slight engine knock

[nogard]

I changed the oil in my '88 3S-FE camry, then drove it out to the driveway and parked it. It sat for two weeks with out being driven. When I started it there was a slight knock, sounded like a crank knock and not the usual valve train tick.

I shut it off check the oil level, it was good. Then I restarted it, only would knock with higher than idle engine speed. So I let it warm up and idle for a while, I can't hear it from inside the car, but when I have the hood open and in the enigne compartment, I hear it slightly, with higher rpm.

I never checked this before under the hood, so I have nothing to compare it too. But from in the car is now sounds normal. Should I be alarmed? Is there something else I can do or check. I have the same oil and filter that I always use, I've had this car for a year, and changed oil on it 5 times. I've changed oil many times, I don't think it is anything I've done, I think it is from the long time it sat.

I don't want to drive it and wrech something further if there is a problem. Please let me know what you guys think, or if any of you have experienced something like this.

Thanks.

[wiccanferret]

Mine does that at lower RPM's. It usually fades off as the car warms up, and only does it if it's been sitting for a while. I don't know if that helps you at all.

[fredk]

its piston slap

[nogard]

Thanks for the feedback guys. After I let the car warm up it seemed to "fade" as you say. Later in the day I took the car into town, 30 min round trip, and it didn't make any unusual sounds. I think it was just a fluke from it sitting.

[es250nut]

It could also be a sign your main bearings are getting worn. I've had this happen to a few of the 3sfe's. They seem to make it about 20 to 30 thousand miles more before they become toast.

[HomeGrown]

Our wagon does this as well, has a pretty healthy knock when you first start it. Will see if we can make it go another 35k and hit 400,000.

[Kingdom934]

Originally Posted by HomeGrown

Our wagon does this as well, has a pretty healthy knock when you first start it. Will see if we can make it go another 35k and hit 400,000.

Are you planning to replace the engine when it does die?



My Gen1 2se engine used to had this odd 'tapping' noise on the top of the engine upon startup about 7 months ago. After I would change oil, it would be fine until after 1.5~2 months, then it would start again. Since the car had been running a bit long from oil changes before I started to do oil changes (before my uncle used to do it...and not on a strict 3month/3,000miles...more like 4 months), I started a every 2 weeks oil change with 10-30w HM then to 10-40w HM oil since I found a bit of 'sludge' like black crystals in the dip of the oil drain plug (at lease I hope it was sludge and not metal shaving). Since of that, I continued using 10-40w HM half syn oil every 2 weeks until 2 months ago when I finally switch to 10-40w HM full syn and now replacing oil every 1 month or every 2~3 gas fillup. Since then from the last 5 months or so, the car has not had no knocking/tapping noise from the religous oil changes i've been doing. Also changed the filter every time since they are only about $4 bucks anyhow.

[nogard]

that is the strange thing, my car has low miles for its age...160,000. I don't know how it was treated before I got it, as far as oil changes go.

[wiccanferret]

I guess mine does too, then. 164k miles. I'm going to change the oil on it this weekend or before...I'll let you know if the tap goes away.

[fredk]

there is a tsb on the 3s for piston slap