# tapping noise on startup.



## 89dragger (Oct 3, 2005)

it is coming from the top end. it goes right away, i think it is pretty normal. i was told they do that because it is an OHC motor. i have heard other ohc motors do it too. it only does it when it is cold. it goes away after a second or 2. is this normal or what.


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## DRUNKHORSE (Mar 6, 2005)

No noise is normal on any car, whoever told u that is crazy. The tapping noise might be coming from the battery not giving enough voltage, poor connection, solenoid switch, or relay. If that doesnt fix it then check the oil level, u might not have enough oil reaching the valves/ lifters. That noise could also be from rocker arm(s) that are incorrectly adjusted/ worn. 

questions: what oil are you using? and hows the weather where you live? the weather has a lot to do when you pick out what type of oil to use on ur car.


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## 89dragger (Oct 3, 2005)

DRUNKHORSE said:


> No noise is normal on any car, whoever told u that is crazy. The tapping noise might be coming from the battery not giving enough voltage, poor connection, solenoid switch, or relay. If that doesnt fix it then check the oil level, u might not have enough oil reaching the valves/ lifters. That noise could also be from rocker arm(s) that are incorrectly adjusted/ worn.
> 
> questions: what oil are you using? and hows the weather where you live? the weather has a lot to do when you pick out what type of oil to use on ur car.



it is not the electrical system for sure. but i am in texas and it's hot, it had 5w30 crap in it but i changed it to either 10w30 or 20w50 i don't remember, it could have possibly have been 10w40. it has 118,000 on it. this is a faint noise that goes away really quick. i am guessing since it only does it when it is cold that it is experiencing dry startups. i just drove an 05 altima for a week with 3000 miles on it and it does the same thing when started cold. just something to think about, i don't know.


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## hyethga (Jun 13, 2005)

Only reason your car will not emit any noise is either its A) off or B) a hydrid running on battery.


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## DRUNKHORSE (Mar 6, 2005)

i know what ur talking about now....ya usually every car does that, its mainly because there is no oil in between the parts and so it takes about 2-3 seconds for the oil to reach the valves and such, but if the noise went on for longer then u need to use a different oil. Something you should know about is ur oils, if ur a DIY. 5w-20,-30,-40 oils are not ideal for hot weather, those oils are not recommended for temperatures over 60*F(16*C). The oil that mostly anyone would recommend for ur location would be either 10w-30 or 10w-40.


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## MaxQuest (Sep 11, 2004)

That is the IAC valve. It is located near the throttle body. The ticking sound is normal at start up.


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## markm (Aug 5, 2005)

89dragger said:


> it is coming from the top end. it goes right away, i think it is pretty normal. i was told they do that because it is an OHC motor. i have heard other ohc motors do it too. it only does it when it is cold. it goes away after a second or 2. is this normal or what.


 I think you are describing a valve tap due to a collapsed hydraulic lifter. It is a common problem in older engines. The noise goes away when the lifter fills with oil. I wouldn't worry about it if the noise stops when the engine warms up.

If you want to, you could experiment with different types of oil to see if it makes any difference. For example, a thinner oil may flow in the lifter more quickly and pump it up.


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