Hello all, as you can read from the header this is another engine noise thread. I have read up on a couple but still wanted some additional thoughts on my situation.

I have a '00 AP1 with around 70K miles on it and unfortunately I'm another new owner that accidentally let their car run low on oil. I had to top up around 2-2.5 quarts to get it back in the middle of the dip stick lines. I feel absolutely stupid and it is a lesson learned. The red oil pressure light never turned on and the car seemed to be running well after oil and vtec was engaging at the right RPMs. Yesterday I took the car to the dealer to get the oil changed and the engine inspected. The mechanic only took a listen to the engine and thought that it sounded fine so he didn't want to open up the engine, only a quick MPI and oil change. Afterwards when I got back home I noticed a slight ticking sound coming from the engine. I am unsure if this sound is new after running low on oil or if it has been there for a while and I only just recently noticed it because I have been paranoid and on the look out for any new noises. Below is a video clip.


It seems to come and go, sometimes the car is dead silent at idle and sometimes I can faintly hear it in the cabin. The noise doesn't get worse when I pull the throttle cable and it sounds like it is drowned out by engine and exhaust noise. The car still seems to drive fine and hits vtec normally. No shaking or stalling and no shaking spray paint can sound (as others have describes engine knock to me). There are no fluttering or knocking sounds when I turn the car.

This video sounds very similar to my situation and the owner of the video said that it was due to a bad pulley.


It definitely doesn't sound like this clip of rod knock. I hope I would at least be able to differentiate my engine from this one in person.


I'll likely be taking it to another mechanic for a second opinion. It doesn't seem to be fast enough interval to be TCT noise and it doesn't seem to be as metallic or as hard sounding as rod knock. Just wanted your guys' opinions on the right course of action going forward and if I should authorize someone to start tearing into the engine.

Thanks in advance

 

I would take the belt off and give all the pulleys a good spin or check for play. Doesn't sound serious. Just make sure to keep that oil level up! The AP1's will usually burn about a quart per 1,000 miles.

 

I think your being a little paranoid, just count it as a lesson learned. The s2k is always a little loud.

 

There is a lot of noises made by this motor, including the injectors. My AC compressor is loud, used to trip me out

 

Thanks for the suggestions guys, unfortunately unable to get the car looked at the rest of this week, life getting in the way. It seems to drive well besides the ticking noise, which me a little reluctant to drive it too much. Local friends don't think it sounds much like rod knock and might be something less serious but I want to err on the side of caution. Hopefully I'll find time next week. Or maybe the sound just magically goes away; wishful thinking.

Edit:

Went out for a drive and took a couple more videos.


This one was a warm start. Forgot to get a cold start but the noise seemed to be less/absent on cold start. Engine doesn't seem to make a fluttering knock on turn over and revs don't seem to make it worse/ drowns it out.


I noticed that when the fan turned on the noise disappeared. At least it seemed to go away, but I'm not 100% certain and it might have just been drowned out by the fan.


Also caught that the noise is sometimes very intermittent in quality.

 

 

I've had this sound on both of my AP1's. Some days there's a fluttering noise that can be heard in the cabin, then can go weeks without anything. Not oil related as I'm OCD when it comes to making sure it's topped up. It's kind of like a card in the bike spokes sound but softer.

 

Card on bike spokes = Timing Chain Tensioner usually.

 

Don't worry about it. Make sure you have good oil level and enjoy.