mk3 annoying noise

[andyk]

hope somebody can help
Ive got an annoying noise when i accelerate sounds like its coming from underneath the drivers door if you blip the throttle it sounds like a sort of pinking noise. The car has been in the garage checked over timing is fine,they said its not pinking, the heatshield on the cat has been taken off, the heatshield that runs the lenght off the car is fine and it doent make the noise when stationary only when under load the car runs fine no issues at all can anybody help cheers andy

[llol_slim]

if I remember rightly, LOADS of people have this problem?
 I know I do, it sounds like loose vibrating metal (is that what pinking means?)
I hate it SO MUCH, I would love if somebody can provide a cure

[irmscher]

I know what this is...

My bro's car has the same issue.  It's most likely your alternator tensioner.  Pop your bonnet, and blip the throttle by hand and watch the tensioner - there will be a black thing that swivels back and forth when the tensioner moves..the noise is coming from in there.

AFAIK you need to change the whole tensioner and it's not worth the hassle to be honest unless your tensioner is completely shagged and is not tensioning the belt properly...

I did post about this a while back actually, here is a pic i took of the tensioner:

[llol_slim]

thanks, i will have a look when i get home .. love learning new stuff about engines being a n00b and all.
I'll make  sure I dont change anything though!!

[andyk]

i cant seem to find that on my car think ill just have to put up with it till something breaks how do you know if the cat is knackered?

[Len]

Still might be the heatshield on the downpipe!

[Obvious]

Had a similar problem myself not so long ago, a rattle which would come under load but not be heard when car was stationary.. After much trial and error trying to track down the rattle, in the end it turned out to be the cam belt tensioner. So one new tensioner and belt later, rattle gone.

Might be worth checking, even if it is a long shot.

[andyk]

just had timing belt and tensioner replaced and the heatshield on down pipe has been removed its not so much a rattle or vibration i thought the exhaust was blowing but its been checked and fine if you drive the car slowly its not that bad only when you put your foot down it sound worse with the window down the garage actually rang volkswagon and they said its the noise thatthe agg engine makes!

[jezza16v]

hope somebody can help
Ive got an annoying noise when i accelerate sounds like its coming from underneath the drivers door if you blip the throttle it sounds like a sort of pinking noise. The car has been in the garage checked over timing is fine,they said its not pinking, the heatshield on the cat has been taken off, the heatshield that runs the lenght off the car is fine and it doent make the noise when stationary only when under load the car runs fine no issues at all can anybody help cheers andy

Hi, I had exactly this problem for ages, I fixed it yesterday.....at last,  I thought it was the exhaust manifold blowing! Try this.....
If you look down the back of the engine on the drivers side you will see a long flexible rubber shroud that encloses the steering column. It runs from the bulkhead down to the steering rack. The bottom bendy bit of the shroud was perished with a big hole and its right by the down pipe. The noise from the downpipe gets piped through the hole directly up this rubber shroud and into the car. What I did (with some difficulty, cuts and bruises etc) was to seal the hole with duct tape. Its very tricky, crude and hard to get the tape to stick but I did it and I can't believe the difference. This morning driving to work I forgot I'd had the problem 'til I read your post so I took the car out again before replying just to check........virtually nothing to be heard. I guess the tape will keep falling off but at least I know the bl**dy problem now and I know its worth getting a new rubber thingy, damn tricky to fit I expect. Maybe some old inner tube and long cable ties would be a better fix.  Hope this helps, J

[andyk]

thanks alot ive noticed that pipe and it has perished a bit ill give it a try and see wot happens but the noise is more noticable when you have got your head out of the car