Thanks Aurick86 ;-) I changed sparkplugs to original NGK directly when I bought that car. I checked them after 1000 km and looks fine - electrodes like white coffee. Engine flush is good idea - especialy when service cleaned old oil sludge from camshaft area, a lot of "new" dirt should come back to oil pan and so on. And small particles should go through electomagnetic valve sifter inside, and through ways directly to variator chambers. I know I know... Yes and regarding spark plugs whose were there when I bought this car, they were also NGKs in good condition (with little bit bigger gap, I think they must be there 2-3 years).
But you gave me very good idea regarding variator...I can focus on it this weekend (plus I'll measure injector's resistance when hot, maybe I remove whole ramp, crank engine and check how they are spraying to piece of paper... ), just to be sure that spark and injection are 100%

1. This topic (like many others on this forum) should end at page 1.
Correct suggestions were made there.

2. Now, to fix previous owner laziness (or pseudo "savings" on oil changes), oil pan should be dropped and cleaned mechanically. If you use "engine flush" now, you risk oil pump inlet clogging. No one knows "what's in there" (in your engine).

3. Plus, you still have valves to be re-adjusted. Professional, certified, whatever, mechanics make mistakes too (that's a classic one for experienced guys - when you are so "sure" you know the proper numbers without double-checking, it will bite you someday). Values like 0,5 (exhaust) and 0,4 (intake) are typical for many other 8V Fiat engines, but not Grande (it must be 0,40 and 0,30 mm respectively), that's why this guy took it for granted. No big deal, just fix it.

Oil pan was cleaned from inside. So if he measured for exhaust 0.45, and must be 0.4, I need shimm 0.05 thicker than current right?

There's one more tiny issue...
He probably checked clearance with "standard" (most common) gauges, in the 0,05 mm increment/steps.
This is (may be) a bit "too big" when your engine is still misbehaving after such adjustment (assuming other problems are/will be solved, like lubrication & filtration + VVT).
Let's cut it in half (which will be, "by coincidence", imperial one "thou", 0,001 inch).
In imperial world, many engines have fairly tight tolerances like 1 or 2 thou total (not "plus and minus") for some reason.
Of course, there are tolerances on shims too (some are "right on the money", others "way" off, like 0,005-0,010 mm), so it doesn't make practical sense to chase it like crazy (but one must try).

Decreasing the oil amount in this engine was a bad idea (design flaw). "Ecology" (engine is less polluting when it gets to the operating temperature quicker). Older 1,4 8V FIRE had over 4 litres in some models (first generation Tipo as an example), then about 3,5 L in Uno, now it's 2,6-2,7 liters range...what's next in the future: 2,0 L ?
Filtration is a big deal too (as important as oil itself). Paper in-line filter is "good enough"...until it's not.

I have to separate both issues. Maybe they are not related together. So biggest issue is "plastic bucket" sound during engine load (rod bearing, piston slap...). This is happening also on cold engine. And 2nd (minor) is that ticking once engine gets operational tempetature.
For now the biggest issue for me is that "bucket full of sand" noise during engine load. I cannot hear it when I rev up engine on neutral. Only during engine load. If engine load is bigger (1st gear, going to hill), sound is louder. Looks that its engine related, not to flying wheel or gearbox. I'll make some video...

Rado77 said:

For now the biggest issue for me is that "bucket full of sand" noise during engine load. I cannot hear it when I rev up engine on neutral. Only during engine load. If engine load is bigger (1st gear, going to hill), sound is louder. Looks that its engine related, not to flying wheel or gearbox. I'll make some video...

Click to expand...

Is there any "chance" that this noise comes from a CV join ?

BRs, Bernie

If someone here helped You fix -or better, understand- your issue, hit the thanks icon @ bottom right corner, it's free and makes us feel helpy ;-)

What is CV join Bernie please ? Is it camshaft variator?

Constant Velocity ...

Is the noise car speed or engine speed related ?

It's engine related. After engine warms up, I can hear it also during constant velocity. Nothing at idle, nothing when I rev up rpms on idle. Only during engine load. Higher engine load = louder sound. Most of all, when I lean my car against the curb with my front wheels, I try to climb on it - then I hear it most. When engine is hot and I'm going on steady speed, I hear fine "plastic knocking"...like something between rod bearing or piston slap - but it's not like on YouTube videos about piston slaps or damaged rod bearings - not strong metal to metal sound... It's hard to explain that sound and I never found any video with similar sound...
So this is yesterday's record on my mobile, you can hear it since 0:24 when I down-shifted to 3rd gear.... :

In person it might sound differently.
BUT:
It doesn't sound bad... at least not in the video.
To me it just sounds like intake/exhaust noise from a small engine under load.
That particular noise should totally go away when cruising (motorway) and even in town if you're in the right gear...
Don't be afraid to rev it... fuel consumption will be about the same (and it will be better for the engine: more oil pressure & less load/rev).

If you're not had a Fiat before.... the smaller ones are't that refined.. they do make some noise but that's part of the fun in having them

Have you checked the exhaust? the flex joint(right at the back of the engine) has a habit of corroding/cracking and that can make some additional noise especially during load.

I don't know Fiat's engine sounds. I try to make better video with that sound. And you are right, when I'm driving in constant speed for example 90km/h, I don't hear anything. Regarding exhaust - I had leak between 1st and 2nd exhaust part - completely fixed with new gasket and Bosal sealing paste (picture). Regarding flexible exhaust part - is compltely OK. So exhaust is checked, fixed and OK. I also gently tightened nuts (which looks shiny like new) on exhaust manifold becuase I felt gentle blowing with my palm...I'll spray soapy water there to be sure that it's fixed now. But no sound like that when I rev up engine on neutral...so tricky again...

-> So my next steps this weekend are:
- check exhaust manifold leak once again (with spraying soapy water)
- remove spark plugs and check with long screwdriver each rod bearing gap after cylinder's TDC + checking noises from crakshaft by short gentle movements forward-backward throug crankshaft bolt
- measure resistance of hot injectors
- listening variator - sounds from that area (but I think I did it before and nothing...)

If you had exhaust blowing past the manifold the gasket is probably gone, i'd still expect it to leak.... if it doesn't leak cold, take it for a drive, test again.. maybe you were lucky.

Some exhaust leaks sound exactly like metal ticking/pinging.
Not the best example:


Loose manifold bolts?... are you sure they weren't broken?

Try the soapy water.

Engine in neutral is not under load... so different spark timing, different valve timing, different petrol quantity...etc etc the main idea is there's different amount of gases and pressure in the exhaust when the engine is under load.

Injector resistance won't tell you much.. the noise will be from the injector plunger seat ..mechanical issue not electrical.

If you've got any experience with electronics 555ic or arduino , you can make a small injector testing circuit, test each injector for noise... can also go wild and do injector pattern and flow comparison

Thanks for info ! I'll do exhaust manifold inspection with my father in law using soapy water - that will be first step

I'll write new infos then... :slayer:

aurick86 - when I'm thinking about exhaust gasket leak...I like this thouhgt more and more. As I remember, I felt hot air behind catalyst. But weather was windy so I thought that it's.....oh my god! It could be really that gasket leak! Unfortunately I don't have real picture, but my exhaust gasket looks like this. Its made of one piece and its folded in the middle, just like I painted (red). Is this original gasket?

Here are some pictures. You can see there that everything looks like almost new. But you can see there gasket, how is flexed in the middle...I'm not sure if it's original....and cover was cracked in left upper corner appr 5 cm

So today I checked that ex manifold. I think that I felt small leak from right bottom side. I tightened all 8 bolts a little bit (some of them were not really tightened !) I used soapy water, but from down side it was hard to get there and apply it. So I used my hand. Did a short ride around block, but wothout heat shield. On heat shield were missing 2 bolts on the middle part. I still dont know if gasket is original, and also I have "sport" packet (seats, eliptic exhaust tailpipe) so maybe this kind of "engine" sound is normal. Today I'll test it on road and take some video from interior. No manifold craks found.

So shield added back with all 6 screws. I think that "plastic engine sound" in interior quieted a little bit. But metalic high ticking is going directly from engine block - I checked that noise when I was lying under car. So its really some beginning piston slap. I'll change oil + filter once again and see. If nothing, then I can still use my 1 year warranty, because its something like "hidden issue"

Rado77 said:

-> So my next steps this weekend are:
- check exhaust manifold leak once again (with spraying soapy water)
- remove spark plugs and check with long screwdriver each rod bearing gap after cylinder's TDC + checking noises from crankshaft by short gentle movements forward-backward through crankshaft bolt
- measure resistance of hot injectors
- listening variator - sounds from that area (but I think I did it before and nothing...)

Click to expand...

And, what's the result? Too much "play" or not?

Unfortunately I had no time for that :-( I have to wait till next weekend :-( But we moved somewhere - from injector/valve clearance to piston slap/rod knock I'll check those rod knocks with screwdriver, but I think it's useless because I don't have metal to metal sound like on YouTube videos. And piston slap - only to use some camera through spark plug holes... But I don't have it. So I'll change oil once again to prevent near future damage....and claim with the seller. But if he disagrees to repair...I can only pray. We don't ride much, appr 10.000 km per year, so maybe if I change oil every year, it could work next 5 years... And - after 1 year I have another warranty for main engine parts like block, head, pistons, crankshaft and so on. I did almost everything as "normal user", and now is time to reclaim it

Rado77 said:

... so maybe if I change oil every year, it could work next 5 years... )

Click to expand...

That's how it should be anyway !! Oil change is due every 18 000 Mi OR every year, whatever comes first ...


BRs, Bernie