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Engine Clattering On Acceleration?

15K views 49 replies 17 participants last post by  Freaky Beetle 
#1 ·
When I'm accelerating, I hear a chattering sound coming from the engine bay.

What's with that?:confused:

Thanks guys!

SMG
 
#4 ·
SMG said:
When I'm accelerating, I hear a chattering sound coming from the engine bay.

What's with that?:confused:

Thanks guys!

SMG
i have had a similiar problem. it was more during the hotter weather, it was upon acceleration and never happened when i was at cruising speed. i was told by my mechanic it was engine ping.

here's the new thread i started about it:
http://newbeetle.org/forums/showthread.php?t=564

here was my old thread on the old forums:
http://forums.newbeetle.org/showthread.php?threadid=54778&highlight=engine+ping

does this sound like the same problem you're having?
 
#5 ·
SMG said:
When I'm accelerating sometimes, it's chatters like a Mexican in a snowstorm..

It's acting fine other than that, even though it needs an Italian tune-up from a month of short trip city driving (totally unrelated).

SMG
i need more details about this italian tune up!!! how LONG do you drive with it in the red? what gear? details! somebody give me a play by play!
 
#6 ·
chattering you say?

SMG said:
When I'm accelerating, I hear a chattering sound coming from the engine bay.

What's with that?:confused:

Thanks guys!

SMG

Hey guys. i too have that chattering upon acceleration. However mine only happens once in a while. On my car upon acceleration sometimes I hear a sort of grinding noise.
Other times when I'm accelerating and in between changing gears I get that chatter. it's the same chatter you get when you try to start on lets say third gear, or you shift to early.. Does that make sense? I have been trying to do some research and I wanna say its something to do with my pressure plate, flywheel or clutch disk? I dont know. I'm so frustrated. Does anyone else have an idea?
 
#7 ·
nafilo said:
it's the same chatter you get when you try to start on lets say third gear, or you shift to early.. Does that make sense?
YES! that's how i tried to describe it to a few people. i had the hardest time trying to explain this problem to someone. check out the links i posted earlier. might give you some more insight into whether or not your problem is engine ping.

it's hard to say. i am not good on diagnosing this stuff. my mechanic said mine was engine ping. unfortunately, it could be one of many things that's causing it.

my engine noise only happens when it's warm and only when i am accelerating hard - like when i punch my foot down on the gas, or i am trying to climb a hill.
 
#9 ·
Call me crazy, but I think its just the nature of the beast (2.0 litre). I find the 2.0 in general is quite a noisy engine. Have you ever opened the hood while you left the motor running? To me it sounds like a sewing machine on steroids. Throw in the A/C and/or cooling fans into the mix and its a party under there:band:

All I am trying to say is that if your car is still running fine, I would not worry too much about the ticking (although come to think of it, mine ticks when I need to add oil).
 
#10 ·
beetleguy said:
Call me crazy, but I think its just the nature of the beast (2.0 litre). I find the 2.0 in general is quite a noisy engine. Have you ever opened the hood while you left the motor running? To me it sounds like a sewing machine on steroids. Throw in the A/C and/or cooling fans into the mix and its a party under there:band:

All I am trying to say is that if your car is still running fine, I would not worry too much about the ticking (although come to think of it, mine ticks when I need to add oil).
it does seem to be a noisy engine! i like the sewing machine on steroids analogy. :D

mine saturn always ticked when it was time for an oil change. i think my NB does it too. but it also ticks when it's not time for an oil change or doesn't need oil. oh well. dammit.
 
#11 ·
callisto9 said:
YES! that's how i tried to describe it to a few people. i had the hardest time trying to explain this problem to someone. check out the links i posted earlier. might give you some more insight into whether or not your problem is engine ping.

it's hard to say. i am not good on diagnosing this stuff. my mechanic said mine was engine ping. unfortunately, it could be one of many things that's causing it.

my engine noise only happens when it's warm and only when i am accelerating hard - like when i punch my foot down on the gas, or i am trying to climb a hill.
I used to get that on my old 1990 nissan sentra everytime the Timing was off. It would almost be like an old diesel motor running sound.
 
#12 ·
callisto9 said:
my engine noise only happens when it's warm and only when i am accelerating hard - like when i punch my foot down on the gas, or i am trying to climb a hill.
Hmm... well I dont usually punch my foot down on the gas.... but yes mine only does it when its warm too. I dont hear the ping so maybe its' not my engine. Another member told me the grinding coudl probably be a damaged clutch disk and/or flywheel, so with that second to my notion I'm going to have it checked out.... Plus my car has been reving itself (only when warm and having been drivena while) It'll all of a sudden rev up to almost 4Krpms then come back down half way then back up hold and come down and about a minute or so of doing this then it idles back down to normal... Weird.
N@
 
#15 ·
From the Haynes Manual:
Pinging or knocking engine sounds during acceleration or uphill
1 Incorrect grade of fuel
2 Ignition timing incorrect
3 Fuel injection system faulty
4 Improper or damaged spark plugs or wires
5 EGR valve not functioning
6 Vaccum leak
7 Knock sensor malfunctioning
 
#16 ·
73standard said:
From the Haynes Manual:
Pinging or knocking engine sounds during acceleration or uphill
1 Incorrect grade of fuel
2 Ignition timing incorrect
3 Fuel injection system faulty
4 Improper or damaged spark plugs or wires
5 EGR valve not functioning
6 Vaccum leak
7 Knock sensor malfunctioning
here's my engine ping thread from the old forums:
http://forums.newbeetle.org/showthread.php?threadid=54778&highlight=engine+ping

and i was told this about some of the causes listed above (from porkchop):

2. EGR Valve - our cars don't have one.
5. ignition timing: timing is not adjustable on our cars... so unless your timing belt has "hopped" (usually only if some teeth are chewed off) is timing going to be a problem.
6. plugs/wires - this is a maintenance issue... if you haven't changed plugs in a while, I'd go ahead and do this. It's a good idea to do the wires at the same time bc it's easy to damage the OEM wires when the plugs are changed (especially if someone tugs on the wire to remove them). I recommend the OEM NGK plugs which are about $4 each from Advance Auto Parts (or any store that carries NGK - although they'd need to be special ordered). I just put on a set of OEM wires - $38 from www.ecstuning.com.


is this true?
 
#20 ·
i currently use 89 octane with ethanol. 87 does not have ethanol. i've also been told that using a high octane of gas then required for my car isn't recommended. in my opinion, the level of octane isn't what's causing the pinging. am i wrong here?
 
#22 ·
SMG said:
My engine was misfiring the past few mornings, I'm guessing plugs..

Could plugs have anything to do with that?

SMG
i am giving up on mine and taking it to my mechanic next week! wish me luck!
 
#23 ·
SMG said:
My car is a manual (thank god) ;)

Power uphill is normal, it's just a noise..

Thanks!

SMG
I think I have this same noise - I posted a new thread before I saw this... Have you found the cause? My car is also a manual and my noise is definitely not a PING, it sounds more like a loud vibration of some sort and happens when I rev up the rpms to change gears. It does it whether the engine ie cold or warm but seems to do it more often in cooler weather. Acceleration (other than as needed to rev up rpms) doesn't effect it. I can speed up to pass in 5th gear and won't hear anything and usually not in 4th gear either. It happens more when shifting from 3rd to 4th, a little less when shifting from 2nd to 3rd and still a little less than that when shifting from 1st to 2nd, rarely when shifting from 4th to 5th and not at all (I don't think) when in 5th, of course I probably don't rev up rpms as much in the higher gears before I shift and don't shift up when in 5th so that may be the reason it doesn't happen as much or not at all in the higher gears. :confused:

At one time I could have sworn it happened less when only the driver was in the car - could the weight in the car have any bearing on anything? :screwy:

I use the higher octane gas because I have to with my super charger so in addition to it not sounding like a ping, it wouldn't be because of the fuel grade. It has also been well maintained so needing tuned up wouldn't be the cause either. I read in another post something about an "airbox" - I don't know what that is (I'm a dumb girl) so I have requested more information on that thread.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. This noise is loud and very irritating and also frustrating not being able to find the cause. :banghead:
 
#24 ·
73standard said:
From the Haynes Manual:
Pinging or knocking engine sounds during acceleration or uphill
1 Incorrect grade of fuel
2 Ignition timing incorrect
3 Fuel injection system faulty
4 Improper or damaged spark plugs or wires
5 EGR valve not functioning
6 Vaccum leak
7 Knock sensor malfunctioning
Hi Darth!

What does your manual say happens when the catalytic converter goes bad or the ECM?
 
#25 ·
I get this pinging also. When its warm and I shift low.
Its the same ping that you get when you drive up a hill, under low rpm.
Dont quote me on this.. but in my book i think its normal.
Almost all 5 spds iv drivin do this. Even the chevy camaro..
 
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