UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Hi, I purchased my first Polo on November 18th and up until now I haven't had any issues with it.

However I have now noticed a rattling sound which appears to be coming from behind the instrument cluster,
it sounds like a small bit of plastic bouncing around or rattling and the sound gets louder and faster with acceleration.
The sound is not present when the car is stationary.

Also, not a major issue right now, but occasionally my car fails to start, think its only happened on 3 occasions until now and I drive the car daily.
The engine turns over and everything lights up but the car just won't start, then when I try the second or third time it starts fine.

And finally when I park my car and apply the handbrake, whether it be overnight in the garage or during the daytime while I'm at work, when I release the handbrake and try to move off there's a little resistance, like the brakes have stuck and then release.

If anyone could provide any help for my issues I would be eternally grateful, I'm not very mechanically minded but if there's an easy fix I'd be happy to give it a go, or if someone knows what it could be (and an estimates fix cost) so I can get it done at a garage that would be brilliant also!

It may also be worth mentioning that looking back on the vehicles MOT history there are a couple of advisories that have been ignored. These are:
- nearside front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)
- offside front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Could any issues I've described relate to those? I assume the squeaky noise I hear occasionally is due to the brakes.

Thanks again.

for the rattling, you might want to have a look in the engine bay.
the fuel lines are coming from underneath the car, through a 'tunnel' into the engine bay.
these fuel lines may sometimes rattle. clicking them into a different holder helps.

sticky brakes is a bit normal. I fitted two 'return springs' to the rear disc calipers. only works on disc brakes.

i'm not sure whether you have the 1.2 TDI (drum brakes), 1.2 N/A (drum brakes) or a 1.2 TSI (disc brakes).

the bad starting issue, i don't know that, sorry.

anyways, welcome to our community

The fuel lines rattling makes sense, I had a similar issue when I replaced my faulty window regulator, the new wires were rattling against the inside of the door and it was driving me insane! Every time I played a slightly bassy song the wires rattled like mad! Just put some foam pipe insulation around the wires and the issue was solved!

As for the car, pretty sure its just the basic 1.2, not TDI or TSI.

And thanks for the welcome! I'm pretty sure you'll be seeing plenty of me on here.

iichel, oh, so I am not the only 6R/6C Polo owner to have fitted return springs - I fitted them a week after buying the car new, maybe for the same reason why you did - ie previous experience of the previous Polos! Though I think that VW etc have revised the rear callipers so that they have stronger internal springs - but seeing as I had bought them I fitted them!

aaronasprey, I think that your Polo needs its brakes serviced, as far as I know, when these cars Skoda/VW/SEAT/Audi get serviced by a main dealer to the current marque's specification, the brakes are only checked visually and their performance checked either on rolling road or a road test. Opening up the brakes and cleaning them has become an additional, extra cost task - so it probably never gets carried out until the brakes are causing problems. Once you get rusting occurring on the swept surfaces of the rear brake drums, you very quickly end up with what you are experiencing which will eventually mean the rear brakes will seize on when the car has been left for a day or two with the handbrake on - getting rid of that rust and brake dust will solve that problem, and that means a brake service, the front brakes will also benefit from being taken apart and cleaned etc. Maybe in your case even fitting new discs and pads to get rid of that MOT advisory?