OMG my engine

[robbygraham]

Over the last month or so my car has developed a tapping/ticking noise, but as the noise came from no-where and had gradually been getting louder i took the car to my local dealership, who while changing the alternator under warranty said upon inspection its a normal noise which is coming from the injectors. Over the next few weeks i noticed this noise getting louder, and have been planing to take it back, but on the way to work today went to start my car up as normal and the engine honestly sounds F**ked, its not idling properly at about 2k rpm, it also sounds like its not firing on all cylinders, and when i rev it a little you can hear the tapping noise much worse than is was before and also sounds like a small kind of back fire noise but from the bottom of the engine (not the exhaust) also i topped up the oil about a week ago, and this was a cold start it was half way up the dip stick when i pulled it out, was exactly on the max level last week and now its 3" above max.

Any help would be really appreciated as the car is in bristol and i need to get back to portsmouth by sunday morning, got an RAC mechanic out tomorrow to have a look.
Will upload a vid tomorrow as last time I uploaded an engine noise vid all my neighbours complained due to me revving with a cold started yozza.

 

[Mike@Rentech]

I wouldn't even think of driving it now, get it recovered because running it anymore could make things a whole lot worse.
Could be slipped timing belt, dodgy accessory belt , dephaser pulley failure and so on.
Call us Monday on 02392 665848 if you want to avoid dealer prices.

 

[robbygraham]

Yeh I'm hoping the RAC will tow it home tomorrow, i had all of the above done at seward renault round the corner under a year ago. Little bit worried now cause everything they have done so far i have had to take back for them to alter or replace due to dodgy parts. Thing that worries me is the oil half way up the dipstick, what could this be?

 

[Mike@Rentech]

Coolant level still ok?

 

[robbygraham]

yeh still fine

 

[DanielG]

Check the spark plugs are all done up tight. I had a ticking noise from my engine develop a few weeks ago that wasn't bad enough to cause any performance drop/rough idling. Turned out #1 Cylinder Spark Plug was almost a full turn loose. Torqued it back up and the noise was gone.

 

[Gezza]

Not a hydraulic lifter/tappet noise???

 

[Budgie]

Upload a video and we'll have a much better chance of diagnosing it.

 

[robbygraham]

Had the RAC out today, and he straight away said thats a loose spark plug took the inlet plenum off, noticed that the 3rd HT lead had come off, and the 3rd plug had come loose, also he noticed that all the plugs were loose (renault should have checked these 2 weeks ago) but the problem i now have is, where the 3rd plug has come out it has ruined the thread so the plug won't go in tight anymore.

 

[172Ben]

can you heli coil spark plug threads?

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

can you heli coil spark plug threads?

Yep.

Been there, done that, had the kittens doing it... No3 as well !

After I did it, a friend recommended these instead: http://www.timesert.com/

 

[robbygraham]

how much am i looking at to re-tap the threads, or worst case new engine head?

 

[coxxy]

thing is thou you will drop swarf into the cylinders

 

[RoryW]

how much am i looking at to re-tap the threads, or worst case new engine head?

Get it round to Mike, Sewards are shocking as i found out. Started using RenTech shortly after and were brilliant.

 

[robbygraham]

you mean when the threads are tapped? i would have thought they would take the head off and tap them from the bottom as the plugs sit along way down

 

[coxxy]

if you helicoil it with the head still on

 

[Jaff.]

i was with Mick from diamond motors a few weeks ago when he was doing a clio with a blown spark plug. he had the head off to helicoil it (or it was something similar, the name escapes me atm) and he also done the timing belt, dephaser, everything else while it was all off . may eb the best option?

big cost but a solid engine for 5 years with regular oil changes

 

[robbygraham]

i had the cambelt etc changed 9 months ago so don't want it doing again.

 

[LIL B]

Time Insert, don't bother with a heli.

I've seen a fair few stripped plug holes on these lumps now, french cheese metal.

 

[Christopher.]

Get it in to Rentech mate

 

[MicKPM]

To do the job properly requires the head to come off and a time-sert fitting. Heli-coils are cheaper but they are w**k; it will unwind either on its own or when the plug is removed next time for servicing which is why you must tell any garage working on your car that it has one fitted. Also, to fit a Heli-coil in place required the head to be drilled in situ which creates swarf... You do not want this inside the combustion chamber!By removing the head you automatically need a new timing belt kit to irregardless of it only being done 9 months ago. Its a bitter pill to swallow but I say take the car to Mike @ RenTec and pay him once to do the job right first time.Mick

 

[coxxy]

i used heli-coil on tensioner and i hope that aint gonna unwind itself

 

[MicKPM]

Which tensioner, timing belt? :S

 

[coxxy]

yeah. Fred asked garage next to him and said it would be ok

 

[coxxy]

not a high stress bolt like a headbolt but i read on a site that it would be stronger than the original thread

 

[Martin_172]

its always plug 3, ive saw 2 do it on plug three!

 

[robbygraham]

Well the car has been at renault since saturday, picked it up today, and it was a free repair, with a time-sert. Sometimes there are benefits to going main dealer for services, they are also giving me a free service including oil change and new plugs to say sorry for the inconvenience.

 

[Andyrg@ ClioTurbo]

time insert ONLY!!!! for any thing