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clicking in engine
Sent to Car Experts October 17 11:29 PM

i have a 95 saturn sl i went in to a gas station to get something and when i came out the engine was making a clicking noise i didnt think anything of it and drove about a mile home went i got home i checked the oil and it was bone dry so i got 3 quarts of oil and put it in and its still making the clicking noise any idea what it could be?

 

Optional Information:
1995 Saturn sl 1.9 liter

Already Tried:
putting oil in the car

Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Status:  Closed   Value: $15
Info Request
October 17 11:34 PM (4 minutes and 18 seconds later)
         
REPLIED to Info RequestCheck Mark
Hi!
Does this problem only happen at idle, or off idle as well? Also, does it sound like a ticking in the upper end of the motor or a slight knocking in the lower end of the motor?

Which motor do you have installed- single or twin cam?


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ttiger79 -- Auto Mechanic99% Positive Feedback on 347 Car Accepts
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Reply
October 17 11:36 PM (2 minutes and 42 seconds later)
         
Reply to ttiger79's Post: i have a single it like a ticking in the upper part of the engine
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
October 17 11:44 PM (7 minutes and 23 seconds later)
         
REPLIEDCheck Mark
Ok.
If you have a ticking noise in the upper end, this is caused by the low oil in the motor. When the oil level gets low, the upper end (valve train) is the part that is starved for oil first. You will usually hear the ticking sound first. If you don't add oil, permanant damage will occur. The noise you are hearing is a slight amount of wear on the lifters from the lack of oil. There is a very small space between the lifter and the cam and they make a ticking noise when the cam turns.
There is no "cure" for this problem. Once the motor is starved for oil, the damage has already been done. If you just have a slight tick in the upper end, it's not the end of the world. A knock in the lower end would be much worse. You may want to try to do an oil change and place a thicker oil back into the motor. Use a 10w-30 or a 10w-40. This may help to quiet the motor down a little.

Let me know if you need more help!


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ttiger79 -- Auto Mechanic99% Positive Feedback on 347 Car Accepts
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October 17 11:47 PM (3 minutes and 10 seconds later)
         
Reply to ttiger79's Post: So theres really no was to fix the noise or what could i just replace the the thing that ticking or buy new cam or is it just a waste of my time and just make sure i keep oil in the car full at all times

forgot to tell you it happens at idle and while driving so all the time

Edited by Customer (name blocked for privacy) on October 18 2006 at 12:06 AM
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
October 18 11:28 AM (11 hours and 41 minutes and 28 seconds later)
         
REPLIEDCheck Mark
Yeah. I don't think putting the money into fixing a ticking noise would be worth the time on this car. The noise is going to be just an annoyance. Like I said, try putting in a heavier oil when changing your oil. This may quiet it down a little. Always make sure your oil level is full as well.


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ttiger79 -- Auto Mechanic99% Positive Feedback on 347 Car Accepts
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October 18 11:19 PM (11 hours and 50 minutes and 14 seconds later)
         
Reply to ttiger79's Post: good news the noise is gone i dont know what happened but when i started my car today it worked just fine do you have any explanation now cause its really confusing me
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
October 18 11:28 PM (9 minutes and 13 seconds later)
         
ACCEPTEDCheck Mark
I'm still going with the original explaination- the low oil caused the problem. It may have taken a bit to get oil back into the parts that needed it in the head. Your cylinder head is equipped with hydraulic valve lifters. These lifters fill with oil and close the space between the rocker and the valve. You lost the oil pressure here, and these are what were making the noise.
You got lucky this time! Most of the time, these components don't recover like that! You will have the noise again if the oil level gets that low again!


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