Ok so I'm expecting no sympathy what so ever but (engine still runs before anyone laughs at me)
I had a ex mechanic friend look over the engine, we discussed every possibility, he listened to the engine in various places through a screwdriver, we discussed what had been replaced and what had'nt. We ended on the fact that the engine ran fine, we had the cam cover off and the cam pulley and dephaser pulley seemed fine, yes we didn't check the idler at this point and he said its a risk game driving it avoid it if you can when you next get a chance take the aux belt off, if the rattle goes you've found your problem like you all have been saying.
I had to pick my girlfriend up from somewhere, the car ran fine all the way there, it was only 10 mins away, on the way back in 5th I heard what I thought was a spark plug blown out of the engine, Id say it sounded like a card in a bicycle wheel as a kid, sounded like air popping to me, I pulled straight to the side of the road, no fault lights engine was still running, because I had to wait for the cars to clear to turn into a lay by.
I called the RAC purely because I thought there was no way for me to drive home if it was a blown spark plug. he arrived 20 mins later, we turned the engine over, sods law there was no noise at all, revved it, no noise, he looked over the car I explained what had been changed, what I thought it was, he said yep but a blown spark plug would most likely make the sound all the time.
He said he would follow me home, it made the same noise on the way home, like a fizzing flapping noise, he listened to the engine all over, he also used the screwdriver method, I asked cam belt idler? he said it sounds smooth as to me, the same with the cams and lifters, we tried the AC on he explained its most likely either the AC pump seized over time or the power steering.
We went for a drive around the block, there was nothing so its an intermittent problem, but in a straight line 5th gear up a hill there it was, it sounded like something was caught in the wheel but it wasn't. sounded like a fizzy flappy sound.
On full lock the power steering made a slight hissing sound but he said that might be normal for full lock, he also said the power steering fluid was quite hot. Lovely bloke, had all the wheels up span them round saying it may have been a failed wheel bearing.
After a lot of looking around he could not pin point the problem, he really did go out of his way he could have just buggered off, he said if you want double check the spark plugs but he agreed that taking the aux belt off would be the best bet first off.
Yes I know I shouldn't have driven the car but I needed to so Im not fussed tbh, the problem seems to be something on the way out, I tipped the bloke for his time, the main reason I've typed this all out is just an update, the belt will be taken off to see if the rattle goes, but I would like to know if the rattle does go, how do I decide weather its the power steering pump or the AC pump? seeing as the fluid was hot, and there was a hissing im wondering if its that.
Im thinking maybe its locking up and it caused the pish pish pish noise?
And yes I can take it to a specialist and I agree that is the best method but time is money, and I have some spare time, I would rather find the problem myself and then if needs be pay a garage to fix the problem. If possible I'd like to change it myself and save more money.
I already saved 300 in labor changing the water pump.
