1.6 vti manual - low speed pre- ignition

[ds3trub]

Do any of you notice or experience the above, especially when the engine is cold?

I use the best petrol but still get this 'rattle' when engine is at low revs but under some load when accelerating - goes away once engine warmed up.

Is it caused by the management system running the mixture very lean to get the very good miles per gallon figures we enjoy?

[WTF]

What's the rattle like? Can't say I have noticed, but will pay attention next time I start her up

[ds3trub]

the sound is that of a metallic rattling or 'tinkling' and is only noticeable when engine cold and underload at low revs - such as rolling around a corner in second and then accelerating.

my wife's MIni Cooper has the same engine but does not rattle in similsr circumstances.

[WTF]

Ok, I'll turn my music down and listen out for you

[Bryn]

Hi all

I'm resurrecting this old thread because it describes my car's problem to a tee.

This is definitely pre-ignition (used to be called 'pinking' and happened years ago when the wrong grade of fuel was used in our old jalopies!

Even in the warm weather we've been having lately, my engine 'pinks' badly under load and is drastically low on power at the same time. It only happens while the temperature gauge is below 1 bar and, as soon as it rises above that point, normal service is resumed. It's got to the point where I have to decide which route to take from my home based on whether I think my engine can cope with the hill in one direction without risking damage.

Only yesterday, I risked the hill route and had to resort to first gear (normally, I can breeze up in third or fourth) with the engine complaining so loudly that people on the pavement were turning to look.

I reported the issue to my local citroen garage when the car went in for its first service about three months ago but all I got back was "unable to replicate the problem". Obviously, that will have been because they picked up the car from my office less than an hour after I had arrived for work, so the engine wasn't cold.

I suppose I'll have to let them have it overnight at some stage so they can see it from cold.

How widespread is this problem?

[Chris_Blue]

Maybe a timing issue, chain/tensioner?

[Toxic]

Yep Timing Chain is stretched and Tensioner failing. got mine chained last week under warranty. £810 I think the total price was so get changed under warranty is you still have one. mine only rattled (more like a vibration) at 3100 rpm, above and over that no vibration. witin a minute of warming up the vibration was not heard at all.

[Bryn]

Really?

Its only done about 8,200 miles!

That's barely run in - it can't surely need a new timing chain and tensioner that quickly..... can it?

[Chris_Blue]

Best check it out ASAP, but it can happen, yes. Happened to a few of the ealy THPs within the first few thousand miles
I would have an educated guess that your tinkling sound is the pistons not cycling in the exactly correct time
But hey- the experts should know

[Toxic]

Shaws of Bangor service manager had a 3month old DS3 Red that the timing chain went on it. Do not think your engines timing chain is not prone to stretching. It is.

[robby71]

Is the chain a problem on the VTi as well as the THP models?

[WTF]

I had a timing chain fault on my vti

[CE11 LDB]

A Bit different but on my 2011 C3 1.6i VTi Exclusive Auto for a few months before I changed it I had an annoying squeak, sounded like it was coming from a pulley in the engine bay as The Service Manager I know At Thomas & Davies sprayed some WD40 on it for me and Fairplay it stopped it for awhile just started to come back the last few days before I handed it back, obviously if I was keeping it longer I would have it looked at more but I didn't wanna be without a car for a sake of only having it a few more weeks. Hope my C3 Picasso Dosent do the same as it was annoying when at low speed.