Corsa D engine ticking?

Dalavich

Hi,

I have a Corsa D, 10 plate, 1.0 Eco, but the engine is making a ticking sound.

It does follow the revs speed.

I think it's the fuel injector. A local garage thinks it's the tappets.

However a proper diagnosis from a VX dealer has quoted £1000+ for a new manifold.

It's off for a 3rd opinion now....

Any ideas as it seems that forums don't mention the whole manifold, but tend towards injectors or tappets. I think I'm being fleeced here....

Any advice or experience of what you think is wrong please?

Thanks

chrisw

3rd option - timing chain rattle?

facade

If it rattles for a couple of seconds when you first start it after it has stood overnight then it is the timing chain.

Have you just bought it? The injectors do click disturbingly loudly when you have the bonnet up at tickover.

Or has the noise started recently?

Dalavich

It's definitely not the timing chain.

The noise is always there, sometimes louder than others. Doesn't matter if the engine is cold, stood for ages, or warm.

No coolant loss, no performance loss, no oil loss, no smokey exhaust.

We've owned the car 3 years and it's only started recently.

To me it sounds like the clicking of a noisy fuel injector.

mrmechanic

Worn timing chain or cracked exhaust manifold.
Both very common faults, more likely the chain though.

Joe_Horner

*** sucks breath in between teeth ***

You're driving a time bomb there, mate....

Strider590

If you think it's an injector, do the long screwdriver test.

Tip of screwdriver on injector, ear against the handle.

Just_Incredible

It will probably be the timing chain (specifically the tensioner) as I had the same problem when I owned a 1.0 Corsa C. Problem is even if you get it 'fixed' the problem will re-appear after a few months.

facade

They might actually have gone back to a belt for the Corsa-D, as Vauxhall's legendary ability to make a chain wear out running in nearly ideal conditions surpassed even their ability to get the idler pulleys to self destruct. (You get a sort of zzzzzzzing sound as the engine decelerates when the belt tensioner explodes, the cam chain wear manifests as a loud rattle on first start-up that goes quiet apart from a bit of a ticking as the chain whacks into the tensioner, and guides)

Yes I've owned several Vauxhalls. The only one with a trouble-free engine had Isuzu on the cam cover.......

mcpitman

If it is more of a ticking sound, rather than a bouncy mechanical sound I would wage on injectors.


Tappets on these engines tend to sound like stones in a tin can, and don't just suddenly go overnight, it would be more of a steady increase in noise.


Have you considered getting a flow test done on the injectors by a diesel specialist? Or getting live stats on the flow rates via a decent ODBC diagnostic tool (Snap on Arcos etc)


As opposed to Façade, I have had 3x Vauxhall diesels and not had any major issues at all.
#1 Vauxhall Astra 51 plate 1. Isuzu engine, taken to 115,000 miles in a year. never missed a beat
#2 Vauxhall Vectra 120 cdti, saw north of 150k miles, sold on and has been a taxi for the last 3years currently at 200k miles plus
#3 current car Vx Insignia, currently on 125k miles and has never missed a beat in 3 years/100k miles.

Midgek

I bought my son a corsa sxi 08 reg it’s done when it started there was a bad rattling noise from the chain for 3 seconds I went back to the garage I bought it they told me it’s normal for corsa . But some mechanics told me different I decided to get AA inspection okay it did cost but I did save a lot . The Inspector told me if I left it rattling it would be a very expensive job in the future . The car got done under warranty new chain and tensioner no noisy now .