Fiat Bravo 1.6 Eco Grinding Noise in Neutral & Low Gears - Plse help!

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Fiat Bravo 1.6 Eco Grinding Noise in Neutral & Low Gears - Plse help!

JW2010

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Dec 6, 2010
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Hi there

I have a relatively new (Apr 08) Fiat Bravo 1.6 Multijet Eco which I love apart from a really frustrating 'grinding' noise coming from underneath the bonnet.

When you start the engine and sit in neutral it's a really loud grinding/vibrating noise, which is in addition to the usual noise you'd expect from a diesel. When you press the clutch pedal this noise pretty much goes away, and when you pull off in first it gets less, although you still can hear it a bit....and then up into higher gears when you gain some speed, it is not noticeable at all.

I do a LOT of stop-start driving whilst commuting to work, and therefore i'm having to ride the clutch a great deal and the noise is an absolute nightmare.

This started last year and when I took it into my local Fiat dealership they said it was a loose heatshield which they had tightened and I must admit the noise went away for a while. I took it in again recently and they said they couldnt notice the noise (didnt road test it). Thankfully they didnt charge me for looking it over.

The noise seems to be a lot worse in very cold weather, and lessens a bit when the car has warmed up.

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can try and solve this without endless trips and diagnostic tests from FIAT?

A friend thinks it may be a clutch problem but the clutch feels absolutely fine and the noise is mainly when in neutral or first.

Thank you....hoping you can help!
 
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