Engine Noise From Valve Cover

[abort_retry]

could this just be an adjustment on the valve tappets? or something more deeper such as rocker arms, pistons? noticed it when i switched to fully synthetic oil.... or it could already been existing for quite sometime. just been more pronounced when i switched to fully synthetic. i only hear it though on idle...

one more thing.... might be related to my first problem. when i switch on the ignition key to the ON position without cranking the engine yet, i hear a buzzing sound. could it be the starter giving in anytime soon? already replaced fuel filter and battery.

[woodfire]

What's your ride? How old is your ride?

1) What oil grade did you put? Did you follow the weight/viscosity spec as per your car's manual?

2) Have you had your valve tappets adjusted to specs already? This could be source of the noise.

3) You can have your starter checked in a reputable electrical shop (like wizzards in tomas morato) for free.

[theveed]

The buzzing sound is your fuel pump priming, it's normal and almost all cars do this.

As for the valve tappets, not so sure, anong oto ba?

[orly_andico]

valve cover "typewriter" noise is common in older cars with hydraulic lash adjusters. these don't need adjusting but can get noisy. the usual fix is to run full-synth oil through them forever.

examples: galant 7G (and maybe 8G); mazda 323 and 626; bmw 4- and 6-cylinder 1.6/2.0 engines. probably lots more.

[abort_retry]

its a 97 chevrolet suburban k1500. got it second hand a few weeks ago. i already replaced it with oem fuel filter, oem oil filter and mobil1 0w-40 fully synthetic oil. ive been using this kind of oil for years now on my f-150. the suburban and the f150 specifies 5w-30 oil. i guess the 0winter grade is neglible in our kind of climate. engine performance is the same, fuel consumption is the same, no smoke color noticeable on the tail pipe. it works perfectly fine.

[abort_retry]

its a 97 chevrolet suburban k1500. got it second hand a few weeks ago. i already replaced it with oem fuel filter, oem oil filter and mobil1 0w-40 fully synthetic oil. ive been using this kind of oil for years now on my f-150. the suburban and the f150 specifies 5w-30 oil. i guess the 0winter grade is neglible in our kind of climate. engine performance is the same, fuel consumption is the same, no smoke color noticeable on the tail pipe. it works perfectly fine.

the engine noise though cant be heard if you are inside the cabin or a few meters away from the vehicle. but if you popup the hood, you can hear it. its a little less noisy than an isuzu diesel engine.

[orly_andico]

perhaps the prior owner did not use 0w30 or 5w30 in the car. carbon buildup can cause those noises.

the most risk-free method is to just use 0w30 or 5w30 forever. eventually the higher detergency will dissolve the carbon deposits and clean out the engine.

on the other hand you can go for an engine flush not the kind they do in gas stations, but the one described in the following (Ford) TSB:

http://home.btconnect.com/ken.holland/probemx/p_p14.htm

granted, the procedure is for the ford probe/mazda 626 2.0L engine, but i ran across a similar TSB for the triton v8 engine. de-carbon procedure has some risks but will dislodge all the carbon. then use your 0w30 forever..

the full-synth oil basically does the same thing as a decarbon procedure, but it takes a lot longer..

[abort_retry]

thanks i will try flushing it... will probably try putting in a fuel system cleaner...

[speedyfix]

fuel cleaner won't really work at reducing the noise. try the motul engine flush... it might help more than fuel cleaner.

[abort_retry]

as i was reading another forum, it might have developed a problem on the distributor cap or rotor. probably it got wet when the mechanic sprinkled running water over the engine firewall when his assistant accidentally pressed the brake pedal and a swoosh of brake fluid came out all over when i had it serviced for bleeding the brake system. i did have 2 or 3 times having a problem starting the engine days after the brake service. though most of the time it started at one click.

[abort_retry]

had it diagnosed today on a chevy garage shop, they said its coming from inside of the valve cover. the lifters have to be manually adjusted because of improper maintenance. probably due to use of incorrect oil grade or prolonged change oil intervals.