2015 TDI CR 184 Rattle

[Alan16ac]

Today my car developed a plasticy sounding rattle. It sounds like it’s coming from the left side of the engine, is this where the timing belt is? Car still drives and feels fine. I know the engine is noisy normally, but this is definitely a new sound.

Leon Rattle
Leon Rattle

 

[SuperV8]

Today my car developed a plasticy sounding rattle. It sounds like it’s coming from the left side of the engine, is this where the timing belt is? Car still drives and feels fine. I know the engine is noisy normally, but this is definitely a new sound.

Leon Rattle
Leon Rattle

Yes, timing belt is under the plastic cover - on the left as you look at the engine from the front.
Has it ever had a new timing belt/pulleys/tensioners? How many miles has it done?
Also AC and alternator down there + tensioner - could try turning the AC on/off - and try putting more load on the alternator (lights/heated screen etc.) to see if your noise changes?

 

[Alan16ac]

Yes, timing belt is under the plastic cover - on the left as you look at the engine from the front.
Has it ever had a new timing belt/pulleys/tensioners? How many miles has it done?
Also AC and alternator down there + tensioner - could try turning the AC on/off - and try putting more load on the alternator (lights/heated screen etc.) to see if your noise changes?

Yes, it last had a timing belt and water pump at 84,000 miles just over a year ago and it’s now on 94,000 miles. Not sure about pulleys and tensioners though.
Will try those things you’ve suggested and see if there’s any change.

 

[Alan16ac]

So the only thing that seems to change it is the engine speed. It’s like a fast ticking, really doesn’t sound good. Booked into WCC next week so won’t drive it until then. Annoying thing is, I have another car but the clutch went on that last week too!

 

[SuperV8]

So the only thing that seems to change it is the engine speed. It’s like a fast ticking, really doesn’t sound good. Booked into WCC next week so won’t drive it until then. Annoying thing is, I have another car but the clutch went on that last week too!

Do you have paperwork from the cambelt change - on what was actually changed? Obviously the belt - but also need to change the tensioner, a couple of idler pulleys & water pump - all needing new bolts/studs as these can be over torqued and break.

Can you slacken the aux belt tensioner and check the tensioner bearing/pulley? That would be a nice simple fix if its just that? otherwise would have to get access to the timing belt - which is 'most' of the job of the timing belt change - lots of crap in the way.

 

[Alan16ac]

No paperwork, just a stamp in the book to say belt was changed.

I took the car in, Sod’s law though, it stopped making the rattle by the time I got the car to them. So it was impossible for them to investigate really.

I’ve since noticed my air conditioning isn’t working, not blowing cold and not demisting/dehumidifying as it should. So thinking maybe the noise was that dying or something?

 

[SuperV8]

No paperwork, just a stamp in the book to say belt was changed.

I took the car in, Sod’s law though, it stopped making the rattle by the time I got the car to them. So it was impossible for them to investigate really.

I’ve since noticed my air conditioning isn’t working, not blowing cold and not demisting/dehumidifying as it should. So thinking maybe the noise was that dying or something?

The actual internals of AC compressors are usually very reliable I would say - If there was some mechanical internal compressor issue I would probably expect some fault codes - as the pressures/temps etc would not what the computers expecting?

These compressors don't have a clutch - they have a variable swash plate drive to vary the compressor displacement/load on demand.

I would take off your aux belt as I mentioned above and 'feel' the various pulleys. The AC compressor has a large bearing in the pulley which takes the load from the belt tension - could this be failing? also usually have some some sort of cush/rubber damped drive - my old Audi A4 AC compressor cush drive failed (basically small rubber doughnuts which transfer the drive from the pully to the swash plate) the rubber disintegrated (at 200,000 miles) and sounded like someone was hitting my engine with a small hammer! Obvious when I had the belt of and moved the AC pulley by hand.

 

[Alan16ac]

Thanks for the advice, I felt the pulleys and had a good look and all appeared and felt fine. Took it back to the garage and told them the AC had stopped working so could this be the fault? They’ve investigated and said the air conditioning compressor is faulty. Which makes sense as the air conditioning was not working. Can’t wait to get my car back now. Been a pain driving with steamed up windows.

I was thinking of swapping my car for something better for towing my track car but might keep the Seat a bit longer now I’ve had to fork out for that.