Ticking noise on a 300Tdi...only after just doing some major work...

[Young Angus]

Okay I've just had a fair bit of work done by a very good mechanic, but I wanted to get the collective opinion on what may have caused my 300Tdi, my perfect sounding 300Tdi, to develop a pretty severe case of ticking noise straight after being in the shop.

Now it's had the rocker cover gasket replaced, timing belt done, front of engine pulled off and radiator and intercooler cleaned, tune tweaked up a little, and just about every hose and clamp replaced that you can poke a stick at that's worth replacing anyway. Also had the basic service stuff done like oil etc.

Drove it away and as much as I was hoping it would go away, it really does tick a fair bit now, faster and louder with acceleration.

This was absolutely no doubt in my mind not there before.

I've told the guy who did the work and am wait to see what he thinks, not trying to roast him at all with this I trust his work and his opinion on all things Land Rover...I just wanted to see if there's anything anyone could think of that may have caused something like this to develop. I am meant to be taking this car off on a pretty serious trip just after Christmas day and I can't have things like this hanging over it when it was meant to be all fixed up. Just trying to speed up the process of getting to the bottom of it and trying not to loose too much sleep.

[bee utey]

Probably just got a valve clearance wrong. Sometimes when you do a job for the millionth time you get distracted, way it goes. It's something you should learn to do yourself, it isn't very difficult.

[Young Angus]

Probably just got a valve clearance wrong. Sometimes when you do a job for the millionth time you get distracted, way it goes. It's something you should learn to do yourself, it isn't very difficult.

I'm very happy to try and fix this myself...is this something I could do quickly and easily enough with the right tools? It's not like it's been driven much in this state so I hopefully haven't damaged anything, but it did to a long drive home from the mechanics in that really hot day we just had.

Hopefully it's just something like that...is that something they would have mucked about with while doing a timing belt? When do valve clearances get tweaked or set in the scheme of things?

[bee utey]

I'm very happy to try and fix this myself...is this something I could do quickly and easily enough with the right tools? It's not like it's been driven much in this state so I hopefully haven't damaged anything, but it did to a long drive home from the mechanics in that really hot day we just had.

Hopefully it's just something like that...is that something they would have mucked about with while doing a timing belt? When do valve clearances get tweaked or set in the scheme of things?

I did a mate's valve clearances this morning, also checked the pump timing. All in all an hour's work. The reason I did them? When he visited last month I heard his motor popping unevenly, found out his "new" aftermarket rocker arms were shot and a lash cap had fallen out. Courtesy of this forum I acquired a second hand OEM shaft and rockers, had them faced and fitted them up with new lash caps. I'll be checking them again in 1000km, then every 10K after that. That's what having a Land Rover is all about, keeping on top of the maintenance and catching things before they do any real damage.

To do the clearances yourself, all you need is a couple of spanners, a feeler gauge, a screw driver and something to turn the engine over with. I removed his fan so I could turn the crank from the front using a 27mm socket and ratchet. Oh and of course you need the instructions close to hand so that you do them in the correct manner and don't accidentally set one with too much clearance!

[Young Angus]

I did a mate's valve clearances this morning, also checked the pump timing. All in all an hour's work. The reason I did them? When he visited last month I heard his motor popping unevenly, found out his "new" aftermarket rocker arms were shot and a lash cap had fallen out. Courtesy of this forum I acquired a second hand OEM shaft and rockers, had them faced and fitted them up with new lash caps. I'll be checking them again in 1000km, then every 10K after that. That's what having a Land Rover is all about, keeping on top of the maintenance and catching things before they do any real damage.

To do the clearances yourself, all you need is a couple of spanners, a feeler gauge, a screw driver and something to turn the engine over with. I removed his fan so I could turn the crank from the front using a 27mm socket and ratchet. Oh and of course you need the instructions close to hand so that you do them in the correct manner and don't accidentally set one with too much clearance!

Sounds like something I can actually do in the little space I have :) ...although after such a major bunch of work and a decent bill (which I was happy to pay mind you...not griping) I feel a little sheepish having to do something like that myself.

Is there any reason you can think of that these would have been changed as a part of that kind of work I mentioned? Timing belt, rocker cover gasket change, both of which they did do...they didn't mention anything to me about setting the valve clearances though unless they are just part of another job.

[trout1105]

It could be your serpentine belt got damaged at the workshop, Check to see if there is any damage to it.
Otherwise I would be insisting that the problem was rectified as it has only happened after you picked the truck up, Most reputable workshops will fix this "Gratis" [thumbsupbig]

[Young Angus]

I have no doubt they would insist on rectifying it straight away, now it just becomes a matter of me being able to get there before the christmas shut down period which is the problem :(

[vnx205]

I don't know if it is true, but it has been suggested that a leaking exhaust manifold can sound a lot like a ticking noise.

Have you checked that possibility?

[loanrangie]

I'm with be on the clearances being out, last time I did mine after a head gasket change I set one wrong and it chugged and tapped like a tractor.
I have a laminated copy of the instructions if you want them.

[AK83]

Could be any of the things mentioned here, but valve clearance problem is most likely.
Been there, done that myself too.

Like BeeUtey said, and in your tool thread, start collecting the tools required for it and save yourself a ton of $s doing some stuff yourself.

Most difficult part of doing the tappets is removing the rear rocker cover bolt (oh! and the rearmost adjuster too, when your body is old and decrepit, like mine is).
Generally takes me about 1hr to do .. but then again I'll muck one up and it takes me another hour to redo! :p
I take my time with it, but I reckon if you just hooked into it, it's a 30min job.

600 mm long breaker bar with ratchet action($50-ish), fan removal spanner($25-ish), ring spanner(s) and short stubby flat blade screw driver is all that's needed.

For this one, I'd also say get it back there to get it sorted, but you should check them every 10K(ie. every service) .. so it makes sense to add that job to any oil/filter change, if you end up doing them yourself.
Do you plan to do your services yourself once you're able too?

Alternative to having instructions at hand would be to request a member from here to assist you, more for the guidance than the physical help. The work itself is easy... just a bit confusing the first time you try to do it yourself.

If you have a short bit of hose handy(which you should have some as a spare for your impending travelling!!) maybe 0.5m or so, you use it as a stethoscope and put one end on your ear, and then run the other end near(but not on) any area that sounds ticky/tappy.

So if you ran the other end of the hose about 5- 10cm away from and along the length of the rocker cover, you'll hear some rattly noises through your ear end. it'll have a certain volume for the most part, and if one is looser than the others it'll get louder. That louder one will be the problem.
Same with the exhaust/inlet manifold area too. One reply was a possible leak from the exhaust. Hose end along the surface between head and manifolds and you want to locate changes in volume/pitch of any noises.
There will be noises a plenty .. all you listen for is changes in volume/pitch.

Considering your trip plan to WA soon, (I can't remember) do you have a separate coolant gauge and EGT gauge?
If not, highly recommended to get them, especially travelling across the Nullarbor that time of year, with the possibility of 50°C heat, the likelyhood that you'll want aircon going full time, a strong headwind, etc, etc.

[Young Angus]

Haven't checked the exhaust manifold but my mechanic was saying the clearances might be out too...still trying to ascertain whether the clearances are something that would have been fiddled with in the first place as part of the work they did...any ideas there??

Anyway he was great about it, said just drop it off over the weekend sometime and he'll be there to lock it up for me and then they'll figure it out Monday. There's also a couple of other things like a bit of an oil leak coming from somewhere and a really bizarre electrical beep that cuts in and out with the indicators/headlights/other electrical buttons, and that only happened after this work too haha damn gremlins.

Anyway I'll let them fix it up this time, but I do want to be able to do this stuff myself, bloody thing should sound immaculate though because that's how it has sounded the whole time I've had it and only now it starts sounding like an old pocket watch!

[justinc]

There is one other possibility that needs to be checked out. The noise, if it is clackier and 'deeper' than a tappet noise then it could also be a mistimed camshaft. I have personally in my youth done this, and subsequently seen it several times since over the years. The noise is one or more pistons being ' kissed' by valves...not enough to bend pushrods etc, like a broken belt. It is surprisingly easy to do, as a proper visual entails using a mirror...
Anyway hope it is sorted before the break for you.

Is there any chance of a sound recording?

Jc

[bee utey]

Haven't checked the exhaust manifold but my mechanic was saying the clearances might be out too...still trying to ascertain whether the clearances are something that would have been fiddled with in the first place as part of the work they did...any ideas there??



Any mechanic that doesn't check the clearances while he already has the rocker cover off is being slack, as I said it's a regular service thingy anyway.

[Young Angus]

Any mechanic that doesn't check the clearances while he already has the rocker cover off is being slack, as I said it's a regular service thingy anyway.

Well they definitely put a new rocker cover gasket on because it was leaking, but they didn't say anything about valve clearances. Maybe they aren't slack and they went to check them and adjusted a couple. Who knows...I'll try and get a sound recording maybe, and I'll get out the old garden hose :D

[Kidbeen]

Reading what AK83 said about using a hose length as a stethoscope, reminds me of a friend who did a recent trip down to Canberra in a Mazda diesel ute with slide-on camper. As he got towards Canberra an engine noise developed that got louder. He went to two separate mechanics who both used stethoscope type apparatuses to ascertain what was causing the noise but could not identify it. Anyway he decided to take it to a diesel mechanic in the area. A bloke was walking past and said "hey mate do you own the Mazda ute on the street, your harmonic balancer needs replacing". So there you go.

[AK83]

Possible harmonic .. have have this issue myself not doing it perfectly after removing and installing the second time after being slack myself and not changing the (inner) crankshaft oil seal.
Started leaking, so had to remove harmonic balancer which was in good condition.
Newby mistake in fitting again, possibly not doing it up tight enough, or in reusing the (still new) crank key(done less than 1K klms)

My harmonic didn't tick so much as knocked(eventually) once I realised what was making the noise.

So something to check for, but you need to remove fan(remember the fan spanner tool is such a handy tool to have in your kit! ;))
15mm socket and breaker bar on the adjuster, to remove the serpentine belt and this frees the harmonic, allowing you to check for wobbliness.

Also ask the mechanic if they changed the crank seal(not the front dust cover seal on the front timing cover).
If not, there could be a high possibility that it may start leaking if not changed.

I didn't change mine as it wasn't leaking, which turned out to be misplaced observation on my part. The crank timing gear pulley gets replaced with a timing belt, so obviously disturbing it, then stresses the crank seal too .. and it starts leaking.

You made the comment that you trust the mechanic re things Landrover, and if this trust turns out to be real, then he'd know this.
When I didn't do mine(change the seal), I didn't follow the advice to change it while access was easy .. so I've now lived and learned.

How many klms have you done since the belt was done? ie. 50klms(straight after) or a few hundred(ie. a few days later) since you noticed the noise and oil leak?

For oil leak, give the very front of the engine just behind the harmonic balancer a good wipe down. Front seal leak will come from the hole on the bottom of the timing case. This hole has a thread that fits the wading plug. If you go into deep enough water, you're supposed to fit the wading plug.
(most likely in the glovebox if it's still in the vehicle).
As you drive along, it sprays all over the place, making it hard to see where it's coming from. I initially thought it was a leaking sump gasket, but found it only after a wipe down while the car sat for a while and noticed it drip slowly out of the wade plug access.
The proceeded to slap myself about once I realised what the oil leak was(a totally mad DOH! moment).
Stupid thing was that I was prepared for it all and had many seals to replace as I discovered stuff.. and so I already had the crank seal .. so for me it was a case of do the minimum and newbness.

Didn't have time to fix it for a few weeks, so botched up a oil leak saver contraption to manage it(and not have oil everywhere) .. checking it every other day.

[Young Angus]

I did notice the ticking noise straight away as soon as I got in after picking it up. One thing the mechanic did do was adjust the tune, and in his words he "tipped a but more fuel into her" so I'm guessing he adjusted the fuel mix slightly to give it more fuel. Hr said that because of doing this I might be hearing a "diesel knock" so he will try taking that little but of fuel out again.

I did notice it drove a bit better on diesel only which was good. EGTs were sitting around 300-400 on a super hot day going along main 80km/h roads. Hit around 550 going up an incline on East link. He said he was happy with the EGTs because he tested it and tried to labour it up a steep hill and only got up to around 615. Anyway, maybe that's all he did and if he backs it off again it'll stop it's noises...We will see.

[Young Angus]

So my mechanic let me drop the car off today (legend) & after talking to him he reckons it's more of a knock because he put extra fuel into it. They didn't touch the valve clearances. He'll just take that little extra fuel out of it and see if it goes away, which it should, plus he'll get to tighten up al the brand new hose clamps and do another pressure test on it which he was keen to do after I'd driven it a bit anyway so it's worked out okay that way.

[workingonit]

Could it be a faulty injector?

I say this because I have a ticking noise that's come on quite quickly, appearing to come from under the rocker cover at the front of a Tdi300 engine. It's very audible in the cab when driving.

I know the timing belt, harmonic balancer etc all good, and besides the noise does not seem to be coming from there. Did the rocker adjustment and checked lash caps were all there, but did not resolve the issue.

On a cheap auto stethoscope the front injector makes quite a different noise to the others.

There are other possible related symptoms: a little bit of fuel seems to be draining away to some where, making a few start attempts necessary, but not always (an injector nozzle that sometimes does not seal when engine off and leaking into cylinder?); doesn't seem to use oil, but level not rising; feeling power is down a bit; the ticking noise dies down a bit when coasting at speed, but picks up when accelerating.

The engine has 597,000 on it. Not too worried as I have 4 others to drive (and keep repaired) [bigrolf][biggrin][bigsmile][bigsmile1][bigsad][bawl][bawl]

[BarnBiscuit]

Apologies to the OP but I thought this issue might be similar.

I have this metallic ticking noise coming from the front of the engine on this 97 Discovery 300TDI. This video was taken immediately after the car was started when cold.

New Serpentine and timing belt done a little over 12 months ago / 10,000 km ago.


I cant get a mechanic to look at it until after the new year. The issue can only heard on acceleration after it has warmed up but easy to hear when cold.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://youtube.com/embed/c3FxDsRUueg" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe> (<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/c3FxDsRUueg" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>)

Anybody recognize the sound? Sounds like a pebble bouncing around inside something.

[workingonit]

BarnBiscuit, see what happens with serpentine belt off. If no noise with belt off then reasonable to assume an ancillary.

[AK83]

Yeah, that's the best starting point.
Obviously no belt = no water pump, so only run the engine for a short time.
Also check all bolts and pulleys/bearings for tightness.

[Roverlord off road spares]

Ben,You had the injector pump tweaked , so extra fueling may be causing the more diesel rattle noise.
The Turbo whistle noise could be caused by the boost tweak.
cheers, Mario

[Young Angus]

Just an update I took my car back to the mechanic and he took a bit of fuel out of it and the noise has quietened down a bit... Along with the performance haha I can still hear it a little but it's less. Now, as Mario was talking about, I'm also hearing a bit of a whistle but only when accelerating at high speeds of around 80-100. If I take the gas pedal off the whistle goes away, put it back on and the whistle is back. I'm guessing that could be some kind of hole in a hose somewhere..?

[Young Angus]

Ooh, if you do increase fuel is there a way to get rid of the diesel rattle that comes with it? And is it a bad noise or just annoying?

[trout1105]

Ooh, if you do increase fuel is there a way to get rid of the diesel rattle that comes with it? And is it a bad noise or just annoying?

Most diesel engines usually are noisy buggers, It's the price you pay for having one.
All of my Hilux and Nissan diesels have been noisy compared to my 6cyl and V8 petrol motors But None of them have carked it on me.

[Roverlord off road spares]

It's only a small diesel, don't expect too much performance from them. They are designed to reliably just chug along like a fergie tractor.[biggrin]

[Tank]

Sounds like you may have a "missing" Valve Lash Cap, loosen off the rocker shaft without removing and check all "Lash Caps" are there.
Aftermarket lash caps (Crane) are available and recommended, Regards Frank.

[Young Angus]

Sounds like you may have a "missing" Valve Lash Cap, loosen off the rocker shaft without removing and check all "Lash Caps" are there.
Aftermarket lash caps (Crane) are available and recommended, Regards Frank.

Is that response aimed at the rattle or the whistle? I'm tipping maybe the rattle..?

Thank you either way :)

And yeah I know the 300Tdi is just a little diesel, in a very heavy truck! I don't want amazing performance from it but the mechanic (Uptech) seemed to think it was okay to give it that little more juice and I was just curious if that rattle I was hearing (or knock I think) was actually a bad harmful thing, or if it's just something to get used to and is perfectly safe to have there if it doesn't drive you too crazy :D

[AK83]

.... If I take the gas pedal off the whistle goes away, put it back on and the whistle is back. I'm guessing that could be some kind of hole in a hose somewhere..?

Could just be the normal turbo whistle.(but of course could be a slight leak somewhere too.

Do you have a boost gauge fitted?
if so, what kind of max boost do you see.
I think normal boost is about 15 PSI(no idea what that = in ATM's or kPa's).
Maybe the new fuel adjustment may be giving just a tad more boost, and now you can hear it more clearly.

I've read that you can boost the Tdi to 20 psi, so I adjusted my boost controller to max at about 20-21 PSI. Very rarely see that tho, as my right boot is Helium filled.[wink11]
Ever since I adjusted my boost from it's old 15 PSI to 20 PSI now, I can hear the turbo whistle a bit more clearly than before.

[bee utey]

You do understand that noises due to extra fueling change with accelerator position, and valve train noises don't?

[Young Angus]

Could just be the normal turbo whistle.(but of course could be a slight leak somewhere too.

Do you have a boost gauge fitted?
if so, what kind of max boost do you see.
I think normal boost is about 15 PSI(no idea what that = in ATM's or kPa's).
Maybe the new fuel adjustment may be giving just a tad more boost, and now you can hear it more clearly.

I've read that you can boost the Tdi to 20 psi, so I adjusted my boost controller to max at about 20-21 PSI. Very rarely see that tho, as my right boot is Helium filled.[wink11]
Ever since I adjusted my boost from it's old 15 PSI to 20 PSI now, I can hear the turbo whistle a bit more clearly than before.

Can I ask a silly question...can you fit a boost gauge to any 300Tdi? Like mine which is a '97 model?? Reason I ask is that I asked the mechanic to fit a boost gauge and maybe tweak it up a bit and he told me that there is no boost in that engine but instead how you give it a boost is to wind in a bit more fuel...or something like that anyway but I was very confused?? There's a very good chance I just misunderstood him, but is there a boost that I can change on my 300Tdi, or at least monitor?? That's all I want to do for the moment. Is it hard to fit a gauge because I'd like to?

[Roverlord off road spares]

Can I ask a silly question...can you fit a boost gauge to any 300Tdi? Like mine which is a '97 model?? Reason I ask is that I asked the mechanic to fit a boost gauge and maybe tweak it up a bit and he told me that there is no boost in that engine but instead how you give it a boost is to wind in a bit more fuel...or something like that anyway but I was very confused?? There's a very good chance I just misunderstood him, but is there a boost that I can change on my 300Tdi, or at least monitor?? That's all I want to do for the moment. Is it hard to fit a gauge because I'd like to?

A boost gauge can be fitted, but it is a gauge that only measures pressure, it doesn't adjust anything. maybe this is where your confusion is.
here a vid explain that might help explain how the actuator works.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCD3uNpomtE

RE increasing boost, you may increase EGTs (Exhaust gas temperature) you don't want to start cooking things. best not play unless you know what you are doing.
Can u adjust turbo boost for 300 tdi (https://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-chatter/73232-can-u-adjust-turbo-boost-300-tdi.html)

[AK83]

... There's a very good chance I just misunderstood him, but is there a boost that I can change on my 300Tdi, or at least monitor?? That's all I want to do for the moment. Is it hard to fit a gauge because I'd like to?

Fitting gauge would take a novice about 30mins to half an hour to install.
It depends on how well you want the install to look(in the cabin) tho.

You can adjust the boost via a few methods.
1. just tweak the wastegate rod to taste.
2. fit a manual boost controller
3. fit an electronic boost controller

After much reading up I went with the electronic controller more so for the 'reliability factor' .. if it stops, it just defaults to what the normal boost is. Caught me out a couple of times in that when I disconnect the battery, it loses it's memories, and boost is hard pressed to reach 15psi, where I know I can get 20psi if I try hard.
And the Tdi feels slightly less sluggish on initial take off at specific IP tweak settings.
The controller holds the wastegate closed for longer till it knows when to start opening it to reduce boost pressure.
Without that control(it uses a solenoid to control boost), the wastegate creeps open, losing a bit of boost as it boosts.
That is, in normal operation, as the turbo builds boost, that boost that it builds up also opens the wastegate and it loses boost as well.
The feelign through the seat of the pants is small, but it's there.
In mine, the way I have the IP setup(coz fuelling is as important to response as is turbo pressure) .. I get a very small, maybe 200(ish)RPM lower boost kick than without the controller on.
So my boost seems to come in at about 1700-ish RPM, rather than 1900RPM. It's harder to see via the tacho, but easier to feel via takeoff.

Without a boost gauge, I'd be recommending that you don't do #'s 1 or 2 until a boost gauge has been got!
Oh, yeah .. almost all electronic boost controllers have boost gauges built in.
I got the GFB GForce 2 .. NOTE!! not the DForce 2 which also has the ability to do EGT readouts too.
I already had a EGT gauge(and a boost gauge) but I wanted to try a boost controller too. So didn't need the extra $s spent on an EGT that I'd struggle to fit anyhow!
They cost about $320-ish, I got mine from a gofaster bits store catering to drift wannabee riceburner hoons(near me, in Coburg) .. I just prefer face to face interactions when it comes to shelling out $s!! .. where I can.

In terms of parts needed: (hypothetically) you buy a typical 50cm(or 2") round boost gauge thingy off ebay .. they usually come complete with everything you need.
Place gauge in location of your choice. Find an access from inside dash area to outside firewall to run a hose the thickness of your pinkie finger(that's the hardest bit in some** Landrovers.
You should have a T piece in the kit, plus a long length of hose to fit that T piece. That hose should be about the thickness of your pinkie.
This T piece needs to be connected to the small bit of hose coming from your turbo, going to the back of the engine to the other side of it and eventually finished off at the top of the Injector Pump.
You'd be best advised not to cut that bit of hose,, just remove it and place a small cut off piece from the hose supplied with the gauge.
You should clamp it, but not vital .. just plan to do it at some point eventually(which reminds me, I still haven't done mine yet).
So, small new piece from turbo, to T piece, back to the old piece of hose, and the rest of the supplied hose goes onto the free port on the T-piece to the access hole in the firewall to the back of the gauge.
There's probably wiring to be done for gauge coming on with ignition and or lights or whatever .. dunno really, but they all operate about the same way.

My gauge(s) work a lot differently, but I've installed gauges in many cars before, and they all seem to install in much the same way as above(except the one I have now in my D1).

But with the GFB electronic controller types(eg. the GForce or the DForce models) are similar, but also allow you to control the boost, without getting your hands dirty or burned from the heat of the turbo.

[fixit]

Did you have checked the fuel lift pump?
On my 300tdi, the ticking noise was been generated by that (old fuel filter and pump return spring weary).

[Young Angus]

Did you have checked the fuel lift pump?
On my 300tdi, the ticking noise was been generated by that (old fuel filter and pump return spring weary).

It had a new fuel lift pump installed...he wound back the fuel a little and the noise has subsided for the most part so I'm tipping that was it.

[Young Angus]

You do understand that noises due to extra fueling change with accelerator position, and valve train noises don't?

I reckon the noise is definitely changing with accelerator position, but even though he took the extra fuel out of it I'm still hearing it heaps in the cabin while driving, and I'm not sure it should be there. It definitely wasn't there before I had it worked on but I can't keep taking it to Monbulk because although they're great, it's so far and I just don't have the time. I might need to try and suss this out myself.

I had it open today and you can't really hear the tick while it's idling, even when you give it some gas pedal, but it seems to carry on under load. There was a bit of a chirping sound but my mechanic friend (not a rover mechanic, an alfa one) said he thought that chirp might be the fuel pump doing it's thing...not sure about that.

The whistle is still there at high speeds, that and I'm pretty sure I've lost some power along the line somewhere, I know they're not particularly powerful things but I'm pretty sure mine is not what it used to be...and with all the new hoses and tweaks etc. that got done I wouldn't be surprised if something in there isn't quite right.

I came up my car park driveway the other day and I was going really slowly to make sure my new roof rack additions wouldn't hit the gate, and I kind of stopped on the ramp incline...and then it was super hard for the Disco to even make it up while on the incline and I ended up smoking the place out and eventually it got up with lots of clutch and accelerator...thinking this isn't so hot for a 4WD and something ain't right. I haven't gone up in tyre size or anything, sure there are some drawers in the back now and a tiny bit of gear but not anywhere near as much as I used to cart around with my band.

Bloody Disco! Might put that extra fuel back into it and try to solve the tick/knock sound so it goes away.

[bee utey]

Have they accidentally pulled the gas hose off the turbo intake?

[Young Angus]

Gosh who knows, I'll have a look in the morning, bloody hope not!

[Fausto79]

chirp could be your belt tensioner. as they get older they start to chirp chirp chirp. can get bearing kits for $15 but pain to pull old bearing out. on mine it did nothing. the chirping was not from the bearing but from the internal spring mechanism that they have. put new tensioner is and chirp is gone.

check all your pulley bolts are tight as well. that can cause chirp, although slightly more serious issue than just the tensioner noise above, which is just annoying.

how do you know it ticks under load? if you were under the bonnet and accelerating (stationary) there wouldn't be any load on the engine. have the valve clearances been checked now? that would be my first thing to check. tdi are fairly ticky engines. every time i do work on mine i swear there's a new noise i didnt hear before but thats just the landrover paranoia. you learn to live with it afterwards. mine makes all sorts of noises (when i'm listening). but i've learned to filter them out and only listen out for important ones.

as mentioned above. check exhaust gasket on properly, check all hoses and pipes on properly, adjust valves, relax, have faith, take of serpentine belt and run the engine at idle (for a very short time though, no more than 1 minute i would say as there will be no water flow) if the chirp sound is gone, then you have narrowed it down to tensioner, alternator, PS pump or water pump. if the chirp still there then try taking off ac belt. if neither of those fix it then you have to look further.

[Young Angus]

how do you know it ticks under load? if you were under the bonnet and accelerating (stationary) there wouldn't be any load on the engine. have the valve clearances been checked now? that would be my first thing to check. tdi are fairly ticky engines. every time i do work on mine i swear there's a new noise i didnt hear before but thats just the landrover paranoia. you learn to live with it afterwards. mine makes all sorts of noises (when i'm listening). but i've learned to filter them out and only listen out for important ones.



Maybe I didn't make that clear enough, I tend to waffle on a bit so apologies if that got confusing.

It wasn't really ticking at all when I was stationary and under the bonnet but it's when I'm driving and it's under load that the tick starts happening. I tried to take a video of it so you can hear what I'm talking about, it's kind of hard to hear because there is a bit of road noise but as I change down gears you can hear it if you turn it up loud or just put a set of headphones on. Not sure if the video will work or if it's any good but I'll try to get a better one...I know what you mean about this Land Rover Paranoia but I'm pretty sure this noise should not be there and something (or a few things) ain't right.

300 Tdi engine tick/knock - YouTube (https://youtu.be/yysmhJPJinI)

[Fausto79]

dont have access to youtube at work, ill listen at home. if it's under load then i would say something with fuel system or whilst in boost. i would still check valve clearances. easy job to do. will take you 30 mins. just need a 0.203 feeler gauge and a couple of spanners. just jack up one wheel and put the gearbox in 4th (if manual) not too sure bout auto. take the wire off the back of the fuel pump solenoid. then as you spin the wheel that's off the ground you will see the valve train moving. use the rule of 9 method. i won't go into it. there's plenty of info here.

i had a fairly loud ticking after i did my head and lower power. i took rocker cover off and one of the nuts holding down rocker arm had wound itself loose and two valves were way out. i checked the arm for damage and put it back and tightened everything and adjusted valves again and went much more quiet and way smoother.

my IP makes a pretty loud tap too that you can hear when idling. always there but gets drowned out as you go faster. tried to investigate but could never find the actual reason. but two experts here say nothing to worry about so ive left it and touch wood been ok. she runs pretty well and fairly quick (as far as d1 go). one thing i was thinking is that my tapping sound was a valve slightly kissing a piston. but some people just have this noise in their tdi and nothing has ever come of it.

start with simple things and work your way up. all the advice that has been given to you, put in order or simplest to hardest and then work your way through by elimination. might seem stupid, but check that the mechanic did not leave something in your engine. hopefully you didn't pick up a bug from one of the alfa romeos. those things get sick quite often. ask me how i know.

[justinc]

Can't hear anything useful in that vid... sorry i only have my phone here.

[AK83]

Ah! this is the thread I was looking for!


Can't hear anything useful in that vid... sorry i only have my phone here.

You're right, it was hard to hear, not only in the vid, but also in real life too. But definitely could be heard(in real life).

It sounded like jingling change, coming from the engine bay.
Looked about a lot, and couldn't really see it at first.
My initial thoughts as Ben was driving was that it may have been lightly touching valves on pistons, but then it 'came and went' .. so it was an irregular occurring noise. Definitely under load, as Ben said tho.

But I'm positive in that we found that the lift pump priming lever was flapping about like crazy.
On mine, the lever has a lot of resistance, and doesnt' have a 'locked position' as such. Just the friction of the lever holds it in it's place.

On Bens tho, the lever is quite loose and the locking position is a bit loose too, you feel it clip into place in the high position, but it's not a positive lock.

Anyhow, as the engine is running, it's flapping up and down madly, making this medium level tinkling sound.
Pulled it up, it's locked into position, but doesn't feel solid enough for my liking.
I have a feeling it will loosen with time(ie. typical Tdi vibrations!).
Ben had the pump replaced as a precaution, and had his old pump in the back of the car.
The old pumps lever locked position is much more positive than the new pump.

Ben will update once he gets back, and will have to keep an eye on it over time.

Pump did have a bit of diesel over it, implying a leak of some type too tho.
Some dribble on the lever itself and some on the side of the block and some spray on the vacuum pump.
Something else for him to keep an eye out for too.

[Young Angus]

Ah! this is the thread I was looking for!



You're right, it was hard to hear, not only in the vid, but also in real life too. But definitely could be heard(in real life).

It sounded like jingling change, coming from the engine bay.
Looked about a lot, and couldn't really see it at first.
My initial thoughts as Ben was driving was that it may have been lightly touching valves on pistons, but then it 'came and went' .. so it was an irregular occurring noise. Definitely under load, as Ben said tho.

But I'm positive in that we found that the lift pump priming lever was flapping about like crazy.
On mine, the lever has a lot of resistance, and doesnt' have a 'locked position' as such. Just the friction of the lever holds it in it's place.

On Bens tho, the lever is quite loose and the locking position is a bit loose too, you feel it clip into place in the high position, but it's not a positive lock.

Anyhow, as the engine is running, it's flapping up and down madly, making this medium level tinkling sound.
Pulled it up, it's locked into position, but doesn't feel solid enough for my liking.
I have a feeling it will loosen with time(ie. typical Tdi vibrations!).
Ben had the pump replaced as a precaution, and had his old pump in the back of the car.
The old pumps lever locked position is much more positive than the new pump.

Ben will update once he gets back, and will have to keep an eye on it over time.

Pump did have a bit of diesel over it, implying a leak of some type too tho.
Some dribble on the lever itself and some on the side of the block and some spray on the vacuum pump.
Something else for him to keep an eye out for too.

So firstly a big huge thanks to Arthur for offering to help, spent a very nice arvo talking about Discos and other things in sunny Melbourne town...before the huge storm haha but hey my sunroof didn't leak so that was a good test!

So the fuel pump lever had not been put in the stowed position and it had been flapping about in the prime position like Arthur has said, and this was the source of a noise in the engine bay, as well as that there was a bit of fuel splashed about around there which may or may not be a result of the lever position or it could just be a leaky pump, not sure yet. However, the noise under load that we were hearing is still there unfortunately. I'm still not sure if it's a bad noise or just the engine, but Arthur too thought it shouldn't be there and I'm still convinced it wasn't there before it had the recent work done.

At least someone else has heard it now so I don't think I'm so crazy anymore, big ups to Arthur for helping, great bloke and I owe him a cold Fosters!

I wonder could anything with a faulty fuel lift pump cause other issues that may result in noise under load? The car never has any problems starting and it always keeps going, never coughs or splutters or anything, but that lever has been flapping around in the prime position since I picked it up from the mechanics...but the car hasn't skipped a beat so maybe it doesn't matter so much...

[edddo]

Sounds like a dodgy part.
I would swap it out now so i could forget about it.

[AK83]

.... However, the noise under load that we were hearing is still there unfortunately. I'm still not sure if it's a bad noise or just the engine, but Arthur too thought it shouldn't be there and I'm still convinced it wasn't there before it had the recent work done.

...

Bugger!
Like eddo says, probably best to swap out the pump with your old one to eliminate it as a probable source .. and take it from there.

Access to it isn't the easiest of jobs, but it's not impossible either.
I'm free next week if you feel like doing it over this side of town too. Some days the kids just don't want to do nothing, which are those days when I'll just be bumming around myself looking for stuff to tweak on mine
Almost certainly it'll rain on the day that can be agreed on for the job to be done tho! [tonguewink]

[edddo]

Sounds like a dodgy part.
I would swap it out now so i could forget about it.

I recently had one fail on the Hay River track.
Started spraying fuel out of the hole in the side.
Luckily i was carrying a spare one...been in the spares box for about 6 years.
Hint...if putting new one on in the bush dont drop the new brass olive compression fittings in the grass or sand.

[Pub247]

God i wish my tdi was that quiet. Comparing mine to yours id say theres nothing wrong with it

[Fausto79]

God i wish my tdi was that quiet. Comparing mine to yours id say theres nothing wrong with it

😂 I thought the same. Sounds so smooth and quiet. Mine sounds like a one cylinder tractor

[Young Angus]

Haha gosh maybe I'm too used to driving more refined newer diesel engines at work all day (hiluxes and bt50s etc) but I swear that flappy noise wasn't there before...My dad actually rolled his eyes at me too and just told me to shut up and that it was hardly anything "it's just an older car" he said...Perhaps I'll focus on the actual issues like this new oil leak I just found woohoo it's a good one though, a proper leak, might put that in a fresh thread...

[AK83]

With all the rain we ended up with, we forgot to go for a drive in mine.
I pointed out all that sound insulation I had fitted, and I reckon yours felt both smoother and quieter than mine too.

Plus the expectation that with those muddies, I was expecting at least some roughness and howling from underneath too.

You should take a 90's hilux diesel for a spin one day just for a laugh .. to understand why the Disco was regarded so highly in it's time.

As I remember the diesel rattle noise it makes is due to the direct injection design of the times, so while it may seem rough, back then that was considered avant garde in it's day.

My dad's 62 series cruiser diesel was much rougher from the get go(second hand, but far fewer klms than our D1s currently have).
Half the go that our Tdi's currently have(granted not a turbo, but still a 4.2 lit lump of boat anchor.
He had new injectors fitted which helped with it's smoke issue, but did nothing for power. I never drove it far enough to determine it's economy for the way I drive .. dad's a Uranium footed driver .. lead far too light and gold too expensive .. but Uranium is about heavy enough for his right boot ;)
He used to get between 6.5 and 7 km/lt!
The only thing it had over the Disco's direct injection was that it's indirect diesel rattle(the typical clack clack diesel sound you hear from a diesel) was much quieter.
So at about 1500 - 2K RPM all you really hear was a droney exhaust sound, rather than the Tdi diesel rattle.

In the end that 'ol bruiser ended up going to a good cause ... a pseudo chook shed.

And don't be shy about finding noises on the vehicle too.
I started hearing a rattly metallic sound coming from under and the rear of mine after my recent drive.
To me it sounds like a loose-ish brake cover doodad(which reminds me .. must pulls wheels and check brakes this coming week too).

[Young Angus]

With all the rain we ended up with, we forgot to go for a drive in mine.
I pointed out all that sound insulation I had fitted, and I reckon yours felt both smoother and quieter than mine too.

Plus the expectation that with those muddies, I was expecting at least some roughness and howling from underneath too.

You should take a 90's hilux diesel for a spin one day just for a laugh .. to understand why the Disco was regarded so highly in it's time.

As I remember the diesel rattle noise it makes is due to the direct injection design of the times, so while it may seem rough, back then that was considered avant garde in it's day.

My dad's 62 series cruiser diesel was much rougher from the get go(second hand, but far fewer klms than our D1s currently have).
Half the go that our Tdi's currently have(granted not a turbo, but still a 4.2 lit lump of boat anchor.
He had new injectors fitted which helped with it's smoke issue, but did nothing for power. I never drove it far enough to determine it's economy for the way I drive .. dad's a Uranium footed driver .. lead far too light and gold too expensive .. but Uranium is about heavy enough for his right boot ;)
He used to get between 6.5 and 7 km/lt!
The only thing it had over the Disco's direct injection was that it's indirect diesel rattle(the typical clack clack diesel sound you hear from a diesel) was much quieter.
So at about 1500 - 2K RPM all you really hear was a droney exhaust sound, rather than the Tdi diesel rattle.

In the end that 'ol bruiser ended up going to a good cause ... a pseudo chook shed.

And don't be shy about finding noises on the vehicle too.
I started hearing a rattly metallic sound coming from under and the rear of mine after my recent drive.
To me it sounds like a loose-ish brake cover doodad(which reminds me .. must pulls wheels and check brakes this coming week too).

Hey we did forget to go for a drive, and ran out of time haha next time for sure! Btw...HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Yeah it seems like I might be jumping at shadows and trying to make the old girl sound like a brand new car. I guess it was just a noise that I hadn't heard before and then it popped up so it bothered me, sounds like I'm on to a good thing though and I think I need a few other Disco diesels for a baseline comparison haha

Yeah I used to drive a 90s hilux diesel for work, damn noisy thing and not a lot of go either, pretty indestructible though, used to flog the heck out of it and do big paddock surveys through thick mud and it got through most things, it's easier when it's not your car haha one time it just stopped and thew a bunch of warning lights up and we popped the bonnet and there was a couple of belts that had just snapped which we could take out of the engine bay and hang around our necks and pose for photos to show the bosses...don't think they were too impressed but we thought we were pretty funny :D

Those muddies sure do drive nicely, I did had a bit of a skiddy moment while driving back from your place in that storm though when I thought I was going to go straight into the gutter, pretty sure that was the big lugs on the slippery road, that's just me having to be a bit more conservative and remember they're not really road tyres even though they are quiet and are a silica compound and have a couple of sipes etc. etc. still they are a great driving aggressive tyre and damn reliable too from all I've read.

Found another noise the other morning too, seems like it's half the fun with these cars, this one sounded like a squeaky pulley which died down after the car warmed up, shouldn't be too hard to find that one.

New year, new leak and new noise, wouldn't have it any other way :)

[Pub247]

Mine fan bearing in timing cover does that. Probably my fault from when i did the timing belt and cleaned the cover.

[AK83]

So the other day(NY eve) after work, and again today whilst waiting for the kids to come over .. I was having a quick squizz in the engine bay to see if anything obvious was causing this annoying tinny rattle in mine.
To me sounds like rear .. eg. like a loose rear brake guard rattling .. but thought to check the engine bay .. check oil and coolant levels, and trans colour(at least .. level another day) .. just quick easy stuff that doesn't require the use of grey matter.

So I've also found an oil leak. Mine seems to be coming from the vacuum pump, or it's gasket.
It's not really a leak, but it's a spraying of oil that seemed to have stopped. a bit of oil under the car, but no oil leaks(drops).

So now I'm thinking is my oil leak and rattle a coincidence, or are they related?

I remember yours was fuel pump and back, whereas mine is vacuum pump and down(a little) sprayed under car .. and no current drips(driveway clean). The oil slick under the car also doesn't extend too far back, seems to stop at about the cross member, or front of transfer case .. so at least it's not an ongoing issue(which is going to make finding the source a lot harder)
Checking oil level AGAIN .. to confirm that I saw it was still at the top mark .. confirmed that it was indeed level at the top mark.
So .... it's lost oil that it hasn't quite lost :wallbash:

I'm theorising it this way: Over the years I reckon I've had about 25 Rover vehicles of various types, and all of them have had oil leaks one way or another.
If not the engine seals, then the power steering pump, lines, reservoir, and even the bottle of top up fluid kept in the engine bay for ease of access.
Either way, oil has always escaped the item created to contain it, be that an engine, or reservoir, or gearbox .. or even the bottle that wasn't a Rover created item, just being in the vicinity of a Rover product has educated this bottle of (Shell, I think) power steering fluid to know how to act in the presence of an aristocratic vehicle! :D

This D1 tho, has me confounded(and IT knows this) .. other than my one muck up with he front main seal, it's never really dropped a single drop of fluid of any type in the 18months I've known it.
So it knows this, it understands that in my current delirium .. and therefore an ongoing inability to compute the terms 'Rover' and 'oil leak' as anything other than two mutually inclusive terms .. it's felt sorry for me, and helping come to grips that my preconception may be incorrect.
So it's doing this temporary thing .. leaking a little, just enough to show me that they still do leak, but then stops, for the purpose of re-educating me that maybe they don't always all leak, and that I need to do discard my old preconceptions and experiences of yester-yester-year.

[Young Angus]

That sounds like the start to the Australian Land Rover Owners Memoirs :D

The old girl is just looking out for you, making sure you're not going too crazy...great theory!

[AK83]

....

The old girl is just looking out for you, making sure you're not going too crazy...great theory!

Nah! If I related my other theory here without taking the topic on a wild tangent .. you'd understand that the old girls job is a wasted effort!
My state of mind is well beyond the 'too crazy' point of no return.
On the odd occasion tho, She has been the reason I've regressed a little backwards from the beyond state and back into the 'too crazy' state.
For a few moments this morning I progressed forward, and beyond, again with thoughts on how to shoehorn another unwanted D2! .. into the limited space at my place(knowing that I have a shed to build in the coming months and a house to renovate one day too).