2000 Felicia 1.3 LXi MPi

Just got my first Skoda the other day, only driven it once so far but the injectors, I assume, seem to be making a rattly din. The engine has done 45k, very short journeys, it seems an old couple had it pretty much from new.

I'm thinking that it's possible the dealer 'treated' the fuel system with something and this cleaned the injectors of any build up, so they now sound harsh.

I don't think it's tappets as the sound is almost certainly coming from the lump on top the engine with mpi stamped on it.

Any thoughts chaps?

Oh, the temp guage doesn't work either but this seems to be the norm from reading the forum. Car got quickly nice and toasty warm on the one and only trip I've made though, so the heaters work fine. I intend to get a new sender/sensor to fix this.

Edited 18 February, 201016 yr by myjalopy

Injectors dont make a noise, it could be the timing chain. 45K is very low, there should be very little noise except at tick-over, when you can just hear the chain.

On a more serious note, if the old couple over rev'ed it a lot, it could be the track rods are bent.

Hmm, I will have another listen, but it does seem to be coming from the area I mentioned.

Track rods? In the engine?

think he meant pushrods lol. maybe the tappits or chain, the injectors couldn't physically make enough noise to be heard inside the cabin

think he meant pushrods lol. maybe the tappits or chain, the injectors couldn't physically make enough noise to be heard inside the cabin

agreed, injectors will burn out and stop working completely when they over-heat... more likely a rattly timing chain / pusrod / valve clearance issue

Thanks chaps. I will have another listen and see what it sounds like, given the answers here.

I noticed that the engine seemed to to labour a bit at junctions, but when going it was fine and pulled like a good'un up hills. Any connection?

I only bought it as the mileage was low, so if there are any engine problems I aint a happy bunny and the chap I bought it from could end up with it back in his hands. That said, it is in good condition although I have discovered some light respray has been done at some point.

The "labouring at junctions" isn't that clear a description, but it does sound like what others have described with loose valve clearances affecting the engine's performance when pulling away, etc...

I meant pushrods!! (where is the "embarressed" smilie when you want one!!!)

Labouring as in deep grumbling noise? Low engine revs?? What is the idle speed when the engine is warmed up?? Does it labour out of gear, or in gear with the clutch depressed??

Labouring at junctions, as in the revs seem to be rather low when the vehicle is stationary on tickover, clutch depressed or in neutral.

Otherwise the engine pulls well, but I havent driven it more than once and then only for about 25 miles on mainly dual carriageway.

I will have the chance to drive it properly over the next few days and will be able to give more detail. It could be the valve clearances, but the noise didn't seem to come from the rocker and seemed more a tinny, thin noise rather than the clatter of valves.

Low revs could be caused by any number of things, hopefully a Felly expert will chip in and give you the most likely, the rattle does sound more like the chain than anything else; unless of course someone has left a loose bolt or washer inside the rocker :no::no:

If the temp gauge dosen't work, perhaps the emu is not adjusting the idle speed to match the engine temperature; see if the revs increase when the engine is thoroughly warmed up, or if they are higher when cold.

With any old car, buy the Haynes Manual; the best car DIY tool you can get for under £20.

With any old car, buy the Haynes Manual; the best car DIY tool you can get for under £20.

i must say, i do agree with this to a certain extent, the haynes manual for the felicia is one of the better ones with quite a lot of good quality info, and it even has wiring schematic diagrams in which is left out on most of the newer ones, there are however quite a few mistakes... well not mistakes as such, but some of the procedures they say to do are unnecessary... well worth £20 even if it gives you some rough pointers

Checking the clearances will cost you nothing and take maybe half an hour. Get it done anyway just to eradicate that possibility....

Thanks to all, I will get a manual when I can. i always got one for any car I have had in the past.

I will test the car properly soon and will have a better idea of where the noise is coming from, whether the temperature of the engine makes any difference to the idle and will get a new sensor in any case, only about a fiver on eBay from Jorily.

I can't see that the chain would be noisy at 45k, but I have never had a Skoda before !

the chains do get noisy.... the 1300mpi engine i tool out of my pickup had a noisy chain and that only had about 60k on it

Is it an easy fix? Or is it like my Renault where half the engine has to come out just to get to it?

i've never changed one before, but i'm sure our man djaychela can answer that

easy enough , sump off then the timing case. 3 hrs work maybe 4 if you are working on the floor

there is enough space to get in there but sometimes the engine needs lowering a tiny bit to get the cover out

Hmmm, or I could live with it?

If it's noisy, it is loose; if it is loose it could jump a cog and **** your engine.

I think the wear on the chain comes down to the way it has been driven; I hate to be age-est, but the oldies DO tend to thrash the engine with too many revs when in low gear; then let the revs get too low when slowing down sometimes; my Granddad was a bugger for doing that; chug up a hill, or round a mini roundabout in 5th, then drop to 2nd/3rd and scream over the brow/ up the road. (He loved his Skoda, may he rest in peace).

Chains can go at REALLY low mileages. The car I now have as a rally car came to me as spares for £40. The guy had owned it from new, and had it regularly serviced, and it was immaculate. The timing chain had gone, writing the car off as far as he was concerned (hence me getting a minter for £40, and I only wanted the gearbox, it was just after that the stupid idea to build another rally car from it came into my mind).

It had 31,000 miles on it.

Don't think it won't break, if it does, it's game over for the engine! It won't skip a tooth (it wouldn't work like that), it'll just break.

As for changing, not difficult at all. Done a few now, and they can be done in a couple of hours, the only real difficult thing is that sometimes the crank bolt is VERY tight (I've broken a few extensions trying to undo them), but aside from that, piece of cake, get the kit from Jorily and away you go.

Edited 19 January, 201016 yr by djaychela

I bought the car as I needed a reliable 'get to work' car, so if it is the chain, I could do without the hassle. Then again, if it's easy enough, I ought to do it as the car is tidy otherwise. I'll take it too my local tuning chap, see what he thinks it is..........

OK, got the temp gauge to work now, it just needed the connections seated properly. The rattly noise, now I listen to it, is more like a tappety noise and is more noticable once the engine has warmed up. It sounds like my sons Vitara, which is need of tappet adjustment, so I am thinking it is this rather than timing chain. I will still get it checked out though.

Ok, now all it needs is a CD player ( does anybody still use tapes??) and I'm all set !

CD Player!! They are so old hat!!: get a Clarion SD card player

Actually I'll probably leave it as it is, it's gonna just be a get to work car so a radio is adequate. Now that I have driven it a bit more, I may have to spend money on other things yet. The temp gauge is only OK when the car is still, but barely moves when travelling, there is something knocking from the front drivers side, grinding front brakes and still got a bit of mayo in the cap, even after cleaning it off a few miles ago. :S

What do you mean "the temp gauge is only OK when the car is still, but barely moves when travelling"?

Is the knocking road-speed related?

Grinding front brakes will be straightforward to sort out, pads and (maybe) discs.

As for the mayo in the cap, it is more likely to get that if you have the thermostat fault, as you get more condensation in an over-cooled engine. Common on BMW Z3s, and a good way to get a discount when buying one! But if it does it that quickly, it's not normally good news...

Edited 22 January, 201016 yr by djaychela