I've had my 2009 1.6 Diesel Econetic in to the garage to look at a wierd ticking noise, which the mechanic thought was the auxiliary drive belt.  After having changed the drive belt twice, the tensioner and bottom pully, it turns out that it was the cambelt.

Bit of a surprise to both of us as I've certainly never heard a cambelt make that sort of noise.  Bit lucky really as I've done 4k miles with it making that noise..... (gulp)

What is even more surprising is how quiet the motor is now, all the rattles that I assumed was just typical noisy diesel are gone.  Just a very satifying purr.

Luckliy for me it is still under the dealers used car warranty so didn't cost me a penny. 

 

 

what exactly was making the noise the cambelt tensioner, or the cambelt idler wheel (I think that is what it is called) or the rubber belt? what mileage is on the car?

ive done a couple that were noisey, and on both occassions it sounded like a squeaky aux belt. on both i found a very slight waterpump leak that was contaminating the timing belt making it squeak. 

I don't know exactly what he found but he replaced the cambelt and the tensioner (what he said!).

What staggers me is how quiet the engine is now compared to how it was.  There's 46000miles on the car and its 8/9 years old.