Something Getting Too Hot

[ashley karyl]

Many of you will be familiar with the rapid tutting sound of heated metal after a long trip on a hot day, which you can hear as you get out of the car. Currently I am hearing this on my Carina even after the shortest of trips from cold (even in the rain) and I wonder if something might be rubbing or creating unwanted friction. All I can say is that I've never noticed this with any other car after such short trips and I am pretty sure the Carina wasn't like this when I first bought it.

Nothing seems wrong with the way the car handles, though I still hear a slight rattling noise from the engine when accelerating while the engine is cold which started about 3 months ago. This eventually passes after about ten miles, so it could be that something is slightly lose and then expands after it warms up. That may be completely unrelated but the two problems appear to have started around the same time.

I asked the mechanic who just shrugged and didn't think it was anything to worry about but I can't help but feel engine noises and in particular this rapid build up of heat somewhere indicates a problem of some sort. Normally I do very short trips since I work at home but next Monday I have to drive 150 miles to get on a flight and the last thing I need is a sudden breakdown. Any thoughts on what could be happening here? The service and MOT is due a couple days after I return from this trip.

Thanks

Ashley

[moonstone mart]

The 'tutting' sound is most probably just the exhaust cooling down.

Common noise.

Mart

[ashley karyl]

The 'tutting' sound is most probably just the exhaust cooling down.

Common noise.

Mart

The sound is clearly coming from the engine area though rather than from the back of the car. Does that make sense?

[Surfinginsanity]

The 'tutting' sound is most probably just the exhaust cooling down.

Common noise.

Mart

The sound is clearly coming from the engine area though rather than from the back of the car. Does that make sense?

Heat shield over the manifold? Mine rattles sometimes when driving as the bolt hole has corroded out. It also makes more noise when it cools down.

[gazza1286]

My car has had that noise for 5 years. Like you say its a rattling noise (metallic) only on accelleration and generally when the car is cold. Will stop after 5 miles or so when the car warms up.

If you check the forum this is a very common problem (observation really - as there isn't anything wrong). Some have put it down to bearings on the alternator. Some down to a worn or incorrectly tensioned alternator belt.

I would say it's probably the second. I've altered the tension and cured it in the past. It tends to return tho. I've decided that the noise is preferable to over-tensioning the belt as this would certainly result in an expensive repair on the alternator bearings.

Good luck

[ashley karyl]

My car has had that noise for 5 years. Like you say its a rattling noise (metallic) only on accelleration and generally when the car is cold. Will stop after 5 miles or so when the car warms up.

If you check the forum this is a very common problem (observation really - as there isn't anything wrong). Some have put it down to bearings on the alternator. Some down to a worn or incorrectly tensioned alternator belt.

I would say it's probably the second. I've altered the tension and cured it in the past. It tends to return tho. I've decided that the noise is preferable to over-tensioning the belt as this would certainly result in an expensive repair on the alternator bearings.

Good luck

Hearing that you've had this noise for 5 years is almost reassuring in a way. Its suggests its probably nothing major to worry about. I shall mention this to the mechanic however as a suggestion when it goes in for the service about two weeks from now. Its due for its MOT on the same day so I was anxious to cure anything first that might cause a failure.

[ashley karyl]

This is getting tricky to pin down. I've just been into an exhaust centre where they looked at the Carina and said nothing was wrong and everything seemed perfectly normal but I still feel like something is heating up too much. In fact our new driveway which is made of pale bricks seems to have developed scorch marks from heat in a position under the front of the engine which doesn't seem quite right. None of the nearby houses with other cars have these marks. The car is due for a service though in 10 days so I hope they can get it sorted out then.

[gazza1286]

Just to reassure you:

The Carina E engine (lean burn) runs hotter than most anyway. You will probably notice that on a cold day the engine reaches operating temperature very quickly compared to other cars. This is also why the recommendation is to use platunum plugs on these vehicles which are able to run for longer at higher temps.

obviously the cooling system keeps the block at the correct temp but the exhaust will be a bit hotter. If the temp gauge is steady horizontal there really isn't anything to worry about.

[ashley karyl]

Just to reassure you:

The Carina E engine (lean burn) runs hotter than most anyway. You will probably notice that on a cold day the engine reaches operating temperature very quickly compared to other cars. This is also why the recommendation is to use platunum plugs on these vehicles which are able to run for longer at higher temps.

obviously the cooling system keeps the block at the correct temp but the exhaust will be a bit hotter. If the temp gauge is steady horizontal there really isn't anything to worry about.

OK, that's good to hear. The temperature gauge reaches the middle position after about a mile or so but it will then sit there quite happily all day long whether on the motorway or in built up traffic so I wasn't concerned on that score but I had just wondered if some external part was getting too hot owing to friction or something else. The car had its last oil change about a year ago but I've only done 4000 miles in that time, however, its going into the mechanic soon and I'll get him to check over everything thoroughly. I really like the old Carina and want it to go on for a good few years yet.