noco68 Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 Just noticed recently (last couple of days) a distinct - and worrying - tapping noise coming from the engine. I'm not particularly knowledgable in this area - what are the possible causes - from best to worst case... Car is a '96 S6 with just over 50k on it....very full service history but no belts changed... Edna'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 Does the noise occur during start-up or constantly? Which part of the engine is the noise coming from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noco68 Posted August 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 Hi, cruiser647, I've noticed it most at start up but I'm convinced I'm hearing it reverberating off of walls, cars etc. as I drive past them. It's definately coming from the head - hydraulic tappets going? I need to check the oil level to be sure I'm not low on that (I'm also assuming the garage - not an Audi specialist - put the correct oil in at the last service). Could it be as simple as low/incorrect oil...? Edna'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 Check the oil, as I think you might be using fully synth oil, which is thin. Check it is up to the correct level too. Also check the synth oil is the correct viscosity. Tappet noise usually quietens down a few seconds after start-up, once the oil has got to them. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noco68 Posted August 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 Aaaagh! Checked oil level - bone dry! Not a hint of fluid down there at all... So, I'm guessing that's the tapping noise sorted - now, where did all that oil go...? Edna'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 In my V6, I have poured in some Molyslip E stuff (from eBay!) That helps if the oil gets low! You are very lucky! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noco68 Posted August 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 [ QUOTE ] In my V6, I have poured in some Molyslip E stuff (from eBay!) That helps if the oil gets low! You are very lucky! [/ QUOTE ] Yeh, though still need to determine if I am dumping oil all over the place... Re the Molyslip E - saw some posts on it and checked it out on e-Bay - did you find any particular running/performance differences or is it just a 'piece of mind' thing? Edna'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterb Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 My experience of Molyslip (admittedly 30 years ago) is that all the oils seals started leaking a short while after adding it. I've never used any additives since then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noco68 Posted August 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 Oh! Ok, that's kinda' scared me off of that. TBH on another website I read a piece by a guy claiming to be in the oil business saying that additives in general do not live up to the claims.... I guess I'm jumping ahead of myself on this one - I suspect I have an oil leak somewhere - anyone out there know of any 'usual suspects' as far as potential areas to check? Edna'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 I think for you, it will be hard to detect an oil leak, as your engine bay is completely stuffed full of pipes'n'stuff! You can check the cam cover gaskets and the cam end seal gaskets. Also the sump gasket and sump drain plug seal, for starters. I stuck the molyslip in for piece of mind. Runs quieter too. Each to their own! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fudge Posted August 4, 2005 Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 Difficult to be sure without seeing/hearing the car, but it certainly sounds like the hydraulic tappets. Quite some time ago, I had an Audi 200 Avant Quattro (5 cylinder turbo 2.2 litre similar engine to yours) which I bought at 80K miles and sold to a mate at 180K miles (he sold it on at 230k still running well). I put a new clutch in at 150K but the rest of the engine was never touched apart from cambelts. They are very strong engines. Mine was on 10k service intervals and the tappets would become noisy on startup about 8k after each oil change (Oil was VAG Synta semi-synthetic (15w 40 grade I think). I wonder if the garage used thin (0w or 5w) fully synthetic oil and this is causing high oil consumption and tappet noise? I now run an S8 and many of my contacts with slightly older A8 cars have had oil consumption problems when using thin synthetic oils. I would be tempted to do an oil change using some good quality 15w 40. Hope that cures your problem. ---------------------------- 1999 Facelift S8, Pearl Black/Grey Leather Xenons, SatNav/TV, Recaros, Steering Wheel Tiptronic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noco68 Posted August 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 [ QUOTE ] I think for you, it will be hard to detect an oil leak, as your engine bay is completely stuffed full of pipes'n'stuff! You can check the cam cover gaskets and the cam end seal gaskets. Also the sump gasket and sump drain plug seal, for starters. I stuck the molyslip in for piece of mind. Runs quieter too. Each to their own! [/ QUOTE ] Thanks for the pointers, cruiser647. I have a friend with a car lift and a fondness for poking around cars so I might be able to trace something with him. Edna'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noco68 Posted August 5, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2005 RichardW, I have just stuck some 10W40 fully synthetic in - before I read your mail. If I'm honest I would have to say of at least 'questionable' quality (local garage forecourt stuff...). Is it a case that fully synthetic could actually be 'less-good' for the car than semi-synthetic? In my naivety I assumed fully was automatically better... Edna'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fudge Posted August 6, 2005 Report Share Posted August 6, 2005 Fully synthetic usually has better resistance to degradation at high temperatures and may be more stable (ie retains viscosity) over time. Definitely needed for cars like my Audi S8 which has variable service intervals (up to 2 years and, depending on type of use, 18 to 20k miles between oil changes). Your car is, I assume, on 10K service intervals. One of the problems with the fully synthetic oils in engines not designed for them is that their cold viscosity (ie 0w or 5w rating) means that they are very thin when cold and tend to drain out of the hydraulic tappets overnight (same effect as ordinary say 20w 50w oils after about 5k to 10k miles when their viscosity has reduced). Although your car is low mileage it may have been used on a lot of short journeys in the past and have rather more engine wear than the mileage alone would suggest. What does the handbook advise for oil grade - I would tend to stick to that even if it is not fully synthetic. As I mentioned in my earlier post my 200 Turbo Avant Quattro ran to at least 230k miles without the engine needing any work (when I sold it at 180k miles it was using less than 1 litre of oil over 10k miles) so Synta semi-synthetic must have been providing good lubrication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
noco68 Posted August 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 Apologies for bringing this back up but I am happy in my own mind now that I am losing oil at a greater rate 'than is normal'. So... [ QUOTE ] I think for you, it will be hard to detect an oil leak, as your engine bay is completely stuffed full of pipes'n'stuff! You can check the cam cover gaskets and the cam end seal gaskets. Also the sump gasket and sump drain plug seal, for starters. [/ QUOTE ] ...other than Cruiser 647's list of potential culprits which he/she kindly posted are there any other areas which would be worthwhile checking on a 5cyl, 2.2 turbo? Oil temp. sensor for instance? I hope to have the car on a lift sometime this week and would like to carry out as comprehensive a check as is possible.. Edna'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now