Anyone else had this issue? Sometimes, not every time, but quite often, when starting from cold, there is a metallic sound from the engine bay as the engine starts. It sounds like something is catching somewhere. Maybe something metal making contact with the starter motor? Almost sounds like a bolt is loose somewhere. It's only for a split second, but it's a noise the car should not be making. The fact it doesn't do it every time is annoying, because I've booked it into the dealers for them to have a look at next week and it's very likely it won't do it when it's with them. I've been checking the oil level very frequently as I'm a bit concerned how much it has used during the running in period. But the oil level is fine, so it's not that. I'm really liking the car, so it's a shame there is now a little niggle of something not quite right.

Which engine do you have?

gar074 said:

Which engine do you have?

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other posts say 1.2

very unusual to have a 4 cyl FIAT use oil..,

the TA's need bedding in properly..,
but I wasn't aware the 1.2's had any issues.,

Charlie

If it's just on start-up it might be the starter-motor, but then surely you'd expect to hear it when starting from hot too.

Sorry, yes forgot to say it's the 1.2. Thanks for the responses. It seems it's not a common thing then, just my car. I hope you're right about the oil consumption not being high on these engines, after all that's one thing you should not have to worry about on a new car. Will see what the dealer says next week. They're keeping it overnight so they can cold start it to see what's making the noise. It only started doing it in the last couple of weeks. My concern is that I may have caused a problem with it because I went on a short stay wth friends in Taunton andwent for a coastal drive near Minehead. I found myself climbing Porlock Hill which is a 1 in 4 gradient. Had I known about it I would have taken a different road! But I went up at a slow steady pace in 1st gear and kept the revs under 3000, so I don't think it should be a problem.

Dear New to pandas our 62 plate panda easy 1.2 sometimes does this but only when starting from cold, our panda is now 3 years old and has only covered 8000 miles but the metalic sound from the starter seems to be getting less noticeable as time goes on, maybe it just needs to bed in with the starter ring with the car being brand new. Hopefully as you clock up the miles the noise will disappear CATMAN1

Mine has made this noise on and off since I bought it. It's over 6 months old now. Your right it's a kind of hollow tinny sound . . . can't be healthy but I've not found any real pattern as to when it does it so won't bother the dealer with it just yet. It ignites perfectly fine just every so often with that metallic knock ? Strange things cars

Our old 59 plate 1.2 500 and 12 plate 1.2 Panda Easy used to make the odd sort of "metallic" noise on start up when cold. Never consistent though, just every now and then. Meh!

It's difficult to say for certain whether it is the same or not, without any video etc then no-one can confirm for certain.

But I'd be inclined to say it is OK

Do you have air-con ,is it left on? this sometimes makes a similar sound on start up if you do try turning it off the see what happens the next day then then back on for the next day to confirm just a thought!

They can sometimes make a top end ticking sound soon after cold start up, this usually lasts until it's built up some oil pressure and started feeding the valve gear with a decent oil supply.

If it is, it's nothing to worry about and quite often new oil usually shuts it up for a while, but it does come back sooner or later.

DannyGM said:

Mine has made this noise on and off since I bought it. It's over 6 months old now. Your right it's a kind of hollow tinny sound . . . can't be healthy but I've not found any real pattern as to when it does it so won't bother the dealer with it just yet. It ignites perfectly fine just every so often with that metallic knock ? Strange things cars

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So it's not just me then, good to know. It's not done it the last couple of days but I'll still take it in to the dealers as arranged. I bet they don't find anything and the intermittent noise will keep occurring. If so I'll just live with it, but at least the dealer will have checked it out. As it's going to be in overnight, I'm getting a courtesy car. I'm guessing it will be a 500, not driven one of those yet, so will be interesting to see what I get,Thanks again for the info guys. If the dealer does find anything, I'll let you know.

The only thing hollow and tinny attached to the engine, is the exhaust.

On the new1.2 engines often there is a metallic clack-clack from the starter, this is when the throttle is held open slightly for starting from cold. As the pistons bounce over top dead center they cause a momentary over speeding of the crank-flywheel that then slows causing a slight clacking sound as the starter then catches up, this will disappear when starting from hot because the throttle isn't held open as far reducing compression and the bounce . You can replicate this on the older engines with cable operated throttle bodies by putting your foot down on the throttle pedal.

David Bliss said:

On the new1.2 engines often there is a metallic clack-clack from the starter, this is when the throttle is held open slightly for starting from cold. As the pistons bounce over top dead center they cause a momentary over speeding of the crank-flywheel that then slows causing a slight clacking sound as the starter then catches up, this will disappear when starting from hot because the throttle isn't held open as far reducing compression and the bounce . You can replicate this on the older engines with cable operated throttle bodies by putting your foot down on the throttle pedal.

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That sounds like the answer to the problem.

So is it a problem, likely to cause excessive wear to the parts involved? Or is it just a quirk of this car and nothing to worry about?

BTW The dealer didn't find anything, it didn't make the noise when they started it from cold, thought that would happen. Never mind, I had a baby blue 500 as a courtesy car, nice car, but I prefer my Panda and was glad to get it back!

The way it is described ours did this, I have heard others do the same. It is not going to do any harm and they seem to almost stop doing it or isn't as noticeable after 5,000 + miles. The Euro 6 1.2s seem to be noisier in this respect and as these engines have very poor pick up I wonder if they have lightened the fly-wheel to help faster acceleration, this would actually aggravate the cause of the noise. Of course any noise after start up isn't good and needs investigating.

Mine is the same (2012 1.2 lounge). I think it kinda sounds like a marble being thrown into an empty tin of beans.
It's done 29500 miles, and I do 330 miles / week to work and back, and it is not getting any better - it has done this intermittently since I got the car.
Quirky little car - I love it!

Well, you're all complaining about nothing....us TwinAir owners notice an odd noise coming from under the bonnet on startup and it doesn't stop until you turn it off at the other end of the journey....! ;0)