WEIRD, help.

[CMF_freecookies]

I washed the car. I also dregreased the engine and hosed it down, relatively high pressure.

Upon starting the car, it began to make a tapping noise, rapid tapping. My first though was tappet noise, just guessing here. The sound becomes louder and faster as I rev. When driving, power is not as it was before, slower off the mark, rougher, as if a piston had cut out.

I also thought it could be a timing chain issue, it has done 203 000 ks, but there has been no noise really. A bit on start up for about three seconds then it would stop, i assumed it was just the tensioners taking up the slack.

Temperature is fine, no overheating. Still drives, but smells a bit burnt. And the power loss.

Maybe a spark plug issue, maybe timing chain, maybe tappet, maybe somehow water got into the engine ?

Im 17, Im not a mechanic, just guessing here.

Any ideas or suggestions ?

Thanks in advance for all replies posted.

-freecookies

 

[CMF_frank2]

it sounds like you,ve hydraulic,d a piston maybe ?
tho i would,nt have thought the starter motor would have the power to bend a conrod !
you could try a compression test eh

frank

 

[CMF_mipcar]

More information needed, When you washed the engine down did you use, hose pressure or a pressure washer? What sort of air cleaner is on the car? Did you hose directly over the air intake and/or distributor? Around the edges of the rocker cover?
When you started the car was the tapping noise there straight away or did it develop over a few miles/minutes of running?

Mychael

 

[CMF_freecookies]

I used a pressure washer. I didnt think it would damage anything ...

Air cleaner ? The air filter is just a K&N Pod Filter , no airbox.

I hosed pretty much everything, but not directly into the air filter.

The noise was evident as soon as i had started the car.

Any ideas as to what the issue could be ?

 

[CMF_frank2]

did the engine seem to lock-up when you first started it ?

frank

 

[CMF_33driver]

did you cover the air intake? (Pod filter?)

 

[CMF_mipcar]

The poster said he did not spray directly onto the filter so I doubt it would have ingested that much water. Wondering if he's drowned a spark plug and it's shorting out. Although that does not explain the tapping noise he describes.
I've pressure washed my engine bay and never had an issue, I'd think he have to drown it to get water into a combustion chamber sufficient to hydraulic the engine.

Mychael

 

[CMF_Micra_King]

I have heard of somthing like this in the past. The plug leads where shorting out from the water and the sound made was a ticking type sound from the spark arcing out. This would be why the ticking increases with rpm and why it feels down on power as the plug itself is not giving a strong spark. Just pull the leads off one buy one and spray some CRC 5.56 spray into each plug cap and do the same for the dist. Also shine a torch down each plug well to make sure theres no water sitting in them. You might also need to replace the leads if they show any signs of damage as water might have gotten into them though micro cracks in the insulation.

 

[CMF_freecookies]

I went to a mechanic and got told it was a bearing fault.

I was also told that i would need to replace the engine.

This was only a 5 second diagnosis, if this is the problem though ...

what are the implications ? what causes it ? and is it worth throwing a new engine in ?

Thanks to everyone that has replied so far..

 

[CMF_frank2]

a conrod would,nt cost much from the dealers freecookies, its a humdinger job fitting it tho :O.
i would get the compressions tested, then drop the sump and have a look at the rods personally

frank

 

[CMF_mipcar]

Micra motors rarely "run" a bearing. Yes, that could happen if you got a **** load of water mixed in with your engine oil but even then unlikely to happen in the first five minutes of running. How does your oil look?. If it looks grey then it's water contaminated, take off your oil filler cap, try to run your finger around the inside of the rocker cover, see if you can see any grey sludgy build up inside the oil filler cap or rocker cover.

Mychael

 

[CMF_freecookies]

The oil looks fine, its not grey, there is no deposit on the cap. But for water to get mixied in with the oil ... how ? If water gets in through the air filter, its not really going to mix with the oil is it ? After i washed the engine, i let it sit for about 10 minutes, while i chamoised the rest of the car. Would that have given enough time for the water and oil to combine ?

If i need to replace the bearing, is it worth just replacing the whole engine then ? If i get a video of the sound, and post it up here somehow ... maybe then you guys could tell me what it is.

Again, really appreciating the feedback, loving the micra enthusiast community and how helpful you guys are.

 

[CMF_mipcar]

You would need a lot of water through the intake to get in the oil. IF it's a bearing, depends on which bearing as to cost.

Mychael

 

[CMF_freecookies]

yeah, not that much water could have gotten in there. I didnt spray directly down the air intake anyway.

Assuming its a timing change issue, am i better off to replace the whole engine ?

 

[CMF_mipcar]

Well if it were a timing chain issue,by the time you factored in the cost of parts then labour if you could not do the job yourself and it's not an easy job you would be up for quite a few dollars.

However if you purchase a 2nd hand engine you don't know it's history, you get I think a 60 day warranty from the wreckers and you'd still be paying someone to fit it for you.

It's sort of a swings and roundabouts thing though some others in the club might be able to advise you better.

Check with NSM to see how much you'd be up for in parts to do a timing chain and the stuff with it.

Mychael

 

[CMF_Micra_King]

A timing chain issue does not explain the power drop. I do not think its a bearing issue and maybe find a better mechanic. The fact that the issue only happened after washing the motor tells the story and that's a water contamination issue unless its a real fluke. Did you try doing what I said in my last post?

 

[CMF_freecookies]

Yeah, the wells were dry, and the leads looked fine. It didnt seem like water had gotten in there. Im still going to replace the spark plugs as they need replacing anyway and see how I go.

 

[CMF_nsm]

i'm thinking more plugs and leads maybe....

 

[CMF_frank2]

freecookies WROTE:

Im still going to replace the spark plugs as they need replacing anyway and see how I go.

that 20 dollars would be far better spent on a compression test imo

frank

 

[CMF_Micra_King]

Not really frank2. From what he has said has happened I still think it has to be an elec issue eg plugs/leads/dist. Engines dont normal just drop compression like this. Maybe if he said he was screaming along on the redline and afterwards it had the issues I would think engine damage but he just washed the motor.

 

[CMF_freecookies]

Since i bought it two months ago, i havent touched it mechanically. I'm going to go do a complete service, flush, the whole go. Im thinking it might be tappet noise, maybe the oil has clogged and gunked up somewhere and its not going to the tappets.

 

[CMF_frank2]

Micra_King WROTE:

"Not really frank2. From what he has said has happened I still think it has to be an elec issue eg plugs/leads/dist. Engines dont normal just drop compression like this. Maybe if he said he was screaming along on the redline and afterwards it had the issues I would think engine damage but he just washed the motor.

we get a few people who drive through floods over here, and if the water reaches the intake pipe the engine will ingest water, and it usually bends a conrod.
leaving you running on 3, down on power, and a rattle where the rod is catching the piston skirt.
(the 3 symptoms in the OP)

frank

 

[CMF_mipcar]

frank2 WROTE:
we get a few people who drive through floods over here, and if the water reaches the intake pipe the engine will ingest water, and it usually bends a conrod.

leaving you running on 3, down on power, and a rattle where the rod is catching the piston skirt.

(the 3 symptoms in the OP)

frank

True, however your example is with an engine running, drawing in quite a volume of water. The OP was washing the engine,he'd need to stick the hose down the intake to duplicate that effect.

Mychael

 

[CMF_freecookies]

The problem was finally diagnosed by a mechanic as a bearing problem. The engine has run a bearing. Me washing the engine prior to the problem surfacing was a coincidence. He told me that the only way to fix it is to change the engine, i could rebuild it, but its a waste of time and money.

Does anyone know where i could source a cheap micra motor or what the costs involved are ? Has anyone done this before ? Any tips or suggestions ?

 

[CMF_Pierce]

Every time I ask about an engine I'm told I have to be lucky to find an engine being sold/listed on this site, or check on ebay. The more realistic chances of finding an engine are to check all of the nissan wreckers you can and finally the most pocket hurting engine buying experience would have to be buying one off of www.importmonster.com.au. (The benefit being however that they are usually under 50k kilometers use)
They're usually easy to find on that site but the delivery and fees will cost you an arm and a leg imho.

 

[CMF_frank2]

mipcar WROTE:

True, however your example is with an engine running, drawing in quite a volume of water. The OP was washing the engine,he'd need to stick the hose down the intake to duplicate that effect.

Mychael

the combustion chamber has a volume of 35cc, (about 1 eggcup full) and 20 or 30cc of water would be enough to hydraulic it.
buy a haynes manual freecookies, and fix your engine, or at least investigate the fault (its different over here with our local abundance of £50 engines)

frank

 

[CMF_Pierce]

@ frank2

I never thought about it but i guess over there, buying parts, and modding the car must be hell easy what with it being produced over there. Sort of like us with our fords and holdens...

 

[CMF_frank2]

Pierce WROTE:

"@ frank2

I never thought about it but i guess over there, buying parts, and modding the car must be hell easy what with it being produced over there. Sort of like us with our fords and holdens...

yes pierce its a bit like your superior pulsar GA parts, most of our yards in brum have a few k11,s in, mainly 1.0,s tho, and the engines usually get weighed in lol

frank

 

[CMF_sikK11]

there was a engine on ebay near you not long ago for 150 bucks plus postage. Worth a look

 

[CMF_Red Menace]

What Frank said. I can pick up a 1.3 engine and box for £120 (is that about $220 to you?) from my local yard with less than 80,000kms on it. They're worth nothing over here. There was a specialist yard a little further away (Frank, do you recall a japanese specialist over in Stoke, and if so, any idea where they went?) which is/was cheaper.

And yeah, buy a Haynes manual and get to it. At first, it's as expensive as getting a garage to do the work, and the garage does a better job, but you gain tools and experience instead of paying garage profits - and you're not afraid of anything that can go wrong with the engine thereafter.

 

[CMF_frank2]

Red Menace WROTE:

(Frank, do you recall a japanese specialist over in Stoke, and if so, any idea where they went?) which is/was cheaper.

afraid not mate

frank