Hi there,

I have just bought a 2003 Fiesta Flame, 5dr, Petrol, manual from (what appears to be) a reputable dealer in Surrey. It was a part exchange for the previous owner.

The car has done 50,000 miles and had a good service history (2 previous lady owners). I have a service report from every year since 2005, with the latest being August 2011. Mosty of the services are simple oil/fluid checks and replacing filters. The clutch was replaced in 2010 and I think the water pump was replaced at some point. Overall, the car seems to run well and appears to have been maintained well.

Ok, I'll get to the point. I have noticed a slight hissing noise coming from the right hand side of the engine (just to the right of the air flow system). It doesn't appear to affect the performance of the car. I only notice it whilst idle as well. Apart from that the engine seems healthy sounding (to my untrained ears).

Also (and this may be unrelated), it feels like I can hear the throttle and engine coming through the dashboard. It also seems to hum whilst sat in the car but can't really hear when I'm actually looking at the engine with the bonnet open.

I would be grateful if anyone could share a similar experience or suggest any ideas of what this could be (if anything at all, it may be normal).

The car has a 3 month used warranty so have the option of taking it back in, they offer servicing there as well.

Many thanks, Roscoe

Hi Roscoe

When does this happen the most.

If you rev the engine and release the throttle (blipping) it will hiss

There are a few breather pipes that run around the back of the engine and notably one of them is the breather pipe for the brake servo

Sitting Stationary and pushing the brake pedal quickly it makes a hissing noise.

Another noise that comes from around the steering column is the power steering pump.

if you turn the wheel when stationary from lock to lock you will hear possibly feel air ssssssssssing from that area

Is the car running ok

If so it could just be a normal noise that has no detriment to the performance/safety of the car

Jamie