engine noise
 

Just got back from holiday and started my 2003 S up after being standing for 10 days, and the engine made a clunking, metal on metal clackering sound for about a second, then it was fine. When it is running it is fine, does not make any noises , even deliberately labouring it in a high gear up hill and trying to accelerate. I have not noticed this before because it has not been left without starting for more than a couple of days since I have had it. Have just recently done an oil change using Fuchs Titan Super Syn 5w 40 full synthetic. Any thoughts or is it something I would expect . thanks

Hydraulic lifters are known to make some racket at startup every once in a while if it's not started. They are self adjusted so once the engine is running for a few moments they become quiet.

I don't think it indicates any problem but maybe someone else could pitch in.

On my 2003 S I had that once too, in the fall of 2012 at about 35,000 miles. Sounded like the engine was going to blow up so I shut it down and had it flat bedded to my independent specialist. The noise was a really horrible metal on metal shriek, scared the crap out of me. They looked it over, saw nothing and manually turned over the engine and everything looked fine. So then they started it up and it was perfect. They concluded it must have been a lifter. It's never happened again. At 42,000 miles I decided it was time to do the IMS, the original one was fine but after that noise I decided I would sleep better knowing that had been addressed.

Maybe a cam chain slap or dry lifter as suggested.

Try searching "start-up rattle" on the forum. You will find there have been many posts about this issue already.