ibiza clutch problems, any help??

[psnidageant09]

hello all first post for me!
thanks in advance for reading the wall of text!

im just wondering if there is any one who can help me identifiy a problem on my little ibiza? i have had it for about 18 months with no prbs what so ever im so guttted!!!!!

right lets get started ill try put in as much info as pos
54 plate 1.2 sx 60k full service about 8 months ago at seat.

so two weeks ago i drove to liverpool from cheltenham to see my little girl and like a dumb ass i never checked my oil (or anything!!) (305 miles give or take) on the way back with about 10 miles left i hear the 3 beeps! and the oil light came on and the car started to rattle a bit and not sound good! i thought just get it home ,just get ME home pls!!

then as i had no money left(daughters eh!!) it just sat there for about 2 weeks (and i did drive it to the shops and back,about a 2 min drive, surly this wont harm it will it?)then today i drove it to halfords (6 miles) bought some oil(5/30 fully snsyetic)and a new air filter they had no oil filters, so just proceded to change air filter and add about 4 liters of oil. drove it round the block and it still sounds terribil , its like a disel engine but the funny thing is when i press the clutch in / down it just disapears at first, i thought it was the head gasket(no water in oil cap) then the tapets . now a mate seems to think it could be the botom end(whatever that means !) it still drives fine except when i pull off is a bit rattley(all most like the manafold noise you get when its rusty and needs replaceing) in the low low revs and then disapears as we build speed, wen it just idels in netrul its the same kind of rattle/clikingy noise like a disel allmost, oh and reverse is not as strong as it used to be, it seems i have to give a bit of gas now as to when i used to just get going using just the clutch . the clutch is not slipping in the slightist and the noise does not increse with revs and like i said completly disapears with the clutch pressed /down

i have no idea about cars or pretend too but i hate going to a garage just to be ripped off becuse i dont know a lot about them! i get that regually with my bmw 120ds but she loves it so it gets well looked after, the ibiza gets no love no more! and that used to be her love bug its a shame

pls can any one help me

thnks for reading the wall of text and thanks in advance and ill keep updating this thread to let you all know the outcome

 

[Neo]

Yep, sounds like you`ve knackered the engine.

Normally I`d say a noise which goes away when you press the clutch will either be a release bearing or input shaft but the fact that it started once the light was on points to engine damage due to oil starvation, and the noise could be going away when you depress the clutch because you`ve taken load off the engine.

From the sound you describe I`d say the big ends(crank bearing shells) are shot. Or the small ends(con-rod bearings) - or both! This will be what your mate is referring too.

It`s hard to diagnose without hearing it but if this is the case you`re looking at a bottom end rebuild or it may be cheaper to get a complete engine from another car... either way mate it`s not going to be cheap.

Running it for ANY time without oil is going to cause more damage so taking it to the shops won`t have helped. Most engine wear happens while it is cold too.

 

[techie]

4 litres in? 1.2 only holds 3 max.

Running a 1.2 low on oil isnt good as the timing chain tensioner is oil pressure fed, as soon as oil pressure goes the timing chain goes slack and slips putting the timing out.

 

[psnidageant09]

just great. and this moring my washing machine flooded my kicthen and bathroom!!!
ruineing the wooden floor in the process, aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh im so p**** of right now

oh and i just checked the oil leval and yea its a bout a centimeter above max!
how do i rectfi this??? or should i just leave it?

now i dont know what to do , i have a mate that works in a garage who will and can do any kind of work on a car but only out of hours if i want it done cheap. how long does it take to rebuild bottom end or this crank thingy m bob ?

to be honest im going to get rid of it once i get my no claims from it which is 3 months away.

any sugest, whould be very helpfull

 

[psnidageant09]

Yep, sounds like you`ve knackered the engine.

Normally I`d say a noise which goes away when you press the clutch will either be a release bearing or input shaft but the fact that it started once the light was on points to engine damage due to oil starvation, and the noise could be going away when you depress the clutch because you`ve taken load off the engine.

From the sound you describe I`d say the big ends(crank bearing shells) are shot. Or the small ends(con-rod bearings) - or both! This will be what your mate is referring too.

It`s hard to diagnose without hearing it but if this is the case you`re looking at a bottom end rebuild or it may be cheaper to get a complete engine from another car... either way mate it`s not going to be cheap.

Running it for ANY time without oil is going to cause more damage so taking it to the shops won`t have helped. Most engine wear happens while it is cold too.

if i was to rebuild bottom end what would i need (or both top and bottom) becuse if its just a serries of parts and replaceing them , i can have a clucth put in for 200 notes thats with the clutch (no flywheel tho) . so what im trying to say is i can get parts cheap as and the labour as well , but it has to be done from 6pm till around 10/11 pm and out or his boss wants a backhander kind of thing for it sitting in the back for a few days

but if its a case of putting bits on machines and grindng/welding and taking a very long time ill end up paying more in the long run

my mates a very good mecahinc he done my thrust bearing ,clucth and flyweel on my bmw but that was all ligeit thru the garage and it was not cheep about 700 in toatal but it took just 1 day !! got it back the very next day admitedly at the end of the day so it was more like 2!

thanks for your time bud

ok i went out and started it up and its a lot quiter now the sound it makes is a bit like hitting a spoon on some softwood like duh,duh,duh,duh,duh, and if i take my foot of the clucth quikly its a bit louder than when i take my foot of slowley and if i do it real slow there is no noise for about 10 secs then it comes in slow and low . i think i have done some damage to the engine and i seem to be able to hear it more in the car than out of it like its closer to me than the engine if you can get what i mean like its undernethe my feet on the left or under the dash by the pedals , i think you might be right in the bottom end thingy

 

[stezo2k]

Sorry to hear about your bad luck buddy

 

[Neo]

Like I said it`s hard to diagnose without hearing it, but I had the same experience a few years ago: Driving along and the oil light came on, then literally a couple of seconds later the engine started making a rattle, I stopped and left the car there till I came back with some oil but it was too late. After that it rattled initially from the bottom end when you revved it and when you took off.

I just bought another engine for like £100 and fitted it myself as it was only a Metro! and for new shells plus fitting was 2 or 3 times that if I remember right.

If you don`t know what they are here`s some info I found: clicky They are made of a softer metal than the surrounding components and are designed to be sacrificial, as it`s a lot cheaper to replace these than the actual con rods and crank.

 

[Neo]

oh and i just checked the oil leval and yea its a bout a centimeter above max!
how do i rectfi this??? or should i just leave it?

Yeah that will be fine mate.

 

[psnidageant09]

Like I said it`s hard to diagnose without hearing it, but I had the same experience a few years ago: Driving along and the oil light came on, then literally a couple of seconds later the engine started making a rattle, I stopped and left the car there till I came back with some oil but it was too late. After that it rattled initially from the bottom end when you revved it and when you took off.

I just bought another engine for like £100 and fitted it myself as it was only a Metro! and for new shells plus fitting was 2 or 3 times that if I remember right.

If you don`t know what they are here`s some info I found:They are made of a softer metal than the surrounding components and are designed to be sacrificial, as it`s a lot cheaper to replace these than the actual con rods and crank.

wow that looks just mental it hurt my brain just thinking of them parts and how they fit!
i have been trying to find an engine price but just get these sites wanting me to register just for a parts chek! i live not far from a breakers(twigworth brakers) so im gona pop in and see how much a rcon engin is as i think it would be cheaper/easier to just pay my mate a £100(plus the engine cost) to put a new engine in than try to find the problem at all and going for parts of all shapes and sizes and then still paying around 600

the way i see it is , if i can get an engine for 3/400 pay my mate 100 thats 500 max!!!
rebuild is going to take a bit of time to find the prob and then the parts then the labour and more time. do you thnk this is the right way to go from the start or may i be lucky and just have to replace crank/have it bored /repaired .

im sorry im so clueless but you have been really helpfull

also ive been petrified to drive it since you said about the cold damage but it now means me taking the bmw of her to get about (which she is not happy about at all!!) will it do more dmge to it if i continue to drive it or if im getting a new engine should i not care and just run it in to the ground?????? can it damge anything else or should i leave it on the drive???

thanks for all the info guys youve been great.
kudos to all the seat owners

 

[psnidageant09]

Yeah that will be fine mate.

thks mate its just been sat there now all day scared to even start it!!

my washing machine is still full of water my wodden floor is all over the shop and where there was a lot of water just sitting over night its bust the grout in the batroom(gone all rusty looking) im really having bad luck this week

and my spelling is s**t

i hate my life .lol

 

[Blanco92]

Sounds knackered. Whatever you do it's going to cost you a lot of money, if it needs a rebuild then we're talking a couple of hundred in parts minimum + labour.

One thing is for sure, if you're mate is going to rebuild the engine from the bottom end up for £100 labour, he must be quick.

There are a couple of 1.2 3 cyl engines floating around on eBay... might be worth a look.

It's no good saying I'm just going to get rid in 3 months, no car is ever going to enjoy being starved of oil.

 

[Neo]

the way i see it is , if i can get an engine for 3/400 pay my mate 100 thats 500 max!!!
rebuild is going to take a bit of time to find the prob and then the parts then the labour and more time. do you thnk this is the right way to go from the start or may i be lucky and just have to replace crank/have it bored /repaired .

will it do more dmge to it if i continue to drive it or if im getting a new engine should i not care and just run it in to the ground?????? can it damge anything else or should i leave it on the drive???

The best thing would be to get a couple of mechanics to listen to it, and get them to provide quotes... thing is, for a repair it will be a very open-ended quote because there may be further damage found as you say. To be honest, running it with no oil for 10+ miles may have completely mullered it!

At least if the engine is replaced you will know what you are going to pay... Get a quote for the worst case scenario with regard to a repair, and get solid quotes for engine replacement.

If you decide to go for a new engine you could probably do some short trips in it, now that it has oil in it further damage will be slowed... just don`t go too far!

 

[psnidageant09]

Sounds knackered. Whatever you do it's going to cost you a lot of money, if it needs a rebuild then we're talking a couple of hundred in parts minimum + labour.

One thing is for sure, if you're mate is going to rebuild the engine from the bottom end up for £100 labour, he must be quick.

There are a couple of 1.2 3 cyl engines floating around on eBay... might be worth a look.

It's no good saying I'm just going to get rid in 3 months, no car is ever going to enjoy being starved of oil.

no mate , my freind will replace the engine for £100 , he wont rebuild it for that .
he saying he can only work on it weekends an all at the mo becuse he super busy!!but would rebuild for as cheap as he can so....
is this a good price as he has allways been sound to be fair!

he went to school with one of my best mates so i allways take cars to him , the one time i didnt i ended up paying 660 for just a weel bering /gear selctor and oil fil(gear box) and a service on the said ibiza last year!!!! ever since i have never trusted a garge again!!

i went to twigworth breakers and they had no ibzia engines

2009 one(5000 miles) on ebay with a few days left for 400 :{ (hate buying of e bay)

so will wait and see

thnks for your time bud

 

[Blanco92]

What's your engine code mate? It's a 3 letter code printed on the ID label in the front page of the service book and on the boot floor.

It could be AZQ, like mine.

Just saying because there are a few different 1.2 3 cyl engines and they might not all be 100% interchangeable.