1992 Lexus ES 400 tAPPING

Tiny
CURTISBROWN1
  • MEMBER
  • 1992 LEXUS ES 400
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 180,000 MILES
When I start my engine I hear a light tapping after the car is started. When it gets warm it seems to stop sometimes.
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 AT 2:01 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
ERNEST CLARK
  • MECHANIC
  • 1,730 POSTS
This could either be the valve train tapping until the motor warms, or the pistons slapping against the cylinders for the same reason.

This happens as motors get old. (High miles) There's nothing you can do about that except rebuild the engine.

And using oil additives is a waste of money. (Snake oil in a bottle) Don't bother.

The reason this happens is because the metal parts have worn normally over time. And when the engine is could, the metal components have a slightly larger clearance with each other. When the engine warms up, the metal expands and these clearances tighten up to close to normal and the tapping goes away.

And don't bother rebuilding part of your engine unless you're going to do it all.
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Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 AT 9:05 PM

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