'99 Mystique LS
2.5L V6 @ 77,000
Oil changes @ 3,000 with a dose of Techron
Hi guys! It's been a long time since I've posted! I've been too busy for my own good, which sucks, since I'm not good at being busy. So I'm giving it up.
And I got a problem!
Without going into too much detail, what I've got is a clicking/tapping/clattering (you get the idea) noise that increases in frequency with RPM coming from what sounds like the top of the engine. It just started doing this one day after I almost stalled the car by forgetting to put in the clutch when coming to a stop. The dealership says it's coming from closer to the firewall-- the back. All my reading says this is a collapsed lifter. BUT...!
The noise goes away when the car warms up! From a cold start, it's gone by the time I've driven a mile or so. As long as the engine is warm, I don't hear the noise. Other than the noise, the car is perfectly fine. No degradation in performance at all!
The "pros" at the dealership have ruled out anything having to do with the valvetrain, and say that it's either: a.) carbon buildup on the top of one of my pistons; b.) A foreign object bouncing around in a cylinder or; c.) A piston that has somehow become ill-fitting and is slapping around inside its cylider.
My problems with these theories is that, except for the slappy piston, none of them explain the noise going away when the engine is warm. And wouldn't an ill-fitting piston make the car vibrate and run like crap? Also, assuming a car driven mainly on the highway, with regular oil changes and infusions of Techron and whose plugs were perfectly clean 10,000 miles ago could GET a carbon buildup, wouldn't it eventually break away as it smashed into whatever it was clicking against?
I'm no expert, but I have a hard time believing these guys. So I humbly come to the people who REALLY know what they're talking about! If it turns out the dealership is right, I'll eat my socks.
Thanks in advance, guys. Don't know where I'd be without this forum and all the people who freely give their expertise!
--Shifty
