Loud Tapping On Start

[td163]

Hi all,

Something that has been happening a while but its bugging me now. I believe its only on cold starts, soon as the car fires for around 5-8 seconds there is a single loud tapping noise which eventually disappears and doesn't seem to come back until next time.

The car sounds tappety but i've always put that down to the injectors even being swapped twice.

Could one or more of the hydraulic lifters be on the way out? engine has only done 93k and was regularly serviced.

[Poodle]

Sounds like it could well be, hard to tell without listening to it though. Oil level is ok?

[Toms306]

Do you use it daily or does it sit for days between starts?

[td163]

Sounds like it could well be, hard to tell without listening to it though. Oil level is ok?

I will try and get a video see if that helps. Oil level seems perfectly fine on the dip stick. Doesn't seem to use any between services.

Do you use it daily or does it sit for days between starts?

Its used daily mate to work and back 30 miles roughly a day.

[td163]

I finally manged to get a video....unfortunately I think earphones or headphones will be needed to hear the noise. It starts about 5 seconds in and stops just before the ending. Does this still sound like the tappets could be at fault?



Thanks

[Poodle]

I can just about hear that, is that taken from inside the car?

[welshpug]

try an oil and filter change, I try to stick with genuine filters, if that doesnt fix it then it might be a tappet.

[td163]

I can just about hear that, is that taken from inside the car?

Sorry it was mate. This one is better:

try an oil and filter change, I try to stick with genuine filters, if that doesnt fix it then it might be a tappet.

I have got some Total oil and a purflux filter to go on soon. I'll see if that clears this but from what I can remember is been evident through multiple changes.

Thanks

[insomaniac45]

i have a very similar thing, but mine goes 2 mins down the road, and its gone all day.

I am going to try a fresh oil and filter change, along with some tappet stop if that does not work. As i do imagine it is a sticky tappet.

[Poodle]

That is better. Sounds a lot like a tappet, nothing too serious. How long has it been doing it and what started it? Might be worth trying an oil flush on the next change.

[lolsteve]

Give the wynns hydraulic lifter treatment a shot, it's about 8 quid at halfords and I've have 50/50 success with it. On mine it shut up a nasty lifter tap but on a friends it seemed to do nothing.

[td163]

i have a very similar thing, but mine goes 2 mins down the road, and its gone all day.

I am going to try a fresh oil and filter change, along with some tappet stop if that does not work. As i do imagine it is a sticky tappet.

I am going to try the same thing but as I mentioned before it's been present through a few oil changes for me :/.

That is better. Sounds a lot like a tappet, nothing too serious. How long has it been doing it and what started it? Might be worth trying an oil flush on the next change.

Not sure if this is responsible for a bit of a drop in fuel economy for me tbh. Although the tapping stops in the video the engine is still quite tappy when load is put on the engine driving. As far as I can remember it first happened a few months after buying the car and very slowly got louder and louder.

I will have a look into using a cheaper oil to flush before putting the Total in. Thanks

Give the wynns hydraulic lifter treatment a shot, it's about 8 quid at halfords and I've have 50/50 success with it. On mine it shut up a nasty lifter tap but on a friends it seemed to do nothing.

I may give that a go with the current engine oil and run it for a day or two before dropping the oil. Cheers mate

[Poodle]

The noise under load sounds more like knackered injectors, i don't suppose you use supermarket fuel..?

[td163]

The noise under load sounds more like knackered injectors, i don't suppose you use supermarket fuel..?

Could be the injectors mate, the original 044s did rattle I thought and I bought some 076s but still the same rattley noise. Could have bought some knackered 076s maybe. I just use Shell V Power and odd tank I put in 250ml of 2 stroke.

Going to get a price of getting the tappets replaced. I don't mind the expense if it needs doing.

Cheers

[Poodle]

Hmm, probably not that then... Crank pulley?

[THE_Liam]

I thought I had the same problem but now the crank pulley has exploded it sounds smooth! Certain it isn't that? It sounded just like a sticking lifter.