Hi

My 1.4 8v Grande Punto is very noisy on start up, it sounds like a motorbike engine lol the only way i can think of to describe it is "tappety" its been like this for a while now and its confusing me as to what could be the cause.

I've checked the oil and there is enough in there, i have just had the timing belt and water pump changed.

its strange because its only when the car is first started up, if i drive for around a min or two then it dissapears. But if i quickly run in the shop or something, come back and start the car again it does the same again even if the engine is hot.

But if i was to run in the shop and leave the engine running, it is fine it really is only when the car is stopped and started again!

Does anybody have any idea of what could be the cause of this.

Thanks in advance as always!

Well... If it were my car, I'd be suspecting an oil issue.
Maybe a partially blocked oil way to the camshaft.
Or oil that's too thick in grade to operate the camfollowers.
Do you know when the last oil change was and what oil was put in?
Or was the last oil change beyond living memory and has just been kept topped up?
Was this noise there before the cambelt change or not?

It hasnt had an oil change since i have had it, and i have had it for just over a year and its done 26000 miles in that year. I have just been topping it up since then.

It was there before the belt change but it has got worse the last few weeks (louder).

So do you think if i get the oil completely changed that it will solve the issue?

Thanks mate

thaduck1 said:

It hasnt had an oil change since i have had it, and i have had it for just over a year and its done 26000 miles in that year. I have just been topping it up since then.

It was there before the belt change but it has got worse the last few weeks (louder).

So do you think if i get the oil completely changed that it will solve the issue?

Thanks mate

Click to expand...

why wouldn't you have an oil and filter change?
you know its special oil in these for a reason don't you

so what have you been topping it up with?
don't answer that its rhetorical

s and b said:

why wouldn't you have an oil and filter change?
you know its special oil in these for a reason don't you

so what have you been topping it up with?
don't answer that its rhetorical

Click to expand...

I was going to get it serviced in the next few weeks so was gonna be changed then!

What do you mean special oil :/

Personally I'd flush the oil out a couple of times then refill as per below. Thanks to Andy Monty.
Synthetic Based oils GRADE 5W-40 Fiat 9.55535-m2Qualification

original oil:
Selenia K

Oil for Diesel Engines:
Synthetic Based oils GRADE 5W-40 Fiat 9.55535-N2Qualification

original oil:
Selenia WR

and in the foot notes..

"If using non original SAE 5-W-40 Products, Oils with a minimum ACEA A3 Specifications for petrol Engines and ACEA B4 specifications for diesel engines are admitted; In this event top engine performance is not guaranteed.

Use of products with low-quality properties than ACEA A3 and ACEA B4 could cause damages to the engine that are not covered by the warranty"



Capacity's (incl filter)

1.2-1.4 8v petrol = 2.6l

1.4 16v petrol = 2.9l

1.4 T-jet = 3.3

1.3Mjet = 3.2l

1.6Mjet = 4.6l



Newer (euro 5 rated) GP's use (also revised from the spec's above ((walk into any dealer and they will now say the stuff below is what is recommended))):

SAE 5W-40 ACEA C3 synthetic oil to FIAT 9.55535-S2 certification. (PETROL)