timing chain rattle

[monkeydave]

is it normal to hear the timing chain at 2000rpm in neutral or should it be dead silent at all times ?

cheers

[guest5589]

there shouldn't be any noise from the chain at all.. if you are sure it is the chain then get it changed before the tensioner fails.

[monkeydave]

what not even if you rev it under no load?  it has always done the chain noise from new and i am trying to diagnose an intermittent engine tapping noise, that only appears at tickover when hot before i take it in for the honda mechanic to have a look at on sat, before i get it booked in.

think it is valve noise but seems to be coming from the left side of the engine where the timing chain is and the tap noise can be heared under the drivers wheel arch too

the chain is quiet at all other times, just hear a slight rattle under no load at 2000rpm, but not when tickover or driving, car has 42k miles on it

[guest5589]

No load at 2000rpm? Are you sure it's the chain? Chain cannot have any slack at any rpm otherwise it risks slippage and causing damage. The tensioner is there to make sure that doesn't happen at any rpm. A stretched chain will give misfire like symptoms eventually causing breakdown.

If you have been hearing it since new, it mustn't be the chain.

[guest5589]

alternator, water pump, ac compressor are all on left side of the engine so could be any of those or even the exhaust heatshield. Can you record a video of this sound?

Does this match the noise you are hearing? This is at idle though.

[monkeydave]

i have a video of the irregular tap/tick noise and some revving here:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=349rt9dzLLA

the irregular tapping is hopefully just a valve adjustment needed as it is only there when warmed up it is silent at cold tickover just the normal valve and injector noise and this is my noise when fully warm in the video

cheers

[guest1372]

I think I know the sound you have, as I have just started to notice it when coasting down through 2000 rpm, 1950 to be exact.  I thought it was a heat shield but they are all secure but wonder if it was the cat core, as I've driven a company car with a disintegrating one.  Could be one of the ancillaries, worth trying it with the A/C engaged.

--
TG

[monkeydave]

i had an ibiza wth a crumbling cat and it sounded different to the noise i have, also the chain noise has been on the car since brand new

the noise i want to fix in the video is the irregular tapping noise under the usual valve and injector noise

thanks for your help, hope it isnt your cat

[longlegpete]

As has been pointed out the chain should be under tension all the time so should not make more noise at any particular revs, they do make a noise of course, its impossible to make them silent but they should go on for years and years as they run in ideal conditions being a bath of oil, its only if there tension is lost there life span will suffer.

Hopefully the dealer will put his finger on it, if they are a Honda dealership then maybe you could ask them to start a used 1.2 to see if "they are all like that" , as we have said before you would have to be really unlucky to have a faulty engine from what is the largest manufacturer of engines in the world.

[monkeydave]

yeah i will have the valves adjusted whatever happens and if he is in there too the uridium plugs replaced also even though it is a little early at 42k miles

i got a price over the phone of £100 for the valve adjust job if anyone is interested (main dealer)