My 1.2 self-destructed. Help!

Chocozai

The Neuroscientist
Well, not quite, but close enough.
Hello guys. I have some bad news - my car is broken. I was wondering if you'd be able to help me diagnose it, so I'd at least have an idea about what to talk with the garage about :(

Basically, over the past week or so, I kept getting little wierd things happening to my car, but I kept thinking. "nah, must be imagining it" - my engine was louder, it struggled up hills, and fuel consumption seemed to have gone up.

Today on the way to Asda, my car made very little power, even when I floored it in the power band at above 3,o00rpm, it juddered, rattled, chugged, didn't want to go up hills at all, was very shaky, and now I'm fairly sure what I suspected about fuel consumption was true as well. Not only that, but at idle the engine is very shaky. Another thing is that my car recently started making a hissing noise from the engine bay/front suspension area as the front wheels went over speed bumps - could this be to do with engine mounts? If so, is it a cause or effect?

I spoke to my dad over the phone - obviously, not being able to diagnose it over the phone, he suggested it was either -

Head Gasket (worst case scenario)
Spark plugs / distributor cap (not firing on all cylinders)
Engine management system.

To add to that, in my little drive today, the engine management light keep flashing on and off.
There are no noticeable leaks coming from the car either.

It's a 1.2 12V.

Suggestions, guys? Please? :cry:
 

techie

Skoda Techie
Mar 22, 2003
5,438
5
Worcs
Coil pack or one of the vacuum hoses under the engine cover has split, very common as they fall apart.
 

techie

Skoda Techie
Mar 22, 2003
5,438
5
Worcs
Coil packs fire the spark plugs, so if one is down that spark plug wont be working.

The vacuum pipes are for brake and emission systems, if they split you get an air leak causing incorrect fueling and/or missfire.
 
Oct 17, 2006
2,141
0
Mid Wales
Sounds like coilpack to me. I would keep driving it till you change it. Might get worse and make your cambelt jump a tooth

I guess you mean 'wouldn't keep driving it'?

Definitely sounds like a coilpack gone to me - you need to get this changed asap if it is - as the coilpack fails the engine will be running on only 2 cylinders (it always amazes me they can do it), as well as making the car pretty un-driveable you will be allowing unburned fuel to pass into the catalytic convertor - this can kill them pretty quickly and they aren't cheap!
 

Chocozai

The Neuroscientist
Yeaahhh! It's doing that too. Coilpack it is then, if they tend to go on the Beethies. Doing that diesely-chugging sound too. Rather interestingly, your engine's doing that hissing noise when you get on the gas - mine started doing that too. Is it related to this?

Very clever to take a video, I have to say!
 
Mar 25, 2009
1,245
0
bath
why dont you test the coil packs yourself, unplug them one at a time and then start the engine, if its the worse you know that coil pack is fine, if nothing changes you know thats the one thats gone
 

Chocozai

The Neuroscientist
why dont you test the coil packs yourself, unplug them one at a time and then start the engine, if its the worse you know that coil pack is fine, if nothing changes you know thats the one thats gone

I don't have the technical know-how, really. If someone would show me how to do it, I'd remember and be able to do it myself. But I've got no "car" people near me who could do it! When I get back to London over the summer, I'll have my dad teach me :cartman:
 

kidinspace

Service Desk Specialist
Dec 3, 2008
1,227
1
Glasgow, Scotland
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stezo2k

Anjuna Monkey
Mar 15, 2008
2,804
1
Dudley

Mysterious Gary

Guest
That's quite encouraging - if other 1.2's do it, then maybe that's normal for us! I'll get the car fixed over the next couple of days. I'll report back as to whether the hissing has disappeared!

Mine does this too, I was initially worried that it might be the timing chain but it looks like it might be a common 'feature' of the 1.2. I'd be interested to hear what you find out.
 

killer_ibiza

Guest
Mine makes a hissing noise when pressing the accelerator as well. Let me know if it goes when you take it to the garage please mate
 

MILES1991

Guest
I thought all ibiza's made a hissing noise when you hit the accelerator..... wondered what it was for a whie, but now just got used to it.
 
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