I have done a 15 mile trip with just a 5 minute stop off (to a shop) so the engine was as warm as it ever has been, I was stuck in traffic and became increasingly aware that my engine was sounding noiser. It sounds ok from cold but gets more tappety as the oil gets up to the temperature.
The engine sometimes pinks (experimening with Shell V power but I am now thinking it is related to timing). My question is does my engine sound normal for a typical 1.2 16v Ecotec or is this the sound people talk about when the chian/tensioner needs doing? Bellboy will probably know the answer as he seems to sell a lot of Corsas.
Oil was changed 280 miles ago.
It is a high quality recording and through my HIFI seperates it sounds like the engine is running in my room.
s167.photobucket.com/albums/u141/amazingtrade/?act...v
Thanks I just don't know if I should be worried or not.
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>>Oil was changed 280 miles ago.
What oil did you put in? What filter did you use?
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GM 10/40 semi synth not sure about the filter. I have been looking at the records and it looks like although it has had a service every yeah it was used a lot in one year so ended up doing 20k without an oil change so I think the damage might have been done then, its a very common problem on this engine and its related to the camshaft snapping on later models I think.
No idea what filter was used as I didn't do it, its not accessible on this engine either without jacking it up :(
Oil seems to be fine checked it on the dip stick no sign of any contamination either, no smoke from exhaust, no knocks from pistons etc.
I am thinking the chain might be slack and at low revs it is still not quite tight enough cuasing the pinking :(.
I always have planed to change the chain as I knew it was a little rattely but now I am using the car more and for longer journeys it is looking like a "to be on the safe side" chian change has become an essential thing :(.
NC you may rememember my earlier thread regarding the throttle well I think part of the problem is now timing and sympton is now showing itself in the noise.
Edited by Rattle on 05/05/2009 at 20:37
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that sounds to me like the dredded chain rattle by all means take a second/third opinion maybe a dealer mechanic/tech, while you are there you can get the price for replaing it (make sure that you are sitting down) Regards TB
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I've suspected for a while the chain would need doing in my ownership but not so soon. I had planed on doing some decorating looks like that plan is now off. I will take it to a garage Ted knows tomorrow and just see what they say.
If there is any oil starvation issues will this be obvious?
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unlkely that there will be starvation, only thing that i have seen is incorrect filter fitted (parts throwm away by numbty when changing filter) causeing low oil pressure during the fist few turns of starting/running, get it changed valve damage will not occur on this engine but if left chain will work its way through some part of the caseing/waterpump and cause more grief, Regards TB
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Thanks will get an idea of cost tomorrow, I have been told to expect around £100 parts plus 3-4 hours labour. I assume its the same as belts that I need to get the pulleys, tensioner and chain changed? My engine has always been a bit tappety even when I bought it but 'they all sound like that' it is just now when it gets hot it sounds more like a tractor.
I know the rest of the engine is good (after 300 miles no loss of any fluids, no smoke, no knocks etc) and you can probably see from the video its very clean/no leaks.
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yes the filter needs fitting properly
the problem as i understand it on these engines is poor oil and filter maintainance that causes the oil pressure valve that tensions the tensioner to seize and so the chain goes floppy
however,ive not heard a bad 1200 b series more the 973"s, so i would whip the top off to check those bolts i highlighted on the 973 engines ive done because the noise sounds like a cackle of witches in a cauldron and your noise sounds more cackle than chain, but it didnt seem to get louder as you very carefully revved it so i might be wrong
nowt to lose, its only two pipes and the coils and about 15 silly fastenings and your in
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hehe I doubt I would be even be able to get the coil rail off. I will tactfully suggest that tomorrow though to the garage.
Bellboy will it be obvious for a mechanic if the tensioner has seazed or does the entire chain have to be removed first?
Bellboy the rattle goes away completly when reved which is one of the first reasons I thought it was the chain then I am now thniking the low revs pinking could be because the chain is too slack? Either way a slack chain would be obvious as soon as the rocker cover is removed or is not that simple?
Also looking back at the records it seems it has had its oil changed less than I was told :(. It rattles badly for a second as soon as I turn the ignition off too I don't know if that means anything.
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it takes 10 minutes to take the top off so im sure he will do that while you wait if you are a regular
i wouldnt fancy putting a chain on these im afraid,i would rather buy another car thats been totalled and swap the donkeys over
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The other thing is it`s usage pattern. It`s been a few weeks now since purchase and it`s just about done 300 miles, on short runs in Manchester, since then. This seems to be the first time it`s been up to a normal operating temperature - enough of a run to heat up the oil and notice the err rattle.
Given that`s it`s likely future, very low mileage and hardly ever doing a trip long enough - to a temperature where the oil is hot - why not just get the bolts checked and a Vaux oil filter on it and then just use it and not worry about it?
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Done 15 miles in it today and I but a block on the cam cover and chain cover, it all sounded the same but under the cam cover it did sound fairly quiet. I have no idea if its the tappets or chain now so I will book it tomorrow and get what Bellboy and oilrag suggests done.
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hi the oil filter is up the top. its a paper filter replacement only a few pounds. theres always timing chain kits on flebay ,coming down in price i believe below £70.. my 99 corsa1.2 dosent sound as bad, usualy noticable if labouring slightly up hill. also the car dosent like getting going on cold mornings
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Slowdown mine dosn't sound that bad either but when you put a microphone less than 20cm from the cam cover it sounds bad! I am not sure where the filter is? I can't see it from the engine bay anywhere and had a quick look underneath and didn't spot it :(.
I put a metal bar on different parts of the cover and it all sounded the same, the chain area certainly sounded no worse which makes me wonder if it is the tappets? However the pinking problem would point to the timing.
I've tried Shell V power and so far I am not sure if its made any difference or not.
Mine hates cold mornings too it sounds pretty rough from cold but then goes quite when the ICV sets it back to 700rpm but then gets noiser again as the oil thins.
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"Mine hates cold mornings too it sounds pretty rough from cold"
Let`s hear a recording of a cold - standing all night - start, then, Rattle ;-)
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! I am not sure where the filteris? I can't see it from the engine bay anywhere and had a quick look underneath and didn't spot it :(.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
i6.photobucket.com/albums/y246/smartiesx3/03-05-09...g
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Hi, I also have a 1998 Corsa with the same engine (and in Arden blue!).
I watched the video, my engine is not as noisy as that. It occasionally pinks when under acceleration.
My car sometimes drives like new, and other days it struggles when accelerating like it has not got much power and you can feel the engine hesitating sometimes, but the car is fine when cruising.
Also when going home from work I nearly always have to queue on a motorway exit and it is at an incline. After about 5 mins I get near the front and when the traffic lights go green (at this point the slip road is at an incline of about 10 to 15 degrees) the car pulls away and then looses all power and then it comes back after about a second. It only ever does it on this slip road and doesn't do it every day. No engine management light ever lights up though during any of these situations.
It is due a service next month so maybe it just needs that but it's odd it only loses all power on that slip road. Any thoughts? All sensors were replaced a few years ago. I tried Shell V Power and it made no difference. Mileage is 97,000.
Thanks.
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Sop my engine isn't actually that noisy, its noticable but from the outside the biggest noise is my slightly blowing back box which is made out of pure rust. You can just here a little tick from the front end of the car. I placed the phone right over the cam cover so it would sound a bit of a racket, I have not tried this on my dads but I would be horrofied at the sound but the great thing about those old Fiesta engines is they rattle and rattle and they just carry on working the problem is I have no experiencw with Corsa engines so don't know if they will keep working with the tappets ratteling etc.
Also I posted a few weeks ago that my car was stalling people suggested the EGR valve, your loss of power seems to be like the EGR valve or the MAF. I now think the stalling was more down to me as I am now putting a bit more preasure on the throttle and its fine but something probably is wrong some where but I expect that, I was just paranoid my chain was about to snap but having listened to it via a metal block (e.g a steposcope) I think my chain is fine and Bellboy is probably right with a loose nut or something. I will get to the botttom of this noise but I frome experience garages will tell me I need a new chain when I don't or just say "its normal mate they all do it" so I am tempted to just wip the cover of myself, once I get my haynes I might do that.
I will also add that V power has not made any difference at all but my engine is also getting 40mpg in city driving and if I had stuck tappets I am sure I would be getting much lower than that figure. I am going to work out the maths now to see exactly how much MPG I am getting.
I don't mind noisy engines etc I just get paranoid about things like the chain.
Edit I have also posted this on a corsa forum as I believe the people here are wise and have lots of mechanical experience where on that other site they know Corsas well but thats it. However one common link is the people I trust most on both sites don't think the noise is an issue with the chain.
Edited by Rattle on 08/05/2009 at 02:27
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Sorry I just had another view of the video, my engine does sound the same as yours when idling with the bonnet open. Had the car 5 years, chain has never had any work done to it in that time so yours should be fine.
My car drove normal today but yesterday lacked power, so it does seem to be sensor related, I guess one of them is going again but it is ok for the moment.
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I think it is getting the balance but the people on the Corsa site reply "its normal mate..." as did the mechanic I took it when I bought it. I will mention it again and maybe if I get some confidence just get the cam cover off myself to have a look but I have been driving it since and its going well.
I do wonder about the pinking though am i just being too heavy with the throttle thus putting the engine under load? I just want to get this engine upto 90k and will be happy. I am still getting over 40mpg too and thats city driving so surely that says the tappets are working?
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Sop has your car always been tappety?
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It's always sounded a bit tappety when cold.
I've found that when it starts pinking if I reduce the throttle it goes away and then I can put more pressure on the throttle and it won't pink again.
One week last summer I got 53 MPG, however thats because 1) I live next to a motorway and 90% of the time the car is just on the motorway cruising at 60 MPH and 2) all that week I didn't get suck in any traffic and was able to drive right through a load of green traffic lights for some reason!
The car can stay in 5th gear at 30 MPH round town, and at 25 MPH with no problems as long as its a flat or downhill road but do not use much throttle.
Normally I get about 43 MPG beucase my home and work are both next to the same motorway. I hope this improves though because I've just had fitted 4 Continental Eco Contact 3 tyres. Tyre roar on motorway has been reduced by about half and its smoother with more grip.
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yer my mechanic said it could be the tapets but it would need to go into gagwge to check it out. my guess is you should kep fingers crossed and keep going. It may help if you spray carb cleaner into the pot and clean butterfly .it did for me took the jerk out of gas pedal. it seems with this model in time you will need icv easy diy job, mas ,egr valve all easy jobs.
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Yeah aim to get the EGR done in the next few weeks and I show them the video I recorded then. There is a bit of sludge on the camshaft looking through the oil filler hole so it might be an oil problem getting to the tappets.
Interestingly enough I have just recorded it from cold and it sounds better from my ears but on my phone it sounds the same (played through HIFI seperates) so it could be that the mic on the phone is picking up the high frequencies making my engine sound a lot rougher than it is.
Either way a new chain is going to be around £350 fitted so when compare that to the cost of a new donk it dosn't seem worth while. On the corsa site there are a lot of people selling donks as they are always putting 2 litre red tops in.
I am just one of those people that will always worry about the car no matter what.
Edited by Rattle on 09/05/2009 at 16:50
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I am just one of those people that will always worry about the car no matter what.
Thou hast said it
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Indead but my diagnoses is usualy right, just 20,000 miles later! I don't look after myself at all, eat all the wrong foods, drink far too much beer etc etc so I think cars are a good way to divert worry from real life. I am very drunk noiw and decided tnoight that I am just going to leave the engine as is, I will mention it to the garage but if they fob me off that is more than enough opinions that these engines can run in a rrattly state for many 10,000s of miles.
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