Rattling noise on 2.0 HDI RHY 8V

[oliversalmon]

Hi,

I´m new to this site... I haven´t looked for similiar topic much.
I have a rattling noise, since I have a Xsara Picasso, I don´t know the RPM when it rattles... I guess its somewhere between 1400-2600, but don´t take this guess too seriosly.
Anyway.... the sound is mechanical, its not plastic, you can´thear it very well from the outside, the sound is better in the inside, also the sound is coming from the passenger side...
I think it has something to do with the belt mechanism, because I don´t have much money to spend on a car (I´m a student) and I think it needs a timing belt change (238k km), so probably it has been done, or it has not.
The problem is I bought it from my family member and he did not really care about it (It was parked on a parking lot for 1.5 years), so he does not remember the date or the mileage when it was changed the last time.
Maybe it has something to do with it, I don´t know... Sorry for my english...

Thank You Very Much, Oliver

PS: do not care about my finances, nor that the car sat for 1.5 years

[Hell Razor5543]

Hi, and to the Forum.

While I cannot advise you with reference to the noise, I would be strongly inclined to get the timing belt changed. If neither you or the previous owner know it was done it would be safest (for the car and your finances) to assume it has not been replaced. That way you should not experience the woe caused when a timing belt fails at speed! The perceived wisdom is to get the water pump done at the same time (and the auxiliary belt as well), as it is not unknown for it to start leaking not too long after the belt has been changed (replacing the belt tends to disturb the pump, possibly causing a seal to lift, and allowing it to develop a leak later). The auxiliary belt has to come off when the timing belt is changed, which is why it makes sense to get it done at the same time.

[RichardW]

Welcome

Difficult to say without hearing it, but it could be the crankshaft pulley starting to fail - common on this engine. However, if it's more of an injection rattle, and it suddenly cuts off when you get to higher rpm, then it's the injectors causing it - at higher mileages they don't work so well, and the pre-injection phase that's supposed to help stop the diesel rattle in fact makes it worse. Not really anything to worry about - many of them do this!

[oliversalmon]

I´m having the car checked tommorow, I´ll let you know, how it went.
Thank You!