is having oil level at half bad?
Discussion
ks imo.It never hurts to change the oil if you are unsure if it is due. Some engines like the 1.3 in the Ford Ka rattle. I like to keep the oil up to the mark, but normally as long as it is in the SAFE bit on the dipstick all will be well. They will run for a bit on next to no oil, but don't try it.
maverickdrives said:
P I Staker said:
Timing chain at a guess.
I might be wrong but it sounds like its coming from under the rocker cover. Possibility of camshaft damage due to running a bit dry?As said as long as the oil level is between the max and min it is fine.
If you're concerned then take the car to a garage, it shouldn't cost you much to have the problem (If there is one) diagnosed, then you can decide what you want to do.
When was the oil last changed ? Buy some decent oil, get an oe filter from a main dealer, (ask then to price match the local motor factors, or give you "trade club price".
Buy 4 new spark plugs and a new air filter and a Haynes manual. Do a quick service (2 hours first time) and then tell us about the noise. Could be alternator bearings, cam belt tensioner, cam belt, water pump, exhaust gasket etc.
Buy 4 new spark plugs and a new air filter and a Haynes manual. Do a quick service (2 hours first time) and then tell us about the noise. Could be alternator bearings, cam belt tensioner, cam belt, water pump, exhaust gasket etc.
maverickdrives said:
I hope its that and not the whole camshaft or something that will make my wallet cry a lot.
Yep, but nearly every 1.0 & 1.2 Corsa C has the problem. 1.4's and 1.8's don't as they are belt driven.I have owned enough Corsas to say that it is indeed the timing chain.
Pricing for the fix depends on the garage, can be anywhere from £200 to £600.
Yup, 1.0 and 1.2 Corsas munch timing chains for fun. If you are very confident on the spanners you can do it yourself. I did it on my 1.2 and a mates on the driveway. Mine first took me about 12 hours over two days. The second one, about 8 hours. The rattling is most likely that though. A good indepenedent will probably do it for £300 or so.
Running cars is expensive! I'm sure £3-£500 for a timing chain pales in comparison to your insurance as a young driver.
Ref the oil. Running a car actually half empty IS bad for the engine. Halfway down the dipstick not an issue. The sump takes 4 litres or so. The full mark on the dipstick is 4 litres, the min mark is still just over 3 litres.
Running cars is expensive! I'm sure £3-£500 for a timing chain pales in comparison to your insurance as a young driver.
Ref the oil. Running a car actually half empty IS bad for the engine. Halfway down the dipstick not an issue. The sump takes 4 litres or so. The full mark on the dipstick is 4 litres, the min mark is still just over 3 litres.
sgtbash said:
Putting more and thicker oil in will make it have less of a noise, but the problem is still there.
Putting more oil in shouldn't make a difference in noise, providing it's between the marks. As long as there's enough oil to get to the oil pickup, the oil pump doesn't know any different.Putting a thicker oil in can quieten down the noise but as other have pointed out it's only masking the problem which is the chain it rattling. You could try a oil change with flush and stick in some thicker oil it can work have done it myself but if it's to far gone then a new chain kit is needed before it stretches to much and jumps a couple of teeth in the timing and cause major engine damage.
Mave said:
Putting more oil in shouldn't make a difference in noise, providing it's between the marks. As long as there's enough oil to get to the oil pickup, the oil pump doesn't know any different.
What your saying is true, but we are looking at the oil from a sound dampening perspective.More oil = more sound deadening - less noise? Or am I talking out of my arse...
maverickdrives said:
Recently I have been advised that it should be maximum or near maximum. Oil at half level will cause damage to the engine.
Rubbish. Just think this through. You have a wet sump so it's just like a big tank under the engine. The oil level on the dipstick is the oil level in the 'tank'. The oil pump sucks oil out the tank from a pick-up at the bottom. The pressure and volume of oil the oil pump circulates is dependent on rpm until the relief valve kicks-in. So as long as there's oil above the pickup level (which is waaaay below the minimum on the dipstick) you won't have any problems with oil. Except of course on heavy cornering or braking (I'll discount heavy acceleration on a Corsa 
) when the oil sloshes around, which is why the minimum mark is way above the minimum pickup level. You have a huge factor of safety even at the minimum level. If the oil level was too low you'd get the oil light on. Doesn't affect the heat either - less oil in the sump will make the oil you have heat up quicker, but it will level-off at the same temperature.
I fact my daughter's first car was a Corsa and she ran the thing until the level was off the dipstick! But at least sensibly stopped when the oil light came on. I just filled it up and it was fine.
In terms of noise, remember also the fuel injection on Corsas can be pretty loud and that noise seems to come from around the cylinder head.
maverickdrives said:
The only thing I have done on my car till now is take out and clean out the throttle body because the throttle response was too slow.
Does not compute. Unless I'm mistaken the Corsa has a mechanical butterfly in the throttlebody, so however fast/hard you press the loud pedal is how fast/open the throttle will go. There should be nothing to clean out in a throttle body - at worst you'd have some surface sooting up or similar. If there's anything in there that you can usefully 'clean out' then you've got another (strange) problem on your hands. I don't know if the Corsa runs on throttle position (TPS) or manifold pressure (MAP) but either way the amount of fuel you're going to get, and hence throttle response won't be altered by cleaning the throttle body.tvrolet said:
Does not compute. Unless I'm mistaken the Corsa has a mechanical butterfly in the throttlebody, so however fast/hard you press the loud pedal is how fast/open the throttle will go. There should be nothing to clean out in a throttle body - at worst you'd have some surface sooting up or similar. If there's anything in there that you can usefully 'clean out' then you've got another (strange) problem on your hands. I don't know if the Corsa runs on throttle position (TPS) or manifold pressure (MAP) but either way the amount of fuel you're going to get, and hence throttle response won't be altered by cleaning the throttle body.
They use a TPS.On my 1.8 Corsa, I know that I was having idling issues and also slow throttle response, the Throttle body was black, and coked up to a point where it wouldnt allow smooth motion of the butterfly valve. Poor design maybe? The car was only on 40k aswell.
Your oil level is fine anywhere between MIN and MAX. - If you're not sure whether it's the correct grade or how long it's been in there, change it just in case.
We had a 2004 1.4 Twinport (the Twinports all used chains) that started getting noisy at 40k; I was told by a specialist that it's the tensioner that fails rather than the chain itself. - Cost us about £250 to change the lot and was absolutely fine afterwards; this is normal on chain-driven petrol Corsas AFAIK.
I hope that helps.
We had a 2004 1.4 Twinport (the Twinports all used chains) that started getting noisy at 40k; I was told by a specialist that it's the tensioner that fails rather than the chain itself. - Cost us about £250 to change the lot and was absolutely fine afterwards; this is normal on chain-driven petrol Corsas AFAIK.
I hope that helps.
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