Technical Stilo Tappets.

[Pebblo]

Hi guys,

Was given a 03 Stilo 1.2 Active (51K now on the clock) last year for my 21st b'day Never had a single problem with it, family had it from new and the only thing that ever went wrong was when fiat serviced it and over filled the oil and killed it....

About a week ago my tappets started tapping. Not just when cold, but all the time. I've been told it sounds like all of them.

Hadn't had a an oil change in a year (if I'd have known then what I know now, that wouldn't have been the case, I was just leaving it to get done at it next service, which was going to be in a couple of weeks) I kept the the oil level just over half way on the dip.

I have since flushed out the engine, and put castrol magnitec 10W40 in it but it still taps.

If the tappets need changing, I don't think it's a job I'd be able to do, or am I mistaken? Never worked on cars, although I can dismantle and sort out most bits on other stuff.

Is there anything I should check before I start going round garages getting quotes, or can anyone tell me what I should actually be getting a quote on being done?

Cheers guys

Peb

 

[T14086]

what do you mean, killed it?

 

[Pebblo]

Tbh I can't remember exactly what happened with it, was a while ago and I'm not at mums to ask.

I just remember her talking about it getting serviced by fiat, spitting out a load of white smoke and then engine failure come on and wouldn't start. They took it back and sorted it out a day or two later.

 

[PNL]

Tappets are not a job for you the cams might need reshimming if worn so its back to fiat or your local garage if you want to stop the tapping..

 

[Pebblo]

Sound cheers. Will have a shoot round a few places on tuesday and see how much I'm looking at. Any way of knowing if its ok to drive on for now or should I park it and put the legs to work?

Also is there anything I should check up first, it was from one extreme to the other, one day no tapping, next day, all tapping.

Someone suggested oil starvation which was why I did the flush and oil change first. Worth checking the oil intake or just asking the garage to check it when they do the tappets?

 

[T14086]

I cant see the overfilling of oil & tappet noise being related?

 

[Pebblo]

Sorry, should of made that clearer, its not related.

That happened way before I was given the car, was just saying that we have never had any problems with it, apart from when they did that.

 

[sixpotman]

I'd never use flushing oil on an engine, from the experience
with straight six engines, flush them and a month or two later
the engines shot.

Too much crap shifted and it blocks the oilways and bang.

John

 

[Morty Mort]

Well, white smoke indicates water, not oil. Overfilling with oil could make the engine burn oil with stop problems. But when burning oil, the smoke should be blue to black.

If water was in the engine, hence white smoke, the head gasket might have blown due to overheat or the other way around. If an engine overheats, the head can warp. Warped head means very hot aluminium, and ooops the cams are attached to the top of it. Cams have a shell of hardened steel that might say goodnight when overheated. This again can screw up your vents, tappets etc.

M.

 

[Citizen Smith]

IIRC didn't the 1.2 16v engines have a 5w-30 performa oil requirement ? might be worth putting that spec oil in instead and see how it goes

 

[Pebblo]

I've just phoned and checked over what and when it happened.

It was whiteish blue (their words not mine) smoke, and it actully happened twice, both times it was the day after Fiat serviced it and both times they took it back and sorted it the next day. When it happened the car was picked up by the AA which on each occasion said it had been overfilled with oil.

That was between 2-4 years ago.

I've never seen the thermostat go over the half way point on the dash, and I check it pretty regular when driving and the mither says shes would always check it an never saw it go over either.

Lol, sounds like is gonna be fun......

 

[Pebblo]

IIRC didn't the 1.2 16v engines have a 5w-30 performa oil requirement ? might be worth putting that spec oil in instead and see how it goes

Would castrol Edge be ok? 0w-30

 

[Argonought]

IIRC didn't the 1.2 16v engines have a 5w-30 performa oil requirement ? might be worth putting that spec oil in instead and see how it goes

Makes sense to me

Only way I can see tappets (if that's what it is) getting noisy overnight is a blocked oil way.

Using a decent oil is the best way to clear it without a strip down (Castrol magnitec 10W40 is cheap in my books )

 

[Pebblo]

Lol, gutted, heres me thinkin I was buyin alright stuff.

So would you say Castrol Edge or Mobil 1?

Don't mind getting either really. Noticed Halfords have 20% Mobil Oils so could go for that.

Mobil 1 ESP 5W/30 any better?

 

[Citizen Smith]

Castrol is used by VW dealers as standard and no problems as far as im aware - as long as its to 5w-30 spec

 

[Argonought]

Interestingly, Castrol do indeed recommend Edge 0W-30 for the 1.2 (used the diesel version for 3 years in my JTD)

...but they also recommend Magnatec 10W-40 as a cheaper alternative :chin:

 

[Pebblo]

I did have a look on the castrol website when the tappets started making a racket, I just shot out and picked up what I could from the asda, which was Magnatec at the time.

Thought it was ok but looks like not.

I'll be shootin to halfords tomorrow to get a new oil filter so might jusat got with the Mobil 1 ESP 5W-30 seeing how its I'm already there an its 20% off.

 

[Deckchair5]

About a week ago my tappets started tapping. Not just when cold, but all the time. I've been told it sounds like all of them.

That sounds like oil starvation. They're hydraulic operated and it's the engine oil that forms a cushion and takes up the slack. Oil type will only make a difference for that initial start up and how long they make the tapping sound at start up. If all the tappets are making the noise all the time then there's NO oil getting up to the top end.

So first easy check I'd do is look inside the oil filler cap and see if it's wet with oil in there. Have a look when the engine is running. You want to see glistening oil. You don't want to hear squeaking dry noises or extra loud tapping. With your ear on a screwdriver touch all the way along the top of the rocker cover at each valve position. Is it on all the valves?

Did the noise stop for a brief time when you put some new oil in the top? There's your clue

Without top end lubrication then it will be a very quick deterioration and destroy the top end of the engine. You need a professional opinion fast and not from the same guys who can't fill an engine with oil properly

 

[Pebblo]

When the engine runs you can see oil on the top end, can see it flicking around and tiny splashes at the fill hole.

No grinding noises, no squeaking or anythin, just tapping.

Did the noise stop for a brief time when you put some new oil in the top? There's your clue

Nope, it 'seemed' to get a little quiter, but that may have just been me willing it to lol.

With your ear on a screwdriver touch all the way along the top of the rocker cover at each valve position. Is it on all the valves?

To do that do I just remove all of the plastic air intake stuff and start it up?

 

[Pebblo]

Just been out to check if oil gets up top, I checked it first and it was dry, started it up and let it sit for a couple of mins, checked again and I could see the oil, so it is getting up.

I did however notice this:



When I did the oil change the other day, just as I was finishing putting the oil it, it did start to rain an I'm hoping thats just from a drop being caught in the filler cap, but it wouldn't have stayed there that long if it was would it.

Thats a sign the head gasket is failing/failed is it not?