'99 Corsa engine sound?

Mr Benevolent

I'm fairly certain it's not an actual problem, but I'm vaguely wondering if there's anything I can do about the noise my Corsa makes. Basically it sounds like a very bad electric motor, a horrible whining noise that makes me feel like I'm sitting behind an old washing machine.

Is this noise normal for a 1L Corsa?

They're 3 cylinder aren't they? They do indeed sound awful.
Cone air filter may improve things.

pajor

Had one and didn't think it was great.

It's because it's got 3 cylinders. Also the camshaft is driven by a chain (getting technical) not a belt so it's quite noisy alright.

flyingsnail

Confab wrote: »

I'm fairly certain it's not an actual problem, but I'm vaguely wondering if there's anything I can do about the noise my Corsa makes. Basically it sounds like a very bad electric motor, a horrible whining noise that makes me feel like I'm sitting behind an old washing machine.

Is this noise normal for a 1L Corsa?

That sounds like my 99 corsa, also 1L. I think it's always had that whine

langdang

Dunno bout a whine? Just that sewing machine whirsh of the chain.
And the bovine MOOOO it makes if plant your foot in anything above 1st. Between the noise and the rate of acceleration, herself nicknamed her first car "Daisy the cow"

Flesh Gorden

Confab wrote: »

Is this noise normal for a 1L Corsa?

Yep, sounds normal, I'd a lend of one for a few weeks

brings back memories of starting it up the first time, the vibrating wing mirrors and a good few spiders crawling out of the drivers one

_Conrad_

RoverJames wrote: »

They're 3 cylinder aren't they? They do indeed sound awful.
Cone air filter may improve things.

My poor misfortunate friend has a 97 vauxhall corsa 1.0 which is misfiring badly, so running on 2 most of the time. Truly horrible, i would say "you should hear it" but no, you really shoudln't, nobody should. They sound awful as it is and are so harsh, thrashy and gutless that they shouldn't be allowed, and not only is this poor girl's one rusty in typical UK import vauxhall fashion, but it now sounds like it's powered by two lawnmowers raping eachother! Must have a look at it when i'm back home over the next few days, it's actually unfair for anyone to have to drive a car in that state

langdang

_Conrad_ wrote: »

it now sounds like it's powered by two lawnmowers raping eachother!

LOL!

_Conrad_

langdang wrote: »

And the bovine MOOOO it makes if plant your foot in anything above 1st. "

by the way i love this description! great way to describe that awful noise those engines make! I'd modify the description slightly to the moo of a reluctant and badly bred cow

_Conrad_

_Conrad_ wrote: »

I'd modify the description slightly to the moo of a reluctant and badly bred cow

We won't ask what you do to cows so that you know what a reluctant one sounds like :pac:

_Conrad_

RoverJames wrote: »

We won't ask what you do to cows so that you know what a reluctant one sounds like :pac:

ever castrated bullocks? assisted in calving etc? you'll hear some mad range of bovine noises


anyway went massively off topic, but yes it seems fairly normal for me for a corsa to make a horrible annoying noise like that

Flesh Gorden

At least the OP doesn't have the 1.2 Vauxhall

1 extra cylinder - 10 less bhp -
17.4 to 60 and a 90mph top speed

A friends ex started off in one, he had 16" or 17"alloys and two subs in the boot so probably closer to 20 secs to 60mph

_Conrad_

_Conrad_ wrote: »

ever castrated bullocks? assisted in calving etc? you'll hear some mad range of bovine noises

Nope
I'm practically an inner city lad, visited an open farm once though :pac:

_Conrad_

RoverJames wrote: »

Nope
I'm practically an inner city lad, visited an open farm once though :pac:

that doesn't really count

Mr Benevolent

Flesh Gorden wrote: »

At least the OP doesn't have the 1.2 Vauxhall

Ironically, my girlfriend gets her 1.2 Corsa today, it's an '02 auto. Am looking forward to the gearbox solenoids failing. Yeah my Corsa does make an moooooooing noise at full load. Acceleration is abysmal, but that might be a good thing in a first car.

Leonard Hofstadter

Flesh Gorden wrote: »

At least the OP doesn't have the 1.2 Vauxhall

1 extra cylinder - 10 less bhp -
17.4 to 60 and a 90mph top speed

A friends ex started off in one, he had 16" or 17"alloys and two subs in the boot so probably closer to 20 secs to 60mph

I think you're getting a little confused there - the old 1.2s in Corsa Bs had around 50 bhp (or maybe less), and then the 1.0 three cylinder lump came along and replaced it. Not long after that, the 1.2 reappeared as an "Ecotec" engine, which had around 75 bhp and was much quicker than the 1.0.

All three cylinder Corsas sound $h!t€ by the way, it's a pity really as a good three cylinder can sound like half a V6 when it's revved, as it does in a Smart car or a Toyota!

_Conrad_

Confab wrote: »

Ironically, my girlfriend gets her 1.2 Corsa today, it's an '02 auto. Am looking forward to the gearbox solenoids failing. Yeah my Corsa does make an moooooooing noise at full load. Acceleration is abysmal, but that might be a good thing in a first car.

well yes, a car is a car at the end of the day and as long as it stays working thats good, and to be fair you don't need anything fancy for a first car as you're probably going to do a few stupid things and put some marks on it etc. it's just a pity new drivers are usually forced to drive very cheap very small cars due to insurance and tax costs. though as a first car, a slow car could be an advantage alright!

Mr Benevolent

I've just realised that my girlfriend's car has 34 % more torque and 44% more bhp then my car. I'll have to make up for it in a few years by buying an M5 or something.

_Conrad_

Confab wrote: »

I've just realised that my girlfriend's car has 34 % more torque and 44% more bhp then my car. I'll have to make up for it in a few years by buying an M5 or something.

as much as an m5 would be awesome, please do not go straight from the corsa to an m5 or you are very likely to kill either yourself or a lot of other people! or at the very least destroy a very nice car very quickly. Never been rich enough to own the new ones, but my in former job i got to drive quite a few very nice motors while delivering them and taking them for services etc including an M6, some very nice mercs, jaguars etc. what a good laugh, very scary at the same time though as if i'd broken one.... well that would have ended rather badly.


Only opels i had that i liked were a rekord and some omegas. would love a manta though

shamwari

Flesh Gorden wrote: »

At least the OP doesn't have the 1.2 Vauxhall

1 extra cylinder - 10 less bhp -
17.4 to 60 and a 90mph top speed

A friends ex started off in one, he had 16" or 17"alloys and two subs in the boot so probably closer to 20 secs to 60mph

That old 1.2 engine might not have had a lot of poke, but it was very economical and way more reliable than that dreadful 3 cylinder yoke they used after it, and the later 4 cylinder 1.2 16V too. If you think the 3 cylinder thrash is bad then you should hear one with a sick timing chain. It's as refined as a whacker plate :rolleyes:

Mr Benevolent

shamwari wrote: »

as much as an m5 would be awesome, please do not go straight from the corsa to an m5 or you are very likely to kill either yourself or a lot of other people! or at the very least destroy a very nice car very quickly.:

Not a chance! My next car will be either a 325ci, a W124 coupe, an MX-5 or a Rover 75. Consistent, that's me

If you think the 3 cylinder thrash is bad then you should hear one with a sick timing chain. It's as refined as a whacker plate

I can imagine. While this thread is alive, does anyone know what the pipe the arrows are pointing to is in this pic?



Mine is getting crispy and deflated-looking.

Looks like a pipe that vents from the inlet, wouldn't worry about it at all.

W.Shakes-Beer

Oil breather pipe, as said don't worry too much about it!

r3nu4l

My first car was a 99 1.0L Corsa bought from Esmonde motors in Stillorgan.

I've many happy memories of that car so won't hear a word against it

The 99 is definitely a 3-pot engine and therefore a little noisy but honestly it was a fantastic motor and in fact my parents still have my old car and use it occasionally as a second car. It passed the NCT in October

I can honestly say I never heard the sound you are talking about in the OP. Even in 5th gear at 106 mph (:o), the top speed of the car the engine screamed but not in a very bad way. Sounds like something is wrong but I have to say, I love driving my old car when I'm back in Ireland. Don't do it too often but it brings back so many happy memories.

Flesh Gorden

captainspeed wrote: »

I think you're getting a little confused there - the old 1.2s in Corsa Bs had around 50 bhp (or maybe less), and then the 1.0 three cylinder lump came along and replaced it. Not long after that, the 1.2 reappeared as an "Ecotec" engine, which had around 75 bhp and was much quicker than the 1.0.

His was a 97' Vauxhall - not the post 99' 16v

parkers and the dates back that up

besides if it was a 16v he would have had it plastered everywhere

(A bit of BEBO stalking - here's the beast)




I heard a story that he was asking around about the easiest way to get it from 0-60 faster - the reply he got was push it off a cliff!

Mar4ix

we had opel corsa as rented car... millenium .. i presume she was 1.2 l., '99 or '00, actually was surprised... pretty nippy , and served us well for four days, while we had her. really like her.

sdanseo

I had a 96 corsa till last year...made a chugging noise that would put a diesel bus to shame. Still worked though when I got rid of it, I wouldn't worry too much.

alias no.9

RoverJames wrote: »

Looks like a pipe that vents from the inlet, wouldn't worry about it at all.

W.Shakes-Beer wrote: »

Oil breather pipe, as said don't worry too much about it!

It's not a big deal but I wouldn't dismiss it. The hose is downstream of the MAF so if you end up with a leak, the ECU will misfuel. The hose probably only costs a couple of € plus a couple of jubilee clips to replace the cnuting crimped clips that are probably on it now. It'll only take 10 minutes to do and could save you the cost of a tow truck and an hours labour at even an honest mechanic, maybe more with an unscrupulous one who spies your weakness in an emergency.

VolvoMan

Whatever the engine sound is, it can't be as bad as the Ford Ka with the Endura E Pushrod engine. That sounds like a skeleton **** in a biscuit tin!:D

Mr Benevolent

alias no.9 wrote: »

It's not a big deal but I wouldn't dismiss it. The hose is downstream of the MAF so if you end up with a leak, the ECU will misfuel. The hose probably only costs a couple of € plus a couple of jubilee clips to replace the cnuting crimped clips that are probably on it now. It'll only take 10 minutes to do and could save you the cost of a tow truck and an hours labour at even an honest mechanic, maybe more with an unscrupulous one who spies your weakness in an emergency.

Thanks, think I'll go and get the parts for that, better safe then sorry.