Noisy ZX

[rlawrence63]

I'm writing this on behalf of a non-computer owning work colleague.

He has a Citroen ZX 1.9 Turbo Diesel, and his car has a noise that I can only describe that sounds like a steam train!!!!

I had a quick listen and it seems to be coming from the area of the injection pump/timing belt.

Can the injection pump become noisy if it's starting to go wrong??

The car seems to be running fine with no loss of power and starts up with no problems.

Thanks for your help!!!!!!

[mpr1956]

Hi there... first thing to do is get the plastic timing belt covers off( only takes a minute or two) and have a look at the belt condition and tension. Assuming that the timing belt is not shredded or very loose, then have a look at the alternator belt tension.. these can make a surprising amount of noise if they get loose. Diesel injector pumps are very reliable(especially the bosch type), but even when my rotodiesel pump failed through wear of the main shaft bearing it only leaked and made no noise.

Hopefully the noise has a simple (and cheap ) explanation, but bear in mind that these engines will run like a dream right up to when that timing belt fails! Anyway, get back on when you've had a look at the easy bits !! Best Wishes, Martin

[jeremy]

Obviously the condition of the cambelt and its tensioners etc is the most important thing as any problems there can destroy the engine. Look at the tensioners and the water pump which is underneath at the back.

Other possibles - auxilliary belt - I have known these to be very noisy - and to prove virtually incurable. Is it rust coloured? If its tight try spraying it with WD40 and see if it goes quiet - if it does you know where the problem is.

I recently had a power steering pump fail on our ZX - made a rumbling noise which I thought would be tedious to trace and so I was almost pleased to see it was covered in fluid when I looked.

Something like a long screwdriver, broom handle, length of tube held to your ear and placed on the subject can help in tracing noises.