Hi guys, and girls

 

My wife has a 1.9 ambiente. 105 btw, so nothing fancy.  Anyway.  When one turns the key, it sounds rough as a badgers jacksie.  Sometimes, it has to be started again and given a tiny bit of pedal, as it cuts out as soon as you let of of the key.  The noise then settles down, but she isn't as quiet as it once was.

 

I had wondered if it was starter related, but I'm not sure.  Also, it's more prone to doing this when the engine is warm.

 

Any ideas folks?  Please don't tell me it's something expensive

Starter motor pinion sprag (one way) clutch.

 

Having read it again do you mean the engine stalls after you release the key or the noise stops?

Edited 13 July, 20232 yr by J.R.

17 minutes ago, CrazyL said:

Hi guys, and girls

 

My wife has a 1.9 ambiente. 105 btw, so nothing fancy.  Anyway.  When one turns the key, it sounds rough as a badgers jacksie.  Sometimes, it has to be started again and given a tiny bit of pedal, as it cuts out as soon as you let of of the key.  The noise then settles down, but she isn't as quiet as it once was.

 

I had wondered if it was starter related, but I'm not sure.  Also, it's more prone to doing this when the engine is warm.

 

Any ideas folks?  Please don't tell me it's something expensive

Another idea; check the glowplugs.

@MikeTheThinker

 

Nah they're redundant on those engines!

 

@CrazyL

 

Your description of the sound is somewhat ambiguous and open to guesswork, can you upload a recording?.

 

 

Is this a chain engine or timing belt.

On 13/07/2023 at 21:44, J.R. said:

.....do you mean the engine stalls after you release the key or the noise stops?

When the key is released.  It sounds like it's fired, then you let go, and it cuts.  So you turn the key again, and as it spins, give a bit of gas, and it'll take.

It is also intermittent, but mostly after a run, so when its all warmed up.  Doesn't happen cold, I've just tried.  Filmed it half a dozen times on a cold engine, deleted them all, lol.

 

 

On 14/07/2023 at 02:09, MicMac said:

Your description of the sound is somewhat ambiguous and open to guesswork, can you upload a recording?.

 

 

Agreed.  I've been trying to film it, but it's gotta happen while filming.

Perhaps it's the common tired battery/hot start issue.

 

When the engine is hot a certain cranking RPM threshold must be reached before diesel is injected, this doesn't apply when the engine is cold.

 

Check battery and connections and if possible substitute a known good battery or get a jump start when the condition appears, this will help in diagnosing.

 

The same issue can be present with a good battery and wiring if the starter motor is lazy.

Edited 15 July, 20232 yr by MicMac

+ 1 👍

Cheers for that Micmac, the battery isn't that old, but it isn't my car either.  I'm wondering also, if someone could tell me what this god awful noise is?  I think it may either be the belt tensioner bearing, or the clutch mechanism on the alternator, which was an issue I had on my Mk 1 L&K.

 

 

 

 

OK, that's audio only for some reason.  It shows and plays as a video on my pc.  Anyway, there's a knocking noise in there, and I don't believe it belongs there. 

Is the sound present with the plastic engine cover removed?

On 15/09/2023 at 11:39, MicMac said:

Is the sound present with the plastic engine cover removed?

 I was due to check that, but now it's mashing down with rain.  Not to mention that I went to start the car and the battery was flat.  I say flat, it had 11.6v but would barely turn over.  Does that sound like the starter motor has pooed its pants?  Maybe that was the horrible sound I alluded to in my original post.

 

How can I check for sure the starter is toss?

I had a similar noise long ago with my car, turned out to be the various parts of the plastic engine cover vibrating, cured by several dabs of silicone RTV on the underside to stick the parts that were loose and rattled.

 

As for the battery, try jump starting and if it birls lively-like you can rule out a faulty starter motor.

 

Why the battery is discharged may be due to lack of use, a charging fault or failing battery...  try a jump start first and take it from there.

Edited 20 September, 20232 yr by MicMac

9 hours ago, MicMac said:

I had a similar noise long ago with my car, turned out to be the various parts of the plastic engine cover vibrating, cured by several dabs of silicone RTV on the underside to stick the parts that were loose and rattled.

 

I found exactly the same, I had some Painters Mate in the silicone gun at the time so used that, silence afterwards.

 

The engine covers seem to be made in 2 or 3 pieces, the basic cover that functions then some stupid clip in bit looking like a group of fat eels supposed to resemble a tuned intake tract or a plain one on the basic models and then the manufacturers name, its these bits that dont fit properly and rattle.

 

The Yeti as yet has not suffered aside from the air/water seperator on the air intake (to avoid ingesting flood water) that resonated for the same reasons, these are very difficult noises to trace and impossible on your own as you can no longer actuate the throttle from under the bonnet.

I popped the cover off and it still makes a noise.  I charged the battery up and it turns over ok.  It's my wifes car, and because she's a blue badge holder, she doesn't drive it everyday like most of do when we use it for commuting, so might just have run down through lack of use,  but she has killed batteries in the past, so it might be safe to assume this one too has seen the best years of its life, being only a 75ah and not getting used everyday.

 

Still doesn't solve why it sounds a bit rough.

Pop the aux belt off and spin the tensioner listening for roughness.

Good idea MicMac.  The tensioner was moving around a lot when I looked at it the other week, because I remember my Mk1 doing a similar thing.

Tensioner oscillating is usually failure of the alternator pulley one way (sprag) clutch.

OK, thread revival time.

I never did get round to investigating the horrid noise. Anyway, as luck (for her) would have it, I volunteered to take it for MOT to the garage near where I work as we all use this garage (Magna Carta, in Egham).

It failed the MOT due to CV boots, usual MOT thing aren't they! anyway, so the chief mech in there, Chris, top bloke, told me off the top of his head, the alternator pulley is shot. I bought a tool to do the job, bought a pulley, replaced the alternator pulley, the noise has gone.