Skoda Fabia Estate MkI. 1.2 Comfort. HTP 64. - Noise when car is idling, gone when clutch pressed

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Mon 1 Aug 2022 13:49
Skoda Fabia Estate MkI. 1.2 Comfort. HTP 64. - Noise when car is idling, gone when clutch pressed - peanutstew

Hi all

This has been happening for a while now... When the car is ticking over there's a noise which disappears when I press the clutch pedal down. A fair few months ago we had the RAC out (for something else). I asked him about it and he said there is a piece that is part of the clutch which becomes worn, doesn't engage properly and makes noise. He said it will gradually get worse, and the noise will get louder and louder (but sounds worse than it is), and that we need not be in a rush to get it sorted seeing as it's an old car (03 plate, 135k miles).

Fast forward to now. We've just had the MOT and asked the garage about it. He had a listen, but not while we were there. He said he thinks it is the clutch thrust bearings, and that when you accelerate the bearings spin round and that's what you hear. Didn't comment on the noise while idle. He added that it can stop working with no notice or can gradually deteriorate. The cost to replace/fix would be around £380 - £400.

So a bit different to the RAC's view.

Up until now there has been no noise other than what I described above while idle and with foot off clutch. But this last week or two a few times I've been hearing some strange sounds while driving. Not consistently - it's either there or it's not, and most often it's not. It's hard to describe the sound, I'm useless at doing that. But I'll go for a drive tomorrow with my partner and see how she describes it.

In the meantime, I wondered if anyone could take a stab at any guesses based on the above? Happy to do any testing that may help, so please feel free to ask. And sorry to be vague, I can appreciate there's not much to go on...

Many thanks

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Mon 1 Aug 2022 15:27
Skoda Fabia Estate MkI. 1.2 Comfort. HTP 64. - Noise when car is idling, gone when clutch pressed - elekie&a/c doctor
Let’s put it this way . Whatever’s wrong with it , the gearbox will need to be removed for inspection of the clutch system.
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Mon 1 Aug 2022 19:46
Skoda Fabia Estate MkI. 1.2 Comfort. HTP 64. - Noise when car is idling, gone when clutch pressed - bathtub tom

Have you checked the gearbox oil level?

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Fri 16 Sep 2022 12:02
Skoda Fabia Estate MkI. 1.2 Comfort. HTP 64. - Noise when car is idling, gone when clutch pressed - peanutstew

Hi folks

Please excuse the embarrassingly long wait for my reply! Between work, renovating our house, and being away for a couple of weeks, there's been zero free time. And with a second car to use at the moment, this slipped down in the list of priorities. Shameful I know!

The Skoda has been out on a fair few short runs since I posted. Just as a recap/summary:

- It always makes a noise when I take my foot off the clutch pedal, in idle. It's done this for quite some time.

- The noise is always silenced when I press the clutch pedal down, in idle.

- When driving, I would say it makes a noise around 10-20%. The rest of the time it's fine. I have not been able to work out any pattern or consistencies as to when it makes the noise. It's hard to describe the noise, but if I had to I'd describe it as somewhere between a rattling and a grinding noise.

- When I'm driving and it's making the noise, the noise is still there when I press the clutch down / coast.

I've watched a couple of videos which show the same noise in the same circumstance:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFWnBhGnsbA

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSar2KJ86KE (see 2:10 in this video)

I've also been through all the video comments and there's a mixture of diagnoses. People are suggesting it could be:

1. Gearbox Bearings / Input Shaft Bearings.

2. Clutch Release Bearing / Throw Out Bearing

3. Dual Mass Flywheel. (Although others respond saying that my petrol 1.2 would have a single flywheel).

4. Thrust Bearing. (Not sure if this is a different name for one of the above? If so, please let me know).

5. “Clutch or pressure plate have become loose”.

6. “probably the 5th gear bearing broke off, had the same problem on mine I first thought it was the clutch. It's a weakness in 02T gearboxes”

Based on the info I've gathered, it seems #1 is the most likely. But any further thoughts, or tests I can do, etc. would be a great help to try to determine for sure what the problem is.

The other thing that would be very helpful to know is if the noise I get occasionally while driving is likely to be related or something completely different?

RE checking gearbox oil level - is that something I can do myself or is it quite fiddly and difficult?

Sorry for the long post and many thanks for all the help.

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Fri 16 Sep 2022 13:58
Skoda Fabia Estate MkI. 1.2 Comfort. HTP 64. - Noise when car is idling, gone when clutch pressed - Adampr

Sorry to be a bit miserable, but..

Its a nearly 20 year old car with a decent amount of miles under its belt. A mechanic has listened to it and given you his opinion. I don't think strangers on the internet are going to be able to diagnose it any better.

If you're attached to the car for whatever reason, it needs a physical inspection to find the problem and that means taking the gearbox to bits. Not cheap and, whatever the issue, it will be in the sort of price range you quoted.

If you're not particularly attached to the car, either flog it while you can or just keep driving it until it stops working. The cost of having it repaired is probably more than it will be worth.

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Fri 16 Sep 2022 15:25
Skoda Fabia Estate MkI. 1.2 Comfort. HTP 64. - Noise when car is idling, gone when clutch pressed - catsdad

It can be hard running an old car when there are several possible causes. Even if you narrow the noise down to a likely cause you are still in the hands of the mechanic you take it to. He is best placed to judge and if you tell him from online research it’s due to X but he says it’s due to Y, what are you going to do? Insist he treats it as X? And if that doesn’t work, then what?

It might be best to concentrate on the symptoms, record the noises in question and ask the mechanic for a recommended plan and costs. At least then he is accountable for the action.

I have found honest indies to be very good at tracing faults and taking a staged approach to avoid the costs running away. Maybe I’ve been lucky.

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Sat 15 Apr 2023 12:03
Skoda Fabia Estate MkI. 1.2 Comfort. HTP 64. - Noise when car is idling, gone when clutch pressed - Nicolai Larsen
Hi
I have The same problem. Did you find a solution? I suspect it to be low on tranny Oil?
Regards
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Sat 15 Apr 2023 17:27
Skoda Fabia Estate MkI. 1.2 Comfort. HTP 64. - Noise when car is idling, gone when clutch pressed - Crickleymal

Well top up the oil and see what happens.

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