Need some advice!!

[Nesh]

I bought a mk4 1.8 gti golf last week and day after I got it I filled it up with petrol at Tesco. Since I did that, the engine management light has been on. It hasn't affected the drive or anything so haven't done anything about it yet.
One of the guys at work plugged in his computer thing to it to find out the fault and the code was coming up as 'cooling system malfunction'. He took the fault off so the light no longer comes on but now it makes the most horrendous noise like a grinder or something when the engine is running. I have not driven it anywhere but just wondered what others thoughts on it might be? The cam belt and water pump etc were changed at about 139000 miles and it hasn't done more than 10000 since. Could it be something to do with water pump or something to do with the turbo or something?

[Old Merc]

I think you have found out why it was for sale last week?? any come backs at the seller??

Any way my advice is to find a competent VW expert to come out and diagnose this "horrendous noise". Don't drive it just in case it causes more damage to the engine or what ever.

[Joe5y]

Nesh said:

I bought a mk4 1.8 gti golf last week and day after I got it I filled it up with petrol at Tesco. Since I did that, the engine management light has been on. It hasn't affected the drive or anything so haven't done anything about it yet.
One of the guys at work plugged in his computer thing to it to find out the fault and the code was coming up as 'cooling system malfunction'. He took the fault off so the light no longer comes on but now it makes the most horrendous noise like a grinder or something when the engine is running. I have not driven it anywhere but just wondered what others thoughts on it might be? The cam belt and water pump etc were changed at about 139000 miles and it hasn't done more than 10000 since. Could it be something to do with water pump or something to do with the turbo or something?

I had a similar, if not the same issue in a 1.8T albeit in Bora guise. After much searching, replacing and frustration it turned out to be the 'Secondary Air Pump'. It would make the engine management light come on and although run perfectly normally it would hunt slightly and be slightly more jerky. It also made the same grinding noise but normally only for a few seconds after being started.

[Nesh]

Did you still drive it when it had made the noise?
No come back from the previous owner yet. It's got FSH and I test drove it and checked over it all and everything was fine until I put the Tesco fuel in. It is due a service so i'll get that done at the same time as getting the issues sorted

[Joe5y]

Nesh said:

Did you still drive it when it had made the noise?

Yes. In fact what I ended up doing was buying a £20 ECU computer thing from Amazon and whenever the light came on I'd turn it off with that. Seemed to do the trick until I fixed it. When you have started it does it sometimes sound like there is a vacuum cleaner in the engine then turn off after a few minutes?

[Nesh]

Yea sounds like a grinder or hoover. I've not really left it running long enough to see if it stops as though i might blow the whole thing up! ha ha
Am going to run it tonight and see how it goes.

[Nesh]

Well I started the car at work and just sat in it and it made the noise for I'd say about 30/40 seconds I guess then stopped so I thought I'd wing it and drive it home and it seemed ok,probably not 100% but good enough. It revs a little high on startup but soon settles after a few seconds but I believe that's normal and I kept an eye on temperature gauge and it didn't go up much (only 15min journey) so I guess I can carry on driving it until I can get it to the garage.

[shtu]

Nesh said:

Yea sounds like a ...hoover.

Standard description of a leaky air pump.

They can be repaired if you are moderately handy.

[Nesh]

A friends dad looked at it last night (but we couldn't get it to make the noise, nor did it do it this morning!! Typical!!) and some of the rivets have broken on the secondary air pump so ordered some bolts to fix it!
Happy happy that it's not going to cost me an arm and a leg and that i can put money in to getting other bits done on her!
Thanks everyone