Hi I have just noticed a bit of a metallic noise on tickover coming from my 2007 vrs. Tfsi (belt) engine on tickover.  You can’t here it from the cabin but it is noticeable with the bonnet open.  I went around with a screwdriver listening to various points and the noisiest bit seems to be on  something which is bolted on to the side of the block just behind the alternator!  It sounds like a bag of nails or if a bearing has broken down.

 

im not sure what this is.  It’s like a cylinder about 100mm dia and sticks out about 80mm from the side of the block and as I said is just behind and below the alternator.  Sorry for my non tech approach!  I’ve searched for labelled pics of the engine but can’t find anything.

 

any ideas? 
 

cheers

It’ll be your chain and tensioner, get it replaced and the noise will go, mine was the same, I could hear the ticking inside the cabin mostly.
 

the bit on the right side of the engine in this pic?

 

behind the cover is this

 

 

the chains stretch and the tensioner becomes weaker, resulting in noise, it’s a fairly critical part, and can bork the engine if it fails, without hearing yours I couldn’t tell you how soon that might happen, but the fact it’s now prominent enough that you’ve noticed it, I’d say sooner rather than later is a safer option.

Cheers for the reply but mine is the earlier belt driven engine.  Noise seems to be coming from the left hand side behind the alternator.  The belt is on the left but this and water pump were replaced at 85k ...it’s now on 130k

Sorry don’t have any pics at moment

Just found this pic.  I’ve arrowed the seemingly noisy bit.  Haven’t got the car with me today so can’t have a good look to identify what it is

Sorry my bad, I only half read your first post 🤦🏻‍♂️ Mine is also a belt engine though, the belt engines also have a chain that controls just the cams 👍 When you said cylindrical thing I thought you meant the cover for the VVT cam pulley.

 

That thing you’ve pointed out is just the aux belt tensioner, it has a pulley with a bearing on it 👍

https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/ina-drive-belt-tensioner-326442040

Ah I see...thanks for the link