X14XE HELP!!!

[matt1.2]

Hi all back on here again with another problem with the girlfriends Tigra.

Here goes it idles a bit lumpy haven't really looked into it yet but idle speed control vale a good place to start?

And serviced the car and changed the cam belt and pulleys it has since developed a tapping noise similar to what you would expect from a noisy lifter, but the noise presents itself more from underneath the engine. It currently drives fine with no noticeable flat spots.

Any suggestions?

[matt1.2]

Ok so I've taken the alternator belt off and the cam belt pulleys and run it up, and the tapping noise was still there, bother.

I have yet to triple check the timing marks but was very sure about these anyway (there wasn't enough light this eve).

Next thing to try I suppose is to take the plastic engine cover off and by listening to a screw driver try to determine if it is a lifter, which at this stage might not be a bad thing. Any other suggestions to try to pinpoint this noise would be great especially if there is a common thing on these engines. The concern I have is that the people that had the car before used a thicker oil to mask the fault???

[richardhhha]

at idle its a little lumpy??

hmmm and its reving up fine without missing a beat or anything,

it aint going to be valve timing then

so i wouldnt bother wasting time checking it, if its running fine when reving and has the same performance it wont be timing,

try checking the oil level.

you may find that its just a little low on oil or it just needs the right oil put in it, all the XE engines took 10w40 if you put 5w30 in it will knock

and what engine is in it again?

[matt1.2]

It's just had an oil change put exactly 3.5l 10w40 in it (which I’m pretty sure Haynes specifies). Dip sticks on the X14XE are next to useless, why make them brown?

Yeah revs fine but idles lumpy. Have checked vacuum hoses and have a green pissy little thing running from behind\ underneath the inlet with a loose near the battery, if anyone gets the opportunity to trace the other end of this, would be much appreciated.

(As far as I'm aware both problems are unrelated).

[richardhhha]

i here you there mate with the dip stick and all.

ummmm not really sure what else to suggest, unless you can get a sound clip up here or something that may help.

have you tryed putting 97oct in your tank? might need to run a higher octain or something.

mines a git if you run it on 95 put a good 97 in there and pinkin is reduced and goes like the clappers.

if you live any where near me i dont mind coming and having a looksy at it for you see if i could find the problem

[matt1.2]

Have had another listen. I doesn't sound terminal, but I think it is one of the lifters on the exhaust of no.1 (65% sure), so will leave it for now. Have yet to try anything about the idling.