Author Topic: No noise now - WTF? (Read 3134 times)

rfritz · « **on:** November 08, 2006, 10:15:29 AM »

I had a very noisy engine a few weeks ago. I had scheduled with a well known local shop to do the timing chain replacement with all of the necessary parts. I took it in and they seemed to think it was the TC. They did not take anything apart, they just listed and reved the engine. I had an original estimate for $725 which is a little higher than I thought it would be, but with a new 4 month old and business, I have no time to go off and take the engine apart. I took the car in on the date to be repaired and they looked at it again, this time with the owner of the shop, went into their office, wrote down a bunch of part #'s and then said it would be $990. They took nothing apart this time either. Then I got the doom and gloom stories about the chain eating through the case, ect. After that I was pretty bummed out. So I took the car home and left it in the garage and drove our Turbo Beetle for a day or two. I started the car, and took it out of the garage on Saturday and immediately turned it off. I went back that evening and it would not start. It would crank and fire, but wouldn't stay started. I finally got it started after spraying some starting fluid in the AFM. The car now runs fine with NO NOISE. I don't get it. Could a combination of a dirty AFM, plugs and coolant sensor create an engine noise like this? I think the coolant sensor is telling the engine it needs more gas thinking it is cold. Since I didn't let it run like I usually do, it probably flooded. Does this sound right? I thought for sure it was the TC. It even runs better. I am going to replace the plugs, clean the AFM more and get a new fuel filter as well.

Alpine003 · « **Reply #1 on:** November 08, 2006, 03:15:25 PM »

Quote from: rfritz;13465

I had a very noisy engine

You need to be more descriptive on the sound characteristics. Our M42 motors can make lots of various noises for different issues.

rfritz · « **Reply #2 on:** November 08, 2006, 05:17:44 PM »

I was told that it may have been a spark knock on all 4 cylinders... who knows. It would make a loud rattle that would increase with the throttle. Now that I look back, I guess it doesn't make sense that the timing chain would be bad since it was intermittent. It would warm up and then make the noise.

sheepdog · « **Reply #3 on:** November 08, 2006, 06:29:48 PM »

I would be careful of that shop.

Odds are when the final bill arrives, the number will be higher again.

cecotto · « **Reply #4 on:** November 08, 2006, 07:33:09 PM »

To me it sounds like the shop is doing an okay job with the cost estimate.

It really is time consuming to give a cost estimate that's spot on, I find my self giving out cost-estimates that i know are not 100 accurate (but i usually tell the customers this up-front). But it gives the customer an idea of where it's heading. And if he gets back to you then you spend the extra time giving him a complete offer on the parts / job, if possible. Sometimes you have to open it up to really know what it takes.. And are the customer prepared to pay for extras that might come up(generally speaking). Or is his mind set on a firm price.. Then the offer might be more expensive than the actual cost should have been, as the shop needs to get something out of the repair for their costs.

To me it sounds like they first put him in the ball-park, and when he responded they did the extra work and gave him a specific offer on the job.

D. Clay · « **Reply #5 on:** November 08, 2006, 10:52:02 PM »

The timing chain tensioner is pumped up with oil. If the noise is less when it's cold and better right after an oil change, especially with Castrol 20W-50, You just need a new tensioner. Get a tensioner and a lower pan gasket. Drain the oil and pull the pan. It takes an hour or less. If there's no plastic or metal pieces in the lower pan, put the tensioner in, replace the pan, fill with oil and forget it.
Even if this is all that's wrong the shop will still put all of that stuff in unless they are one of the really rare ones.
Maybe an M42club member in Indianapolis could help you out.

Alpine003 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 09, 2006, 09:02:07 AM »

Quote from: rfritz;13495

I was told that it may have been a spark knock on all 4 cylinders... who knows. It would make a loud rattle that would increase with the throttle. Now that I look back, I guess it doesn't make sense that the timing chain would be bad since it was intermittent. It would warm up and then make the noise.

These sound like 2 different charactersitics.

The "spark knock" on all 4 can be attributed to bad gas or possibly if you are using regular gas.

Loud rattle that would increase with throttle does sound like a cam tensioner. ~$75 avg + 5 minutes of your time + 17 or 19mm? wrench is all you need. If you can change your oil, you can definitely do this one.

rfritz · « **Reply #7 on:** November 09, 2006, 09:09:30 AM »

2 weeks before the noise stopped, I installed a new tensioner. My brother had the car before me and I don't think he put the right gas in it, it has a 93 octane Comforti chip in it. I have put Ventil Sauber and Jectron in the gas a 3-4 few tanks ago. I am hoping that I am cured. Today is new plug day. I will post the results. I think I am going to do the COP mod in a few weeks.