2005 Focus 1.6Tdci: Idle-1200Rpm Engine 'rattle' Under Load Problem

[Billy000]

Hello all, i'm new on this forum; just wanted to share a problem i was having with my focus and check to see if there was anyone who had encountered anything similar or might recognise the problem?

So, the basic context:

- i bought a 2005 ford focus 1.6tdci a couple of months ago with 130000miles on it. I soon realised that there was an oil/diesel leak around the injectors. took it back to the dealership, which spent quite some time removing various seals around the injectors, rocker cover and others. i'm told they spent some time over a few days digging around to find the source of the leak, but in any case, they found it to be an oil leak and fixed it (i've already asked them for a breakdown of the work and am waiting). However after leaving the garage, i found a new problem that i did not have before...

The problem:

- since the work was completed i have found that in any gear, from idle - 1200rpm, if the engine is under any load at all, it makes a clattering rattling sound that can be quite loud. the performance of the car doesn't seem to be affected, but it is quite loud and just doesn't sound healthy. The best way i can describe the sound, and this might seem silly, but if you imagine an unbalanced load in a washing machine in the spin cycle, and you put an oven tin on top of it so it jumps around - that is the chattering, clattering, rattling noise that the engine makes. Over 1200rpm, the sound dies off and the engine sounds normal and healthy. Any thoughts about this one? In all likelihood, i'll end up taking the long drive back, but just thought i'd check here to see if someone might be familiar and point me to a loose bolt (maybe dreaming here).

Anyway, cheers,

Billy.

[gurcayy]

It is possible the ECU have lost the injector codes during the seal replacing process when the injector has been plugged out.

[InKontrol]

I would take it back to the garage and get them to look at it, but should it be a while before they can work on it it's worth while getting a volunteer to rev the engine between idle and 1200rpm, and stick your head under the bonnet to figure out where the sound might be coming from.

[Billy000]

It is possible the ECU have lost the injector codes during the seal replacing process when the injector has been plugged out.

This definitely sounds like an issue with computers on wheels! :D

but, thanks for the tip; not something i could deal with myself i guess, but will ask about this when i manage to get back to the dealership. Thanks :)

[Billy000]

I would take it back to the garage and get them to look at it, but should it be a while before they can work on it it's worth while getting a volunteer to rev the engine between idle and 1200rpm, and stick your head under the bonnet to figure out where the sound might be coming from.

Yeah, that makes sense, i think it is coming from 'inside' the engine rather than an external loose part, but will get some help from someone while i put my head in the engine bay to confirm this. looks like it'll be going back to the dealership soon though. Cheers!

[Billy000]

ok, so this problem was a while back, but it was finally solved and just getting round to marking 'solved'

-
turned out that it was nothing to do with the internal mechanics of
the engine; an old bracket that connects the exhaust to the underside of
the engine (transmission housing i think) was rusted and snapped.
Rattling was due to these bracket parts clattering against one another
and the garage just welded it back. It was just funny that it only
occurred in a certain RPM range though.

Thanks for the thoughts and feedback though guys - quite happy the solution turned out as simple as it did though :)

[johnburns6020@yahoo.com]

the problem is piston slap...junk engine, has too much pston clearance...get some duralube.

 

[FatHead1979]

On 3/31/2019 at 7:13 AM, johnburns6020@yahoo.com said:

the problem is piston slap...junk engine, has too much pston clearance...get some duralube.

 

You might want to try actually reading the posts in the thread before offering "advice", i.e. the post above confirms the actual root cause and it wasn't "piston slap".

[CosT]

What was the initial oil leak problem? I am dealing with this myself now and cannot figure where I am losing oil...