Somethings making a clanging noise somewhere under my hood.
I've heard everything from valve springs, to bent pushrods, to blown pistons, to exhast leaks...
Now the newest mechanic is telling I just need a oil change BAD.
Possibly something wrong with the water or oil pump.
He said it looks like there might even be water in the oil.
Would bad/low oil make a clanging noise from the engine compartment?
I'd really like to just change my oil and it stop clanging...
I can't afford to have any major engine work done.
I mean, if there was something internally wrong,
Wouldn't I feel a loss of power?
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Well the whole story is...
I got the car Friday.
Drive it fine till Wednesday.
I was turning into a parking lot when it just all of a sudden started to clang.
Sounds like when a roller coaster starts to climb on that first hill.
A metal ratcheting/clanging sound.
And a few moments later the oil light came on for a bit and went way when I stopped at a light.
I continued on(I was about 30 mins from home)
It kept clanging. but I didn't notice any loss in power, or perfomance or anything.
If I sped up, the sound got slower.
If I took my foot off the gas it got so loud/fast I thought my car was going to explode.
Theres a large mountain I have to climb to get home.
(marion mountain, between Marion and Spruce Pine, NC)
The whole way up I climbed fine.
I've gone up this mountain 4 times before.
So I'd of known if there was a loss of power.
The whole time up the mountain the oil light flickered on and off.
not randomly, I swear it was like a off-on-off-on pattern.
When I got to the top, the engine was running a little hot.
When I'm sure was from the climb, and it was.
As soon as I got on the flat road again it went back to its normal temp.
For the next 5 or so minutes the noise was loud/fast.
After driving for another 10 mins or so the sound started to subside.
And was really only noticeable when I took my foot off the gas.
Since then I've parked the car in my drive way.
If I start it up its clangs. if I put it in gear it quiets/slows a tad.
If I give it gas it slows a little.
So I don't know.
Thats what happened.
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did you check the oil at all during this time?
When I got the car I checked all the fluids, topped off any that needed it.
I know the oil needed changing bad, but I figured it could survive one more drive.
ha.. I guess not. Something went wrong the night before I was gonna get it changed.
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that oil light means low oil pressure either from not enough oil or a @!#$ty oil pump either way sounds like its starving the engine of oil and making it knock i would fix it asap
Ok.
I got the oil changed.
It was really dark, but had no metal shavings or anything in it(that I could see)
Its still clanging though. So I guess I'm looking at a cylinder problem *sigh*
I'm going to take it to the chevy dealership in town and see what they come up with.
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It sounds like it could be a loose timing chain, but on an OHV engine I'm not sure.. do have have anyway to record the sound and post it? Video camera or tape recorder of some kind? That would help out a lot. Also, if you partially pop and axle, it will make a sound like that and do what your talking about. As far as the oil, it wouldn't suprise me if there not connected. The only thing that could really be causing both would be a loose oil pump. If we could actually hear the sound, it might really help.
i had the same issue. oil light on and off went on about my business with it and bang a connecting rod broke hence ending the life on my first engine in my old cavalier.... knocking it might be too late but the problem seems to have been your oil pump. but thissounds alllll toooo familiar
I blew an engine in my car due to lack of oil too, once the oil light starts coming on (if it's not malfunctioning), it's usually too late, and damage has already occured.
I have had my low coolant light come on and go off a frew times lately and the level is OK, it makes me wonder how realiable ANY of the idiot lights are. I'll takes qauges over lights anyday... an Oil pressure gauge is a good investment for our cars.
GENERAL RULE = if your oil light comes on..... IMEADIATLY shut your car off THEN pull over.
I don't care if my oil light comes on doing 70mph down the freeway... I'm shutting my car off... coasting to a stop... pulling the battery, and calling a tow truck. I aint taking any chances ever again.
Well I now know what happened.
I finally got the chevy dealership to look at my cavalier.
Its what my friend said happened.
I bent(broke?) a pushrod.
But they said it had nothing to do with the oil(well nothing directly)
They said my oil wasn't the cleanest, but it wasn't bad enough to cause engine damage they think.
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