UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forum. My girlfriend and I recently got a 2004 plate Polo Twist as a run around/second car. Overall, we're really happy with the car but there are a few small problems that I want to diagnose and sort out.

1- The engine makes a loud tapping/clicking noise when left idling in neutral. Weirdly, it completely disappears when the clutch is depressed. Clutch release bearing? Mainshaft bearing? Something else?

2 - There is a sloshing noise coming from within the dashboard. It sounds like there's a collection of water somewhere in the dash but there's no obvious water ingress into the car. It's especially loud in the mornings and when it's cold. Blocked air con drain? Something else?

Thanks in advance for any help.

sloshing water is presumably in the heater channels. this means water's getting somewhere it shouldn't in the plenum chamber. (unless you're losing loads of coolant, in which case it's the matrix!) This could be caused by a faulty seal, broken cover or a blocked drain. Find where it's getting in 1st, sort that, then extract the water.

Not sure about your clutch/gearbox issues.

Gear box you have hit the nail on the head It could be if you are lucky just the clutch release bearing as these do fail if the car has been driven hard or just through time style of driving etc. If you are really unlucky it could be the input shafts on the gear box which is costly to have resolved. I had the same noise on a car many years ago and it was the release bearing that had failed and had bent the prongs on the clutch cover. A new clutch kit later problem solved.