carsey

Hi

My car is a bit on the noisy. Im not really sure where its coming from but we've changed the oil and filter this Sunday and it seemed to make it a tiny bit quieter.

It can either be the tappets or the exhaust vibrating when accelerating as it sounds fine when running ordinary down the road.

Heres the noise i made into a video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxKVw9riCsI

Cheers

Chris

qldit

Good Afternoon carsey, it is very hard to tell from that audio clip.

In that this noise is more pronounced under acceleration it could be nasty.

Running under no load conditions is quite different to being under power.

It is possible the engine timing is a little advanced, that can give some odd noises, also the suggestion that the noise changed after the oil change kind of suggests there could be some worrying wear involved.

I would be inclined to use a heavier oil, something like a Valvoline 20-50 gold multigrade and see if that helps.

As a matter of interest what kind of mileage has this engine done?

I am suspicious it could be engine wear and the noise you are experiencing may be what we refer to as a "death rattle".

It may be worth getting an opinion from a service station mechanic, they should be able to give an immediate opinion for no charge, surely.

Those VW Golfs have a mighty little engine but the Golfs are often treated as mini-race cars and thrashed to death!

Others will have different ideas.

Cheers, qldit.

carsey

It seems the same even when the engine is up to tempterature.

The engine has 85,000miles on it exactly.

When we changed the oil we used 10W 40 catrol oil which is reccomended for the engine.

Is there any chance of this being caused by the manifold???

Basementgeek

My thinking -the valve train. I would bet money on it.........

Does it have an oil pressure gage? If so what is the pressure cold and hot?

Have you every over revved the engine ?

Sure nothing to do with manifolds. Exhaust manifold, it be very noisy,
Intake manifold problems, generally see water in the oil or cylinders.

BG

carsey

Theres no oil pressure guage, but there is a warning light on the dash for the oil but thats operating normally.

I have never over revved the engine and the previous people did about 12,000 miles in 3 years so it hasnt really been run much.

How will I check or oil or water in the cylinders? Compression check??

cardoc

Hi all
Very hard to tell from the sound clip,I've listened several times.Could you have an aspirator tube or ck valve problem.There me be a tube running into the EGR valve aprox 3/4 inch in diameter.It supplies the valve with exhaust gas which the valve meters into the intake.If the tube is damaged it will be an exhaust leak that may be hard to see but won't affect the way it runs.Also what year is the car.I know equipment varies by continent.
If you put your hand on the valve cover can you feel the noise?
You can use a piece of hose held to your ear to search for the noise,sort of a poor mans auto stethescope.Better yet borrow the real thing.Although the hose works pretty well.You gotta hope its not valve train or pistons etc,it wont last long.
Good luck,Cardoc

carsey

There is a small tube that goes into the air box/air filter from somewhere in the engine. Im not sure where it comes from to be honest. That hose was sucked together when its running and before I cleaned it out, it was full of white oily stuff and the tube in the airbox/filter was also blocked.

The car is a W reg, year 2000 so its only 8 year old.

cardoc

Hi
That tube is part of the pcv system(oil fume control)If colapsed the tube and system should cleaned/replaced the air box is probably oil soaked.That tube is basically the fresh air intake to the crankcase ventalation system.(lets the crankcase breath).Oil up there means the other end of the system is clogged.And the crankcase pressure backs up into the fresh air side of the system.On an American car it would be a bad PCV valve but VW is a little different,RE more complicated.
Good luck Cardoc

carsey

Yeh, the airbox did have a thick layer of old oil around the carb and thus the breather pipe being clogged up.

So i will try and remove that pipe and remove any blockages and check if its still becoming closed when its running.

cardoc

Hi Carsey
I didn't want to get you distracted from the more important issue.The noise.I think the first step would be to use the poor man's stethescope I metioned to pin it down to major or minor problem.Keep me posted.
goodluck Cardoc

mack1

Hi Cris,
Have you checked to make sure it wasn't something driven by the fan belt?
Sure is a funny sound to be comming from inside the engine.

Mack1

Basementgeek

Not knowing anything about this model car.........

"full of white oily stuff"

Do live in a cold climate?

BG

carsey

I havent checked yet, but I might have a look to see if its any of the timing belts, but the belts to the alternator are running fine and are not noisey at all.

Well, we do live in england, UK so i guess yeh, it is pretty cold.
I think I will check the air filters to see if there is anymore build up of this oily substance at the weekend.

I have had a listen round the engine and it definately seems like it is coming from between the carbretteur and the inlet manifold, the top of the engine (rocker cover) is running really quiet as you would normally expect it to.

What is the sign of if there is a build up of a watery substance out the back of the exhaust where it has been standing running for about 10 minutes?

Thanks for the help so far guys.

cardoc

Maybe just exhaust condensation/Are other cars in the area also doing it.Is the noise getting worse.
Cardoc

mack1

Hi Chris,
About the fan belt thing, I was wondering if the belt could be easily removed, or slackened such that the engine could be started to see if the noise went away.
That was my best hopes for you. Internal engine problems are not good. My thinking revolved around "is the bearings going out in the alternator, the water pump, the airconditioning clutch or the power stearing pump, and is the thermal clutch in the fan making the noise". Not sure you have all these items on your vehicle, but you get the idea.
Hoping you the best.
Mack1

carsey

Im not sure whether the belt can be removed or slackened is I think the internal pulleys are run off a chain.(im not 100% sure though)

The alternator is perfectly fine and doesnt make a lot of noise.

My judgements are telling me that this is coming from somewhere between the carb and the cylinder head. (the part under the air filter/housing)

The car does not have air conditioning and the clutch is hydraulic I think.

BUDFAN8

you have mentioned "white oily substance" if you remove the dipstick does all the oil look milky?

also can the valve cover be removed easily? if it can remove it and try moveing the rockers with your finger to see if there is too much movement in some of them.

carsey

Im not sure about getting to the rockers but the oil in the dipstick is fine and seems to be keeping levels ok since we changed it.