Looking at a car - Advice needed on engine noise ASAP

[Martin.]

Chaps.

Been on a hunt for a nice 182 this week. The last one didn't work out to well but I went to see another last night.

Had a very long test drive which was really good.

But one thing I did notice however was a slight noise from the engine. I'll try my best to describe it but I'm already lost for words.

Basically. On first hearing it, it could have sounded like a really really quiet supercharger noise/whine/whistle. Then after properly listening to it in the engine bay after a 20 min test drive it sounded a bit clearer.

It sounds as though, if you could imagine a screw to be loose somewhere and the head of the screw is rattling and rotating around and around in its hole. Or another way I could describe it is as if you were maybe holding a circular key ring joint, and flipping round and round another key ring on it, the sound of them both connecting as its spun round and round.

Haha this will probably make no sense to anyone but I cant think of another way to try and describe it.

The car drove lovely and nothing felt wrong anywhere, faults which appeared on the dash diagnostics check were cleared and then didnt show up again once the test drive was over.

Can anyone tell me if this noise is something someone has come across before? Or if it means something bad or nothing at all? Im hoping its nothing. But its the only thing I could notice out of the potential ordinary.

I remeber reading something about a 'dephasor' before? Is this anything related?

Thanks for any help..

Opinions and thoughts are needed asap potentially sorting the deal out tonight or tomorrow if all else goes well..

Cheers,

Martin

 

[Dan@M.A.D]

it will be the dephaser pulley rattling.

 

[Martin.]

Cheers, Which means what?

 

[Martin.]

Just spoke to Renault. They said the Clio or the 'car I'm looking at' precisely doesn't have a dephaser, only the Megane upwards ?

 

[bozothenutter]

Gotta love renault, soo knowlegable on their own cars...

 

[Wests Renault]

Cheers, Which means what?

Dephaser is the variable valve timing pulley, which rattles and will need replacing. This involves replacing the cambelt and aux belt kits and could cost approx £500.

 

[Wests Renault]

Gotta love renault, soo knowlegable on their own cars...

Lol!

 

[Martin.]

LOL

Really? I know both belts were done at Renault 5k miles ago though. Surely can't be that :S

 

[JackD]

If they say it doesn't have a dephaser then they obviously haven't changed it when doing the other belts! Would need a full cambelt change iirc?

 

[Martin.]

iirc? Arghh why can't anything be simple, I was assuming that with Renault doing it all then they would have done it fully and properly!!! Don't know what to do now... If it was done 2 years ago with only 5k miles since do I have a leg to stand on asking them to fix it?

 

[bozothenutter]

dephaser is not part of a cambelt change......if it breaks aftera cambelt change......that just really bad luck.
then again, if it was changed by a dealer that thinks the car has no dephaser............

 

[Martin.]

I can live with really bad luck lol.. How much does and new one cost to refit etc??

If it goes will it take the belts out with it though? 'Accessory belt and pulleys' and 'timing belt and pulleys' as they are written in the service book. I know these were definitely both done only 5k miles ago

Cheers

 

[Addicted]

The dephaser pulley is in the cambelt loop (or whatever you call it), there's only been one report on here of them actually failing, but when they start making a noise they only get worse, and from the video's i've seen they start sounding REALLY bad!

Tbh if Renault thought there was no dephaser then you can guarantee they haven't changed it.

 

[Martin.]

Right ok, Just spoke to Renault AGAIN. I told them the car does apparently have a dephaser according to my mechanic and on-line forums and websites. The guy went off and spoke to technicians, they said this particular car does NOT have one. and not all of them do. This car has another type of pulley called and 'on and off' pulley apparently. Im assuming its exactly the same as a dephaser anyway? and he was probably just trying to shut me up with stuff I didnt know about..

Does anyone have more information on this?

Could this still be the slight rattling noise I'm hearing, although from other reading, the noise I can hear doesn't make the engine sound like a diesel at all..

THanks

 

[Tombola]

Im not a mechanic by any means but, I have had mine for a year. Sounded like a diesel after it had warmed up and it was the dephaser. All engines are going to have slight ticks, rattles, whines, squeaks. There are so many moving parts! If its got air con its more expensive to do the dephaser but not rediculous. If you are reall concerned perhaps get an AA check on it?

 

[Martin.]

I did consider an RAC or AA check originally, but the car seems fine apart from this slight noise, and I thought for the cost of the inspection which might not tell me anything anyway, I might as well put it towards the cost of a new part and fitting

 

[bozothenutter]

take a video......might be easier to pinpoint what it is....

 

[MartinR]

flol the slightest noise coming from the engine bay and everyone jumps on the dephaser band wagon it could be a numerous different things causing the noise.

 

[davo172]

All 172 182s have a depahser but why just latley is EVERY noise "its gonna be the dephaser mate ! "
They all have engine bay noises and as said LOTS of other things it could be .
If it is depahser(and i doubt it TBH ) its not going to explode and take the engine out.
injectors tick, carbon can ticks, other noises are also common, they get slighly noisier with age any way never the quitest engine from new anyway( and yes i do know owned mine from new) my ticking was carbon can.
Dont let all the scare stories put you off mate if its due a belt and you can negotiate this coat in price get it done then but not worth missing out if all seems fine apart from a small noise.
If FSH genuine and bills to prove stands a pretty goodd chance dephaser is fine.

 

[Martin.]

Done a lot of research into the whole thing, been to some garages.

Decided I'm going to go with it, the car felt good to drive and felt rock solid. I might get my mechanic to have a quick look over the engine to see if he might know what the noise is but if not ill leave it..

So HPI check is next, assuming that is all clear and a few final checks on the day then the car will me miiiiiineeeeeeeeeeeeee

The MOT runs out in March, but we made a deal that he would get it MOT'd asap before we purchase it.

Cheers for all your help and comments

 

[ScarySquirrel]

This is what mine sounded like when the dephaser pulley needed replacing

[youtube]Jy1teWk1UH8[/youtube]

This is what it sounded like when the PAS pump needed replacing

[youtube]6IFSRKJQMYU[/youtube]

And this is what it sounds like when all is fine and awesome

[youtube]4H9t0dsMap0[/youtube]

 

[Martin.]

excellent reply thanks squirrel!!

Definitely not the dephaser then!!

could be the PAS pump i guess, but its no where near as loud as that.

Great final video

Cheers, Martin

 

[ScarySquirrel]

It might just be what they all sound like. When I first turn mine on I do sometimes think it makes a bit of a weird sound.

 

[Ad Mayo]

Mine has had a similar noise to yours and ive had mine well over a year and its never got worse or better always stayed the same.

 

[fletch8]

squirrel how much did you pay for you PAS pump to be replaced?

 

[mgoode180566]

the bottom idler on the aux belt can sound like this. it is very exposed and gets hit by all the crud from off the road. they can whine like crazy...

 

[Laine_16v]

My power steering pump was equally as noisy as that.

Drain fluid, put in new fluid. Tadaaaa good as new, give it a try.

 

[mgoode180566]

Mine sounds like that first thing in the current low temperatures..

My power steering pump was equally as noisy as that.

Drain fluid, put in new fluid. Tadaaaa good as new, give it a try.

 

[ScarySquirrel]

squirrel how much did you pay for you PAS pump to be replaced?

The part was about £118 I think, labour was nearly £300

Not sure if I got robbed or not!

 

[MikeoftheQuays]

Mine whines like a b**ch when cold too. Depends on how cold it is as to how long and how loud. Getting down below say -5 it sounds pretty horrible at first and lasts a good 20 seconds or so.

When it shat out all it's PAS fluid it sounded more like Squirrels 2nd vid there - You could immediately tell something was wrong when you turned the wheel.

 

[Fred@BTM]

still don't get this whole "dephasers aren't a very common failure" we do s**t loads of them!

 

[steviet]

If youre looking at a car, and its making unpleasant noises, walk away. Plenty more of them about.....

 

[Mike_RS]

Did it sound like this?

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?583712-Rattle-under-acceleration

Ive put a sound clip in the thread, no idea what is causing this on mine to this day and ive had the car 12 months now.. The yozza exhaust masks this sound nicely now :rasp:

 

[JBC27]

Right ok, Just spoke to Renault AGAIN. I told them the car does apparently have a dephaser according to my mechanic and on-line forums and websites. The guy went off and spoke to technicians, they said this particular car does NOT have one. and not all of them do. This car has another type of pulley called and 'on and off' pulley apparently. Im assuming its exactly the same as a dephaser anyway? and he was probably just trying to shut me up with stuff I didnt know about..

Does anyone have more information on this?

Could this still be the slight rattling noise I'm hearing, although from other reading, the noise I can hear doesn't make the engine sound like a diesel at all..

THanks

Oh my god this needs to go in the dumb things a dealership has said thread. No dephaser pulley ffs.

 

[Martin.]

Mike, I wasn't able to listen to your clip, the firewall in my office prevents it.

Picking the car up tonight hopefully if the weather holds up. It felt solid and good to drive, if there are any problems down the line then I'll just deal with it and get it sorted.

Thanks for your help everyone.