Fiesta 2011 1.4 Petrol - High Revs & Loud Road Noise

[skyking_comms]

Hi,

My wife recently purchased a 2011 1.4 Petrol Fiesta with 55k miles- It's a super car but once you get to 65mph it's revving at 3000rpm and sounds very noisy. At first I thought it was just road noise, possibly tires. But listening again tonight it sounds like the engine is over revving. My wife travels on dual carriages everyday and would like to get this problem fixed. It also appears to be using more fuel because of this problem.

The only things we have tried is better quality petrol and I've added BK44 cleaner. It hasn't made any difference. We do know the owner was only doing short distances daily with lots of stopping and starting.

Could it be a timing problem? Would like to bring it to a mechanic to get checked but ideally wanted to go to them with some insight into what the problem could be.

Thanks,

Darren

[Blatto]

I don't know what the gear ratios are like on that model but has it changed since you bought it? If the engine is revving higher than it did before at that speed/gear it must be the clutch slipping. 

[skyking_comms]

I'm no expert but I don't think its the clutch as the car changes gears smoothly. It feels as though you need to change into a 6th gear around 65mph, but it only has 5 gears.

The only other thing I thought about was whether a software update was available to remap it? My local ford garage charge £75 just to check whether software updates are available.

 

[Russ]

At 65 mph it will rev around 3000 rpm, its only a 1.4, even my 1.6 focus revs around 3200 at 70 mph.

[skyking_comms]

11 hours ago, Russ said:

At 65 mph it will rev around 3000 rpm, its only a 1.4, even my 1.6 focus revs around 3200 at 70 mph.

I agree, but this sounds louder than what you would expect. Especially as its so quiet and smooth at lower speeds.

[Russ]

9 hours ago, skyking_comms said:

I agree, but this sounds louder than what you would expect. Especially as its so quiet and smooth at lower speeds.

Don't forget, lack of sound deadening will also play a part. It'll depend what model you have as to the extent of how much (or little) deadening you will have, as will the lack of underbonnet deadening (if you don't have any). An easy check is to drive down a road with different surfaces on it if you can. Where I live there is a dual carriageway with a slightly different surface which has been used when you cross a bridge, our car goes from being noisy to dead quiet back to noisy as we pass over it!

[jace1969]

I have a 2011 1.6 titanium and as for road noise you will never solve that even with the best Tyres ever its just the fiesta as sound padding

is terrible,i have tried 4 makes and might help a very small amount,it was one of the big things with me going for my fiesta road noise but you get use of it.

Don't compare it to a focus as there a larger car and a lot more quieter as my mates zetec s focus 14 plate is a lot better.

As for the revving i cant give my advice as mine is a 1.6 and only go high on the revs once in a while as said i always change under 3k.

[Blatto]

Quote

It's a super car but once you get to 65mph it's revving at 3000rpm

You seem to be saying that the rpm is too high at 65mph . The speed at a given rpm in any car is a product of the gear ratio and the final drive ratio.

It is a fixed value for each gear it cannot change unless the clutch is slipping or you have installed wheels of a different diameter.

It may just be that on that model the gear ratios are such that 3000 rpm in top gear equates to 65mph.

In my Fiesta ST Line 140bhp 3000 rpm is about 70 mph in 5th gear  and on the 125bhp version which has longer gear ratios it's about 2600 rpm for 70 mph.

If you think it is different i.e revving higher at 65mph than when you bought the car, then it's as I said, a slipping clutch, assuming it's a manual transmission.?

 

 

[isetta]

we need someone else with the same car to tell us how fast it is at 3000 rpm.

My Focus Mk1 1.6 petrol was 75mph (5th)

My 2007 Fiesta 1.6tdci zetec was 80mph (5th)

My 2015 Fiesta 1.5tdci econetic is 100mph(5th)  - I haven't driven it at 100mph but 1500rpm is 50mph

[skyking_comms]

Thanks for all the replies. The car goes in for a service in March so we will get everything checked out. I think it could just be down to being a small engine and lack of sound absorption. It is a great run around car, just a shame about the high revs / loud road noise above 65mph.

[spurswes]

On 12/11/2016 at 10:58 PM, Russ said:

At 65 mph it will rev around 3000 rpm, its only a 1.4, even my 1.6 focus revs around 3200 at 70 mph.

Same hear 

[Anthont1988]

On 11/27/2016 at 9:12 PM, skyking_comms said:

Thanks for all the replies. The car goes in for a service in March so we will get everything checked out. I think it could just be down to being a small engine and lack of sound absorption. It is a great run around car, just a shame about the high revs / loud road noise above 65mph.

I have a fiesta 1.25 12 plate, and I've been asking the same question as you, I do alot of mileage and my.car sounds like it needsnti change gear hitting 65/70 sometimes hitting 3500 rpm, it's defo not clutch slipping either because it still picks up speed when I accelerate more it must just be a fiesta thing, not a nice sound though sounds like it's gonna blow sometimes haha