Advice on Polo tappets please.

Lap Liu · 2003-08-10T22:32:52+00:00

Hi All,I am looking to buy a 1998 Polo 1.4 CL. The car has done 87K miles and has afull service history up to 73K miles so a service is long overdue.The car bodywork is very good and there is no blue smoke from the exhaustbut I am concerned that I can hear a tappety noise once it is started andthe noise does not disappear even when the engine is warmed up. The tradertells me that the hydraulic tappets always do this after the car has beenstood for a week or two but will disappear with use. However, I am scepticaland wonder if an oil change will do the trick.I have never owned a VW before and would value comments on this.Thanks,Lap

Aug 10, 2003 1 Replies

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1) If you want to know if others do this too, check out some others, with lower mileage and higher mileage, but otherwise the same engine. I'd suspect they don't, but it still may not be evidence of a problem that will be painful later on. Then again, it may.

2) If you think something cheap like an oil change might help, and you're not looking to take a chance on a car with a problem anyway, ask them to change the oil with a thicker oil. I'm not sure what that engine takes, but many VW's made for sale in the USA take 20W50 or they tap and the oil light buzzer goes off. The owners manual should say what it takes if the guy still has it. If they're not willing to do something as cheap as that to make the sale, then they may be hiding something, but then again, they may just be tired of having it around.

Other things it could be...

arcing spark plug wires (unlikely, but they do make a rhythmic noise)

exhaust manifold leak at one cylinder--does it sound more like air pressure releasing after you open the hood?

pick your major engine problem--bad bearing, etc in the engine. I don't think the difference could be easily described online to make you sure that's not it.

That k>Hi All,

Advice on Polo tappets please.

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