Hi,

Over the last couple of months my focus has developed a strange noise coming from the engine, Drivers side, can only hear it with the window down? I purchased the car for £900 from a garage last November.

Noise description: like when kids you put a piece of card in your pushbikes spokes to make a noise. It only makes the noise when accelerating, it doesn't stop after driving for a bit (I drive 10 miles to work at 70mph on the A52). However it does stop if I am just touching the accelerator to accelerate slow or to cruise at the same speed. The car hasn't lost power, theres no smoke from the exhaust, no shaking and she does between 55-80 miles on a tenner of fuel.

I am running it on Asda part synth 5/40w oil, the cambelt was changed 6000 miles ago when it also had a full service and the mileage on the clock is at 109456.

One strange thing is that it states its a 1.6lx, but the engine inside is silver and a zetec 1.6S.

Please does anybody have any ideas, before I have to splash out and take her in?

Thanks

 

Could be belt tensioner or an idle wheel

 

Funny you mention the idle wheel as when I press the clutch in to change gear the revs go up to 2500rpm!!!!

 

a rolling road test would be able to tell you for sure, but it sounds to me like the timing and/or fuelling isnt calibrated... or maybe more like the throttle position sensor etc etc as the engine is not, as you mentioned, what it says on the tin... it could've been put together by someone who couldn't get it right.