Exige S2 240PP - Cold Start Engine Rattle

[Dave_S]

Hi,

Has anyone experienced a cold start rattle with their Exige S2? I have heard it on a couple of occassions now and it seems to be coming more regular when starting from cold. It only lasts a few seconds (probably waiting for oil to circulate?), if I stop and start the immediately there is no noise... Don't want to panic about it, but likewise don't want to leave it seen to as it could get expensive!

Any help / advise much appreciated.

Dave.

[cyberface]

Not the fuel pump then - does the noise only start when you fire the engine up (i.e. not immediately as you turn the ignition on - when the pumps start up)?

Mine sounds fine, and I don't have a Touring Pack fitted to dampen the noise (do have carpets though). It *does* feel reluctant as hell when cold but that's only because it's so damn willing when warmed through. Nice to have a clever rev limiter on the engine too - though almost got myself into a bit of bother when going for a cheeky overtake when the engine was still cold and the engine burped into the cold-spec rev limiter as I was half way passing the obstacle, cutting the acceleration!

Anyway that's irrelevant. I'd first get someone to start the car when cold with you watching the engine like a hawk - if it's something 'outside' the engine then it's a lot less of a problem than something *inside* the engine (e.g. tappets draining etc. or other valvetrain lubrication issues).

I presume you've checked oil level and you're using the correct viscosity oil.

Incidentally, my old 993 Porkers used to make an absolute RACKET on cold start if the engine had been left for more than 2 weeks without starting. Basically the oil drained out of the pneumatic tappets (valve followers? don't know the engineering term but know what the part is and what it does - basically something between the cam itself and the end of the valve stem, in the 993 this was oil-filled to prevent the requirement of adjusting the clearance with shims every service as it would be a VERY expensive job labour-wise, needing engine removal, because of limited access). The engine literally sounded like the valvetrain had run dry. Advice from a company I respected (Ninemeister, who race 911s and fitted my supercharger) was to not worry about it, but ensure that you have enough oil (the 993 is oil cooled / dry sumped and contains a LOT of oil), start the engine, listen to the racket and just wait until the engine stops making a 'broken' sound. In bad cases (like when I didn't drive the Porker for 3 months) it can take more than 5 minutes idling to get oil pressure into the tappets. But apparently there was no problem *during* the idling - just don't rev or load the engine whilst the oil is getting everywhere.

That was for a Porker flat six, completely different engine to the Toyota 4-pot. But assuming the principles are similar, if the noise only happens for a couple of minutes when the car's been stood for a length of time (the trick here is to find out whether 'noise duration' scales with 'time left standing') then it may not be terminal, as long as you basically leave it idling until the oil has smoothed the engine out.

I'm not an engineer though, so make of this what you will

[-Neil-]

It's the chain tensioner, mine has been doing it for a few months now.
IIRC the tensioner works off oil pressure so is fine with the engine running
but once it's switched off for any long period of time (mine is 12hrs+)the
tensioner has a ratchet/pawl to hold the tension with engine off and no oil pressure to it.
If this sticks/wears the tensioner loses pressure and thus chain tension over time and the
result is that rattle at start up.

Neil.

Edited by -Neil- on Sunday 17th October 09:28

[Dave_S]

Hi Cyberface / Neil,

Thanks for the responses, based on the latter sounds like a big job to get that fixed and more over is it really necessary? I'll let the dealership know about it next time I take it in and will update the post with their views as well... Typical that it is just out of the 2 year warrantee period!!!

Happy driving

Dave S.

[400SE Dave]

Dave_S said:

Hi Cyberface / Neil,

Thanks for the responses, based on the latter sounds like a big job to get that fixed and more over is it really necessary? I'll let the dealership know about it next time I take it in and will update the post with their views as well... Typical that it is just out of the 2 year warrantee period!!!

Happy driving

Dave S.

If it is only just out of warranty then go and speak to the dealer. My rad went when it was 26 months old but, via the dealer who serviced it for me, Lotus agreed to replace under warranty as well as 2 new cooling fans, 1 had seized apparently from not being use!! Anyway, worth a try.

[The Bandit]

It just sounds as if the tappets are 'dry' of oil(well my car does anyway).
On start up the engine revs go to around 1500 odd rpm+ which i assume is the ecu keeping the revs up.
Couple that with a cold engine/one thats sat for a few days with oil draining out of the top end, it seems quite normal.
No oil pressure problems or any other noises so personally i'm not at all worried about it.


/My 2p

[Dave_S]

[quote=The Bandit]It just sounds as if the tappets are 'dry' of oil(well my car does anyway).
On start up the engine revs go to around 1500 odd rpm+ which i assume is the ecu keeping the revs up.
Couple that with a cold engine/one thats sat for a few days with oil draining out of the top end, it seems quite normal.
No oil pressure problems or any other noises so personally i'm not at all worried about it.


Sounds very much the same as this, as you say no other funny noises, well not that I can hear over an extremely loud Larini and the Supercharger, so I guess its me being picky. No harm in asking Lotus to look at it though and if I can blag a late warranty claim all the better

Edited by Dave_S on Sunday 17th October 19:47