2000 A3 1.8T AJQ Engine Rattle

[finles]

Hi forum

My engine started making a new sound a week or so ago, a bit of a rattle. The rattle is once warmed up, but it still sounds a little different when cold, a deeper note than normal.

I have a 2000 Audi A3 1.8T AJQ engine which just rolled past 273588.5km / 170000mi a couple of days ago.

The rattle is mostly audible from about 1000rpm up to ~2000rpm. Hard to pinpoint where exactly it is coming from.

Video is here on youtube, although I don't think the video really captures the sound all that well (especially with these laptop speakers), it is a bit throatier in real life.

What do you think? Loose/cracked exhaust manifold? Valve issues? Rotary-diverbigator?

Thanks

 

[finles]

There are no recent engine codes from the ross-tech OBDII either.

Previously I have had the fault code below, but cleared it months ago and it hasn't been back since, although there is every chance it is related..
17705 - Pressure Drop between Turbo and Throttle Valve (check D.V.!)
P1297 - 35-10 - - Intermittent

 

[Vex182]

Have you had your oil pickup pipe cleaned or replaced? Is common for this to get blocked up and this causes the top of the engine to run dry. Usually it sounds like a rattle in the cam areas.

 

[Alex C]

i have an issue with a clacking or rattle noise coming from the head. It only happens on idle (~8-900rpm) but as soon as i breath on the throttle peddle it stops

Its going in next week for the cam chain tensioner and have a look at the tappets

I'm on a 5w40 x 10,000 mile service with 105k on the clock

.....

nb. Rotary-diverbigator? lol

 

[finles]

I had another listen and recorded a some further noises last night/this morning. It is making some extra noise when cold too, just not as much. The first part of the sound clip is reving when warm - you can hear the rattle distinctly stop at about 1800rpm. The second part is idling when cold - there is a low frequency sound like a maraca. Sound Link Here.

It smelt a bit exhausty under the bonnet too.

The oil pickup is the one inside the sump isn't it? Sounds like a weekends work.
The cam belt was replaced by the last owner, I wonder if the tensioner was looked at too.

I wonder if there are a couple of problems, oil pickup & rattly exhaust.

 

[Vex182]

I reckon it could be the cam chain but it would not hurt getting the pickup done if its never been done. It bound to be either or a combo of both. At least when the cam chain is done, the cams can be checked over to see if anything is in there worn rattling around the top.

 

[finles]

Does the AJQ engine have a chain? I was almost sure it was a belt.

I reckon it could be the cam chain but it would not hurt getting the pickup done if its never been done. It bound to be either or a combo of both. At least when the cam chain is done, the cams can be checked over to see if anything is in there worn rattling around the top.

 

[Lewis583]

All 1.8T 20v have both. Cambelt from crank to exhaust camshaft. Then chain linking exhaust cam and inlet cam

 

[finles]

The problem was tracked down to the hydraulic tensioner. All fixed