Engine Knocking - 5/11/10 **Found the problem!!**

[BiGUKG]

Thanks, deffo won't be driving it anywhere until its sorted! Got the next two days off work so don't really need to go anywhere now until Monday morning! So gives me 4 days to get it sorted.

Been looking at big end bearing noise videos on youtube, most seem to get louder with more revs. My knock doesn't, the sound of the engine revy drowns out the knocking and you can barely hear it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuyrLZqwokE

Doesn't sound anything like this...................

[mwep201081]

Does your oil pressure warning system work correctly?  I would expect the warning light to be on at idle if the big ends were knocking AND the level was low....

Although I did notice on your project thread that you've had to replace valves. Has the engine been ran with low oil for prolonged periods?

I'd be keeping my eye out for a complete replacement engine if I were you.

[jeremybarker]

Do you get the oil pressure warning light/buzzer at all, Could it be oil starvation from a blocked oil pickup or faulty oil pump.

Might be worth investigating if your doing an oil change.

[BiGUKG]

It's proving difficult to diagnose anything now the alarm has decided it wants to permanently immobilise the engine and I can't reset the b*stard!!

I haven't noticed any warning lights at all on it, and I'm starting to wonder if / hope that the oil being low is a coincidence but I doubt it!

Really worried about it being big ends, if it is, I'll have to just have them replaced and sorted out. Even if I have to take the Golf off the road and use the MK4 Fiesta that's in the garage for a month or so till it gets sorted I'll do that. Don't want to replace the engine, and don't want to get rid of the car.

So it'll be looked into Friday and whatever it is, and I don't mind being quoted later, WILL be fixed.

Tomorrow the plan is to reset the alarm so I can actually start it, then Friday will be oil change and general check over, i.e. oil pump etc as well as making sure there isn't any metal in the drained oil.

Could it be this is coincidence and whatever the problem is can be fixed with fresh oil and filter?? It doesn't seem as loud or aggresive a knocking as big ends, so I'm not sure it is that tbh.

[mwep201081]

It's proving difficult to diagnose anything now the alarm has decided it wants to permanently immobilise the engine and I can't reset the b*stard!!

I haven't noticed any warning lights at all on it, and I'm starting to wonder if / hope that the oil being low is a coincidence but I doubt it!

Really worried about it being big ends, if it is, I'll have to just have them replaced and sorted out. Even if I have to take the Golf off the road and use the MK4 Fiesta that's in the garage for a month or so till it gets sorted I'll do that. Don't want to replace the engine, and don't want to get rid of the car.

So it'll be looked into Friday and whatever it is, and I don't mind being quoted later, WILL be fixed.

Tomorrow the plan is to reset the alarm so I can actually start it, then Friday will be oil change and general check over, i.e. oil pump etc as well as making sure there isn't any metal in the drained oil.

Could it be this is coincidence and whatever the problem is can be fixed with fresh oil and filter?? It doesn't seem as loud or aggresive a knocking as big ends, so I'm not sure it is that tbh.

I only mentioned a replacement engine as it would be quicker to do than change the big end bearings...and what with your engine's history it sounds a bit of rotter.....

[BiGUKG]

  Rotter?

I don't really look at it like that, it's 20yrs old so will go wrong (fully expect it) and it's only done 115k. So it isn't too bad... Just needs looking after better I think.

Feel like a c*nt with a capital c for letting the oil get below a quarter really....

[mwep201081]

Rotter?

I don't really look at it like that, it's 20yrs old so will go wrong (fully expect it) and it's only done 115k. So it isn't too bad... Just needs looking after better I think.

Feel like a c*nt with a capital c for letting the oil get below a quarter really....

115,000 is low for the big ends to go....An old friend was ragging around in a 1.3 with over 300,000 on it with no work done on the bottom end.

That's my point tho. It isn't going wrong through wear and tear because of it's age though mate...It has been neglected and ran on low oil which has caused this particular issue. Resolve this and then your mains go. Then your bores are scuffed.....The whole engine really needs stripping and inspecting or you could be throwing good money after bad

[BiGUKG]

It hasn't been neglected mate...... I didn't know any better. Been driving since June and have been checking oil as often as I needed to. It wasn't empty when I checked it after I heard the knocking first off, just low. Thought it would be OK since we were due an oil change tomorrow anyway.

It's never been ran with no oil.

[BiGUKG]

As said, found the problem today! Went out and jumped it and it wouldn't have any of it....

Step Dad checked the cam belt and it's gone! It's sheared teeth off the belt (About 5 in one place missing) which explains the knocking noise, I suppose the belt slipped every time it got to that part? So - may well be looking at new valves again. The cam belt was supposed to have been changed when my brother owned the car, so we're going to rake out the receipt and find out when it was meant to have been done and who by and if there is damage hold them responsible!! My big brother said if they were meant to have done the belt, then there's no way they did do it because they don't just lose teeth like that.

Although I Don't much about it, the belt does look old! So that's another lesson, I'll always check the said work has been done in future!!!

In a way - and I know this'll sound odd - I'm so glad we've found out the problem and at worst it'll need the valves doing!!! Seems now like the oil being low was coincidence, and so it isn't the big ends so not so serious - AND I'm so made up that it wasn't my fault if you know what I mean? I was so gutted thinking I'd done damage, and now I know I haven't I'm really pleased.

I knew it didn't sound like big bearings - but I didn't know enough about it to think to check the belt! Quite nice to be right in a way and so glad it's not that!!

So now the car will have a cam belt and we'll see what damage has been done, then the oil change will have to be done, then after that I'll get the new clutch sorted and fitted! So some money to be spent, but worth every penny.

Thanks to everyone who posted on here trying to work out what it was with not much info, that's what I love about this forum, people always willing to help out.

[Wayne]

As said, found the problem today! Went out and jumped it and it wouldn't have any of it....

Step Dad checked the cam belt and it's gone! It's sheared teeth off the belt (About 5 in one place missing) which explains the knocking noise, I suppose the belt slipped every time it got to that part? So - may well be looking at new valves again. The cam belt was supposed to have been changed when my brother owned the car, so we're going to rake out the receipt and find out when it was meant to have been done and who by and if there is damage hold them responsible!! My big brother said if they were meant to have done the belt, then there's no way they did do it because they don't just lose teeth like that.

Although I Don't much about it, the belt does look old! So that's another lesson, I'll always check the said work has been done in future!!!

In a way - and I know this'll sound odd - I'm so glad we've found out the problem and at worst it'll need the valves doing!!! Seems now like the oil being low was coincidence, and so it isn't the big ends so not so serious - AND I'm so made up that it wasn't my fault if you know what I mean? I was so gutted thinking I'd done damage, and now I know I haven't I'm really pleased.

I knew it didn't sound like big bearings - but I didn't know enough about it to think to check the belt! Quite nice to be right in a way and so glad it's not that!!

So now the car will have a cam belt and we'll see what damage has been done, then the oil change will have to be done, then after that I'll get the new clutch sorted and fitted! So some money to be spent, but worth every penny.

Thanks to everyone who posted on here trying to work out what it was with not much info, that's what I love about this forum, people always willing to help out.

Sorry but I cannot see the car would run at all with the belt slipping.