My noisy Felicia

[mikefelicia]

Don't know how to start this so here go's. I have a Felicia 1.3 MPI Dec 1998  I purchased it new, I have looked after it doing most of the maintenence myself  with the help of a very good garage. I have given it a lot of TLC with oil changes some times twice a year and more. The car has done 97,770 miles and only once has it let me down (well had to call RAC out) a long time ago.

 

Now you are asking what is this old man on about well as of late the engine has got very noisey and it also  has a ticking sound I checked the tappets (twice) and they are ok yet another oil change. The performance is probably the best it has ever been the took it a run and got the engine hot and red lined it in each first 3 gears with no problems in fact for a old car it go's like stink. The ticking sound has been going on now for some time say couple of months  so looks like nothing has broken yet. 

 

I am a little concerned as I would realy miss this car if I had to get rid of it todays value is around a few hundred pounds to me thousands. I will continue to run it I have to.

 

Now you are going to ask what have I had repaired as of late 300 miles ago had a new clutch assembly replaced, new aux drive belt fitted, new idler pully, gearbox oil changed, by my garage that I have used from the start and he knows his stuff. 

 

The timing chain has done 34,000 Miles , water pump 20,000 Miles, alternator 17,000 Miles these were checked by my garage when the new belt was fitted, I keep a record of all that has been done on the car from the beginning.

 

I am thinking timing chain for some of the noise I know these engines can be noisy and I can live with it but you see I am a old boy and deaf and wear a hearing aid so if it's noisy for me well what is it for some one else my wife (has good hearing) say it seams ok for her but whe you pull onto a car park and people look up to the sky to see a spitfire or so and realise it me (only joking).

 

Can anyone with a old Felicia give me any comfort so I can sleep at night.

 

If you have got this far Thanks for reading.

Edited 18 June, 2021 by john999boy

[KenONeill]

18 hours ago, mikefelicia said:

timing chain has done 34,000 Miles

Well, I've known timing chains (non-tensioner engines) get noisy at as low as 20_000 miles. You may well remember noisy chains on Ladas and/or Simcas too.

[Thefeliciahacker]

does it sound like so? then you have a streched timing chain

Edited 7 April, 2021 by Thefeliciahacker

[mikefelicia]

Thank you guys for the replys, the video seems quieter than my engine looks like most of my sounds are from maybe the timing chain. I know there has been a lot of posting on this forum regarding the timing chain. 

 

Will have a word with my garage to see what they say.

[KenONeill]

58 minutes ago, mikefelicia said:

the video seems quieter than my engine

Based on my laptop and experience, you'd have to turn the volume up to about 120 out of 100 to get a real life sound level.

[mikefelicia]

I have ordered a new chain kit from EBay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FAI-TIMING-CHAIN-KIT-for-SKODA-FELICIA-II-1-3-1998-2001/294029224012 checked with seller and he told me it would fit ok and was as pictured on the listing.

 

Well looks like I am going to spend more than the cars worth but like I said it is worth a lot to me any way when did you see a nice Skoda Felicia on the road pic was taken a few years ago but it still looks very good. 

[Papez]

On 06/04/2021 at 16:26, mikefelicia said:

The timing chain has done 34,000 Miles 

 

What brand was the timing chain? Some aftermarket chains become noisy in short time. 

[mikefelicia]

Hi Papez sorry I can not say it was fitted in 2012 any way I am going to get a new one fitted (see above for the one I purchased) I will then see how the engine sounds. Thank you for your reply.

[RicardoM]

Hey Mike

Still going strong? You and the car

The timing chain should last more than yours. If the brand was OK, there is the possibility the oil channel that sprays the chain was partially clogged or the chain was not aligned properly on the sprockets.

[mikefelicia]

Hi Ric yep still going strong had a heart valve replaced last year and given me a new life thanks for asking, back to the car I can not remember the make of the chain kit in now that's strange as I keep usualy keep a record of every thing. i will ask the mechanic to check the oil spray and alinements.

 

I am not doing the miles now what with lock down and being off road with hospitalized, I had a new 3pc clutch fitted Borg and Beck not long ago (the clutch was fitted to the car not me).

 

I will know more after the new chain is fitted and will post my findings, like I say the car is going very well no problems apart from the noise of the engine. I did check the valve tappets and ok I did use the 9 method I have done since I purchased the car new and always worked ok the s/plugs look spot on.

Since I was 15 now 700 years old I have had motorcycles 2 and 3 wheeled ones (still have 2 a1964 Honda and 1964 Triumph) in the garage ) and have restored many bikes over the years so mixture settings and spark plugs are run of the mill for me.

 

Any way here I go rambling on you keep safe and thanks for all the help you have handed out to me and others over the years I wished you lived closer.

Edited 8 April, 2021 by mikefelicia

[Thefeliciahacker]

Wish you the best friend stay strong both you and your felly 

[mikefelicia]

Up date on my Felicia have had a new timing chain kit fitted and the engine sounds a lot better, the old timing chain was making the engine pinking as the sound has gone away and sounds like a old Skoda Felicia now.  

[automobilova]

Mike.

Hope you are doing fine with your health.

Nice Felicia.  I wish mine were as good looking as yours, after 25 years.

 

This topic of related to the timing chain, is becoming a nightmare for surviving fellys.

My mechanic says that new replacements have become less reliable and it is remarkably the ratling noise of the engine. The chain and sprockets wear too fast and timing may vary up to 15 degrees. That means poor combustion and of course annoying driving.

 

My car iodometer s today on 230300Km and it is mandatory to change the timing chain kit. So, the question again is: Which is the best brand if the Original VAG cannot be found.  Here in Colombia, you can find Vika (which is not recomended. I have found on onternet BUGIAD (German brand) but i dont know if it is China made, and JP Group without any further info.

I gues the best must be made in Czech Republic.  

Chaps, What do you think?

[mikefelicia]

See my posting above for the chain kit I had fitted I can not recommend it as it has only been on a few hundred miles, the engine seams to be just as noisy again and I have a tinkling or pinking sound seams when the engine is in lower gear and pulling, I have asked my mechanic and he has come up with nothing I have tried several different grades of petrol with no help so now I have sent for some petrol octane booster to try https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/153144247470 . 

 

Like I have said in the past this car has had a lot of TLC and when it comes to oil changes you would not believe me if I told you how many it has had in the life time only the last 12 months 4 yes I know I am a old twit.

 

I now have come to the time when I will just run it till it drops my funds are not good so a new car is out of the question, well I do wear a hearing aid so I will just have to take it out or turn up the radio.

 

You see I was born in a time when if you had a new item you looked after it what ever it was as you never know when you would get a new one today it's just throw away and buy a new one, we are filling up the earth disposable products when did you last buy a razor blade no it has to be disposable, here I go again and now we have here in the UK throw away our cars a buy a battery powered one it was not long ago the goverment told us to buy diesel the yearly road tax was lowered to zero.

 

If you have read this far and thought you was on the Skoda forum you are it is just me ranting on, take care all in this mad mad world.

[Thefeliciahacker]

Well the problem could be down to poor lubrication maybe the spray nozzle is clogged leading to premature failure. As for the rest of the text I shall say that I DO agree I like stuff that just works as long as you take care of it and the felly is one of those. In that sense I suggest not to scrap it but rather investigate a little more and figure oute the cause. Keep your felly because there are not many around in the uk. I lived in London for a year and I had only seen one in a blueish light blueish color. 

[RicardoM]

VIKA chains last about 15,000 km. It is because the poor quality of the steel they are made of. Typical cheap Chinese stuff.

Use whatever chain you can get your hands on (except VIKA) and don't forget about the two sprockets being level. It is very important if you want the chain to last about 70,000 km.

 

[Thefeliciahacker]

6 hours ago, RicardoM said:

It is very important if you want the chain to last about 70,000 km.

 

Knock on wood but how has my felly chain is noise free at 135.000km

[automobilova]

Mike. 

I agree with you. absolutely!

New cars are not as long lasting as 90s ones and older.

 

Thanks, Ricardo for your advise.  VIKA no way.

Mi mechanic said that timing chain kit for Fabiaa 1.4 8v, also will work. Only need to take one sprocket to the lathe machine. After that it will fit perfect!  I  need mor info on this.    If that is correct:  Febi / SWAG are other brands i ve found.