Loud Tapping Noise For A Short Time When Cold

[NYL83R]

R33 GTST S1 (RB25DET)

The problem started last week, when i started the car up in the morning, it made a loud tapping sound (bit like a really loud tapped/lifter). Only lasted for about 5-10 second though, also ran rough during this time and blew white smoke?...(my wife was standing behind the car and saw white smoke). Any suggestions? i thought it might be lifters or even maybe the turbo???

I drove the car to work that day, drove around heaps on sat, and it had not made the noise again. Plus i could not see any smoke in the rear view mirror or anything. But it happened again this morning....so i just left it in the garage ....but same thing, it cleared up after about 5-10 secs or so. wierd.

One other thing, for a good while now i have noticed the bov(blitz) not working like it used to, instead the internal wastegate has been making more noise?? i thought this could just be because i have put on a bleed valve and am running 10psi. i did not think this was a related problem...but thought i would add it in anyway. the bov problem if it is has not been effecting performance, just means the wastegate is louder nowdays.

Any help on this problem would be appreciated, thanks

Edited March 27, 2006 by NYL83R

[SECURITY]

could be your oil pump. hows oil pressure? (dont go off the standard gauge). the problem you're describing sounds to me like oil pressure is low on start up. by the time the oil gets to your lifters it starts lubricating then the sound goes away.

white smoke doesnt mean much.. its usually condensation in the exhaust.

[PlasticStan]

Agreed.

My R33 GTS25T sometimes makes the tappet noise on cold start up, not all the time and when it does it only last a couple of seconds until the oil pressure builds up, and the oil reaches the head.

As for white smoke on start up, it does just sound like condensation in your exhaust evaporating. Nothing to worry about, as long as you don't see white smoke under full throttle acceleration when the engine is warmed up.

[NYL83R]

Thanks, is there an easy way to check the oil pressure?

it may be what you guys are suggesting...after it made the noise last weds, it did not make it again till after it sat for over a day (saturday arvo till monday morning). so in this time the oil would settle.

actually, come to think of it, the car has been making a very light woo, woo, woo noise from the front of the engine while running.....i thought it could be air con pump or something....but mabe the oil pump making noise? i have not worried to much about it, cause you can only just here it while the bonnet is up.

[wilch]

woo noise could be your fan maybe?

[NYL83R]

the clutch thingy in the fan? ....sorry don't know its real name

[GTR_STEALTH]

I'd be inclined to think its the oil pressure too....btw, have you changed the oil recently? ....was it the right viscosity?

OR

It could be something as simple as a spark plug on its way out....

Had very similar symptoms on my Commodore, was rough idle on startup...turned out to be one of the plugs....

[NYL83R]

i don't think a bad plug would make a tapping sound when the car starts. i did change one of the plugs a couple of months ago cause it had split its shaft metal thingy. it was running rough then, but it was a bit different. I should have changed all the plugs, but only had cash at the time for 1 new one. (no bits of the plug went into the engine). i'm going to change all plugs soon, cause it misses a bit around 5000rpm, but i think this is not related to my current problem.

i changed the oil about 3000kms ago, using shell helix ultra.

Edited March 28, 2006 by NYL83R

[joh21m]

have you checked your oil level, usually if your oil is low it will make this noise. also your motor will be noisier then usual...

check ure oil level and give it a top up if needed. i usually top it up to just above the full mark, about 3mm above...

[NYL83R]

thanks, i'll check

[NYL83R]

i checked the oil, and it has not moved of its mark since i did the oil change 3000 kms ago. so i guess that means its not burning oil or anything. I started up the car (had not started it since mon night, and it did not make any weird noises....? so not really sure what the problem is...perhaps the very early signs of a oil pump dying...who knows

[insu]

Take your car to a mechanic, doesn't really matter who, you just need one with a mechanical oil pressure gauge. Basically you just unscrew the oil pressure sender (to the left and down a bit from the oil filter on an R33 Gts-t, it has a yellow plug covered by a rubber boot) and plug in the mechanical oil pressure gauge. Run the car at idle and see what pressure it is putting out, see if it's healthy.

There is a guide on here that has the appropriate oil pressures for coresponding revs. I'll find it for you and post it in the next post, that'll at least give you an idea if your pressure is ok, which if it's not can lead you on to finding the cause of the low pressure, or if the pressure is fine? I'm not sure? take it to a specialist?

-Insu

[insu]

Reference: Taken from this post: http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/in...opic=108673&hl=

Made by the following SAU user: Topaz

[michael87]

I get a similar noise in my r33 when starting the car in the morning, I think its a f*cked lifter.

At idle its a ticking noise, its quiet between idle-2k rpm as I accelerate I get a tapping noise (which increases in vibration as the revs climb) between 2-3k rpm. then its quiet. (vice versa for de-acceleration)

It gets quieter as the car heats up and the oil pressure drops. Its really unusual. Going to take apart the engine and find the problem as soon as I get the money, it doesn’t seem to be doing any damage.

-michael

[NYL83R]

Thanks....i will take it to a mechanic. beter to be safe than sorry.

[NYL83R]

I hooked up a oil pressure gauge, and there is no problem with the oil pressure, its very healthy.

hmmm, well the car has not made this noise again since...so not sure what it is or was. maybe just the car having a monday morning hissy fit??

[GTR_STEALTH]

I would guess that you prob didnt have the dipstick in properly or the cap wasnt tightend properly.

With your car at idle take the dipstick out and you will notice a change in note of the revs....soooo, maybe at cold when the oil is at the bottom it was struggling to get the pressure up and so the lifters were suffereing....

[NYL83R]

hmmm, interesting theory....could be right

[AlexCim]

On cold morning starts, my car blows some white/blue smoke if i rev it into anything above 10 vac. This only happends for the first 10 seconds of driving (meaning, if i drive right away, if it warms up, i dont get the effect)

I know the difference between smoke and condensation, its not water.

Anyway, yes, my car is pretty loud for the first 5s amount of time too. Ive basically disregarded it as SK said it was fine

About the woo woo woo, i get a woo woo woo, its my gearbox though. Is your car auto? woo's come from poor/partial oil flow, to either engine or gearbox.

I also get a woo woo kinda noise when the a/c is on, but thats a whole other story

[bilbo117]

hey mate. I consistently get this noise if my oil level is running low. Cold mornings amplify the problem. I would double check that oil, and if it isnt near the high, top it up. cheers!