Loud rattle from engine bay

[Cos]

Hi all,

My Cupra R has developed an odd rattling noise yesterday, about 3 miles from home. I took a video of the rattle which you can see below.

The oil warning light also flashed and beeped at me as well. I checked the oil level, it seemed a bit low so topped it up. On the way home it flashed again, on two separate times over the space of about a mile. It seems it could have been the oil pick up pipe, and I was advised today to run some engine finish through and do a full oil change, which I've done.

The engine seems a bit smoother but the rattling is still there. I've read it could also be the cam tensioner, can anyone shed some light on the issue? I've done a scan and there's no codes.

Thanks in advance

**Seems I can't embed videos, the youtube link is below**

https://www.youtube.com/embed/uR8BVrp_kB4

 

[mty12345]

Hi mate, it sounds like something running without oil and it sounds horrible!

DO NOT RUN THE ENGINE AGAIN, (EVEN AT IDLE) UNTIL YOU HAVE FOUND THE CAUSE!!!!!

That rattling from the engine and flashing oil pressure light can only mean one thing imo, lack of oil pressure, and that will kill the engine and turbo in seconds rather than minutes!
I'd drop the sump and check the pickup pipe, as it probably needs cleaning or replacing.

 

[Cos]

Thanks for your reply, was hoping not to but I will whip the sump off and see what's up.

Also got a new symptom - the alternator is making a ticking noise even when the engine is off and the key is out of the ignition. Not sure if it's related.

 

[Hedgehog Dodger]

As said above. Do not use that car again until you can determine fault.

I had a similar noise on an old MR2 turbo and it was oil pump failure.

It could be a pulley. Sounds too dull to be cam or top end.

Proper investigation required

 

[Hedgehog Dodger]

The alternator is making a ticking noise even when the engine is off and the key is out of the ignition. Not sure if it's related.

Are you sure its alternator and not something else?

 

[mty12345]

Thanks for your reply, was hoping not to but I will whip the sump off and see what's up.

Also got a new symptom - the alternator is making a ticking noise even when the engine is off and the key is out of the ignition. Not sure if it's related.

No worries, i'm 99% sure that the pickup will be blocked when you get to it. Not sure about the alternator tbh, that's a strange one.

 

[Cos]

Trying to get this last f&^king sump bolt, the one under the gearbox.. Any suggestions? One of them came out with a ball headed hex key but the other is stubborn and I feel I'm just rounding it..

 

[Cos]

Ok, got the bugger off. Wasn't so much sludge but there was some slightly more viscous oily stuff at the bottom of the sump, along with 112k miles worth of metal shavings which most likely clogged the pick up pipe. I image once the oil pump is activated all these shavings get stuck in the pick up pipe mesh. There may have been more sludge, it could have been reduced when I did the engine flush.

For reference, I managed to get that last bolt with a long 10mm socket with a very long extension

 

[Cos]

Still rattling..

 

[Hedgehog Dodger]

Still rattling..

Its not a blocked pipe mate. Sounds like damage is done. You need to take to a garage.

 

[s1 evoloution]

does the engine smoke loads and take the oil filler cap off to see if any compression is passing valves and coming out through the cap also with the oil filler cap back on the engine and the engine runing take the oil dip stick out and see if any compression is coming out through the dipstick if its coming out through the dipstick with the engine runing its piston rings going also when you had the sump of did you try moving the con rods to feel for movement on the crankshaft bigend bearings what tell you bigends worn out. big end bearings are cheap to buy also piston rings engine worn can be done cheap.


the something stucking in the engine sound you say is the conrod bearings gone and you may have piston side thrust washers gone causing piston to cylinder bore knock.

 

[mty12345]

If there are a lot of metal shavings in the sump then it probably killed the bottom end bearings having no oil pressure......i'm afraid it's probably engine rebuild time

 

[Hedgehog Dodger]

If there are a lot of metal shavings in the sump then it probably killed the bottom end bearings having no oil pressure......i'm afraid it's probably engine rebuild time

+1 on this and above

 

[Cos]

Thanks for the help all.

The noise has changed a bit, it now sounds like there's something stuck inside the engine which is causing the rattle. I think it probably is engine rebuild time, which is bloody annoying because I've only had the car about a month! I got it because it had an insane about of service receipts! Ah well

I will take it to the mechanic tomorrow and report back

 

[mty12345]

Yeah, i'll keep my fingers crossed we're wrong mate. Good luck

 

[Hedgehog Dodger]

Hi.

Yeah I know that feeling. Bought an MR2 off a family friend that had it for 6 years. He did 50 miles a week max.

I did about 300 miles a week and after 5/6 months engine blew. Car had only done 35000 miles. That was annoying!!! Oil pump pulley siezed and game over.

Problem with cars sometimes is the less they are used the more issues you have.

I wish my engine would go. I would say to the missus you can only get forged bits now.

 

[Cos]

Alrighty, update time! Over Christmas the car has just been sitting in the garage, a bit useless. I took it to a mechanic initially who reckoned it was the oil pump or hydraulic lifters (the 'buckets' as he called them).

I've managed to narrow down the problem though - It's definitely not the oil pump and it's getting oil into the top no worries. Also the cam tensioner seems to do it's job, it extends when the engine is off and detracts after initial start up so I'm pretty sure it's the hydraulic lifters. As it's a 20vt, are there 5 lifters per cylinder?

I think the problem may have initially been the dirty pick up pipe, which dislodged some dirt and got stuck into a lifter. Trouble is without taking them off and cleaning them all, it's impossible to see which is the dirty/stuck one.

Oh and the cause of the ticking noise was actually the water pump near to the alternator. It has a loose connection causing it to remain on

 

[mty12345]

Hi again mate, there are indeed 5 tappets (lifters) per cylinder. The LCR has a secondary,electric water pump that is designed to carry on running for a short while after the car is switched off to help cool the turbo and head etc

 

[Cos]

Hi again mate, there are indeed 5 tappets (lifters) per cylinder. The LCR has a secondary,electric water pump that is designed to carry on running for a short while after the car is switched off to help cool the turbo and head etc

Cool thanks, I just found it's 12 lifters for the inlet side and 8 for exhaust. Prices seem to be just over £100 for a set. Gonna have a go at removing cams later and see if I can pull one apart and clean