Hi All
Recently the past few days, my 1.6 petrol overhead cam (8 valve) has been making this clattering noise, More noticable on startup, and then quitens down when the engine has got warmed up, clatering increases in noise when REVS are raised, the car has only done 35k, and has been serviced within the past 6 months, however Ive noticed that the oil had dropped down to a quarter way of the min mark
Im hoping that this is one the the hydralic valve lifters not getting enough pressure due to the oil level been low, thefore a top up should resolve?
Can anyone give me some advise
Many Thanks
Ste
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 19/11/2007 at 18:41
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my mate had one of these the cam snapped due to no oil getting up top, make sure oil is flowing in the top of the head remove the top cover 8-10 bolts i think,
maybe yours is a hydraulic tappet thats loosing it's oil, what oil are you using?
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Hi
I?m not sure, what type of oil is in the car, as it was put in (supposedly) when the car went to a 3rd party garage for a service until then its fine, it only started doing it yesterday, 4 days ago though I did push it a bit on a 100mile journey so It might have used some oil then, but I?m just really hoping that its just a low oil issue
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forgot to say that the oil level , i have just checked and it is only a quarter up from the min mark
thanks
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As long as the oil level is between the min and max marks, then the level won't be causing problems.
If the oil is very thick, you will get noisy tappets as the weather gets colder - as you don't know what grade is in it may, or may not, be that.
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Hi
but even when its warmed up it still clatters a bit and it never used to, is this normal?
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It'll be "normal" if the wrong oil was used.
'52 Astra should use 10W-40 ACEA-A3 (or A5), according to Vauxhall, but 5W-40 or 0W-40 can also be used if they're ACEA-A3 or A5.
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Its always mentioned that the oil is too thick that causes this problem! But it can also be any or some or all of the following too.
Oil worn out
Oil too thin (yes really!)
Worn hydraulic lifter
worn/broken tappet, follower.
Poor/no oil flow
Difficult to diagnose any noise without listening to it, but would suggest a hasty flush, (and yes I dont recommend flushing very often!) drain of oil, refill and new filter and see what noise is like.
if only recently serviced and its a new noise then re visit garage and ask them for opinion and their cure.
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Can you confirm where noise is coming from? Is it from the top end, or from where the cambelt is? If it's the latter, then it *could* that the cambelt is loose and once the metal of the engine expands with heat the belt then tightens up enough to mute it.
Whichever it is, get it sorted sooner rather than later.
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Hi All
Many thanks for all your replys
DD - I cant pinpoint it specifically but it sounds exactly like my older vausxhalls did, when starting from cold,( they where high milage so the valve lifters woould some time slightly clatter until oil pressure reached them and they where fully presuurised with oil) only this continues through out getting slightly quiter, ive been to Halfords, and bought some oil only when I was driving there there, and back) was no problem at all (i have yet to fill it with oil) (however i have now got a puncture as i drove past some roadworks got a massive nail in the tire wich i have now replaced with the spare)
Ill fill with oil (as it does need topping up) and keep you all posted
Ste
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Hi All
Just a update, topped up with oil, and this morning it made the world of difference, however on the way back from work it was just as bad (it seems to be intermittant) i did notice a little bit of "mayo" underneath the filler cap this moring but there has been no coolant loss and there is defo no steam coming out of the tail pipe when the car has warmed up so im hoping that this is just down to the car used for short journeys.
Can anyone please advice, and also why did it start of all a sudden (one min it was fine (15 mile trip), stopped the car for 10 min, got back in and then it started)
Thanks again
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im suspecting oil pump or galleries blocked and not giving full presure of oil to the top end at all times.
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Hi Thanks for your reply, it does seem to be intermittant, it wiill be fine, and then "clatter" louder for a bit, and then it will be a lot quiter but you can still here a very faint "clatter", then it might go louder again
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Is it all the lifters rattling? If not, and the noise comes and goes I'd suspect one hydraulic lifter is faulty - had just this on a CVH engined Ford a few years back. It behaved exactly as you describe.
JS
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hi i think its just the one lifter (if that is what is clattering)
Ste
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