Starter rattling noise

[idefix]

Hi, i am a newbie here, have Megane 16v 1.6 type II 2003 model.

I have thsi horrible rattling noice occationally when starting it, anyone have an idea ? Is it serious ? What could it be ? Is it common ?

[m.bedforth]

Hi. A lot of us have had to have the dephaser pulley replaced and it sounds as if you might have the same problem. Go to 'search' on this site, type in the words dephaser pulley and there will be many posts for you to refer to. In my case, 2005 1.6vvt 11 Megane Sport Tourer, on starting, a metallic grinding noise could be heard, worse on a cold start.

[IainMW]

Yep Dephaser Pulley!

[m.bedforth]

I am glad you agree Iain but sorry for Idefix. What are we going to do without you Iain - all that knowledge and all the jokes. Anyway Happy Birthday (recently?) and hope the new Laguna goes well for you.

[idefix]

I spoke to the Renault dealer today, and they said it was probably more likely the starter. The car runs fine, no ignition or fuel behavior stuff. Couldn't it just be the starter motor? They also said that this noise is normal for Renault and happens especially when cold sometimes, just another operating noise that would not harm the engine in any way.

Also could anyone describe to me what that dephaser pulley does, and where it is located. Is it a huge job involved, does it involve replacing the timing belt ?

check this link out, sound clip 2 is the sound i am getting.
https://eigenmatrix.org/tag/dephaser-pulley

[trev]

Well that confirms mine as well, noise 2 is exactly what mine does. Can't wait to see the back of the piece of crap.

[idefix]

Hi, had the car for proper checkup in connection with Cambelt change, checked all pulleys, starter and dephaser pulley. Ended up being the dephaser pulley (luckily that went under second-hand dealer warranty). Also flushed out cooling system and put original fluid on it (Type D), so now as good as it gets I think for being a 90000km car.

Check this link:
https://www.renaultforums.co.uk/engines/ … ind-4.html

"
When I press the start button the engine seems to make a grating noise then stops. I try again and the same happens. On the 3rd attempt the car starts.

It is a rattle rather than a grind which sounds like what the OP describes. Hydraulic valve lifters use engine oil pressure to expand them to the right clearance and should retain the oil when the engine is off to keep them that way. As they age, they can lose the ability to retain the oil and will clatter on startup until they refill with oil.
.....

Yes the Dephaser Pulley.. This is a well known and documented fault with the 1.6 engines.

There are 4 steps to the solution:

1: Check the Injection Computer Software version.. Reprogram where necessary..

2: Remove the Dephaser Solenoid valve, and visually check that it is in one piece. Then Apply a 12v supply to the solenoid and confirm that is is Opens/closes..

3: Check the Dephaser "OCR" set point with the clip while the vehicle revs are raised slowly to 3000. If the set point is within specification then the Dephaser Pulley is faulty.. Note if the setpoint is out of spec then the pulley is faulty anyway..

4: If the vehicle shows a TDC sensor fault at the same time then the TDC sensor and connector must be replaced.

In any case if the vehicle is stalling when cold, then the pulley is FAULTY...

Renault Technical Solution Number TN4432A
....

So, I dropped the car into my local dealer. They confirmed the dephaser pulley as the problem. Renault covered part of the cost on warranty and the dealer covered the rest. They replaced the dephaser pulley, the valve that goes with it, the timing belt and tensioner and, on my instruction (and on their advice), replaced the water pump. I had to pay for the water pump but not for the labour of fitting it...
"

[q292u]

I had the same noise. It was gradually getting worse (as mornings got colder, or maybe losing oil), and I'd read about doing an engine flush/oil change fixing it.
So I thought I'd try an experiment: top up the oil!
I think the "oil level is OK" message is misleading. It probably says that until the red light comes on..
I can't get the dipstick out, (stupid location) so I chanced 1/2 litre of (wilkos) oil, and hey presto, noise gone AND started first time after a cold night.
So don't just reach for the credit card if you get the rattle..