[Terculees]

Hey folks,
I have a 2k1 tiburon, 2.0L manual, base edition (no sunroof, leather, foglights or rear wiper).

Lately my car started making a gurgling sound with it's engine right after startup when it's cold. Basically for about 5 minutes, it sounds like in one cylinder there's a valve that's gently knocking on something. So it's not as bad as say, a lawnmower, but I can hear the little rattling maybe 10 times a second and it gets louder as I accellerate. This goes away after 10 minutes, i.e. when the engine is warm. There is no performance or milage loss whatsoever, it's just acoustic. Now, I'm not used to hearing this sound from anything other than really old cheap cars, I think I remeber hearing something like this on say, a Ford Tempo or a Dodge Dynasty... needless to say, it's not that comforting coming from my car.

I live in California, so extreme weather is not a factor. But the engine does have ~90K miles on it.

If anyone has any suggestions that don't involve hundreds of dollars (No, I'm not porting and polishing my head, I'll sell the car first), I would love to hear them.

Terculees.

 

[Blacktibs]

Where in Cali? Its more than likely your HLAs being annoying. Its super common, a good engine flush and some synthetic oil should help a bit. I forgot what the cure is, or if there is one, but yeah it sounds like you have lifter tap like most of us. I have it on my 97, not sure about my other tibs, I know my 2000 motor doesn't make the noise in the race tib, and the 2001 tib I've only started up a few times to move it. But you aren't in any real danger, unless there's a lot more to this. I dont know about gurgling though, that sounds like you're running extra rich, but why you'd be dumping extra fuel I have no clue. I dont know anything, lol.

 

[Terculees]

I'm in Sacramento.

Yeah, it's definitely like a slight knocking. The gurgling is actually a knocking that is very quiet. It's something I would expect from a car with 200k miles on it, not 90 like mine. This certainly has all the symptoms of a bad lifter or valve, but if anyone can give me more details, that would be cool. And let me know if this is even worth worrying about... I'm not going to go and get a new head over this. Like I said, the car runs fine.

 

[Dynamo^Joe]

Hi:

There is a difference between ticking and knocking.

If its knocking it could be a connecting rod bolt stretched. Has the engine been past the redline?

I've had experience with GM V-8 engine doing so. Stock engine run it past 5500 rpms and asking for trouble, the con-rod bolts are not strong enough. Fix is to replace con rod bolts and have the rods resized by a m/c shop.

.......could the knocking be a lower end "rotating assembly" problem?

If so, might want to choose a 0-30 full synthetic oil.

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Regarding engine flush, I recommend "Auto Rx" basically it's Ester oil similar to use in jet engines. Cleans the engine like unbelievable mang.
I've used it in my 98 Tib and could not believe how much it cleaned up everything. I even cut apart my oil filter at the recommended change interval and talk about crud filled.

http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=003506

This is one of the most kickarse discussion on oil I've read...You will learn something about oil "boy was i wrong about some things"
http://63.240.161.99/motoroil/

I now run 0-30 Castrol gtx "made in germany" written on the back. Its "0"-viscosity at cold engine temp, and on the high end of 30 viscosity when engine at operating temperature.
When I don't have any castrol, I use Mobil 1 0-40. Same on the "0" thing but at operating temps, its on the low end of 40 viscosity.

My engine is quiet since i've done the auto rx and use the full synth.
I go 15000 mi [23000kms] between oil changes and only have to do top ups that equivalent to 2 liters in this change interval.