Strange noise when idle

[Dinan55]

My dad owns '97 VW Passat Turbodiesel, it's an incredible car. It has 140,000 miles and still runs like new. Today we noticed a strange noise coming from the engine. When the car is idle, it makes a clicking noise. We can't see where it comes from and for now we have no idea what it can be. When you rev the engine the least bit the noise disappears, then when the RPMs come back down to idle it starts clicking again. There is about a 1 second gap between each click. The click is a sharp noise but not very loud, kind of sounds like tapping one of those plastic pens on a wooden desk.

Anyone have a clue what it could be?

 

[MrElussive]

When did the problem start? If it was recently, maybe it has to do with all the diesel fuel now being "winterized" for the cold weather???

 

[Dinan55]

I doubt it, I'm not sure when it started, probably about one or two weeks ago because it was never noticed until today. I doubt that it's because of the cold weather because this car has been through many winters and this has never happened. I just hope it isn't a valve or anything.

 

[Ben]

i think what he is saying is that because its getting older and the diesel is winterized (i think they put kerosine in or something) that could be some of the problem............ maybe not. i dunno.

 

[Dinan55]

Diesels never get old.

 

[Ben]

but they sure burn a shitload of oil............ i had a volvo 1984 240d and it burned more than 4 quarts in 200 miles. there would be a cloud of smoke for almost 1/4 mile around when i started it up cold. (seriously!)

 

[Dinan55]

That's horrible, we don't have that kind of problem with this car, and hopefully we never will.