Does anybody else get grinding noise when shifting into third gear at faster than usual speed?

Your synchro-mesh may be wearing out (very typical).

Try treating your tranny with DuraLube Transmission Treatment. It will coat everything with Teflon and will aid in changing gears.

If that doesn't work, then you will have to drop your tranny and install new sychro.

Wheel bearing? dust shield on the brake disc rubbing? Small kitten trapped in the wheel arch?

Have you checked your front disc pads? might be hitting the wear indicator tab?

Have looked at all of that. You could be on to something with the kitten though! Lots of cats round this way!

fiona it maybe something as simple as the brake dust cover rubbing! try jacking the car up and spinning the wheel by hand HTH = = = Original message = = = Have looked at all of that. You could be on to something with the kitten though! Lots of cats round this way!

I'm having similar problem with mine. Same as you, when I turn to the right. I haven't investigated it yet. The grinding noise was there before I renewed the break pads. And if it's the wheel bearing, I thought it would have failed the MOT a couple of months ago, but it sailed through. I also get a kinda clunking noise when I go over uneven surfaces, and the steering wheel vibrates a little when I'm doing 80-90 mph.

Fortunately my steering wheel doesn't seem to be doing any vibrating.
I do think it is probably bearings, but I used to have an MR2 which made a noise from the back left hand side wheel, it failed the NCT on the bearings, so I replaced them but it didn't stop the noise. One day when nearly home the noise got lots worse and, when i stopped, the handbrake wouldn't pull up. On investigation the drive shaft had snapped, which the mechanic told me 'never happens'! So I guess I'm just a little nervous about that happening again.
After taking off the wheel and pulling and prodding everything seems tight. So I'll just go with my boyfriends advice and 'wait for it to fall off'! It worked with the MR2!

Bad advice from your boyfriend! I think it's the CV joint. It's difficult to tell when CV joints worn by pulling and prodding by hand. Even when they are worn they still feel solid, if you try to find any play in them by hand. If I were you, I'll take the car to a garage and let them sort it out. That's what I'm going to do with mine. Mines aren't that bad yet, but I'm going to let a garage or tyre and exhaust place sort it out when the time comes.

I just had the cv joint and both cv boots replaced when I got the car in June. So that's not it. I've kind of given up worrying about it, unless there's somebody in the car with me and then it's embarrassing. I had the wheels aligned a couple of weeks ago and they didn't notice anything hanging off, but I will have to get it to a mechanic if it gets any worse.

Wheel bearing? dust shield on the brake disc rubbing? Small kitten trapped in the wheel arch?

Have you checked your front disc pads? might be hitting the wear indicator tab?

Have looked at all of that. You could be on to something with the kitten though! Lots of cats round this way!

fiona it maybe something as simple as the brake dust cover rubbing! try jacking the car up and spinning the wheel by hand HTH = = = Original message = = = Have looked at all of that. You could be on to something with the kitten though! Lots of cats round this way!

I'm having similar problem with mine. Same as you, when I turn to the right. I haven't investigated it yet. The grinding noise was there before I renewed the break pads. And if it's the wheel bearing, I thought it would have failed the MOT a couple of months ago, but it sailed through. I also get a kinda clunking noise when I go over uneven surfaces, and the steering wheel vibrates a little when I'm doing 80-90 mph.

Fortunately my steering wheel doesn't seem to be doing any vibrating.
I do think it is probably bearings, but I used to have an MR2 which made a noise from the back left hand side wheel, it failed the NCT on the bearings, so I replaced them but it didn't stop the noise. One day when nearly home the noise got lots worse and, when i stopped, the handbrake wouldn't pull up. On investigation the drive shaft had snapped, which the mechanic told me 'never happens'! So I guess I'm just a little nervous about that happening again.
After taking off the wheel and pulling and prodding everything seems tight. So I'll just go with my boyfriends advice and 'wait for it to fall off'! It worked with the MR2!

Bad advice from your boyfriend! I think it's the CV joint. It's difficult to tell when CV joints worn by pulling and prodding by hand. Even when they are worn they still feel solid, if you try to find any play in them by hand. If I were you, I'll take the car to a garage and let them sort it out. That's what I'm going to do with mine. Mines aren't that bad yet, but I'm going to let a garage or tyre and exhaust place sort it out when the time comes.

I just had the cv joint and both cv boots replaced when I got the car in June. So that's not it. I've kind of given up worrying about it, unless there's somebody in the car with me and then it's embarrassing. I had the wheels aligned a couple of weeks ago and they didn't notice anything hanging off, but I will have to get it to a mechanic if it gets any worse.