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Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHC4S 2004 intermitant tapping noise
Leading reported evidence
Check catalytic converters
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
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Leading evidence: 'Check catalytic converters' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Check borescoring' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
(I've changed the oil in my cars then driven 4K+ miles in a week's time, and when back home added enough miles -- my commute can have my driving 300 miles a week -- to reach the 5K mark and changed the oil and had the oil come out with a bit of amber to its color, with still a bit of translucence, but 5K miles is 5K miles as far as I'm concerned.)
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
(I've changed the oil in my cars then driven 4K+ miles in a week's time, and when back home added enough miles -- my commute can have my driving 300 miles a week -- to reach the 5K mark and changed the oil and had the oil come out with a bit of amber to its color, with still a bit of translucence, but 5K miles is 5K miles as far as I'm concerned.)
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Suggestion
I yust did a wideocam chech on the nb 5 and 6 sylinder to check for borescoring.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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Suggestion
Just to be safe(er) before you do much more engine running if you are feeling up to it you can remove the oil filter housing and the filter element and dump all into a *clean* drain pan and then look to see what is in the oil and the filter element.
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Suggestion
Just to be safe(er) before you do much more engine running if you are feeling up to it you can remove the oil filter housing and the filter element and dump all into a *clean* drain pan and then look to see what is in the oil and the filter element.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed
(I've changed the oil in my cars then driven 4K+ miles in a week's time, and when back home added enough miles -- my commute can have my driving 300 miles a week -- to reach the 5K mark and changed the oil and had the oil come out with a bit of amber to its color, with still a bit of translucence, but 5K miles is 5K miles as far as I'm concerned.)
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
(I've changed the oil in my cars then driven 4K+ miles in a week's time, and when back home added enough miles -- my commute can have my driving 300 miles a week -- to reach the 5K mark and changed the oil and had the oil come out with a bit of amber to its color, with still a bit of translucence, but 5K miles is 5K miles as far as I'm concerned.)
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27 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
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Generation: 20261026T133652Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
I have this annoying tapping noise that's comes and goes when the car is idling. My independent has said that he will need to take the engine apart and it could be something big or small. Does anyone think it could be worth trying a different oil from the 0w-40 I'm currently using?
Thanks
Does the tapping go away above 1,500 - 2000 rpm?
Scored bores in the 3.6 l engines seem to exhibit similar sounds coupled with higher than average oil consumption. Hydraulic lifters can also be the culprit.
Use the search function for more details re bore scoring......
How fresh is the oil?
A tapping noise that comes and goes could be normal. I mean the engine makes all kinds of noises as it runs.
We need to hear an audio clip. Be sure to keep the camera still rather than moving it all around all the time.
Before I had the engine opened up I'd want to know where the noise was coming from. Knowing this as best as one can goes a ways into helping one know what the noise might be.
Without any clip to go by, the noise could be gear box rattle, a dual mass flywheel problem, a water pump or other accessory drive with excessive bearing play, an exhaust leak, a converter brick loose in the manifold, or a number of other things many of which do not require the engine be opened up to fix.
Thanks for taking the time to write this out, I am away at the moment when I get back I will try and post up a video of the car running.I would appreciate getting your feedback. Thanks again
0w-40 has proven just fine for my cars even in exceptionally high ambient temperatures, up to 116F and even 118F heat.
One thing I would advise is avoid running the oil for big miles unless your driving consists solely of driving cross country at highway speeds. (I've changed the oil in my cars then driven 4K+ miles in a week's time, and when back home added enough miles -- my commute can have my driving 300 miles a week -- to reach the 5K mark and changed the oil and had the oil come out with a bit of amber to its color, with still a bit of translucence, but 5K miles is 5K miles as far as I'm concerned.)
Now here in inland area of northern CA where summertime temps break 100F once in a while (earlier this week I think it got up to 105F) I decided a few years back to switch to running Mobil 5w-50 oil vs. 0w-40. Winter temps are mild here seldom getting to freezing and almost never any colder so I can run this oil year 'round.
But my 996 Turbo had 0w-40 in it since the 1st week of Jan. of this year when I had the oil change done at a mid-west dealer. The engine was fine though I noticed a bit more clatter at cold engine start even though I didn't let the car sit too long between uses. With "fresh" 0w-40 oil I could let the car sit nearly a week unused and no real engine clatter at startup. But as 5K miles came (and went) even sitting over night the engine manifested a bit of valve noise upon cold start. Clearly a sign of some kind to change the oil, as if I needed any sign.
But I know from experience as the 5w-50 oil accumulates miles the engine will generate a bit more noise at engine start after sitting unused a few (3 or 4) days.
But at no time with either oil even after 5K miles (and once when I lost track of the miles 10K miles with the Turbo) has either engine continued with any valve or chain noise after the initial burst of noise at cold engine start. At all other times the engines are quiet, well, as quiet as these engines can ever be. Even yesterday evening after some slow driving in a parking lot when the coolant temperature reached 212F+ in my Turbo and the fans kicked on the engine's noise was just normal. No clatter at all beyond what is normal for the engine.
The noise has me on the fence. One second I'm thinking it sounds ok the next not so ok.
Since I like to err on the side of caution I'll say this.
Oh, because I did not go back and read every post some of this may have already been covered.
I assume the oil's reasonably fresh and of the right viscosity? No 5w-30 in the engine, right?
If a manual equipped car does depressing the clutch pedal then releasing it affect the noise?
Ideally the car needs to be put on a lift and listened to. On a lift with the proper equipment -- mechanics stethoscope -- the tech can pinpoint the source of the noise. For instance up high -- so to speak -- under a camshaft cover this can be a noisy lifter or even a broken valve spring.
At the end of the head where the cam chain drive is this can be a bad chain guide/tensioner rail.
If the noise is coming from down lower towards the crankcase it can be a noisy piston.
Closer still to the crankcase at the crankcase a bearing.
Or the noise could be found to be coming from an accessory drive item. It sort of sounded like it could be coming from a water pump but further into the clip the noise was too regular I believe to be water pump generated. However, I could be wrong.
I'm not saying it is any of the above, just giving you an idea of how where the noise is coming from helps in some way determining what might be going on.
However, unless the noise is from up high directly under the camshaft cover the chances are the engine will have to come out of the car to determine the cause of the noise and then of course address the cause of the noise. That is if the professional tech believes the noise is something that needs to be addressed, is worthy of concern. (I am leaning towards this being the case -- the noise is worthy of concern -- but I'm not the professional tech.)
Just to be safe(er) before you do much more engine running if you are feeling up to it you can remove the oil filter housing and the filter element and dump all into a *clean* drain pan and then look to see what is in the oil and the filter element.
What you find or don't find determines what you do next.
Sounds like a noisy evap regen valve. It's a black round valve right above the alternator mounted high on the left intake manifold.
The tapping doesn't change its frequency with rev, right?
Now I hear the vid again on my ipad, I could hear a knocking noise, which could be valve or cylinder and that should change with the rev.
Hi
No the noise doesn't change its frequency with Rev. The car runs well idles well it's just that noise comes and goes.
Thanks for your input seems like your suggestion will be worth investigating.
If you meant the very rapid tapping noise, i'm pretty sure that's the evap regen valve, which just needs to be changed out. However, I also hear a deeper more internal knocking noise on the engine which is more concerning. You will need someone to jack up the car and probe around with a mechanic's stethoscope to id the source of that knockng better.
Trying 5w-40 (e.g., Motul x-cess) may help quieting that noise if it's from one of the valves.
Hi Macster and thanks for your input again.
The car is running on 0w-40 Mobil one oil.
I had the car serviced around 1000 miles go. The guys at my indi said that there was no metal debris on the magnetic sump plug.
Do you think it would be worth me changing the oil to 5w-30? I am based in the UK.
My mechanic wasn't able to tell me where the noise was coming from he said it could be something or nothing but the only way to tell was to strip the engine. He seems like a reasonable guy. I have only owned the car a year and it's the first Porsche I have owned. So I may take the car to another garage for there opinion before making any decisions.
Thanks again
Roo
He meant don't use 5W-30
I assume the oil's reasonably fresh and of the right viscosity? No 5w-30 in the engine, right?
Play the country doctor here and open up the oil filter media and examine it closely. The drain plug will only attract ferrous metals. You want to look for evidence of particulate copper and aluminum, and chain tensioner material (pad).
Now I read that back I see the 'No' in front lol
To be honest I don't know much about the mechanics of the car.
I think I will have to drop the car in and trust the mechanic.
Thanks
No. Stay away from 5w-30. 0W-40 is just fine in your case.
I do not think your mechanic is being reasonable or showing much experience if he can't tell you where the noise is coming from and essentially wants a blank check to drop the engine and open 'er up.
Until you know more about the source of the noise I'd advise you to not run the engine any and spend your time searching out another shop and get a 2nd opinion.
Any Porsche tech worth the label should be able to give you a pretty good idea of where the noise is coming from and from this then give you a pretty good idea what's involved in addressing the noise.
I yust did a wideocam chech on the nb 5 and 6 sylinder to check for borescoring. It was a Bosch special tool the mecanic fed troug the sparkplug hole. So no need to teardown engine to look inside👍
