Clio Trophy making Whistling/Tinkling noise on acceleration

pat1trophy · Oct 8, 2008

Hi,

Just bought a Trophy and I have my 1st question.

I've noticed that I get a funny tinkling/whistling noise coming from what sounds like the passenger footwell or under the gear stick when I rev the car from about 300rpm all the way to the red line, this happens in any gear! I'm not sure if this is a trait of the car or if there is something wrong with it as I have never driven a Renault Clio until now.

I have also posted this on Clio Sport but I thought I would ask on here too.

Thanks

D4VP-C(309) · Oct 8, 2008

My guess would be blowing exhaust, just before the cat! Thats what mine turned out to be

Matt X2C · Oct 9, 2008

It could be a blowing exhaust, although that doesn't really make a whistling sound - more of a deep sound that sounds very off key. Plus it would be noticesable all the time, not just when shooting towards the redline.

Something to bare in mind is that as standard the clios do whistle when being driven hard. Must be the standard induction.

It really depends on what sort of whistle it is.

Check the exhaust first, start it up and lay under the car and feel around the exhaust joint (without actually touching the exhaust obviously) for air escaping where it shouldn't be.

Cue · Oct 9, 2008

if it's the whirl sounds ( a bit like a supercharger sound ) then i's just the induction noise from the engine - completely standard. If it's a deep rumble then it'll be exhaust related.

I have a feeling it'll just be the induction noise - people who haven't heard renosports engines sometimes ask me if it's supercharged because of the whirl lol.

hoolio · Oct 9, 2008

Agree with that^^^^ when i went in one that had had the acoustic valve removed it was very pronounced with the noise coming from the front of the passenger well.

Matt X2C · Oct 10, 2008

Cue said:
if it's the whirl sounds ( a bit like a supercharger sound ) then i's just the induction noise from the engine - completely standard. If it's a deep rumble then it'll be exhaust related.

I have a feeling it'll just be the induction noise - people who haven't heard renosports engines sometimes ask me if it's supercharged because of the whirl lol.

Thats exactly what i thought it would be, and if it was exhaust related you would hear it all the time, not just when your foot is to tthe floor. Even though my brother used to have a 172 Cup (the 7th one in the country infact) - 2 years ago he was at Spa passengering in a friends car and there were 2 trophy's there dicking it round and whenever they came past he said they sounded supercharged (even though he knew they weren't) cos they whistled so much. So it must be much louder from outside.

pat1trophy · Oct 10, 2008

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for all your replies!

The exhaust isn't blowing as I've had a look and there are no holes, gaps etc.

Just been driving the car again and it sounds more like a raspy tinkling noise rather than a whistling and it sounds like its coming from under the car, where the gear lever and centre console is. As said it only does it from about 3.5K onwards. Also, its not a hugely loud noise, you can't hear it if you have radio on and a normal level.

I'm stumped as to what it could be, I even checked the heat shield to see if it was loose but it was fine. Anymore ideas much appreciated!?

Great forum by the way! I can see I'm going to find it very useful.

hoolio · Oct 10, 2008

The sound you describe does sound very much like the induction but all that is located behind the front passenger wheel so............?

P.S. I don't suppose you fancy registering the car on the site, it's well worth the effort, you get an extra star

pat1trophy · Oct 13, 2008

Hi,

Yeah I don't mind registering my car on here - both its previous owners have done so! Question is, how do I go about doing so?

Still unsure as to whether my Trophy is meant to be making this noise I'm on about! As said I've never been in any Renault sport Clio before, so if anyone is in the Oxford area and would like to meet up to see if the noise I'm about is normal please let me know. It would be much appreciated!!!

Thanks,

Patrick

hoolio · Oct 13, 2008

Not in Oxford, but a little further south. Where are you?

Click on the owners register, find the number of your car, you said it was already listed, click on reply and there you go.

pat1trophy · Oct 13, 2008

Hi

I'm in the Headington area so fairly central Oxford and I work near Abingdon.

I'll get my Trophy registered in a minute - cheers for all the help.

hoolio · Oct 13, 2008

PM sent.

tommobot · Oct 13, 2008

Mine always sounds raspy but only from initial start up, disappears after about 1 minuite of driving. About the whistle, I get that too. Many comments about having a turbo from passengers :roll: Only get the sound at full throttle though

power ranger · Oct 14, 2008

Yes i too noticed that whistling noise in my Trophy but never in my 182ff it waseven more pronouced when i removed the acoustic valve!

OliS · Oct 14, 2008

I'm going to agree with D4VP-C(309) and say that it's the exhaust. I had the same whistling sound from my Trophy, although really it only happened when charging for the red line. I assumed it was just a normal sound, but when my car was in for service at Rentech they noticed the manifold to cat gasket was perished, and asked me if I get a whistling sound!?! As I did not have the time to let Rentech change the gasket there and then, I asked my local dealership to check out the gasket when I was in for service, and they found that the gasket was alright, but the clamp had come loose, so they tightened it for me...and as if by magic the whistling stopped. It's come back again now, but I plan to change the gasket the next time I have my Trophy up in the air. I'm assuming this is the problem that the Mark Fish exhaust mod fixes?

pat1trophy · Oct 19, 2008

Well I have a bit of an update on this.

I ordered a new gasket and fitting kit http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=2334 after explaining the noise I was getting from the car. Was told that some Clios do this and this new gasket should sort it.

I fitted this yesterday, getting the old bolts off was surprisingly easy and the old gasket looked in pretty good condition. Put the new gasket on and put it all back together, went for a drive and it still makes the noise!!

I'm at a bit of a loss as to what it is now. I've checked the heat shield, this was fine then the rest of the exhaust, everything was tight and in good condition.

In my 1st post about this it should read 'under the gear stick when I rev the car from about 3000rpm all the way to the red line' not 300.

Anymore ideas greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Patrick

chunktrophy · Oct 19, 2008

i had this problem on my trophy and up to the day i sold it i couldnt cure it!! i changed gaskets, re-sealed the exhaust, fitted new clamps, nothing seemed to work. i just decided to put up with it and turn the tunes up when it annoyed me. I would be interested to hear how you get on with this!

OliS · Oct 20, 2008

Patrick, really sorry and suprised to hear that the new gasket did not fix this problem, I've not replaced my gasket yet, so I can't say if it's worked for me.

I can say though that whatever my local dealership did do (all I was told was that they tightened the manifold to cat gasket clamp) to my exhaust managed to cure the problem...at least until the exhaust worked itself loose again, which is why I was I was so sure that this would have been the reason for the noise.

Good luck getting it sorted, keep posting on your progress...

pat1trophy · Oct 25, 2008

Well it seems to be all sorted now, I think it was a combination of a couple of things!!

I re-fitted the cat to the manifold again and used a smidgen of exhaust paste, was told not to by K-Tec but as it was still making a noise, I thought I had nothing to lose.

I also bought an ITG Maxogen induction kit which I also fitted. On taking the old filter and hosing out I found none of the joints were sealed properly and it was generally a shocking fit. I also removed the acoustic valve and put the ITG in place and everything seems great.

I now don't get the tinkling noise I was getting and the engine feels like it has more grunt lower down the rev range, plus there is now the noise when you give it some welly!!!!!

The final thing I purchased was a sports cat (am feeling very skint now) but I haven't been able to fit that as I can't seem to remove the sensor from it, its stuck in solid. Does anyone know how much these cost from Renault? I didn't want to risk shearing it so I've left it for the time being.

Cheers for all your advice lads, you've been a great help.

Patrick

hoolio · Oct 25, 2008

Glad you seem to have got it sorted Patrick.

Don't break the O2 sensor they are expensive, mine failed recently and i think it was the best part of eighty quid, i can't remember exactly as i was glowering too much at the service muppet to notice the breakdown of the bill.