Van sat a year. Started up. There is an issue tho

[Randal]

Hola. I could use advice.

1999 Mercury Villager (Nissan Quest clone)
158,000 miles
3.3L V6, Automatic, AC
Code: P1105: MAP sensor. It was unplugged. Solved.
Code: No others pending or in memory. Battery was disconnected for a year.

There is a rapid, fairly light knocking sound (probably not a rod) that reminds me of what is often heard when first starting older engines that have sat at least a few days. The kind that generally goes away after 3-5 seconds.

So far I have started the engine 4 times, allowing to cool between each. The longest time allowing to run is about one minute. The idea is hoping for oil to circulate without permitting the metal to get hot.

Question: Should I perhaps snap the throttle to reach maybe 1500 rpm so the increased demand might get stuff flowing?

I pulled the valve cover that is accessible and viewed while running. There is some flow. While open, I poured 1-2 drops of oil on the rockers where they meet those things with springs on them. That still leaves the back trio without the special treatment.

On the list of considerations:

1. Find a decent mechanic ($95/hour) in town, then tow vehicle there.
2. Snap the throttle and hope.
3. Drive around a bit and hope.
4. Maybe change the oil filter.

Video below is my vehicle filmed yesterday doing exactly the thing described above.
[video]http://vimeo.com/97126229[/video]

Topic

[Imran]

You think maybe it could be a timing belt issue? My dads honda was making the same noise and I had to get someone to change the timing belt and do a timing adjustment on it after.

[Randal]

[quote=”lovemyhyundai” post=99502]You think maybe it could be a timing belt issue? My dads honda was making the same noise and I had to get someone to change the timing belt and do a timing adjustment on it after.[/quote]
I would expect misfiring to be present if timing were off that far. Plus I never made any changes to that area of the car. Only took off the intake manifold. With the Honda, you are saying a similar noise was cured though. Surprising. Let’s find out if others might have a take on the symptoms and your experience.

[Alex]

[quote=”randalusa” post=99492]
1999 Mercury Villager (Nissan Quest clone)
3.3L V6
…
There is a rapid, fairly light knocking sound (probably not a rod) that reminds me of what is often heard when first starting older engines that have sat at least a few days. The kind that generally goes away after 3-5 seconds.

[/quote]

A quick search turned up that the engine has hydraulic tappets, which supports your description and recording of the noise. My car has hydraulic tappets and I remember the owner’s manual stating that the noise may take several minutes to go away if the engine hasn’t run in a long time.

Your first set of short runs got oil to the top of the engine, so you can probably raise the RPM a little or just let it idle and warm up normally, keeping an eye and ear on it. If the noise fades after 10-15 minutes and everything checks out, you’re probably all set for a test drive. I would also recommend changing the oil & filter soon, along with a general inspection of other fluids and systems if you haven’t already. If the noise doesn’t fade or gets worse, it might be time to seek a mechanic.

Best of luck to you 🙂

[Randal]

That would be terrific. But while in town a while ago I stopped by two shops. Neither, as it turns out, performs deep engine repair. Both mechanics speculated about me having possibly dropped a screw down the intake and into one of the cylinders. Suckville. Worse than an oil pump. Plus if that angle pans out it might have been caused by my carelessness.

That puts me back at afraid to start her again. One of them did recommend pulling the plugs for a look inside with a camera and maybe for scratches on one of the plugs. Excellent idea. All the information thus far obtained means that probably tomorrow I will pull those plugs and see if immediate danger of worsening the situation by running at all or any more is apparent upon inspection. Gotta love working on automobile engines, eh. Thanks for the input.

[quote=”MetaphysicalEngineer” post=99531][quote=”randalusa” post=99492]
1999 Mercury Villager (Nissan Quest clone)
3.3L V6
…
There is a rapid, fairly light knocking sound (probably not a rod) that reminds me of what is often heard when first starting older engines that have sat at least a few days. The kind that generally goes away after 3-5 seconds.

[/quote]

A quick search turned up that the engine has hydraulic tappets, which supports your description and recording of the noise. My car has hydraulic tappets and I remember the owner’s manual stating that the noise may take several minutes to go away if the engine hasn’t run in a long time.

Your first set of short runs got oil to the top of the engine, so you can probably raise the RPM a little or just let it idle and warm up normally, keeping an eye and ear on it. If the noise fades after 10-15 minutes and everything checks out, you’re probably all set for a test drive. I would also recommend changing the oil & filter soon, along with a general inspection of other fluids and systems if you haven’t already. If the noise doesn’t fade or gets worse, it might be time to seek a mechanic.

Best of luck to you :)[/quote]

[EricTheCarGuy]

Before starting a vehicle that’s sat for a while, It’s a good idea to do this.

It belong a little late for that, we can only speculate as to what the issue is. First, oil pumps don’t make oil pressure, the clearances in the engine do.

If it’s a lifter issue I’m afraid that you’ll have to replace the cam AND lifters to address it. You can’t just replace one or the other.

With all that said, we’re just talking about the engine noise. In my experience vehicles that sit suffer more than those with hundreds of thousands of miles on them. Mostly due to dry rotting of rubber seals and bushings. Also the brakes and related components tend to suffer. My point in mentioning this, you should probably look the vehicle over completely before committing to any engine work, if required, so that you’re not putting money into something that isn’t worth putting money into.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Billy]

Having the SAME problem with my 2000 Grand Prix. Sat for about a year, with only being moved maybe twice. Started it a few weeks ago, and same sound. Does the knocking sound on yours increase with engine speed, as mine does?
Would love to hear the resolution to your problem. Mine has been with the mechanic for a week. He has taken off the valve covers and said that the lifters seem good and “tight”. He also said he looked into the cylinders, and is still stumped :unsure:

My last house had a gravel road as the “driveway”, so it was parked in gravel and loose-ish dirt for a while. It is my understanding maybe something worked its way where it doesn’t belong, but i figured (hoped) my mechanic would see it.

[Author]

Replies