My 1.2 TSI when starting from cold has developed a loud rattle for a couple of seconds, going back a few years I had a Vauxhall which did that when you needed a new oil filter, both similar type overhead cam engines, with  the oil filter mounted on the top of the engine, I wonder if the oil filter drains down overnight and takes a few seconds to fill up before the oil reaches the cams, anybody have any ideas? or had the same problems.

A couple of seconds does sound like oil shortage on start up until it circulates.

The obvious questions are how is oil level, and how old is the oil.

 

If this has become noticeable during cold weather, what is the engine mileage.  There is a possibility that garage used a bulk multi grade oil, but for an older engine, there is some suggestion that the oil grade should be slightly thicker, or more precisely for a multi grade, a wider range.   If it is coming upto an oil change being due, the change it may sort it.

 

From memory a 2014 tsi was a chain cam engine (might be wrong), so doesn’t need cam belt changed, however the chain links might have eased very slightly, allowing bit of extra slack, thus giving bit of chain rattle, and potentially causing timing of valves to be tiny bit off.   May be worth getting chain tension checked.

 

 

One culprit could be an after-market oil filter which has no check valve / non-return valve.  But it could now be too late if engine starts have lacked oil pressure for a year or more.

1 hour ago, Locomotive said:

My 1.2 TSI when starting from cold has developed a loud rattle for a couple of seconds

 

My 2013 Roomster did this.  The rattle disappeared after the oil and filter were changed at the next service.

Mine does it. I have had the car since new and being 2013 reg it should have the revised tensioner. It does not do it every time but what I have been finding is that if I rest my foot on the throttle pedal during start up the rattle happens but if I start the car with my foot well away its a quiet start. Perhaps I am mad!!

Edited 5 December, 20205 yr by edbostan

Engine mileage is 45000, the filter was from a main skoda dealer, oil is Castrol Edge 5w/30, both changed by me about 7,000 miles ago, this ony been happening occasionaly, on the first start of the day.

The first couple of services by the main dealer the oil used was Shell Helix Ultra 0w 30W and it was not such a problem. The dealership changed and they used Castrol 5W 30 Edge and the noise returned. Currently the independent used 5W 30W and a Skoda recommended oil and it occasionally happens. On these engines the thinner the better.

Mine used to had that rattling and I changed the timing chain just in case as I was told that it was a timing chain prolongation issue. After fitting the new chain that sound stopped for about 35.000Kms. Then started again. Then after a lot of searching I found out that parking the car with a gear engaged in the gear box, mine was manual and I used to always put first gear when parking my car, for some reason allowed the timing chain tensioner to totally drain from oil and thus the rattling was occasionally back.

 

Since then i never let a gear engaged in the gear box while parking and this rattling never occurred again.