I'm trying to get ahead of the game by asking this question. My neighbour has one of the above, If I remember correctly it's on a 2014 or 15 plate. It has the old 16 valve twin cam port injected engine which has been around for years - You know, the one which has one cam driven from the crank and a wee second belt linking the two cam pulleys.
A while ago I noticed it was making a small "tapping" noise as she drove it past my house. Then, maybe a couple of weeks ago I noticed the noise was considerably louder. Yesterday, as I was weeding my front flower beds, she went past again and the noise was really loud. To me it sounds like a very - and I mean a VERY - wide valve clearance. If it is then the noise is such that it's going to be on just one valve. What's troubling me though, is that I seem to remember reading somewhere that these engines can suffer piston problems? I could imagine this noise being produced by a piston with a damaged side skirt slamming into the bore wall when the cylinder fires. Like severe piston slap. Anyone any ideas?
Oh, and by the way, I'm asking because, for my sins, I'm known in our area as someone who "knows about cars" so I'm expecting her to knock on my door for help any time now and, although we've had a fair number of SEAT and Skoda vehicles in the family, none of them had this engine so I'm not familiar with it.
Thanks for any info anyone can give.
A while ago I noticed it was making a small "tapping" noise as she drove it past my house. Then, maybe a couple of weeks ago I noticed the noise was considerably louder. Yesterday, as I was weeding my front flower beds, she went past again and the noise was really loud. To me it sounds like a very - and I mean a VERY - wide valve clearance. If it is then the noise is such that it's going to be on just one valve. What's troubling me though, is that I seem to remember reading somewhere that these engines can suffer piston problems? I could imagine this noise being produced by a piston with a damaged side skirt slamming into the bore wall when the cylinder fires. Like severe piston slap. Anyone any ideas?
Oh, and by the way, I'm asking because, for my sins, I'm known in our area as someone who "knows about cars" so I'm expecting her to knock on my door for help any time now and, although we've had a fair number of SEAT and Skoda vehicles in the family, none of them had this engine so I'm not familiar with it.
Thanks for any info anyone can give.