C3 weird noise while idling

[dtomicic]

Greetings all, I own a Citroen C3 1.4i, 2005 and suddenly the car started making a weird noise while idling it will run fine and then suddenly make that noise while the RPM drops (like the engine shakes itself), also makes that noise sometimes while driving but rarely.

I don’t know if it’s connected but just as this started happening the heating stopped working inside the car so I don’t know.

You can hear the noise near the end of the audio clip below.

Audio

[mickthemaverick]

If you have lost heating at the same time as that apparent misfire occurred, I would suggest you may have a coolant leak which is pooling in a spark plug socket and causing missing

[dtomicic]

If you have lost heating at the same time as that apparent misfire occurred, I would suggest you may have a coolant leak which is pooling in a spark plug socket and causing missing

I've lost the heating completely, when I turn on the AC it's just blowing cold air, then after some time (20 or so minute drive) it might start heating a bit but goes back to blowing cold air after a few minutes. That started happening a few days ago and then this problem from the post so I'm confused. I'm trying to figure out if it's a connected problem or just my luck that two things go wrong at the same time

EDIT: Also the heating doesn't work at all, but the noise from the post happens sometimes, yesterday I idled the car for a bit and took it for a drive nothing, this morning I took it for a drive and returned home and it started happening, it's quite random.

[mickthemaverick]

If it is leaking coolant it will be random as you accelerate and corner the leaked fluid will move around and sometimes cause the misfire. If the heating is bad that sounds like a very low level so check that first.

[PaulC5]

Is the heating temperature set manually with a knob that is turned or is it climate control using motors ? If the coolant level is normal then possibly the warm air flap is not moving from the cold to the warm position.

We had a 2003 1.4i C3 and that developed a misfire. A common problem where rain and washer water can drip on the injectors causing the coils on them to rust. Needed 2 new injectors plus I sealed under the windscreen washer jets on the bonnet to stop it happening again and made sure the washer pipe connectors were not over the injectors as well as replacing them.

[dtomicic]

Is the heating temperature set manually with a knob that is turned or is it climate control using motors ? If the coolant level is normal then possibly the warm air flap is not moving from the cold to the warm position.

We had a 2003 1.4i C3 and that developed a misfire. A common problem where rain and washer water can drip on the injectors causing the coils on them to rust. Needed 2 new injectors plus I sealed under the windscreen washer jets on the bonnet to stop it happening again and made sure the washer pipe connectors were not over the injectors as well as replacing them.

It is set manually with a knob, coolant level looks fine to me. I’ll have to try and check the injectors to see if that’s the problem.

[PaulC5]

I used a torch to look at the injectors and rust could be seen on them.

[ozvtr]

Greetings all, I own a Citroen C3 1.4i, 2005 and suddenly the car started making a weird noise while idling it will run fine and then suddenly make that noise while the RPM drops (like the engine shakes itself), also makes that noise sometimes while driving but rarely.

That sound is preignition, or "pinking" (don't ask me, I call it "pinging").
The air/fuel mixture is igniting prematurely.
It's the classic "car running out of fuel or dying" sound you hear in the movies!
Could be lean fuel mixture or ignition timing. Fuel pump or injector(s)? Or crank angle sensor?
I'd tend to lean towards fuel starvation rather than ignition timing. What would make it lean out randomly but not come to a complete stop?
How often does this happen?

[dtomicic]

Greetings all, I own a Citroen C3 1.4i, 2005 and suddenly the car started making a weird noise while idling it will run fine and then suddenly make that noise while the RPM drops (like the engine shakes itself), also makes that noise sometimes while driving but rarely.

That sound is preignition, or "pinking" (don't ask me, I call it "pinging").
The air/fuel mixture is igniting prematurely.
It's the classic "car running out of fuel or dying" sound you hear in the movies!
Could be lean fuel mixture or ignition timing. Fuel pump or injector(s)? Or crank angle sensor?
I'd tend to lean towards fuel starvation rather than ignition timing. What would make it lean out randomly but not come to a complete stop?
How often does this happen?

Fuel pump was changed recently so I don't think it's anything to do with that, I've switched out the spark plugs there was indeed water there, and also changed the hose that split open and the problem dissapeared, but unfortunately now I have other issues

Anyhow this problem was caused by water leaking into spark plugs socket, taking them and the water out, changing the hose that leaked fixed the issue.