rattle in engine of 1.3 fiesta zetec

knipper

Hi all looking for advice,
There's a loud noise coming from the engine in my 99 reg Fiesta zetec 1.3.
It is a loud regular rattle and increases with the revs while I drive.
When I ease off on the accelerator the noise eases off too.
I thought it was the exhaust at first as this was repaired last year but after opening the bonnet it is coming from the engine.
It has gotten worse over the last few days.
Any opinions advice?
Have no cash to get it fixed this side of xmas but would it be safe to drive until I get it done.
Or is it even worth getting fixed.
Frickin cars a moneypit!
Thanks
Knipper

Plug

Get tappets adjusted.

dgt

Does it sound like a skeleton doing something obscene in a biscuit tin?

Most likely tappets as Plug has pointed out

George Dalton

knipper wrote: »

99 reg Fiesta zetec 1.3.

There is a bit of a contradiction there.

The Zetec engine is 1.25 litre 16v.

The 1.3 litre Fiestas use the old pushrod engine. The 1.3 has adjustable tappets, the Zetec doesn't.

Which engine is in your car?

knipper

Its a 1.25L zetec.
Yea its like a skeleton who dances faster and harder the faster I drive.
He has great stamina tho.

cletus

Is there any loss of power?

dgt

Just to be sure... Zetec was a trim level as well as an engine :rolleyes:

OP, does your car have this


Or this


Under the bonnet?

Zetec 1.25 has hydraulic buckets

Mycroft H

dgt wrote: »

Just to be sure... Zetec was a trim level as well as an engine :rolleyes:

OP, does your car have this


Or this


Under the bonnet?

Zetec 1.25 has hydraulic buckets

There is more then a few zetecs going around with the 1.3, though most of them would be fitted with the 1.25.

Those 1.3s are noisy old engines anyways, always sounded like a bag of spanners at idle.

knipper

My engine is the top one.
The noise wasn't there until last week and has gotten louder.
Its embarrassingly loud to be honest.
There doesn't seem to be any loss of power, if there is its only slight.

Nissan doctor

knipper wrote: »

My engine is the top one.
The noise wasn't there until last week and has gotten louder.
Its embarrassingly loud to be honest.
There doesn't seem to be any loss of power, if there is its only slight.

Have you done the obvious and checked the oil level?

knipper

The oil level is grand although I have let it run low before.
it burns oil fairly quickly.

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Have you done the obvious and checked the oil level?

mickdw

knipper wrote: »

The oil level is grand although I have let it run low before.
it burns oil fairly quickly.

I'd be very very worried about the state of my engine if I were you.

cletus

Could it be pinking or pre-combustion, mig be wrong but i think that causes you engine to knock and burn oil?

knipper

cletus wrote: »

Could it be pinking or pre-combustion, mig be wrong but i think that causes you engine to knock and burn oil?

The mechanic I brought it to said it wasn't unusual for those engines to burn a lot of oil. So I just kept topping it up. It was burning oil long before the noise started tho.

corktina

the engine in my 99 fiesta lasted about a week after it started rattling and the cause (as usual with a zetec) was low oil in a previous life....been waiting fro my mechanic to fit a new engine for two months or more, probably just going to scrap the car instead now, nice car too (got a scrap 02 sat here with a running engine for sale...)

mickdw

corktina wrote: »

the engine in my 99 fiesta lasted about a week after it started rattling and the cause (as usual with a zetec) was low oil in a previous life....been waiting fro my mechanic to fit a new engine for two months or more, probably just going to scrap the car instead now, nice car too (got a scrap 02 sat here with a running engine for sale...)

So why are you scraping and selling when you have everything you need there for a running car

corktina

158000 miles on the 02. Have an engine organised for the 99 but waited over 2 months for the mechanic and and the car isn't really worth much more the 450/500 it would cost to get it back on the road. I'm told swapping the engine isn't a DIY job on these

knipper

Thanks for the help. It was the tappets alright I think.I was on my way last week to collect my new car and the engine just blew up about 2 miles from the car dealers.black smoke out the back and everything slowly died. Talk about getting the most out of it before handing it over. Car was trouble from day one lessons learned thanks for all yer help..

corktina wrote: »

158000 miles on the 02. Have an engine organised for the 99 but waited over 2 months for the mechanic and and the car isn't really worth much more the 450/500 it would cost to get it back on the road. I'm told swapping the engine isn't a DIY job on these