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I just replaced the valve cover gasket and took it for a test drive. The engine started making a noise and the engine light came on. The noise only happens with some reving and not very often if driving lightly.
It definitely sounds like the chain is contacting the housing when it revs. I ch cked the oil and it wasnt showing o. The dipstick until I added over two quarts.
I changed the oil anyway and still having the issue. I see that there is an oil valve that has to do with cam timing but am I right in thinking that the tensioner and chain are the only things that would cause the chain to actually make noise? If a vvc solenoid wasn't working, it wouldn't impact the chain tension, right?
Negative on the circuit tests, IMO. These can drive around all day with the solenoid unplugged and not make abnormal noise.
Besides the chain and tensioners, you could also be looking at a failing actuator. That'd definitely give you the P0011 and possibly the chain noise. Most actuators like this have some kind of lock pin to secure them in their base position, and can make all kinds of noise if that pin fails.
Was this the reason the valve cover came off, or unrelated? Unless you were dropping whole chunks of gasket in to the oil return ports, I'm not seeing how pulling the valve cover caused this. :lol:
Ha, right. The gasket came off in one piece, so that wasn't the issue. I was repacing the gasket due to a leak.
The guy called me today and said he had to pull over because it was making bad noises this morning. He is getting a rental car for the week and has to figure out what he wants to do with it now.
At least he knew when to stop? :silly: Lots of drivers would keep right on going till something broke.
I'm thinking there was an underlying issue at work long before you touched it. No offense to the guy meant, but those don't get two quarts low through regular maintenance.
Depending on where the oil pressure switch is, I'd be tempted to start with an oil pressure reading cold and hot. If it's low, then I say it's engine or new car time. No need to dig into the timing chain, IMO. If oil pressure is reasonable, then some kind of timing repair may be worthwhile.
Ok thanks. I don't have time to less with it this week so he had it towed somewhere else. I'm going to call him today or tomorrow and see how he made out.
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