Noisy tappets? Newbie help
 

Hi all, wonder if anyone can help. I have read a few post about this before but just wanted to see if anyone had any ideas. I have had my 2004 xc70 d5 with 110000 miles for about 6 months and spent a fortune restoring it as it needed a few things doing. But lately after changing my oil to a thinner grade it sounds like my tappets are rattling and making the engine sound rough. When I start from cold I also get a low thudding noise for about 1 min then it just disappears? I changed my oil back to a 10w40 which helped for about a week and the vac pump which improved the engine loads but I'm now thinking it's tappets. Anyone got an idea of price to have them done, cambelts due next year so will get that done at the same time.
Thanks

Its more common that this happens to euro 4 dpf engines..... post a clip of the sound including startup..... dont use a semi synthetic 10w40 use a synthetic 5w40 that 40 is the same viscosity at warmed up engine ...but the synthetic baseoil is more resistant to coking your hot turbo bearings.... also the 5 before the w is quicker oilcirculation at startup

And what ẗhinner"grade did u use?

I think the oil viscosity is supposed to be 0/40 in the handbook.

Its a range of viscosities i believe if you see the handbook... but it needs to be a/b 4 synthetic
Every turbo engine needs a full synthetic group 4 base oil
Regardless what the dealer says

The turbo bearings are the hottest part and burn not synthetic oil which leaves residue. Especially after brisk driving and shutting of the engine and the oil circulation stops.

In my opinion its even also the best oils for non turbo engines.... look at older gasoline engines without proper oil cooling inside that used semi synthetic oils... they all have that purple/gold brown glow of a layer of varnish that is created with instable oils and hot temperatures and a lot of time

A d5 with regularly changed synthetic oils that are properly cooled ..and lower burning temperatures than a gasoline engine.. are spotless clean inside regardless of the "soothy"oil

Thanks guys, i will try a 5w40 next oil change, I think i used a 5w30 last time. I always keep to the right oil spec in regards to A4 B4 etc cant quite remember the exact but i got it from the hand book. It just sounds like tappets but i got to thinking it maybe an injector but they all sound the same when i check them on tick over? i can hear it a lot more under load or around 2000rpm when im taking a long hill or something. The reason im thinking tappets is because as i take my foot of the pedal i can hear the ticking/tapping noise speed up slightly and slow down again until i put my foot on the pedal again like on an over run, would an injector do that as well? I will try a video but will have to work out how to post it!

If it completely vanishes with foot of the pedal its more likely an injector(s)
If it wont vanish it could be tappets but also other things like bearings or even something auxillary outside of the engine.
But the thumping noise could be of some soft tappets wich cause some exhaust pulses escape in the inlet.
But thats more a thing in the euro 4 dpf engine with 0w30 oil without zinc dopes and lots of diesel dillution which wears the tappets
The euro 3 engine have the proper zinc dope oil mandated and no dpf diesel dillution and normally not this failure .
But maybe you had a broken injector which dillutes your oil .
A sound clip tells more than some guessing

I need to have a good look around and check a few things. I'm listening all the time I'm driving so the process goes like this, start from cold engine sounds ok not ticking and reasonably quiet. Thumping sound comes in for about 30 seconds then goes of and tune of engine changes. Start to drive and engine is super quite Until the temp gets to about a quarter then the dreaded ticking clacking sound starts and you can hear it as described before under load more but will clear around 2200rpm as i think the engine drowns out the sound. I did notice i can hear it slightly on the motor way when I'm cruising along at 70. I'm going to try and record it the weekend. Sounds good on tick over but i can get a ticking knocking noise around 1500rpm when sat in park and raise the rpm so I'm going to grab someone from work today to sit in the car and raise the rpm and i will listen to the injectors with a screwdriver. I'm hoping its going to be an injector but will see how i get on today.

On my old P2 D5 I put the wrong spec oil in (the A/B number) and it sounded appalling even though the viscosity was right, swapped to the correct spec and it was much quieter. Can’t remember now what the A/B number is, but check you’ve got it right.

Shell Helix Ultra 5 40 is the best B4 oil I've found for the Euro 3 D5 and I won't use anything else.

1:200 dilution of low ash mineral 2 stroke oil in the fuel tank every 5 or so fill ups helps smooth out the overall experience too.

That 2 stroke oil is not needed anymore....the blended bio-diesel lubricates the hp pump even better.

https://www.sae.org/publications/tec.../2005-01-3672/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...76610215013879

Also the dopes in the 2 stroke oil can form deposits in the injectors

https://www.fuelexpert.co.za/2-strok...ical-study.php

I'm saying what myself and millions around the world use and we find the effect beneficial.
I've never seen any data to show an improvement but the increase in smoothness is without question in my experience and my car still returns 44 mpg around town.

If my injectors aren't gummed up at 209k miles, they're unlikely to be any time soon so I'll just carry on.
A lot of the things people do on this forum won't be supported by the official sources so everyone should of course make their own decision.

Im not saying its really bad . If you used it 20/15 years ago when there was low sulphur diesel introduced(without biodiesel)....it could then prevent major wear on the pumps then...
But the lubricity of biodiesel is excellent .... (not in the crankcase with a dpf but thats another discussion).
Running wise and smoothness 2 stroke oil can have some benefits not lubricity but viscosity wise...it can improve spraypattern on weared injectors or even improve injection timing on line pumps.
But i think if your pump and injectors are not damaged it can be a placebo effect

Of course that's possible but I've used it on several occasions where people who have no idea have noticed the difference so the effect does seem to be more than placebo.
Fuel quality can vary too so on an international forum, having an alternative option is worthwhile.

The speed of the effect is notable too as it can be instantly noticed on the next start up or within just a few short miles depending on how it was mixed.

I have put a video up of when I'm driving, it's not very clear untill half way through but u can hear it ticking like mad. Not sure if it's uploaded or not?

No I havnt I can't work out how to do it🤣🤣🤣

Easiest is to put the video on YouTube or similar and provide the link.

If it seems to help then use:regular_smile: it

Hi all, just an update. Part of the noise turned out to be number 5 injector. I bought a second hand one off ebay and swapped them over and the majority of the noise has gone (the loud knocking tapping) but I'm still experiencing a very similar noise but not as loud so back to ebay again. I took it too Barry at Crapstone garage in Yelverton who's experience was second to none. He listened to it on tick over and said that injector and maybe that one!! Well he was right on one so I'm hoping he's got it on the second one as well. All he did was listen carefully. I will keep you posted on the outcome but at the moment I'm thankful it wasn't the tappets (so far).

Hi all, just an update. For weeks I've been farting around with the injectors. I've been moving them around and finally decided they were OK. I then purchased a leak back test kit and tested them. 2 were slower than the rest so I replaced one with a spare. Refitted them all with new clamps and washers and the car feels great. So one injector is not great but I can live with that for a bit. Anyway a nice little hack for getting the spring locking ring on the injector, open them up a small bit with a screwdrivers to get it over the end of the injector, get a cable tie to fit in the first groove cutting it so it touches and fits end to end in the groove and then put some electrical tape over it to keep it in. Get hold of some 3/4 inch copper tube (imperial tube)and slide it over the injector, tap the tube so it knocks the ring over the first groove. At this point the tape will have been pushed up the injector shaft with the ring, clean off the tape residual then carry on tapping the tube until the ring clip seats itself in the top groove, check it out making sure its all the way home and done, ready to refit👍 I only stuck myself once with the screwdriver in the thumb, but so worth it, what a different😊😊 hope this helps.