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Rover 45 Strange engine noise at engine start (cold)

7K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  Rover420 
#1 · (Edited)
Hello...

I wonder if someone can help me with this!!

I Have a Rover 45 (1400 cc with 103hp) with aroud 38000Km (gasoline) and since a few weeks 'till now i notice a strange engine noise when i start the engine (like "tic-tic-tic", it seems like a noise of someone hiting with a nail in a table. When i acelerate "with no gear set" the noise accelerates as well) but afer a while (maybe a few seconds or around 1 minute) the noise ends...This only happens while the engine is cold at start, when is with the normal temperature (after driving a little while) the noise stops.

Can someone tell me what it is this noise , if it's bad and what can i do to stop that noise.

Regards...
 
#2 ·
Same problem

I too have experienced this problem with my girlfriends MG ZR 1.4
When the car is cold it very noisy and there is considerable vibration. Depending on long since the car was last driven it takes longer to go away. I'm no mechanic but guessing maybe the ingition is retarded due to a badly fitted cambelt or low battery power and low spark. It seems to eat the battery when left sitting up (Dead in 2-3 weeks). I'm guessing the retardation in the timing is affecting the balance in the crankshaft.

Were you able to find a solution to ur problem?
 
#3 ·
Apparently this is quite common with the k-series engine, if you do a search you'll find numerous other threads with simlar complaints.
My 414si that I had for 3 years was the same, and zs does it also, only slightly though.
I dont think it's anything to be worried about.
But im sure it isn't anything that could cause a battery to drain! It's a mechanical issue, most likely due to temperautre differences in the eninge,not electrical
 
#4 ·
Little peace of mind

Thanks. At least I know its not a major problem and can be lived with.
I thought the noise and vibration may be a symptom of the low battery rather than the other way around.
The low battery charge is caused by the Clifford alarm IMO. I may tell her not to use the alarm for a while just to see if there is much of difference.
 
#7 ·
It's probably just tappet noise. If it goes away quickly enough it's fine. Most K series engines do it and it's simply a tappet put under pressure by the cam that leaks oil and loses hydraulic pressure. This causes a tiny gap between the tappet and the cam and causes the cam to tap against the head of the tappet when the engine is started. As soon as oil pressure builds the tappet builds up hydraulic pressure and the gap disappears and the engine runs as normal.
It won't affect anything as long as it goes within a reasonable time. Somtimes tappets can be renewed by flushing the engine and doing an oil change.

Engine vibration is not caused by either piston slap or tappets. This is more likely to be caused by a faulty or loose engine mount.
 
#8 ·
Hopefully

I hope you're right Ashy. If left idling from start-up the noise persists up to 5 minutes. During this time it disappears while reved at or over 1500. Return to idle and its back. Guess it should be started and driven, not left sitting there if it is a piston slap. Time will tell.
 
#9 ·
I hope you're right Ashy. If left idling from start-up the noise persists up to 5 minutes. During this time it disappears while reved at or over 1500. Return to idle and its back. Guess it should be started and driven, not left sitting there if it is a piston slap. Time will tell.
No car should be left to idle from cold, it's not doing the engine any favours. Start and drive immediately to get the engine up to temp and oil up to pressure.
Get it up to temp and take the car for a damn good blast with plenty of revs. If it goes it's a leaky tappet.
 
#10 ·
I had about two years ago Rover 200 with that same 1.4 (103 hp) engine, and it had that same problem: when engine was cold, it kept similar tic-tic noise, and when engine got normal running temp, that noise ended.

I asked around about that, and everyone said that it is one of hydraulic valve-elevators.

I tried few times some inside-engine-flush stuff, and it helped, but not much. Some experts said that changing engine oil to good one could also help.
http://gallery.mg-rover.org/showphoto.php?photo=13578
 
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