osnow6

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCyg4...ature=youtu.be

I have been getting a strange noise from my engine which started recently. I have been looking for this in forums. So here are some points :

- This happens only after engine warms up.
- Started to happen after an oil and oil filter change. I have used Mobil 1 0w-40 full synthetic oil and a Mobil 1 oil filter. I am not sure how it was with the previous owner since I got it 9 months ago.

People say this might be
- a sludge problem
- or cam tensioner problem.

As I said it does not do it at cold start it works fine until it warms up.

Thanks again for any kind of input.

4Driver4

My guess is can chain tensioner.

5v/cyl

Try spraying some water on the TB belt while its running. See if it goes away briefly. Try same thing on serp belt to see if that has effect.

kcosh

I had the same noise on both my a6's and did full timing belt, Valve cover gasket, seals and cam tensioner pads and the noise went away. Personally it's a hell of an undertaking but well worth the piece of mind that nothing is going to snap or seize.

osnow6

Hi,
Thanks a lot for the suggestions. I have not been using the car for a since I was busy did not get anything done on it yet. I wanted to give a try again today. So, initially when cold and after engine become hot it sounded normal. However after I drove about 4 miles (in city) it started sound like Diesel again. I was planning to do the water spraying thing on the belts but it was raining a lot today and left it for tomorrow since I do not have a garage.
So, if it was the cam chain tensioner , wouldn't that be there all the time? Why does it show up some time after the engine gets hot? I will probably take the car to mechanic on Monday but would be nice to get some more advices before I pay tons of $$$.

Thanks again!

SloopJohnB@mac.com

Generally noises change as the engine gets hot and clearances change because different metals expand at differing rates....either things get tighter or things get more loose.

I might have said sticking lifters but that should be there at cold startup. Unless you luck out and find a mechanic who has run into this particular sound before I would think you'd have to pull the cam cover(s) and actually check out the cam chain tension (if it's loose its a bad tensioner or worn/broken/missing pad(s)).

At that point you can also look for worn cam lobes...we've even seen holed lifters on this forum but generally there are other symptoms for that bad a failure.

As cheap as oil changes are why don't you try changing oil again and using a mann filter? To belabor the obvious perhaps you didn't put enough oil in the engine.....