Hi All, ive had my citigo sport since new in 2013 and over the last 6 months it has developed a really nasty rattle/knock on start up and when i put it in reverse and let the clutch out, i found the problem to be the mid section heat shield, one side has rotted away from the rivets and is handing down on the mid section of the exhaust, looking for surgestions should i just remove the heatshield all together or should i try and remove the rivets and re attach it if i can? 

Edited 4 May, 20197 yr by Caz91

I had this happen on my Mk 1 Octavia. It made a right old racket, but was cured by fixing the heatshield back in place by using a new starlock type washer. These sort of things https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/302691192696?chn=ps&var=601549936875 Hope that helps.

Edited 4 May, 20197 yr by Westbury63

Cable ties work well.

On 04/05/2019 at 20:30, Westbury63 said:

I had this happen on my Mk 1 Octavia. It made a right old racket, but was cured by fixing the heatshield back in place by using a new starlock type washer. These sort of things https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/302691192696?chn=ps&var=601549936875 Hope that helps.

the shield has corroded over the washers, thats why i dnt no it it would work again trying to fix it or just take it off all together

 

From the photo it looks as if you still have the threaded 'stud' from the floorplan. If the washer is not large enough for the hole in the shield, then I would find a bigger diameter washer. You can then use a starlock washer to hold this in place. Peter3197 suggests a cable tie, good idea. I discovered that there are metal cable ties available, so you could also use one of these on the 'stud' to secure the oversized washer and starlock wahser in place.  HTH

During regular service it was discovered on my Citigo that the same thing has started. They replaced the whole heat shield under warranty, but it is a bit worrying that it happened after only three years of ownership. I believe Skoda should have secured it a bit better.

Mine was replaced under warranty. I had extended 5 year warranty. Just expired sadly.

I've always just cut up a largish washer from a tin can as it is thin and so still allow you to form it into the domed shape and fit it below the retaining clip.

I have had this issue in my Citigo too after around 4 years, and I have read about it being quite common (also in VW Up's and Seat Mii's)

I would not remove the heatshield, but I would also not replace it for a new one, as that is quite a lot of work and I'd expect a new one to fail again in the same way.

 

The heat shield seems to be quite thin aluminium, and due to corrosion and vibration it eventually breaks around the washer/clip that holds it.

 

What I ended up doing, which has held so far for more than 5 years surprisingly well, was to improvise my own aluminium washers, from the bottom of aluminium cans (any beer or soda can).
The bottom of the can is quite much wider than the original washer, and has a nice dome shape, which fits nicely, specially in the front of the heatshield.
Note that I reused the plastic spacer between the new "aluminium washer" and the metal clip, to prevent the metal clip from touching directly the aluminium. The "aluminium washer" does touch directly the heatshield.

 

I had tried first with a bigger steel washer but that only held for less than a year. I think the problem is that the steel corrodes the aluminium very fast, and due to vibration cuts thru the heatshield in its edges.

I just added today another 2 of these "washers" in another 2 of the original clips which broke recently. Now only 1 out of the 6 supports is holding on the original heatshield and 5 are helped with these aluminium can bottoms.

 

The exact way I did the washer out of the can was to cut it with a bit off the can bottom ridge, bend the ridge a bit inwards so the rim of the washer was a bit "reinforced", bored a 4mm hole in the centre for the car body stud, and did two perpendicular cuts centred in the hole (so there is 4 flaps that can catch in the stud a bit on their own).
Note that even though this new washer holds a bit on its own, I still used the VW clip to hold it in place, as I'd expect it to otherwise corrode around the stud and fall off quite fast.

 

You can see here 2 photos, one of a fully newly installed one

 

and another of one that has been holding there for ~5 years:

 

(The brown color in the car body and heat-shield is just an extra anti-corrosion sprayed coat)