Knocking
Knocking
So I do believe my 97 is just about finished, maybe I'm wrong. I was on my way to work this morning, got behind someone slow and decided to pass them, car dropped down into 2nd went up to around 5k rpm and kind of held there til I got off the gas again.
I then noticed later on(after I turned the radio down) that this knocking had developed, below is a video of it. I feel like its an oil delivery problem, it knocks when you're accelerating but is quiet when you're just cruising. And when I parking my car on the hill where it goes(drivers side downhill) it started ticking. Any opinions would be appreciated.
I then noticed later on(after I turned the radio down) that this knocking had developed, below is a video of it. I feel like its an oil delivery problem, it knocks when you're accelerating but is quiet when you're just cruising. And when I parking my car on the hill where it goes(drivers side downhill) it started ticking. Any opinions would be appreciated.
I hate that sound )':
I know from experience, my pontiac developed a knock from lack of oil. The oil pump was failing at the time. I'd say test the oil pressure to see where your at, but once you get a knock, its almost impossible to go back.
I know from experience, my pontiac developed a knock from lack of oil. The oil pump was failing at the time. I'd say test the oil pressure to see where your at, but once you get a knock, its almost impossible to go back.
I had the pressure tested a while ago, have to wait for my mechanic to come back from vacation. I'll probably just park it til then. Even if it is a bad oil pump, the damage is obviously been done.
This was the video I took a week before I had the engine seize. Sounds fine at idle, just like yours does, but it gets worse as you give it gas.. Can't forget how quickly the oil pressure gauge dropped once the car is to temperature.. It seized one morning getting ready for work...talk about one hell of a day. ):
The only real way to "fix" it. Is to pull all the lifters...so Ak them for 24 hrs. (Standing up submerged in a bucket of oil to bleed all the air out of them. Replace the oil pump..and with any luck.. You will have a great chance of salvaging it. was/is it low on oil? You more than likely at those high rims caused it to such air into the system causing it to lose its prime to maintain proper oil pressure. Thus collapsing the lifters.
oil level is fine, middle of the crosshairs, oil looked fine as well. Taking apart the engine is something that isn't gonna happen for me. I'm not that mechanically inclined, nor do I have a place to work.
Sounds like it's time for an overhaul
Indeed, don't have the money for that, nor is it worth it for that car anyway. I suppose it was bound to happen one way or another.
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 12,601
From: Mentor, Ohio
Keanne, as you know, the 3100/3400 design is prone to a valve "tick" (unlike the 3800). And it's clear in that video, this is beyond a normal tick.
After about 5-10 minutes of the car warming up to operating temp, is it still that loud or do things settle down to normal? And can you put a mechanic stethoscope on the valve covers (front and back, going left to right and try to pin point if the sound is somewhere in the head itself and at a specific part of the head)? If you don't have a mechanic stethoscope, you can do basically the same thing with your ear on the handle of a long screw driver.
If the noise goes away after getting up to temp (again about 5-10 minutes) and you can confirm the noise is on a specific spot of a valve cover, you MIGHT just have a sticking lifter.
If so, I dealt with this symptom on a 3100 Grand Am (my wife's old car). A big motor head friend of my father's made a recommendation and it worked. Add a product like Motor Honey or Rislone to the oil. Run it (takes a while to work through the engine). On the Grand Am, I did that and after a day, noise was gone.
Now, that was not the end, next oil change, the noise came back, added another additive, noise went away. Had to do this for about 3-5 regular oil changes and finally, the noise was all gone, no more additive. I think she put another 20K+ miles on that car after no more additive was needed, sold it with no none issues with 170K miles on it, ran great.
FYI - I also forgot to ask the obvious (which was already asked on this thread), did you check that your oil is to the correct level? In theory, if you are low on oil OR have low oil pressure, a light should pop up on the dash and I did not see it. I do see a low coolant light. Did this car over heat at all?
One other issue to mention, if you try listening to the valve covers and don't here the noise on the top end, there is a chance you have a problem in the bottom end (possibly a rod bearing). If that is the situation, you are better off sourcing a new engine at that point if you intend to keep this car. Would be a good excuse for a 3400 upgrade
After about 5-10 minutes of the car warming up to operating temp, is it still that loud or do things settle down to normal? And can you put a mechanic stethoscope on the valve covers (front and back, going left to right and try to pin point if the sound is somewhere in the head itself and at a specific part of the head)? If you don't have a mechanic stethoscope, you can do basically the same thing with your ear on the handle of a long screw driver.
If the noise goes away after getting up to temp (again about 5-10 minutes) and you can confirm the noise is on a specific spot of a valve cover, you MIGHT just have a sticking lifter.
If so, I dealt with this symptom on a 3100 Grand Am (my wife's old car). A big motor head friend of my father's made a recommendation and it worked. Add a product like Motor Honey or Rislone to the oil. Run it (takes a while to work through the engine). On the Grand Am, I did that and after a day, noise was gone.
Now, that was not the end, next oil change, the noise came back, added another additive, noise went away. Had to do this for about 3-5 regular oil changes and finally, the noise was all gone, no more additive. I think she put another 20K+ miles on that car after no more additive was needed, sold it with no none issues with 170K miles on it, ran great.
FYI - I also forgot to ask the obvious (which was already asked on this thread), did you check that your oil is to the correct level? In theory, if you are low on oil OR have low oil pressure, a light should pop up on the dash and I did not see it. I do see a low coolant light. Did this car over heat at all?
One other issue to mention, if you try listening to the valve covers and don't here the noise on the top end, there is a chance you have a problem in the bottom end (possibly a rod bearing). If that is the situation, you are better off sourcing a new engine at that point if you intend to keep this car. Would be a good excuse for a 3400 upgrade