Fiesta Zetec S Rapid Series Of Clicks Under Bonnet When Turn Off Ignition

[Spangles11]

Almost every time I complete a journey and turn off ignition - I can hear (IF I get out of vehicle immediately after turning off ignition) a rapid series of metallic "clicks" coming from under the bonnet usually lasting a good 3 or 4 seconds. Cannot hear them if I am inside vehicle and door closed hence my surprise when I first became aware of it. At night, when parking in a very quiet area the sound is very distinct. From asking around it could be the fuel injectors resetting but I have no idea what is acceptable amount of noise to hear and the length it goes on for. My instinct is that if I had designed and built this car I would have found this sound unacceptable and would have tried to apply some moderate engineering to quieten it so am surprised Ford might think this is normal.

To recap - I get at least a dozen rapid clicks (about 3 per second) - loud enough to be heard when standing near front of vehicle and distinctive enough to make me think - eh?? FYI This is a 4mth old car and I have had it from new, 2600miles on clock. 1.6 petrol.

[DanGersFord]

When metal heats up it expands and when it cools down it contracts the noise you're hearing is most likely the metal in the engine cooling down rapidly as the engine stops running. This is perfectly normal and happens with most cars. Its the same as a central heating system sometimes you'll get a clicking noise coming from the radiators or the pipework as they heat up or cool down. Sometimes its simply the metal in the radiator clicking as it expands sometimes its the pipes rubbing against the floor joists as it expands slightly. I wouldnt worry about it.

[Spangles11]

No, this is a mechanical clicking - completely different from the cooling-down "tinkle tinkle" noise I am used to hearing on a hot engine.

[DanGersFord]

Ive been reading up on this and apparently its quite common on the mk7. Its apparently the electromagnetic clutch from the air conditioning shutting off and is completely normal. Try turning you AC completely off and see if it still majes the noise (apparenty turning on the screen demistor also activates your AC)

[Spangles11]

Aircon has been off all winter

[Spangles11]

In first post I mentioned fuel injectors resetting which is what dealer advised over phone call. Do others share this belief and have similar experience?

[DieselPig]

If you turn the engine off the injectors have no power! Dealer rubbish!

Open the bonnet and get someone to look at the engine while you turn it off.

[Spangles11]

Well the ignition might be off but that does not mean a pre-configured electrically driven process would not work - if the injection system goes through this process whenever ignition is turned off then sounds perfectly feasible.

[Spangles11]

I suppose I need to hear from other owners of similar vehicle.

[Geevx11]

My car makes the same noise, a series of clicks,

On mine it comes from the two oil control solenoids (small cylinders near the cambelt end) on the camshafts for the ti-vct units. they are only fitted to the 1.6 petrol. i think its just resetting itself for the next engine start.?..

(car. is 2011 3500miles)

[Spangles11]

That's reassuring

[Spangles11]

So this particular model may indeed come fitted with a flux capacitor?

[Spangles11]

...the car is nippy but it is not THAT nippy

[gwhite73]

Mine's a 1.4 tdci and does it too -- it's definitely not the metal 'pinging', it sounds in too much of a rapid sequence for that. I think it sounds like relays resetting or something like that

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h73iNUNOhPU

Listen to this video, when the guy shuts the engine off you hear the same noise

I think it's normal - nothing to do with the AC though as mine has been off for ages

edit: video doesn't seem to be working try this youtube.com/watch?v=h73iNUNOhPU

[DanGersFord]

Apparently when you turn your demisters on this activates the AC though and id hazard a guess you've beeb using the demistor function recentlt with the weather?

[gwhite73]

Apparently when you turn your demisters on this activates the AC though and id hazard a guess you've beeb using the demistor function recentlt with the weather?

it only does that if you turn the dial all the way to the demister setting. if you leave it one notch before , you still get air blowing towards the windscreen but the AC doesn't activate.