W203 C200 CDI top end knock!!!

[StainlessNiel]

Firstly want to start by saying hello to everyone, I'm Niel from Manchester and I'm sorry this is the first post I have made, but I have recently acquired a lovely W203 200 cdi, the car itself is an absolute dream, no lights on the dashboard are on that shouldn't be and the car has plenty of power ( although could.do with oil an filter on the box). Not much history on the car, It has what I thought was a noisy tappet or lifter but having inspecting underneath the cam cover couldn't find any real play in there to be significant of the noise but I've done at least 500 motorway/ city miles now and it has got no louder...I'm preparing to park it on the bleak.darkness of the corner ramp at the garage I work at an am going to now remove the sump to inspect the conrods and such for play and Wear......I was just wondering if anyone else had come across this as I heard these engines were pretty strong in that respect...Oh the noise is coming from the bulk.head area of the head, I was certain it would like be a tappet, but my mate reckons it's a small end.
Can't see it being injectors either as there's no faults DTCs an no smoke even when I sport mode it.
Did do a small test with the diagnostics and the swirl flaps made no significant noise or Rpm change like the other modules did on the actuator tests
Thanks again guys
Ps
If there is already another post on this the point me there...I did search to no avail

 

[LostKiwi]

Hi Niel and welcome. Can't really help with your issue as I'm more a petrol guy and not hearing the noise makes it kinda difficult to diagnose

 

[John Laidlaw]

Cam chain jump came to mind firstly on the OM611 but you’ve checked that. Any vibration?

 

[StainlessNiel]

Yeah no worries, like I say, it's getting a teardown anyway guys......and no vibrations either... Put yer fingers in ears or the radio up an u can't hear it from I.side the car lol