Bad Noise.......please advise.

[nobrakes]

Got up to work this morning and left my 02S outside last night to drive it in. Temp is 45 degrees and clear. No frost on the car. Started right up and ran great 16 miles to work. Temp gauge normal, no CEL on. When I pulled into a parking space and let it idle all of a sudden car starts to hesitate and hear loud noise from the motor/ exhaust area. It sounds like small rocks and occasionally a large marble tumbling around. I turn the car off wait 30 seconds and started the motor again, turns slowly, but starts and keeps making the noises. I turn the car off again wait 30 seconds and it starts fine, no missing or hesitation, revs fine and the CEL is still off, but making the same noises. Turned car off and went into work worried........Its an 02 S with 49k miles. Just changed oil 1k ago and had a LN ceramic IMS put in 4 years ago at 30k miles. Car runs great and the only warning light on is the airbag light. ........Any insight, info out there? I certainly don't want to drive it making that noise and I hope its not the IMS. The shop that put the IMS in is only 6 miles away..........Thanks in advance, Steve

[Timco]

Don’t restart it. With noise like that you’d better figure out what your damaging every time it starts. You may get lucky and it’s a belt pulley noise. Can be alternator too. Or WP.

Thinking WP or Alternator.

[seningen]

Originally Posted by Timco

Don’t restart it. With noise like that you’d better figure out what your damaging every time it starts. You may get lucky and it’s a belt pulley noise. Can be alternator too. Or WP.

Thinking WP or Alternator.

Assuming the car is in a safe place -- jack it up and take the filter off and look at the element inside. There will be about a cup of oil in there -- so if your careful -- you won't make a mess. The majority of the oil will be in the pan, which is below the oil filter level and little or nothing will come out. If there is nothing in the element -- put the element back in the canister and you can screw it back on and not even have to mess with adding oil.

If the element is clean - then most likely you aren't dealing with internal damage.

If there are particles in the filter -- especially shiny ones -- well -- lets just hope that is not the case. A small flake or two -- might be ok, you might also see blackish pieces and or green - those come from the chain guides and while not catastrophic, something you might care to address and can lead to chain noise, and in the extreme chain or timing failure.

If there is no particles in the filter -- you might try restarting and taking a video of the sound.

If there are particles -- then take a picture and post -- but most likely there will be internal issues.

Mike