Had my cambelt and tensioners changed two weeks ago on my 2.0 TDi.

Driving on holiday I noticed a few odd, intermittant sounds have developed at revs around 1500 to 2200. Almost like a fluttering, chachachachachacha, sound. It's hard to hear but when you get used to a car you know when it sounds different. At idle and higher revs the sound is not there. Can't replicate the sound when stationary and not under load. Now confused. It seems to pull OK and idles at a steady rate.

I did notice once or twice that the engine made an unusual noise when accelerating under load at around 2500 rpm in 3rd gear. It has really knocked my confidence in the car now, especially with the other problems as per my thread Engine Stutter. So much so that I was worried we would not make it back from Pembrokeshire without the AA assisting us!

The car has not failed. Yet. But as I'm off to North Wales in a couple of weeks I need to get this sorted ASAP. Back to the garage tomorrow for them to check the belt and tensioners.

Also MPG seems off to me. Using more fuel than last year's trip. 150 miles down the M4, with a roofbox, camping stuff and tiny trailer so only doing max 60mph, very easy cruising, plus easy cruising around Pembrokeshire with roof box on but empty, doing 40mph (50 max) so wind resistance is not a factor at these speeds and getting 43mpg calculated. It should be way more than this, with that easy driving style. Maybe 49-52. Not sure where to start as there are no fault codes.

Getting stumped and miffed by this car sometimes. :( Any ideas?

I'd be looking at injector values and see if anything is out, might indicate if the cambelt wasn't tensioned correctly.

I'm better on the 1.9 than the 2.0, but it sounds to me like the fuel timing may be off.

I'd be looking at injector values and see if anything is out, might indicate if the cambelt wasn't tensioned correctly.

Thanks for this Tech1e. What sort of values would be usual and what would be unusual? Or do you mean if three values are similar and one is less similar? Surely if the timing was out all the values for the four injectors would be out by the same amount? Or am I missing something here?

OK, so went to garage and they checked everything out.

No fault codes

No loose belts

No split pipes

No noise now

Injector quantities at idle were all about +/- 0.5 (limits +/- 2.5)

Everything is in good order.

?????

TBH I could not get the sound to appear during my drive to the garage so I guess it has gone away. Gave it plenty of loud pedal on way back. It does go . . . but not quite as zippy as I know it can be. Also, fuel consumption is high.

They suggested a couple of things I can try in this order:

1/ new MAF (car is now nearly 7yrs old - signal could becoming weak)

2/ new Coolant Sender (as above - causing slightly rich running - possible cause of sooted/stuck turbo?)

Any ideas of part nos and costs and best place to buy these two items please? Is the MAF the whole tube thing or just the part with the two hex screws?

TIA

Nick

Haha, think I've identified the odd noise! When the garage did my cambelt, they lubed up my nipples [ooh, err, missus! /] that hold the plastic engine cover in place, using a thick teflon grease. I think that it was these making the noise when the cover vibrated on top of them with the nipples in the rubber cup thing. [noise a bit like that sound some people make by pulling their cheek skin in an out in a fast manner to emulate rude solo sex noises - allegedly /]

What ever is was it is no longer there. So a bit of a mystery but maybe that was it?

My engine cover makes a right racket unless it is located firmly. I find the rubber bit round the dipstick has to fiddled with to get rid of the noise (oo-er missus)

Haha, think I've identified the odd noise! When the garage did my cambelt, they lubed up my nipples [ooh, err, missus! /] that hold the plastic engine cover in place, using a thick teflon grease. I think that it was these making the noise when the cover vibrated on top of them with the nipples in the rubber cup thing. [noise a bit like that sound some people make by pulling their cheek skin in an out in a fast manner to emulate rude solo sex noises - allegedly /]

Is that garage run by Finbarr Saunders ?