Big Sky Euro

Its not the SAI is it? Are you driving the car hard?

No i dont think it is the SAI, it sounds kind of metallic in nature. The noise is there all the time cold and hot. I'm not driving the car hard. Maybe the occasional hard passing pull. You can't hear it from inside. It seems the loudest toward the front of the motor in the oil pan area. Maybe the PS pump is failing?? I am considering the gasoline and matches fix.

Sounds like a TB tensioner that's dry or failing - the 1.8T has two tensioners. The PO had the TB and tensioners changed right?

The TB was done. I will have to check the receipts, but I think the belt, tensioners, front crank and cam seal, valve cover gasket, water pump and cam tensioner were all replaced at the same time. If it is a tensioner, it is pretty easy to replace right, just take the front of the car off, and everything off the front of the motor.

Should be easy, you just need a few inches of room to work, so if you get some long bolts (like 12" or the longest you can find) and replace the short ones in the core support, you can slide the front end forward 6" or so and get hands and tools in and work without tearing the front end apart. "Service Position"...

Is there an easy quick way to figure out if it is coming from the tensioner?

Not that I know of. Maybe a mechanics stethoscope?

I didnt have time this weekend to really look at it, but I did check my receipts. The PO had the timing belt service done at 59k. It included all the tensioners, belt, water pump, seals, the hydraulic dampener(for the small roller) and a fel other things. I'm going to get the stethoscope out tonight and see what I can hear.

This car is fucking cursed. I just got rear ended! Still drivable and rear hatch still works.

Car has issues... I hear that could cause an electrical fire