shock absorber to stop working correctly?

If a shock absorber is leaking fluid, from malfunctioning or damaged seals, it will fail to operate correctly. A damaged, broken or bent shock absorber will also fail to operate as intended. This can happen through continual use, general wear or through damage from an accident. Some of the smaller internal parts will eventually wear out, which will prevent the complete component operating correctly.

Symptoms of a malfunctioning rear shock absorber

Excessive bouncing and an uncomfortable ride

If your car is providing uncomfortable ride quality and is bouncing excessively, it could be that your shock absorbers aren’t operating correctly.

The car feels unstable

When navigating corners or over uneven ground and your car feels unstable, this could also be due to suspension damage.

Driving over speed bumps is difficult

When driving over speed bumps or raised road elements causes uncomfortable and excessive bouncing, it is likely that your shock absorbers are damaged.

If you spot signs of leaking

Any puddles of oil-like fluid on the road around your wheels could be escaping from leaking shock absorbers.

If your wheels leave the ground

If your tyres lose contact with the road when driving over bumpy or uneven surfaces, then your suspension isn’t working properly and could be down to a faulty shock absorber.