Have I brought a sewing machine?

[FabTony]

Hi, took delivery of new Fabia SE on Christmas eve (nice present) and after 480 miles sounds like a sewing machine when started from cold!! Contacted the dealer and they said drive it for another week and if it persists then bring it in for a look.

 

I have read tons of stuff about TSI engine noises here and elsewhere and to be honest my head is exploding with it all. The car was made in 05/2015 according to the plastics and it was stuck out the back of the dealers I assume for ages going by the state of it before the handover valet! I took it as I needed a car quickly for new job 30 miles away

 

After years of climbing around on the floor, searching for cheap parts and getting up to my elbows in grease I had decided ENOUGH, no more car fixing but alas here I am with the bonnet up listening for noises and searching the internet for information. Bit disapointing really as the car drives like a dream.

 

I keep reading about chains and tensioners but info is telling me I have a belt. Any thoughts?

 

Tony.

[alltorque]

Hi, took delivery of new Fabia SE on Christmas eve (nice present) and after 480 miles sounds like a sewing machine when started from cold!! Contacted the dealer and they said drive it for another week and if it persists then bring it in for a look.

 

I have read tons of stuff about TSI engine noises here and elsewhere and to be honest my head is exploding with it all. The car was made in 05/2015 according to the plastics and it was stuck out the back of the dealers I assume for ages going by the state of it before the handover valet! I took it as I needed a car quickly for new job 30 miles away

 

After years of climbing around on the floor, searching for cheap parts and getting up to my elbows in grease I had decided ENOUGH, no more car fixing but alas here I am with the bonnet up listening for noises and searching the internet for information. Bit disapointing really as the car drives like a dream.

 

I keep reading about chains and tensioners but info is telling me I have a belt. Any thoughts?

 

Tony.

I have the TSI 110 and it really is very quiet. "Very quiet" is, of course, relative. Having come from a 5-pot Volvo diesel it is very quiet at tickover and not as grunty under acceleration. Does it sound like a sewing machine? Hmmm, yes I guess that might be a way to describe it. There is...bound to be...some mechanical thrash but nothing untoward. I would keep an eye on fluids and put it out of your mind...you'll probably not even hear it at all in a couple of months.

Of course, you could go to your dealer and listen to another one for comparison. Nothing to lose.

[FabTony]

Thanks for your input alltorque. After a short time it's a very quiet smooth engine but I'll check things over tomorrow.

 

[glosrich]

Hi Tony.

If its the TSi 110 you have, mine was a bit tappety from a cold start. But now its loosening up at 1800 miles its very quiet now.

Check the oil is topped up to max.

They are timing belt now, so no chain rattle. Belt change is at 7 years I think.

[FabTony]

Hi glosrich, I have the TSI 90 and it's good to get a bit of advice and reassurance from those who know, bad dose of dealer vague-ness

 

cheers

[fabdavrav]

even my old MK1 1.4 would sound tappetey on cold days at start up until it got warm

 

If worried listen to another one from cold at dealers & check the oil just in case!

[rum4mo]

The new 1.2TSI is a bit noisy at cold start up, and until warmed up, well by that I mean if you walk past the front of the car it sounds like a bag of spanners (a bit!), comparing it to a sewing machine is wrong, when you do that you are meaning that it is super smooth sounding.  The 110PS versions, and maybe others, have the added "bonus" of the quiet "peep peep peeping followed by long peeeeeeeeeps" which seems to be caused by the use/length of EVAP aniconic piping used - though my VW dealer claims to know nothing about that!

 

I hope that you are wrong about the car's actual build date, I'd think that you can only give a very rough guide to the car's actual build date from checking date codes on some of the plastic trim parts.  If you are concerned about that car having been lying unclaimed for a while, ask a Skoda parts department to work out its production date from the VIN details - or maybe phone SUK - maybe try a Skoda parts place first?

[FabTony]

Yes the sowing machine analogy is a bit off the mark, having listened again today I would say it's a bit more polished stainless steel bobbin on a high specification weaving machine. As you say a sewing machine is a high precision machine.

 

My mind is at ease now thanks to reasoned advice here and I'm not really worried about when it was made.

 

 

Fantastic car :sun:

[James I]

It is brand new and if you are not planning on keeping it forever, don't worry about it, turn up the radio to drown out the tapping, after all if it develops into something worse you have a warranty to repair it, drive it and enjoy it.

[richardsfavorit]

If you are really worried you could record a video and stick it up on here. Someone with a good ear for these noises might be able to help.

I would take it back to the dealer though if unhappy.

[pfaff]

Of course.

But more like a Singer than a Pfaff....

[rum4mo]

Of course.

But more like a Singer than a Pfaff....

 

Oooooh! That will not work for a lot of people - they will be too young to remember Singer, I seem to remember that there is a display of Singer sew machines in Glasgow - maybe in a Singer shop if they still exist, I think that it was a wall or window "packed" with old models!

 

By the way, there used to be a Singer factory near Glasgow, I remember it had its own train station, called, Singer obviously!

Edited 11 January, 2016 by rum4mo

[FabTony]

Not me, my mum used to sew up my cloths back in the 60's

That will not work for a lot of people - they will be too young to remember Singer,

[Ootohere]

All you folks and nostalgia.  

These days the Sewing Machine in front is a Toyota and sounds nothing like a Fabia on a Cold start.

[PekoSI]

One serious sub-question though since all this talk about the 'sewing machine' noise got me wondering. I can here this type of noise all the time also in the cabin while driving. Most noticeable in low speed at constant revs. Normal or not?

[rum4mo]

PekoSI, which or what sort of noise are you hearing?  Is it just the "Peep Peep Peep --------- Peep followed by Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep which repeat frequently?

[PekoSI]

Nope I'm talking about that 'sewing noise'   Seriously it does sound similar under low acceleration. Haven't heard any peeping noise yet 

[Paul007]

If you don't remember Singer, you won't remember Frister and Rossman.  

[rum4mo]

My wife came complete with a Jones sewing machine, then upgraded to a Frister Rossman about 30 or so years ago - I've recently heard that she might just be thinking about getting another new one!!  My socket sets have lasted for years - so why can't her (under used) sewing machine?

[Guest]

Don't forget that piston 'flutter & rattle' at idle after startup is quite normal on modern petrol engines. Some engine types are more rattley than others. This is caused by the low friction short skirt pistons and they do this until the engine warms up. The pistons simply don't fit the cylinder bores properly when the engine is cold! This is quite normal during that cold engine period. As the motor warms the pistons fit better and stop rattling. This piston rattle can be confused with excessive valve clearance noise or even mislead the owner to think the hydraulic tappets are faulty (sometimes they are). Mostly all petrol engines do it, cars, bikes etc. Not something to worry about.

 

PS. Note: this rattle is worse on very cold mornings at startup. Often it's hardly noticeable on a warm summers morning and it goes away much faster as the engine warms much more quickly.

Edited 14 January, 2016 by Estate Man

[PekoSI]

Why does mine sound the same then even when properly warmed up?

[rum4mo]

Okay, I'm now willing to understand why the OP was calling it a sewing machine - so yes my wife's new Polo 1.2TSI 110PS also sounds like a sewing machine - I can now see that the OP was referring to the engine noise that sounds like the sound the needle mechanism of a sewing machine makes!!

[FabTony]

Okay, I'm now willing to understand why the OP was calling it a sewing machine - so yes my wife's new Polo 1.2TSI 110PS also sounds like a sewing machine - I can now see that the OP was referring to the engine noise that sounds like the sound the needle mechanism of a sewing machine makes!!

Yes any idea what it is ? still trying to get a vid/sound recording of the engine.

[Guest]

Why does mine sound the same then even when properly warmed up?

 

Okay, then it isn't piston rattle/flutter. Probably valve train/gear somewhere. Probably normal but you could take her in for the techs to listen to it. 

[rum4mo]

Why does mine sound the same then even when properly warmed up?

 

Same here, so it must be a characteristic of these engines, that does not explain clearly what it actually is thought!