I was wondering what a loose valve sounds like?? I have this grinding type sound that appears to be coming from the valve cover area when I blip the throttle a bit..I thought the sound was only at low rpms but i think it's just because at higher RPM's the sound is drowned out by the other engine noises. I wouldn't describe it as a tapping sound. The check engine light came on as well.. Thanks for the help....

 

Not to flame you or anything, but it amazes me the amount of "What does this mean? Oh ya, the engine check light is on" type posts we've been getting these days. Anyway...

Get the CEL (check engine light) checked (AutoZone will do it for you for free) and post the code back up here. Don't drive the car hard while you're having this noise and check engine light. A loose valve makes a ticking/tapping sound, a really loose one doesn't make any noise cause it's just sitting there . Check that code and we'll probably be able to help you more. The griding sound could be attributed to the cam chain, but I've never seen it throw a CEL.

 

Well not to flame YOU or anything but I thought this was the purpose of Under the Hood; to ask questions.. What would be the purpose of a forum then.. Thanks for your help bud

 

Tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick ... tick, etc.

There are many reasons for a check engine light that may or may not be related to the "grinding sound". I concur with yogi - take it in to Autozone and pull the code, then come back here with more information.

Otherwise, I recommend taking the car to an experienced mechanic for a diagnosis since it's very difficult to make a clear one without more information.

 

[QUOTE=spikez513,Sep 16 2004, 11:01 AM] Well not to flame YOU or anything but I thought this was the purpose of Under the Hood; to ask questions.. What would be the purpose of a forum then..

 

My 2p...

A CEL is a rather general condition, it conveys no specific information. We don't have access to your car so we rely on you being our eyes and ears. This type of question is impossible to answer from a keyboard. If you are getting a grinding noise from the valve train you need to take it in for a diagnostic and then come back here with that information and we will try to offer you the best advice we can.

What we CAN'T do is be your mechanic and tell you what's wrong and how to fix it. What we CAN do is offer you the benefit of experience when dealing with your mechanic and the repair or resolution of the problem.

I think that's where yogi is coming from. Whatever the problem is it's not minor. I think you know that already. There is little comfort we can offer especially given the information you provided.

 

A better question will give you a better answer (if there is an answer at all).

However, based on what you've printed, here are my "guesses":
-camshaft journal noise
-cam lobe to valve tip noise
-cam chain noise
-cam chain tensioner noise
-worn cam sprocket teeth
-bad serpentine belt tensioner
-bad bearings on one of your accessory drive pulleys
-loose shielding
-loose mounting hardware on some accessory on the front of the engine
-clutch noise that is transmitting to the top of the engine

Please don't ask me to tell you which one of these is most likely the one. You just don't have enough information for anyone to give you fewer choices. In fact, I've probably left out a whole bunch.
As for the CEL, it may or may not be related to the noise you hear. It could be coincidental. You'll never know till you pull the code. Of course, I could list you every code there could possibly be but then, you've still got to sort through the first set of possibilities I posted.

 

Don't worry I'm not hurt.. Do you understand that I didn't ask for a diagnosis.. I simply asked what a loose valve sounds like.. Do you understand? Am i making myself clear??

 

 

I know this is kind of generic, but is may be the easiest thing to do. Try the screwdriver test and you may be able to pinpoint the source of the noise. If you arent familar with that, take a long flathead screw driver and put the tip to areas on the motor where you may thing the noise is coming from, and listen on the other end. If you still arent able to source the sound, you may look into taking the valve cover off and looking for abnormalities while checking the valve clearances (do a search on both and you can find plenty).