De De
Member
Hi all got a tapping sound when I rev my 2005 active 1.2,is it serious and expensive to fix, thanks
- Model
- Active 1.2 2005
General Tapping sound
- Thread starter De De
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General Tapping sound
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And we have a year, what? Two thousand, twenty, five? About 60% of the internet traffic is smartphones (but some users are not).
1. Record this mystery sound. You can post videos here directly (or on YouTube, or wherever). Or find existing video on YT that sounds similar.
2. Be more specific. Describe the sound. And conditions (cold engine, hot engine, effects are present only after startup then it's OK later etc.).
"Tapping" might be an exhaust manifold leak. Noise is not a "tap", but "pop" (combustion is a short event, only a little bit slower than explosion), very "mechanical" (that's why most think it comes from the inside of the engine). Valves are "clicking". Pistons can "slap". Main bearings/rods will "knock".
3. There is no VVT (it can "rumble" at startup) in early 1,2 8V - good thing. But the car is very old now (20) - bad thing (it could be anything).
4. Maintenance history (is the car treated well or neglected/abused), are there regular oil changes, sparkplugs and so on. Valve lash/clearance ever done or not yet? Is the engine clean inside or it's a mess like that (picture below)?
1. Record this mystery sound. You can post videos here directly (or on YouTube, or wherever). Or find existing video on YT that sounds similar.
2. Be more specific. Describe the sound. And conditions (cold engine, hot engine, effects are present only after startup then it's OK later etc.).
"Tapping" might be an exhaust manifold leak. Noise is not a "tap", but "pop" (combustion is a short event, only a little bit slower than explosion), very "mechanical" (that's why most think it comes from the inside of the engine). Valves are "clicking". Pistons can "slap". Main bearings/rods will "knock".
3. There is no VVT (it can "rumble" at startup) in early 1,2 8V - good thing. But the car is very old now (20) - bad thing (it could be anything).
4. Maintenance history (is the car treated well or neglected/abused), are there regular oil changes, sparkplugs and so on. Valve lash/clearance ever done or not yet? Is the engine clean inside or it's a mess like that (picture below)?
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Can't tell much from your description. Best would be if you could post a video of the noise? if not, is it a light tapping noise or a heavy knock? is it any different when driving the car compared to when stationary? does the noise seem to be more from the top or bottom of the engine?
Could be so many things, tapping noises are often tappet clearances too big - does it tap more loudly just after start up? - more of a knock could be big ends worn. Might be piston slap if more noisy when cold. Just so many possibilities. Is the noise louder when the engine is under load or on the overrun?
Edit. Sorry GrandePunto PL, I must have been typing when you posted this. I think we're both thinking the same thoughts about this one?
Hi,
come on suddenly..
Or increased gradually over weeks..
Changed the oil in the last 6 months..?
Car is a 188 model I believe..
OP
OP
De De
Member
Tapping sound start's when I accelerate and stops when I take my foot of the accelerator it's a rapid noise started about six weeks ago car is in good condition for its age,
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
A video with sound is essential. There are many things it could be. You need to find out quickly what it is or you could cause ireparable damage.
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"Accelerating" while driving (engine under load) or just "revving" it stationary?
"Tapping" judged from the cabin or standing outside the car?
Really "tapping" or other words? Clicks, knocks, and so on. Maybe it's a "machine gun" (misfire) and power loss?
"Tapping" judged from the cabin or standing outside the car?
Really "tapping" or other words? Clicks, knocks, and so on. Maybe it's a "machine gun" (misfire) and power loss?
OP
OP
De De
Member
Accelerating when driving stops when not accelerating
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
Big ends Maybe
De De, it's the sound of Mark Robins tapping his fingers on the office desk whilst he contemplates who to replace in the January transfer window.
All jokes aside, if the noise is coming from the cylinder head then it could be the tappets. On engines with hydraulic lifters it's rare but not unusual for the tappets to wear and the clearance to move beyond recommended gaps. If it's the tappets you'll notice it more when starting up from cold. As the engine oil gets to the top this alleviates some of the noise but it will still be there especially when accelerating. The tappets are self-adjusting so problems tend to arise on high mileage or poorly maintained vehicles (as fresh engine oil helps with the hydraulics). If it does require adjusting, sadly gone are the days when all you needed was a ring spanner, a screwdriver and a feeler gauge to adjust the gap between the rocker arm and valve! Many Fiat engines of the time require careful placement of the correct thickness of metal shims in the top of the lifters to get the right clearance, which is a bit of a ball ache compared to literally every other car engine ever made. In the video below you can see this gentleman checking clearances and replacing shims on a Fiat Punto cylinder head.
Checking valve clearances -> about 16 minutes in.
Replacing shims -> about 21.5 minutes in.
If the noise is coming from the bottom half of the engine then that's another level in both seriousness and expense. However, problems in the block tend not to be accompanied by a tapping noise. As others have stated, pistons tend to slap whilst bearings and rods tend to knock. Serious problems in the block would likely be accompanied by other symptoms such as smoke from the exhaust, loss of power or complete failure.
This is why a video will be helpful. We all hear and describe noises differently. My wife thinks that when she sings in the shower it's like listening to Pavarotti but my ears are hearing 2 alley cats squabbling. My advice is to start by posting a video so that fellow forum members can determine for themselves just what kind of noise it is and where it's coming from.
All jokes aside, if the noise is coming from the cylinder head then it could be the tappets. On engines with hydraulic lifters it's rare but not unusual for the tappets to wear and the clearance to move beyond recommended gaps. If it's the tappets you'll notice it more when starting up from cold. As the engine oil gets to the top this alleviates some of the noise but it will still be there especially when accelerating. The tappets are self-adjusting so problems tend to arise on high mileage or poorly maintained vehicles (as fresh engine oil helps with the hydraulics). If it does require adjusting, sadly gone are the days when all you needed was a ring spanner, a screwdriver and a feeler gauge to adjust the gap between the rocker arm and valve! Many Fiat engines of the time require careful placement of the correct thickness of metal shims in the top of the lifters to get the right clearance, which is a bit of a ball ache compared to literally every other car engine ever made. In the video below you can see this gentleman checking clearances and replacing shims on a Fiat Punto cylinder head.
Checking valve clearances -> about 16 minutes in.
Replacing shims -> about 21.5 minutes in.
If the noise is coming from the bottom half of the engine then that's another level in both seriousness and expense. However, problems in the block tend not to be accompanied by a tapping noise. As others have stated, pistons tend to slap whilst bearings and rods tend to knock. Serious problems in the block would likely be accompanied by other symptoms such as smoke from the exhaust, loss of power or complete failure.
This is why a video will be helpful. We all hear and describe noises differently. My wife thinks that when she sings in the shower it's like listening to Pavarotti but my ears are hearing 2 alley cats squabbling. My advice is to start by posting a video so that fellow forum members can determine for themselves just what kind of noise it is and where it's coming from.
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OP
OP
De De
Member
Thank you bartoosh for your advice I'll post a video to try and pinpoint exact problem
OP
OP
De De
Member
Ha Ha, at least it's nothing mechanically important. That's the exhaust heat shield.
On some engines it has a pipe coming out the to[ which allows hot air to be directed into the intake to reduce the possibility of carburetor/throttle body icing - it would come out where the circle with the line through it, like a no entry sign, is. On your's it doesn't seem to have that pipe so I guess it's there to stop the underside of the bonnet getting too hot from the heat of the manifold and maybe damaging the paint. Mechanically you could probably throw it away but If it was me I'd much rather find a way of securing it.
The one on Becky - our 2010 Panda - had much the same problem so I took the securing bolts out and put some big washers under them to compensate for the looseness. It's been fine for many years like that. If you decide to try then be careful with the bolts as they tend to shear off in the manifold.
Edit. PS just letting it rattle will do no harm or you could try bending the shield a bit to stop the rattle for a while - likely to come back though. I'd be reluctant to simply throw it away though, the manifold does get extremely hot. Maybe winding some steel wire tightly round the stud under the washer will take up enough free play to stop the rattle?
