2004 Toyota Matrix engine rattle

2004 Matrix 5 speed, approx 33K miles. Recently have been getting a
rattling which appears to be coming from the engine. Sounds somewhat
like bad gas, low octane. Took it to the dealer and they said I had a
bad tank of gas. After a couple of new tanks the noise is still
there.
Sounds as if its running like a deisel. Noise more noticeable at low
speeds.
Saw the posting about oil gelling. Not sure if this is the cause or
not. Maybe I'll try some higher octance gas to see if it goes away.
Last oil change about 2k miles ago. Change it every 3500 miles.
Any ideas?
Rick

"Rick" <rickie_b_schneegold@keane.com> wrote in message
news:1134415953.183788.247690@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
> 2004 Matrix 5 speed, approx 33K miles. Recently have been getting a
> rattling which appears to be coming from the engine. Sounds somewhat
> like bad gas, low octane. Took it to the dealer and they said I had a
> bad tank of gas. After a couple of new tanks the noise is still
> there.
> Sounds as if its running like a deisel. Noise more noticeable at low
> speeds.
> Saw the posting about oil gelling. Not sure if this is the cause or
> not. Maybe I'll try some higher octance gas to see if it goes away.
> Last oil change about 2k miles ago. Change it every 3500 miles.
> Any ideas?
> Rick
>[/color]

It sounds like you are getting engine ping. If a higher octane gas cures
the condition, then have the base ignition timing and timing advance
checked. It is also possible that you are shifting gears too soon and
lugging the engine. Does shifting to a lower gear make the problem go away?
--
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply

In article <1134415953.183788.247690@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
"Rick" <rickie_b_schneegold@keane.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
> 2004 Matrix 5 speed, approx 33K miles. Recently have been getting a
> rattling which appears to be coming from the engine. Sounds somewhat
> like bad gas, low octane. Took it to the dealer and they said I had a
> bad tank of gas. After a couple of new tanks the noise is still
> there.
> Sounds as if its running like a deisel. Noise more noticeable at low
> speeds.
> Saw the posting about oil gelling. Not sure if this is the cause or
> not. Maybe I'll try some higher octance gas to see if it goes away.
> Last oil change about 2k miles ago. Change it every 3500 miles.
> Any ideas?
> Rick[/color]

Are you sure it's really engine noise? I hear the same niose in my
Matrix, but it doesn't go away when I shift into neutral and let the
engine idle down. I only hear it at highway speeds.

I'm pretty sure that what I'm hearing are the plastic wind panels below
the engine rattling because the plastic fasteners are loose.

Sean Elkins <sean_elkins@yahoo.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
>In article <1134415953.183788.247690@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
> "Rick" <rickie_b_schneegold@keane.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
>> 2004 Matrix 5 speed, approx 33K miles. Recently have been getting a
>> rattling which appears to be coming from the engine. Sounds somewhat
>> like bad gas, low octane. Took it to the dealer and they said I had a
>> bad tank of gas. After a couple of new tanks the noise is still
>> there.
>> Sounds as if its running like a deisel. Noise more noticeable at low
>> speeds.
>> Saw the posting about oil gelling. Not sure if this is the cause or
>> not. Maybe I'll try some higher octance gas to see if it goes away.
>> Last oil change about 2k miles ago. Change it every 3500 miles.
>> Any ideas?
>> Rick[/color]
>
>Are you sure it's really engine noise? I hear the same niose in my
>Matrix, but it doesn't go away when I shift into neutral and let the
>engine idle down. I only hear it at highway speeds.
>
>I'm pretty sure that what I'm hearing are the plastic wind panels below
>the engine rattling because the plastic fasteners are loose.[/color]

If it IS 'spark knock or pinging' (detonation) then you'll only
hear it when the engine is 'pulling hard', (and especially at
high RPM)...let off on the accelerator and it'll stop.
--

-Gord.
(use gordon in email)

Gord Beaman <gord@islandtelecom.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
> If it IS 'spark knock or pinging' (detonation) then you'll only
> hear it when the engine is 'pulling hard', (and especially at
> high RPM)...let off on the accelerator and it'll stop.[/color]

Wouldn't that be high load/low rpm? If you let off the accelerator OR
downshift to increase the rpms it will usually stop.

In article <qvbsp1d6v88gukcphd1n1d1m5ch64jgv3g@4ax.com>,
Gord Beaman <gord@islandtelecom.com> wrote:
[color=blue]
> Sean Elkins <sean_elkins@yahoo.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
> >In article <1134415953.183788.247690@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>,
> > "Rick" <rickie_b_schneegold@keane.com> wrote:
> >[color=darkred]
> >> 2004 Matrix 5 speed, approx 33K miles. Recently have been getting a
> >> rattling which appears to be coming from the engine. Sounds somewhat
> >> like bad gas, low octane. Took it to the dealer and they said I had a
> >> bad tank of gas. After a couple of new tanks the noise is still
> >> there.
> >> Sounds as if its running like a deisel. Noise more noticeable at low
> >> speeds.
> >> Saw the posting about oil gelling. Not sure if this is the cause or
> >> not. Maybe I'll try some higher octance gas to see if it goes away.
> >> Last oil change about 2k miles ago. Change it every 3500 miles.
> >> Any ideas?
> >> Rick[/color]
> >
> >Are you sure it's really engine noise? I hear the same niose in my
> >Matrix, but it doesn't go away when I shift into neutral and let the
> >engine idle down. I only hear it at highway speeds.
> >
> >I'm pretty sure that what I'm hearing are the plastic wind panels below
> >the engine rattling because the plastic fasteners are loose.[/color]
>
> If it IS 'spark knock or pinging' (detonation) then you'll only
> hear it when the engine is 'pulling hard', (and especially at
> high RPM)...let off on the accelerator and it'll stop.[/color]

That was the point I was trying to make--I hear it regardless of what
the engine is doing. That's what makes me think my particular noise
isn't coming from the engine.

Now the noise I'm hearing from my wife's old Corolla on the other
hand.... I think that's piston slap that happens until it warms up and
the pistons/rings expand. The little fellas have just gone up and down
in those holes so many times they don't fit quite like they used to.

The OP said his noise was more noticable at low speeds, which I missed
on the first reading-- that doesn't sound like road/wind noise. I think
your comment about if it's happening under load is a good one to help
him diagnose what's probably going on.

[email]someone@somewhere.org[/email] wrote:
[color=blue]
>Gord Beaman <gord@islandtelecom.com> wrote:
>[color=green]
>> If it IS 'spark knock or pinging' (detonation) then you'll only
>> hear it when the engine is 'pulling hard', (and especially at
>> high RPM)...let off on the accelerator and it'll stop.[/color]
>
>Wouldn't that be high load/low rpm? If you let off the accelerator OR
>downshift to increase the rpms it will usually stop.[/color]

Well, generally if you downshift (so that you have higher RPM)
then your power will increase and you'll let off on the
accelerator some, this'll reduce the pressure in the cyl and
it'll stop detonating...
--

-Gord.
(use gordon in email)

waited until I was down 1/2 tank regular octance gas (87), toppped off
with next level higher (89) and it seems to run and sound much better.
When this tank runs out I'll refill with regular octane (87) to see if
I get the noise again. If so, I'll have the dealer check the timing.
Thx