Clickin/Ticking noise after Cambelt change

**adamss24** · 06-01-2009,02:22 PM

It could be that your pump is either slightly too advanced and the noise is comming from the pump or the pump's quantity adjuster is on its way out if it does not do it on overrun-when the pump injects no fuel- and the momentum is driving the engine trough the transmission by the front wheels ! I suggest that you have a diagnostic check done as if its from the pump it should log a fault code... The b5 1.9 tdi VE engine have pretty much bullet-proof pumps but the diafragm breaks if thick fuels are used(WVO or sunflower oil !) or dirty fuel filter and will fail to keep the Low pressure side on the pump pressurised and one will hear the clattering noise ! Ussualy the noise is accompanied by loss of power for a moment(misfire/hesitation) as the pump cavites and cannot keep up with the engine's fuel demand... I really hope its just a stone in one of the tyres ore something silly as the pumps are dear to overhaul- 350+ quid...

**Crasher** · 06-01-2009,02:23 PM

The tappets transfer the rotating action of the camshaft and turn it into a linear motion which operates the valves and they can also be referred to as followers or hydraulic followers as they are self adjusting in this case. The followers on the AFN engine can wear to such an extent that they collapse and destroy the head so it would be easier and cheaper to do them before a new head and camshaft are required. The thing is, a noisy follower will rattle most at idle when hot when the oil pressure is lowest, I think you have a basic valve timing and/or Commencement Of Injection (COI) error. Very few garages take the time to check and set the COI after replacing a timing belt and if it is out, you can get quite a lot of diesel combustion noise.

**TDi_B5** · 06-01-2009,02:37 PM

Thanks for the replies, I have a fault code reader so will do that asap. In reponse to adamss24, there is no loss of power, hesitation or otherwise, fuel consumption is excellent as always, the car has been serviced regularly by myself, it has never seen a drop of WVO/sunflower oil and the fuel filter is replaced on time every time. Bit of a puzzler really, when I ever go into a garage I try my best to have an idea of what the problem may be and maybe offer possible fixes/cures etc. but I don't want to come across as some sort of hypercondriac and I assume that the people who I deal with no a damn sight more than I do about the car. The COI sounds like something to look into, If I had have of known about that I could have asked this morning.

Would something like a vavle cleaning additive/hydraulic lifter concentrate or an engine flush with the next oil change help with this sort of problem? There seems to be a real debate with engine flushes, not quite sure where to stand on that one.....but with the reading up on noisy tappets, the same bits come up, this article on VW hydraulic tappets may be worth a look;

http://www.clubgti-sussex.co.uk/article/Tappet.htm

**TDi_B5** · 21-01-2009,04:48 PM

Bump.....any ideas anyone? Crasher, how would I check the basic valve timing and/or COI? Its just gone through its MOT (apart from an upper suspension arm) with not a single advisory but I really want to get to the bottom of this damn noise! I've added some wynn's hydraulic lifter fluid to the oil just to see if it is a tappet/lifter noise (as the guy at the garage said it was ) I haven't noticed a difference just yet, although its been driven about 6 miles with it in so may take longer.