Folks, I'm not really sure whether we have a problem coming on with our Fabia. I've noticed a noise that seems to be getting more prominent, but I'm not sure whether it's just paranoia on my part that's making me notice it more and more. I took a little video yesterday to try to capture the sound, to me it seems clearer the second time I crank it over, when the engine does fire up. It's not the cranking noise, which seems normal in speed and volume, and it's not the exhaust noise after it fires up, but something that sounds a bit like a belt rubbing briefly, just at the instant when I release the key and stop cranking, for just a second or two. If you recognise this noise, please put me out of my misery! lol Link to vid
I heard the 3 cyl lumps sometimes shed cam pullies. Check it's not loose, and avoid a potential mess! Loose cam pulley would cause a rubbing sort of sound.
Thanks gents, think I might acquire a spare starter motor unless anyone knows them to be easily refurbable? Mike it's twin-cam with timing chain instead of belt , and a biggish job to even eyeball the sprockets/chain. I did check the cams were both in their correct respective orientations and correctly timed to the crank sprocket this morning, as chain slippage is apparently not unheard-of on these. There's a couple of 'viewing ports' at the non-driven end of the cams, really designed for locking tools to go into. All OK. Just been talking to a local breaker who has some appropriate starter motors for sale on the bay. He reckons the noise I describe is what they do just before they die. But then I guess he would.
When chain slippage/jumping the engine light will come as the cam sensor and crank sensor are not in sync Chain guides give problems along with hydraulic tensioner which causes chain to jump, just watch when changing oil you turn it over till the oil light goes out or a fair few times to be sure there is pressure before you start it
Thanks again Joesoap, info appreciated. No lights on the dash nor fault codes logged. It's an 05 model, so I believe it should be on revised guides/tensioner designs, so less worrisome, but at 103k would you think a preventative change of timing kit might be wise? Or leave it be, keep it on clean oil and do as you suggest at changes?
If its on the revised guides it should be fine if its serviced right, proper oil and vag filter every time preventative change is a bit of a job on them and a brave few pound, would be near as handy and cheap to fit another engine should it ever go
Well I got the spare starter, stripped and greased it, but then didn't get round to fitting it for a couple of weeks. During that time, the strange noise went away. lol So I've got a good spare, but hopefully no immediate need for it. At least I know what the insides of one of them look like now.
