Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Zetec low rpm valve noise

I have a code p0171, so maybe that is contributing, but at low rpm & low load, the valves chatter on the Zetec 'Tour.

At other rmp ranges & under load, everything seems fine - even on the highway. Just when driving around town, taking off from lights, I get valve chatter.

Could this be a result of the lean mix even though it's so minor I don't have an idle problem or nuttin'?

Could it be a cam position sensor problem? I ask because on rare occasion, when the car is cold, I get no noise. This morning with a cold engine, I got valve noise anyway.

I searched & found more than a few folks with the valve noise, but nobody offered up any solutions as far as I could tell.

Bump back to the top - I've got to figure this out!

Oil pressure.....?

I don't have a pressure gauge, but I doubt that's the problem. I even have extra oil in there. I got the car for my daughter & asked her to to add some oil (1/2 quart low). The 15 year old decided to do a good job of it & added more than a quart.

I'm gonna drain some off, add a can of B-12, and run that for a few hours then do an oil change. If there's any sludge buildup hampering my VCT, it's going bye-bye.

Not level, oil pressure.

If the pump or relief valve has a problem the oil pressure can get really low at idle.

Otherwise check valve clearance. Replace buckets if necessary.

Unless it might be a ping you're hearing.