Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Maintenance knock on start

My zetec has 89k on it. From time to time, it has a knock on start for 3 seconds tops. It sounds pretty bad sometimes, bad enough for people to look at it like wow, that wasn't good...

It does it at random, I'm using the motorcraft oil filter thinking it has something to do with the check valve in the cheapers ones. But still will do it. I'm running 5w-20 I think, motorcraft synblend. But even with 5w-30 it does it sometimes.

Really I want to ask, is this something to really worry about. Or normal. My sisters 3.8 mustang does it sometimes. And a contour with a durtec I just picked up did it a couple of times...

Knocks on start.....block is on it's way out.

That doesn't sound good. Guess I'll keep going till it dies then.

Doesn't make any noise while driving. It as if when you drain the oil and change the filter. The car needs to build up the oil pressure again and fill the filter, in that time it makes that knock. This is the same thing I'm getting, but can happen one day, and never happen again for weeks. I guess one day I'm going to start it, and it might not stop knocking