Engine Noise on cold start

**Jumbo Golfer** · 31-07-2011,05:14 PM

Our 1.4tsi has developed a loud intermittent GRRRRRRRRR

for a few seconds on start up. It is quite loud, and I recall the Lexus IS250 also suffered this (needing a new top end of the engine) for many owners.

Does anyone else have this noise happen? It's like a rattling sound and quite dicsoncerting.

PS - it's not "engine slap", which is like noisy tappets - this is like a loud zipper and at high velocity!! Almost like a deck of cards being cut, but much much louder!!

**vc-10** · 31-07-2011,06:29 PM

Could it be the starter motor? My Polo's one made that sort noise, it got replaced during a service.

**ross980** · 31-07-2011,07:46 PM

Mine sounds like a diesel when it's cold (at tickover). It's barely audible when it's up to temperature though.

**Jumbo Golfer** · 01-08-2011,11:22 AM

Booked in for Thursday - will let you know if it's serious!!

**HHGTTG** · 04-08-2011,11:37 AM

I started my car up last Sunday evening in order to reposition it on the driveway for an easy exit for the VW collection service guy. I was surprised by the engine noise that greeted me as I had not heard this before in two years of ownership. It was a drone or gruff sound/heavy sound but diminished after a minute or so. The car was serviced on Monday as arranged but did not mention this one-off thing. Since then, during the very hot weather the starts on one or two occasions have sounded a bit off but could be something allied to starting in hot conditions.
It has not occurred today (much cooler and raining) and so will see how this goes.

**Rhigour** · 04-08-2011,02:51 PM

Originally Posted by HHGTTG

I started my car up last Sunday evening in order to reposition it on the driveway for an easy exit for the VW collection service guy. I was surprised by the engine noise that greeted me as I had not heard this before in two years of ownership. It was a drone or gruff sound/heavy sound but diminished after a minute or so. The car was serviced on Monday as arranged but did not mention this one-off thing. Since then, during the very hot weather the starts on one or two occasions have sounded a bit off but could be something allied to starting in hot conditions.
It has not occurred today (much cooler and raining) and so will see how this goes.

Sounds like Jumbo Golfers noise. You say you did not mention it when it went in for service, I would and get it on the service sheet and recorded even though they say they can find nothing untoward. Then if in a years time it develops into something and you are outside the warranty period you can refer them back to your original report and that it was not right then.

**Keithuk** · 04-08-2011,03:10 PM

Yes he should have mentioned it as Rhigour says then its logged as a reported fault/error even if they can't find any problem.

**HHGTTG** · 04-08-2011,04:43 PM

Yes, but we could continue in that same vein for all momentary problems couldn't we?

I Don't know whether I mentioned that last year when I started the car, (can't remember exact details), the ESP light came on and would not go off and the power steering wasn't working either.However, I turned the engine off and a few moments later everything was OK. I never mentioned this to them either. I'll just sell the car back to them when I get fed up with it and let them find these things out for themselves or the person who then buys my car off their forecourt.

Cars, like people often throw up idiosyncracies that don't have a true explanation and garages especially repeat their same old mantra that "we can't find anything wrong at the moment, Sir/Madam but do come back again if you have problems."

**Rhigour** · 04-08-2011,08:33 PM

I don't subscribe to the school of thought that says if a fault corrects itself it's gone away. In my experience it's usually the precurser to something going udders up.