Is my car unwell?

[D87 SMW]

I've just put my 1.3 Maestro back on the road and I have some concerns.

Basically it has done 94k miles on the original engine (5 speed box fitted at 92k). There has never been any traces of oil from the exhaust that I can tell and it doesn't use up any oil or water, it seems to run ok in that respect. It starts and drives fine to be honest, but...

I'm a bit concerned with the sounds it has been making. At idle it makes alsorts of clattering, knocking noises and when accelerating it is incredibly lumpy and noisy (Diesel anyone?). However as above it drives ok otherwise; a bit slow after my 1.6 Maestro but I got into 5th gear today and it just blitzed everything else on the road (I exaggerate).

Just wondering if I'm being paranoid or if I should be concerned? I've intended on doing some long trips in the near future and I don't really fancy having it go 'bang' on me on some motorway. :worried:

:(

[ChrisM]

Have you done the tappets recently Steve?

[D87 SMW]

Have you done the tappets recently Steve?

It's not that sort of noise (cue Ford Fiesta). It's in the block and not really the head...

[e692wtt]

I'd say 'decoke time' after I heard the engine in the summer (backing off the timing didn't stop the rattling under load - but the car runs very smoothly...). You could turn this round easily in a day :) .

The petrol that's been sat in the tank since the summer won't help.

Try using 'super plus' petrol and see if this eases the rattling. You can get this from Sainsburys' Salford (BP Ultimate in a different tin ;) ), 3.3 miles from your doorstep, at 86.9p/l (info courtesy of http://www.petrolprices.com/).

[G Force]

It could be excess cam chain wear, but that would not give a drivability issue only noise.:)

You could try putting the handle of a long screwdriver to your ear and the other to the timing cover and listen if the noise is very exagerated.

Be wary of the rotating pulleys though.:eek:

Gary

[D87 SMW]

I'd say 'decoke time' after I heard the engine in the summer (backing off the timing didn't stop the rattling under load - but the car runs very smoothly...). You could turn this round easily in a day :) .

The petrol that's been sat in the tank since the summer won't help.

Try using 'super plus' petrol and see if this eases the rattling. You can get this from Sainsburys' Salford (BP Ultimate in a different tin ;) ), 3.3 miles from your doorstep, at 86.9p/l (info courtesy of http://www.petrolprices.com/).

Hi Rich,

The engine was pinking in the summer but it appears not to be doing that now. I've been running it on fresh petrol so I can't see much of an issue there. I reckon I'll get the spare engine block on it and put the original head on that, as soon as I can.

[tony]

seems a extreme solution, to your problem , but its a perfick excuse if your wanting to swap the engine

[B18 GPC]

have you tried giving her some paracetamol , or even 6Plus ?

Erm.. Alternatly , id go with your quick engine swap solution.

[Wetfish]

I have to agree with you Sport, you are being paranoid. The noises you hear have always been there it’s just you haven’t heard them for a while. My Maestro is similar, if I have someone in the car with me I can hear all sorts of strange noises. But if I’m in the car on my own, all I hear is the rorty exhaust and the Stones kicking ass on the stereo. Of course the Vanden Plas has a better soundproofing and a less agricultural engine, so should be quieter and smoother. You are probably revving the nuts off the poor A series to make normal progress compared to the 1.6.
So enjoy the mechanical noises as you make progress but if you hear voices you’ve either left your phone on or you need to see a psychiatrist asap and mention the paranoia while you are there.
HTH
HenryR

[H48HPE]

I don't think they're happy unless they're making a rattle from somewhere.... If it drives ok and doesn't stall, smoke, leak too much or run on I'd definitely leave it all alone. its probably just the timing chain rattling and your not used to hearing it after driving a belt driven engine. I know mine sounds really rough, but it's 100% reliable all the same.

just join the AA or similar just in case, I'd hate to have mine break down for any reason and have to leave it at the road side for some small brained idiot to smash the windows etc.

[Austin-Rover]

I agree with the general opinion here. If it aint broke don't try to fix it. It runs as well as you could ever expect from an A Series. The mileage is of no consequence as you know it is/has been well looked after. I think you are worrying yourself unnecessarily. If it was sowing any symptoms of being unwell in terms of performance/usability then I would be concerned...

[D87 SMW]

Yep, it is much different compared to the VP. I have a bit more confidence in it at the moment; I found a vacuum pipe had split and disconnected (yes, Nick) so I fixed that and threre was a noticeable improvement. Rich did come for a drive in it and suspects slight knocking in the head. Thinking about it, I agree - There is good compression, I'll admit.

I'll continue to run it, but I'm still not sure about any long runs in it. Though I did take it to Birmingham earlier in the year and wasn't concerned about the engine one bit really.

[Miracle maestro]

Don't worry so much Steve, it's not good for you.

The time to worry: is when the engine makes no noise at all...:eek:

[Dean]

Steve,

A-Series makes a noise like the industrial revolution! Go and take it for a good long run and give it a blow out, especially if it's been standing for a while.

Dean.

[G51 NAV]

A-Series makes a noise like the industrial revolution!
Have I got the only quiet one, once off choke my HLE is virtually inaudible at tickover and even at speed you hear more roar from the tyres than the engine (and even they're not particularly intrusive) :confused:

[ChrisM]

Mine's not especially noisy, but it does have a lot of soundproofing :D

[Dean]

I've not had any experience with A Series powered Maestros/Montegos, only Metros. I haven't got the luxury of having the exhaust manifold at the front of the car! I am compensated though, lovely gearbox whine :)

Dean.

[threelitre]

Have I got the only quiet one, once off choke my HLE is virtually inaudible at tickover and even at speed you hear more roar from the tyres than the engine (and even they're not particularly intrusive) :confused:

I found my early LE to be much quieter than my later 1.3 - just like Steve's is. Although my engine currently has not a nice and smooth tickover, it is rather quiet on idling - I can feel it rumbling though...

Alexander

[D87 SMW]

Thanx for the replies.

Think I will indeed join the AA, do the tappets and see it I feel about doing my trips. :)

[Dean]

Thanx for the replies.

Think I will indeed join the AA, do the tappets and see it I feel about doing my trips. :)

Steve,

Stop worrying, give it a service and all should be well. I'm not in any motoring organisation and i've never had any problems. Preventative maintenance is the key. A series are clockwork anyway and there is little to go wrong. I don't see your problem about going on long journeys. I've been on many a caper with A series power and never given it a second thought. I drive my 26 year old miniMetro daily in all weathers. Its been standing so it will bound to run rough.

Go out and enjoy your car and don't make something out of nothing :)

[Miracle maestro]

Have I got the only quiet one, once off choke my HLE is virtually inaudible at tickover and even at speed you hear more roar from the tyres than the engine (and even they're not particularly intrusive) :confused:

Yours is not the only quiet Maestro John.
When I drove Barney, he sounded exactly like Nellie used to :)
But since then, I have test driven several later 1.3 maestros and been very disappointed- it appears the build quality and amount of sound proofing fell as the years passed. :(

Back on thread: Go fo it Steve- enjoy your car :)

[G51 NAV]

Yeah, another reason why the earlier cars were better imo

[D87 SMW]

Yours is not the only quiet Maestro John.
When I drove Barney, he sounded exactly like Nellie used to :)
But since then, I have test driven several later 1.3 maestros and been very disappointed- it appears the build quality and amount of sound proofing fell as the years passed. :(

Back on thread: Go fo it Steve- enjoy your car :)

I have to say, owning a 1.6 MKI Maestro and a 1.3 MKII Maestro I've been making comparisons lately (with them both being on the road). I've found the 1.6 S Series to be much smoother and quieter (sound-proofing>Vanden Plas) BUT drive on a slightly rough road and I get all the squeaks, rattles and bangs you could imagine (so does the car). This isn't just from the MKI dash either.

The 1.3 feels a whole lot more solid, there are NO rattles, squeaks or bangs - but the engine is very agricultural indeed, it does get loud. On this I have had the following idea:

I want a Maestro Advantage. :laugh: (There is one on eBay at the moment... Ummmm :worried: )

But back on topic, thanks for the advice people. :thumbup:

[MaestroTurbo]

They reduced the amount of soundproofing as time went on... my A reg 1.3 L was much quieter than my friends F reg 1.3 L, the dash didnt rattle that much either... early cars were better built all round contrary to popular belief that they got better..

[Simon]

The S series can be a rough old unit, especially at "tick over" Well mine is anyway. My replacement one is, as was the old one it replaced. My old 1.6HL's unit (Mk1) was dog rough. Sometimes you get good ones. I drove an E reg VDP back from Lincoln once and that unit was a gem. JOE's engine is nice, too. The key to a quiet car is soundproofing underfelt and ensure that all the foam sponges are in place in the cavities in the A and B posts and everywhere else. I find the under bonnet pad to be a less worthwhile addition.

Join the AA. You might never need them but it's good to know you have that back up, just in case. All it takes is a broken clutch cable, a little dirt in the fuel, or...well you never know. Some insurace companies also do breakdown cover. Mine's particularly good. Even new cars feature breakdown cover! You'd be mad not to have even basic AA cover (In my humble oppinion, that is)

[Simon]

That's a nice Advantage. However it looks in the same general condition as my Mayfair before the resto, and look what that uncovered...:eek:

[G51 NAV]

I always felt the Advantage models were a marketing ploy to shift unused MG alloy wheels and bodykits by bolting them to what were fundamentally very basic-specification cars. I even once heard a rumour that if you scraped at the white wheels with your fingernail you uncovered the original silver-painted finish still underneath.

By the time the Advantage models came along, MG MMMs’ days were numbered and they weren't selling particularly well. The expected sales-surge following the ranges’ 1988 facelift hadn’t really materialised and loads of MG Montegos and MG Maestros in particular found themselves registered as Rover-registered fleet cars.

I must admit the option of Cherry Red paintwork which was peculiar to only these models was very smart indeed and certainly made the cars look the part, even if a potential customer’s expectations were dashed a bit when they opened the door.

There were a number of other special edition cars as well, such as the Metro Mosaic, which used MG-spec bodyshells matched to low-spec interiors and engines.

[Miracle maestro]

I like the Advantage models :)

The rear spoiler helps the shape, as do the HLE strakes, somehow the rear of normal Maestros look bland to me.
I would have fitted them all with strakes- I'm sure the additional price wouldn't have been noticed.

[G51 NAV]

I'm sure the additional price wouldn't have been noticed.
You are joking, this is the same company that redesigned the Metro interior door-handle surrounds so that they wouldn't need to fit 'D'-shaped screw covers, the same company which fitted progressively less and less sound-deadening, the same company which didn't even fit a clock, door-cappings or a glove-box lid to its early base Maestros, and the same company which for a time fitted its K-series engine with a plastic dipstick :laugh:

Shave just 50p off the price of producing 1 car and you're talking about saving a company hundreds of thousands of pounds over a number of years...

[Miracle maestro]

, and the same company which for a time fitted its K-series engine with a plastic dipstick :laugh:


I've got one of those :) , an orange plastic dip-stick in the '95 R8.
Actually: it's a decent piece of kit- the oil shows on it okay.
Quite different to the dipstick in the ZS: this has a green end, on which semi-synthetic oil is very difficult to see indeed :mad:

[D87 SMW]

Digging up this thread, rather than starting a new one...

The pinking I have been experiencing from my A series has now reduced to an absolute minimum after filling up with BP Ultimate. I seem to have much more low-down power/torque than before and of course without all the pinking.

Rich - The BP Ultimate is a few pennies more than the Super Plus you mentioned at Salford, so I'll have to down there instead next time. Many thanx for the advice in this thread. My car is (surpringly) much nicer to drive now!

:thumbup:

[MaestroTurbo]

Digging up this thread, rather than starting a new one...

The pinking I have been experiencing from my A series has now reduced to an absolute minimum after filling up with BP Ultimate. I seem to have much more low-down power/torque than before and of course without all the pinking.

Rich - The BP Ultimate is a few pennies more than the Super Plus you mentioned at Salford, so I'll have to down there instead next time. Many thanx for the advice in this thread. My car is (surpringly) much nicer to drive now!

:thumbup:

BP Ultimate is the same octane as super unleaded, in fact its just glorified SUL. A series loves octane so it doesnt surprise me it drives better but the fact it doesnt pink suggests a couple of things. One, the fuel you had in the car before had gone 'off' and if it was normal 95 UL, the octane rating would have reduced further. Filling it up with fresh 97 fuel has cured it, but using 95 octane fresh may have done the same thing, if your ignition timing settings are correct.

[D87 SMW]

BP Ultimate is the same octane as super unleaded, in fact its just glorified SUL. A series loves octane so it doesnt surprise me it drives better but the fact it doesnt pink suggests a couple of things. One, the fuel you had in the car before had gone 'off' and if it was normal 95 UL, the octane rating would have reduced further. Filling it up with fresh 97 fuel has cured it, but using 95 octane fresh may have done the same thing, if your ignition timing settings are correct.

I was still having these symptoms despite putting fresh 95R unleaded in, but as you say the higher octane in the form of Ultimate has been the cure in this case. I have just taken it up a local hilly road in third gear and at low revs I just get the low down noise and no pinking at all, so I'm happy.

Now for the new brakes to bed in... :rolleyes:

:)

[e692wtt]

Glad the 'adding super plus' trick worked :thumbup: - and I hope you're reassured that there's nothing wrong with the engine ;) .