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Ar kid has a 2.0 hdi on a v plate, and noticed a kind of rattling noise, more noticeable down by the drivers wheel arch,and seems to be a rotating rattle if you know what I mean.is it possibly pulley or summat.

That will almost certainly be the bottom pulley, a metallic rattle which rises/falls with revs often starts out as a 'ticking' sound. They are a 'dampened' rubber 2-part design and a common failure at around 120K miles. The new ones are revised and much stronger. Genuine replacements used to be about £120.00 but not sure if the price has fallen these days anyone?

Look for a brown coloured dust around the bottom pulley - or even shards of metal

Be careful it will suddenly get worse until the noise will be horrific (like you know you shouldn't be driving it) if you ignore this it can separate, throw the auxiliary belt off, which can get tangled up and snap the cambelt (ouch!).

Welly wrote:That will almost certainly be the bottom pulley, a metallic rattle which rises/falls with revs often starts out as a 'ticking' sound. They are a 'dampened' rubber 2-part design and a common failure at around 120K miles.

Mines doing well then at 176k miles Need the cam belt doing very soon so am having the pully changed as well.

Can you tell by looking at them weather you have an old dodgy one or a revised replacement? Any photos for comparison?

I changed my timing belt (+ tensioner, idler and water pump) at the weekend, it had already been changed before I got the car but I have no idea how long ago and the timing belt cover had been broken and worn the edge of the belt, then cable tied out of the way, so I didn't know until I went to put the new belt on!! The pulley seemed ok, no give in it like there was on my old 306 engine!

Here's some more reading...viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8202&hilit=bottom+pulley+3+slots

This is the old style '2 slot' design, later modified to 3 slots to help spread the load. The noise you hear is those 'keys' hitting the slots as it rotates and because the internal dampener has failed:

Had mine replaced in 2008 at 127k. Cost £300, together with an oil change.

It had a long metal 'ribbon' sticking out of it, which of course was catching and making a noise. Drove it like that for about 6 months (very bad times) so I was very lucky to get away with that

the rattling noise i had turned out to be a loose clutch plate on the air compressor pulley.
sorted by tightening the 14mm nut--you could see plate was loose and rattling by climbing under car whilst engine running.