Noisy noisy noisy

[WPKenny]

Hi everyone,

So I've had my Early model 1985 watercooled 1.9 DG petrol T25 since may and it's always been noisy. I never thought much of it since I figured all old vehicles are this noisy right?
I've had a quick look under the van and can't see anything wrong with the exhaust as such but then this is the first vehicle I've ever got myself mechanically involved with so I can't confess to having a very experienced eye.

At the recent Kent VW festival (twinned with steam fair) I managed to turn all the heads of the nearby vintage tractor drivers when I started up to leave.

My wife got pulled over today just a few minutes from home due to the brake lights not working and the policeman (a traffic officer) said he didn't think the van should be that loud.

And so to my point... Is there a list of things to run down that can cause such a noisy engine? I shall give the exhaust a thorough going over when I get the van back home (currently in a nearby car park until I finish work and sort the brake lights out.).
Just a random list of possible things to check would be great! Thanks.

[82JEW75]

How noisy is noisy?

Video would be of some help perhaps?

If it's loud enough to "turn heads" (at a VW meet) on starting, it's either running an after-market exhaust or has open headers

Can you take some photos of the exhaust?


The watercooled vans I've seen have been pretty quiet in general.

[WPKenny]

I've just had to google "open headers".
I'll take a good look around the exhaust this evening as everything points to there being something amiss with it.
The guy I bought it off said he'd put a slightly longer pipe on the very end of the exhaust and said something about fumes coming up inside with the shorter one but it didn't mean much to me.

I'll try to get the missus to rev it up a bit while I film tonight (oo-er!)

[armyphil]

Obviously do this from cold

Start the van
Put hand over the tail pipe
Can you feel pressure
If not you've got a Holey exhaust

[kevtherev]

If you can...the baffles have rotted out.

[WPKenny]

Thanks for the replies.
I won't have a chance to check this till the weekend.
I went to take a look last night after checking the brake lights and taking the van home but it was too hot and I didn't want to go near it.

The brake light thing seems to be the brake light switch so I've ordered a couple online and Im hoping to swap them with little or no mess.

[WPKenny]

I replaced the brake light switch and all was good again.

I looked around as much of the exhaust as possible and found a small, little fingernail sized hole. Is this likely to be the cause of it being crazy loud or is there probably a much bigger hole somewhere else that I can't see?

All the bolts etc are pretty rusted. I can't see me getting away with replacing any one part. This could get expensive.....

[kevtherev]

it generally does..

[jrt]

I'd bung/wrap that hole up see if it's any better and check if it's something like the silencer gaskets. It was on mine.
David.

[WPKenny]

I have to begin with a bit of a confession...

I left work on monday and made my way to Halfords to pick up a tub of exhaust putty. I pulled in to the car park and then realised I'd left my wallet at work. D'oh!

So tuesday I left work, this time with my wallet. Made my way to halfords and picked up the exhaust putty. Got home, read the side of the tub which said to warm the exhaust up a little first. Got in, turned the key, nothing. Bugger. Turns out running the tyre pump the other day flattened the battery.

It's a little awkward to get my car near the van unless I'm lucky with where my neighbours park so I get on ebay and order one of those emergency battery jump starters (the one with the light and compressor built in). I'm hoping it will arrive tomorrow!

I also picked up a 12v solar panel battery charge for a tenner from maplins. I know it's not meant to charge a battery from flat but it's also not meant to drain it right?
I plugged it in yesterday evening so it would have got a few hours of sun. I left it on for a few mins to test it and the voltage raised by about 0.1v so it looked like it was working. This morning I went to check and the voltage has gone from 9.3 ish to 8.3 ish. Could it just be the cold morning air? Will have to check again after work.

I never realised owning one of these campers would be such an adventure.

[kevtherev]

You need a new battery... sorry.
9.3 or 8.3 volts is battery death...any starter battery that goes below 11V will never recover back 100% if at all

code 100 (biggest) or 067 will fit in he battery box

an expensive mistake..take it on the chin and move on

[WPKenny]

You need a new battery... sorry.
9.3 or 8.3 volts is battery death...any starter battery that goes below 11V will never recover back 100% if at all

code 100 (biggest) or 067 will fit in he battery box

an expensive mistake..take it on the chin and move on

I'd heard this too. 10.5v in the guide I read. I'm holding on to a sliver of hope though since it's a "maintenance free" battery which has an indicator in the top. Green = thumbs up, black = warning and white = thumbs down.
For now I'm going to assume thumbs down is the worst and that I can jump start it with the start that is due to arrive today, go for a drive and it will be fine. This is the same fantasy world where I'm a lottery winner and park the camper outside my mansion next to the ferrari. It's a nice world.

[WPKenny]

I ended up jump starting it off my car. Took it for a spin with a spare battery, the jump leads AND the emergency jump starter pack but it started up first time on its own. Drive back and check the voltage. 11.5v. Left it on the solar panel and today it's 11.6v. The indicator is still black but I think I'll use the battery until it properly dies. I've still got that emergency kit too just in case.

I've been curtain twitching for the last few days. Parkin on my road can be difficult but there's a spot right outside my house that because of it's location has some space around itthat makes it easier to work on the van. Just managed to move it and warm the exhaust up and have been slapping on the exhaust putty. Will not be able to test it fully until tomorrow but fingers crossed it should at least improve the noise levels!

[jrt]

Self adhesive exhaust tape[metallic type] is very good for covering holes. I've found it lasts longer than the paste as that sometimes cracks and breaks off, depending where on the exhaust pipe the leak is.
David.