SIL has a 22 plate Fabia with the 1.0 engine.

Today she reports it felt like it lacked power after a cold start and a short drive. She turned it off and then it refused to start after extended cranking.

I went about an hour later and it started up after a second or two cranking.

At idle the car has a distinct chug noise that sounds a bit like a bit tractorish / vac leak and seems to be coming from the free end (belt side) of the engine.

The odd thing is that it periodically stops as if a sensor or something is turning it off before it starts again.

Ive never driven a 3 pot car (I have always had diesels) and know they have certain rhythm but I query if this one is missfiring.

At a stand and in neutral it will only rev to just under 3k, is this a normal limited standing unloaded normal max?

There is only an airbag light on (she reports this has been on a while)

I only have a basic blue tooth OBD reader and torque app (my better reader is elsewhere) but it shows no faults.

YT short of the noise

Any ideas what is doing on?

Rev limit approx 3K max is correct when out of gear.