occasional rattling from engine??any ideas?

[swinie]

hi all

just the other night I was in a traffic jam and suddenly a faint rattling started from the engine, went on for a bit then stopped again. Its been happening on and off for the past week and im clueless as to what it could be. Its not the sound that your tappets make, more of a metal on metal, like as if strands of wire were hanging off something rotating and scraping something.
Anyone any ideas??

thanks

mike

[tobz.]

Is it a 16v engine???

[Deefadog]

I had the same thing happen to me, It happend twice , then i noticed my matrix had blown up! I have no idea if it is related and i can't see that it could, but i have never heard it since i replace the heater matrix! Ghost in the machine

Or could be one of the belts - timming/power/alternator/

[Gambit]

check n see if anything is interferring with the radiator fan blades. happened to me once where the blades where rubbing against the starter motor wires. this was caused by the battery moving and pushing the wires towards the fan

[rubjonny]

Sounds like the exhaust heat shields to me!

[Volkswagavin]

I've got that happening now on my 8v PB.  It looks as though the alternator belt has turned itself around so that the teeth are on the outside.  If you look at the engine when its running the belt is flapping around and hitting the cambelt cover!

[rubjonny]

whoops, new belt time i think