My car is just 18 months old with 3200 miles on the clock, has always been quiet, until a few days ago after a cold frosty night.

The morning after, I started up when the outside temp was 1.5degrees C.  The noise seemed to come from either the alternator or the top of the engine.

After a one hour drive, the noise had gone.  Now, a few days later, it has come back and is there all the time.

Oil level and temp are OK, water temp is OK, there are no warnings on driver's display.

Has anyone else heard a similar noise?  I've not tried to post a video before, so I hope you can run this file  clicking.vpj

 

Thanks

Stewart

Is it on Variable Servicing and not getting an Oil & filter change until 2 years old? Or has there been a Service carried out yet?

 

Maybe worth getting an oil change and on Fixed Servicing, and best see if a Master Tech can pick up on what the noise is.

It had oil and filter changed by the dealer after one year.  Maybe I should ask them to listen to it?

Have you had it from new and had the oil changed or did you buy used and it shows an oil and filter changed?

I've had it from new, and until this noise started, the engine was really quiet.  I took it in for its first service when the driving data display said to.

Best not put off getting it checked out,  unlikely to be spark plugs but maybe best if all 4 are checked, but the Master Tech should have it on the Diagnostic and best have him or her road test it, not one off the 'they all do that' in the showroom.

I'll call the dealer tomorrow and arrange for a mechanic to have a listen to it.

Thanks for your help.

S

Which engine? 

My 1.2 TSi is a bit rattly some mornings. All cars with hydraulic tappets are until the oil pressure builds.

As long as it stops within 30 secs or so that is normal. 

I had an AA mechanic listen to it.  He said I was hearing the injectors, and assured me that all was well.

(I've never before owned a car with multi-point injection)

 

Thanks to all for your help and suggestions.

It is direct injection into each cylinder at very high pressure.

It is not noticeable in the car, but if you lift the bonnet with the engine ticking over it sounds like your granny knitting on steroids.

I was unaware of it for weeks after I bought it and then must have started the car in the garage with the window open for the first time. A great relief to discover from this forum that it was all perfectly normal.

Easily fixed by not opening windows in garage when starting or lifting the bonnet with engine running

People often overlook injector tick when looking for potential faults. Not sure about the 1.2TSi but the 1.4 doesn't have bucket tappets, it's good old fashioned rocker fingers between camshafts and valves.

20 hours ago, Stewart7 said:

I had an AA mechanic listen to it.  He said I was hearing the injectors, and assured me that all was well.

(I've never before owned a car with multi-point injection)

 

Thanks to all for your help and suggestions.

You say in a earlier post that the noise comes & goes so when the AA mechainc looked at it was it making the noise you were originally worried about or just normal injector noise? I wouldnt expect a petrol injector to be quiet one minute then making a noise the next. 

Edited 7 February, 20179 yr by mikey vrs

When the AA looked at it, it was making the noise, and he said it sounded perfectly normal for a direct injection engine.

Before I heard it after the very cold start (1.5oC), I don't think I had had the bonnet open with the engine running.

When I asked him about hearing it for the first time in the cold, he said maybe everything had contracted more than usual, or oil had drained from tappets.  (Before that cold start, the car had sat for several days).  He also suggested, because it is a new engine, to me, and I'd heard an unfamiliar noise, I was now listening out for everything.

He's probably right, I am a bit of a worrier.