My Car Back at Mechanics!!!

[KittyKatSmack]

Yes everyone....

My car is back at the mechanics AGAIN!

On cold start, the sound coming out of the motor sounds like Dan's VW Beetle...

http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/mica/funmeter1.gif

I took it back last time and they put better oil in it 20/50 this time.

Still did it.

They are checking it again, and keeping it a few days to do cold start testing. Has anyone else had noisy cold starts?

I have had suggestions of noisy lifters, bad cat etc.

Would really appreciate it if anyone can reassure me here....

am about to hit panic mode soon....

:cry:

[Toyboy]

Mine sounded really bad once,it rattled something shocking :shock: in the 3 years ive had it it had never sounded like that b4 so i freaked,but it hasnt happened again since,very strange :?
Also if i left the car for days without starting itsometimes it chugs like its only running on 3 cylinders for a bit then comes good :)
So is it on every cold start of just sometimes :?:

[edskii]

is it the tapper noise that u r referring to??? coz mine is a V6, and i get that tapper noise on cold start, but it doesn't last more than 5 minutes....once the engine is idle under 1k then it's pretty quite

[KEEVRS]

HEY,

MINE HAS A SOUND JUST QUICKLY AT START UP.AND IT TINKLES SLIGHTLY.OH HANG THATS THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION.

BUT SERIOUSLY,

MY OIL WAS CHANGED LAST SERVICE AND EVER SINCE ON REAL "DEAD" COLD STARTS IT SOUNDSLIKE A BEETLE TOO.


FROM WHAT I CAN TELL WITH MY MECH EXP, ITS THE OIL PRESSURE TO THE LIFTERS, BUT NOT SURE ON THE ACTUAL DAMAGE OR SUFFERING ON THE MOTOR BECAUSSE OF THIS.

FOR ME I HEAR THE NOISE ONCE A WEEK AND DONT HAVE ANY DOWNTURN IN PERFORMANCE ETC, ALTHOUGH IN THE LONGTERM I AM YET TO FIND OUT.


KEEVRS

[JynX]

Only noise i get in the mornings is tappets due to being parked on a hill. Give it 2-3 mins and its fine.

Doesnt sounds good whatever it is.

Couldnt be as simple as a hole in your exhaust???

[KittyKatSmack]

No, I know a hole in exhaust.....

Does sound like tappets or lifters, but is shocking!!!!!!

Loud too, I wait for several minutes then drive off gingerly... still makes noise for a few streets and corners and PEOPLE LOOK AT ME!

It's embarrassing too, am sure Dan knows what I mean :wink:

But I am freaking out!!!!

I am supposed to call him now and he will give me an update.....

Fingers Crossed Everyone!

[Dogo]

maybe the spark plugs are misfiring ,

[Cosmo Dude]

Sounds like the lifters.
Make sure you have enough oil (if your low on oil the lifters are the last to pump up) if OK then get it warm and take it for a good hard drive around the lake a few times to loosen any lifters that have stuck together.

The lifters are a device between the cam and the valve stem and fill with oil to adjust to the correct size. With low oil they don't fill (Clackety Clackety Clack too much gap) and when jammed they don't expand (Clackety Clackety Clack too much gap).
My mechanic recently told me the reason my engine idles so smoothly is because I abuse it so much :oops: Same reason I replace the Tyres, Clutch and CV joints regularly :lol:

Rod

[Aaron]

OK - So quick question - if Kitty has a sticky lifter or two - (I think they're on number 1 cylinder inlet side) is there a cheap way of repairing or 'unsticking'?

I've seen and heard of a lot of strange ways but not having a decent manual in front of me I can't transpose the theories to how they'd work in practice.

And no we don't want to 'flush' the motor with Kero.... or whatever the craziest one is...

[Cosmo Dude]

5-10 minutes at 5500rpm in 4th on a dyno may loosen them up.

If you were an assertive driver then this wouldn't be the solution as daily driving would simulate these conditions :wink:

Rod

[apparition]

Hey Kitty, when you say it sounds like a VW beetle, you mean that noisy or does it sound something like a wrx / boxer engine. Does it sound like the engine is misfiring when you accelerate?

My thought is that it could be just your spark plug leads that's causing the problem. Have that checked out, or just replace it with new leads and see if the problem disappear.

Cheers
Daniel :D

[KittyKatSmack]

I have never been accused of not driving my 'stina assertively.....

I remember Tony seeing me drive to the airport late afternoon.... I didn't see him, he saw me..... apparently I was going fairly quick :oops:

But I don't think it's a case of going hard here.... thanks anyway Cosmic Rod :D

I called Dasfleet, and the car is staying with them until Monday/Tuesday at least.

Am beginning to wonder if I will have my Astina for the AstinaGT Bash!

I am VERY UNHAPPY!

It will be fixed, repaired, replaced ~ whatever the case may be... am just concerned at how much $$ this is going to cost me especially as the rest of this year is already looking very expensive :cry:

Further ideas and suggestions are still very welcome!!!

The replacement motor still has merit too!

[azaudio]

Whatever it is , it doesnt sound too goodly
Good luck , hope the bank balance is in order (might need it) lol lets hope not :lol:

[Toyboy]

Maybe they are trying to tell you that you need a turbo :D :P

[BigBoyLemonade]

yeah just sounds like the lifters... Sounds like you need slightly thicker oil or you need to rev the tits off it...

I would be happy to fix it for you ;)

[Toyboy]

MMMMMMMM Redline driving,the way i like it:lol:

[KittyKatSmack]

Thanks Lantis and Toyboy.... I think I am perfectly capable of "adjusting my own tappits by engaging a forced drive technology"

ie/ flogging

(big words!!)

But I have to admit that I do give her schtick and so it shouldn't really be a problem in the first place, or the solution shouldn't be the answer in this case?

As for oil, I had the guys replace my oil with a 20/50 grade so that I could eliminate this as one of the problems.

Any heavier and we are going way over where it started from.
My car has hardly ever made this noise in the first place before these boys serviced it for me.... when it started making the noise, I made the assumption that it was an oil getting to the top end problem that would be rectified by the upcoming service......

*grumble grumble grumble*

That is why I have posted this in the hopes that anyone has had similar problems and actually fixed it. By the sounds of it, those that have had similar/same problems just ignore it and it goes away after a couple of minutes..... this doesn't sound right. If my car starts making a noise that it has never made before, I generally think something has changed, and I want to know who what where why how and when and how much to fix!

As for the turbo option, we now have a turbo in the family......
If I was going to go the turbo option, I would get an XR6T in Blood Orange.... that is a fully sik beast!

But not enough dinero for that, so ... it's fixing the Astina..... with a possible engine change to another N/A motor!!!!!!!

[dfvadr]

i dont agree with the thicker oil
ie:- sticky lifter is probably cause by previous owner not servicing it regularly enough so there for it glugs up inside the lifter an makes it stick
so therefor a thicker oil isn't going to get through you would need a thinner oil
i suggest running rimula-x deisel oil for a thousand k's or so then dump it an go back to your normal oil [not thick only blocks passages]
rimula is a detergant base an should clean the sticky lifters if that dont help you sorry love but its replacement time
good luck

[BigMal]

I also agree not to use a thicker oil. My tappet and oil consumption woes
started when my mechanics used the same thick sludge they use in their
old ford V8 donks in my motor. Think about it if you want to fill up your lifter
faster on startup would you use something as thick as water or as thick as honey.
Remember the left reading is the cold reading and the right is hot. You dont
want it to thin out too much when hot but you want it to get around fast when
cold. Thats why I recomend the 10/50.

Regards

Mal

[Aaron]

mmmm interesting idea about the diesel oil... May be worth a last ditch effort if it gets traced back to the lifters... Do a couple of run and dumps and see what happens...

I know the Mitsu 4G DOHCs just start doing it and then it's 'change' time nothing helps.... :\

[TwoJays]

I thought noise like this was factory-standard for every Astina... it certainly happens in almost every Astina that I know... but anyhow... Aaron, I was speaking to a guy that did his mechanic apprenticeship at Waterhouse's 'shop (Mazda place in Isa St... forgotten the name...) in Fyshwick, and he was saying that the problem is that the quickest way to fill with oil is a -very- narrow tube, and basically anything above 2 atoms wide can block it (okay, exaggerated a little for effect :roll: )...

His advice???

Pretty much the same as some of the other guys... get the engine to do a lot of hard work (i.e. rev the knacker off it... lots :D ). For what it's worth, this works exceptionally well for me :-) I used to get it much worse when I followed the manuals oil change intervals (i.e. every 7,500 for mine... that was when Mazda was servicing it for me...).

Now that I change oil & filter every 5,000 i get the problem a lot less. It's still there, but nowhere near as badly as it was. And for the record i used to use 10/40 oil, but changed to 20/50 after the 200,000Km mark and it seems to have helped as well...

Oh, and the other way they used to fix this at Waterhouse's? Take off the head and give it a good long bath (and a nice cup of tea) in some carby cleaner... flushes out all the impurities... and everything else I'd imagine...

I'll leave it there... I've got a strange problem that I'd like to ask everyone's opinion on too (no smart-arse comments along the lines of "you can get ointment for that" needed just yet :) )... I'll make another post though so to keep it less confusing...

[sirex]

If my car starts making a noise that it has never made before, I generally think something has changed, and I want to know who what where why how and when and how much to fix!

Especially annoying when you are trying to impress the chicks and the dumb thing starts doing things beyond your control :oops:

[Rupewrecht]

It's embarrassing too, am sure Dan knows what I mean

bah! ..|.. ..|.. :lol:

[KittyKatSmack]

Well spoke to mechanic just then....

After putting in the "you beaut" 10W30 oil, upon starting it this morning, the noise was still there.......

*mental picture of blokes standing around with beanies on rubbing chins*

AAAARRRGGGGHHHHHHH

:evil:

At this rate, the car will still be there over the weekend.
Ok, so we will be away in Bruce.... no biggie yet....
But now it is uncertain as to whether or not I will have my 'stina for the Annual Bash!

FUKKKKKKKKKKKKITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

:x :cry: :evil: :!:

[dfvadr]

take it back off ur mech before its cost u too much an run the desiel oil to kleen it

[KittyKatSmack]

So far it's cost me nothing.......

all the oil changes and time spent on the car is free........

Aaron and I are going out there tomorrow to talk to them in person rather than on the phone.......

Am just getting really upset that nothing seems to be fixing this problem......

And am going to have a tantie!!

What can I break? *looks about desperately*

That credit card will do...... *goes internet shopping*

muahahahahahahahahaha!

:twisted:

[KittyKatSmack]

I saw my car today....

IT'S DIRTY!!!!

But... it is also sounding a lot better... all these oil changes they are doing must be the equivalent of flushing out any **** in the motor.....

Started it this arvo, two loud tick overs and all quiet!!!
They have changed the oil two more times and it now has gone back to (again) a 10W30 but they have changed the brand to Fooks? anyone heard of this?

I have told them to keep the car until tomoz and check it first up in the morning.... am tempted to tell them to keep it over the weekend and then they can start it on Monday morning....

We shall see, but it would appear to be improving....
general oil pressure seems to have improved getting the oil to the problem area
the flushes seem to have cleaned out any **** from the motor
and any sticky lifter problem may have been sorted out from the stop start of the testing

Well I can't think of any other reason why it's coming good now......
anyone?

[dfvadr]

no but i have herd of fuchs thats true not a joke

[Aaron]

Aye it was/is Fuchs not Fooks ;)

Although I think it's pronounced that way ;)

A.

[Cosmo Dude]

Where do you get this stuff, Fishwick? :lol:

Seriously though from all I've heard it's good stuff.

Rod

[KittyKatSmack]

Seems to have done the job to date. We will see tomorrow... or Monday... might leave it with them until then to be sure to be sure to be sure.....

Fingers crossed, and crystals hung, tongue on left side of mouth, prayers said.....

Bring it home to mama!!!!!!!

:smilielol:

[Will]

Erm tongue on left side of mouth? Thats a new one on me.....i assume its good luck? :? Hehe oh well. Hope its fixed.