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Rattling noise when accelerating
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monsoon5
New User
Oct 8, 2008, 4:06 PM
Post #1 of 3
(7593 views)
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Rattling noise when accelerating
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I have a 2001 Toyota Corolla with 140,000+ miles, 4 cylinder, automatic, 1.8 liter engine. There are a couple issues, but it started with a loud rattling noise when accelerating, when I discovered that the oil was burning faster than normal, and the oil level was very low. I started checking the oil level once a week and adding more when needed (10W-40), and having the oil replaced every 3 months or so (approximately 3,000 - 4,000 miles). The loud rattling noise disappeared when I would add the oil, and reappear when the oil level was getting low. I had taken it to the dealer, and they couldn't figure out why the oil was burning too fast or what was causing the rattling.
I discovered that I was adding the wrong grade of oil; it actually required 5W-30 instead.  (The previous vehicle I owned required the 10W-40...). Since I have switched to the correct grade of oil, the rattling noise has returned when accelerating over 60 mph; the noise no longer goes away when the oil level is normal like it did previously. The oil light has never lit up over the life of the car, and the engine temperature is normal, although the engine light used to stay lit until a technician pressed a reset button and it is no longer lit. (Before the reset, the car did not pass the smog test. After the reset, it did pass the test with no problem.) Can anyone advise what may be causing these issues and what needs to be done now?
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 8, 2008, 5:27 PM
Post #2 of 3
(7586 views)
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Re: Rattling noise when accelerating
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Hmmm? You called this a LOUD rattling when oil got low and it quit when you added. Just how low was it getting? Lower than the "safe" area? The usual "add" mark is 1 quart. Was it more than that?
The 5-30 or 10-40 isn't really the issue or shouldn't be. The 10-40 is a full range oil just a bit thicker viscosity and would tend to cover some noise of a worn engine but it's not considered a HEAVY oil IMO.
I'm not encouraged by this so far. Just how much oil was it using and did it ever warn you with a RED warning light or show low oil pressure?
T
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HYdrogen_on_Demand
User
Oct 9, 2008, 3:42 PM
Post #3 of 3
(7580 views)
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Re: Rattling noise when accelerating
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The 10W-40 is still your better choice even though the dealer recommends 5W-30. You have 140+K miles on the motor, it's worn and a contributing factor to using up or burning oil. Quaker State Oil has a product for older engines, and it's weight is 10W-40. It also has some synthetic properties that improve several of it's abilities to get the job done.
The dealer is not your friend, and will use new car specs to mislead you, he wants you to buy a new car, not keep the old one alive. Those specs don't apply to your vehicle, and can actually harm it. He knows this and it fits into his deviciveness of preprogrammed obsellesence.
You only make my point for me when you stated that the recommended oil didn't work, and in fact started new symtoms of continuing to rattle under high ecceleration.
OK, now depending on how much your willing to do to figure this out, here are some simple tests you can do to isolate the oil loss problem. Look for leaks in the engine compartment and on the ground. If there are spots then what is directly above the spot? Is it in the front, side, or rear of motor? If the engine compartment is too dirty to tell then give it a bath. You can buy engine cleaners at the local auto store.
If there is a leak, then you may have to replace a gasket or three....if not then your burning it up in the engine. Here's a test that will determine ring and/or valve wear. This is where oil is lost to the burn cycle in the motor. So get a cylinder compression tester, and a friend to help start and stop the ignition control. You can substitute the friend with a remote starter switch. Make sure the coil wire is disconnected first because you don't want the engine to start... just rotate so to build compression for the test.
Four cylinders is easy, just pop off any of the spark plug wires to begin, best to start at one end and take a reading then move to the next in line. Pull the plug off and remove it's spark plug. Replace spark plug with tester and snug it down, rotate engine a few turns with ignition key or remote starter switch and read the guage on the tester. The cylinder pressure should get over 100 psi (thats pounds per square inch) and up to 160 psi. The higher the better, well usually anyway...Look up the new specs to see what is normal. The main thing is consistancy, all four cylinders should read the same within 5 psi or so. Remove the tester and replace the plug and plug wire. Don't pull all the wires off at once or you could get them mixed up, not a good thing as it could seriously damage the motor when you go to start it!! Move to the next plug wire and do the same until all the cylinders have been tested. If you did each plug in sequence, and replaced the wire each time through the process then there is no chance of any of the wires getting crossed up. Should you get the wires crossed up then find out the timing for that motor and run down the sequences with your rotor cap or high tention coils and correct the mixed up wires BEFORE STARTING THE CAR !! Double check everything just to be safe.
If there is an odd reading you should recheck it, but that's probably the problem cylinder if it's the lowest of the four readings. You can also do a leak check (specificly for isolating ring problems from valve problems) by squirting some light wieght oil into the cylinder through the spark plug hole during the initial testing. This will seal the rings somewhat and give a higher psi read under compression as opposed to running the cylinder dry (without the light oil) to make a comparative read. By doing this leak test you can seperate a wear problem out from rings or valves. Running the test dry tells you the overall psi of that cylinder, and allows you to compare it to other cylinders, but doesn't identify one or the other (rings vs valves) that is passing the most oil. The leak test will. It's purpose is to seal any gaps in ring wear, and should give a higher compression test read. If the leak check test results in the same read then you know the oil is blowing through the valves, not the rings.
Any way you cut this the bottom line is what to do next. To do nothing is to just accept that your engine has become an oil burning car and you continue to feed it's newly found addiction. If fixing the problem is your goal then roll up your sleeves my friend because it don't get easy, or cheap. Even more expensive to have a shop do the work. If the valves are the culprit then you may have escaped some bigger issues, and costs, you just need the head rebuilt at your local machine shop. It's still a lot of work if you choose to embark on it, and will cost at least $100.00 just for the minimum machining. If the head needs extra love then that is where it might get you $$.
I would seriously consider buying a shop manual and reading it from cover to cover, bottom line there are techniques and special situations. tools, and specs for the entire procedure, get to know them.
If the rings are bad then it's time to rebuild the motor. An alternative is to exchange the motor with one from Japan. The Japanese government has very strict smog laws, and engines over 30K are replaced as a manditory condition of their laws. Some of these used engines make it to the USA, and are sold pretty cheaply. The SMOG equipment on your car must be stripped from your motor and put on the new (used) motor as they are different then what we use here, and you need to comply with our laws, not theirs. The procedure is pretty easy, in fact easier then doing the head described above, the engines from Japan are clean and cratted up for ease of transport without damage. They have no oil in the crankcase, or filters, plugs, but usually have all their accessories intact so you won't have to worry about the alternator or water pump, and in some cases even the carburetor or fuel injection system, distributor and wires with plugs still in, are left on them.
If you want to invest in the tools discussed then buy them, or just rent them. Many auto stores offer a rental tool program, or may even have lending practices in place whereby you pay a deposit, and get it back when you return with the device. If your town doesn't have such an auto store then check the local tool rental houses and see if they can help you. Unless your doing this kind of stuff often, like once or twice a year or so, it doesn't pay to buy the tools. If your renting them then time is an issue, so don't go rent something and leave it laying around until the week-end !! Rent it and use it the same day, get it back ASAP !!
Good Luck !!
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