engine makes a groaning sound

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 31 Oct 2006, 19:01

Could be the filter but maybe not....does the sound every go away? Is it just on start-up? If just on start-up, I would replace your oil filter for a Mann (prefered), or at your local AutoZone, even a Puralator...Frams are just bad news...they don't hold oil up like those with the special valve in them, so oil is not up to the top of the engine on start-up. If you just replace your oil filter (and not pull the plug on your pan) you'll lose about 1.5 quarts of oil and that's it...just replace the oil when you install a new filter. If however the clanking sound is constant and doesn't go away after your car has run for a few minutes, then it could be other things...oil return pump from the bottom of the oil pan for one (already mentioned), or loose lifters...a number of possibilities.

daughertysl · Post by **daughertysl** » 01 Nov 2006, 07:29

The first day it happened it was on start up and made the noise for a few minutes afterward. Later that day I turned the car on again and it made the noise, but I only had it on for a few minutes again. The third day I started the car it happened on start up and then quit making the noise.

I started up the car in warmer weather today with less wind so I could hear better. The serpentine belt started squeaking, which was new and indicates it's going bad. This time the noise was present on start up and when I would rev the engine. I think the noise is constant, but I can't hear it as well when the engine is in idle. I have a felling the belt is old and becoming loose and possibly skipping on a pulley, or possibly a pulley or the tensioner is going bad. I'm going to buy a new serpentine belt to see if that fixes the problem and inspect the pulleys as well.

I'll also replace my filter with a better one just to prevent the other problems you were saying result from the fram filters.

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 01 Nov 2006, 20:49

You can take the serp. belt off and run the car (don't drive it, you won't have power steering) to see if the sound is still there.

rbrach · Post by **rbrach** » 02 Nov 2006, 01:58

i just thought that i would throw in that a few months ago my car kind of started making a similar noise when it was cold only. One day i started it up and the sound was worse (coldest day of the year at that point). so i took it apart and it tuned out that my timing belt tesnioner was almost locked up. Glad that i had a water pump, idiler roller, mechanical tensioner, and timing belt in the garage, runs like brand new now. i felt lucky to get this fixed before something worse happened.