Boxster engine ticking sound

[turbomoggie]

Hi guys,

Over the past couple of weeks I've noticed a ticking sound coming from my 2010 Boxster 987.2 with the 2.9 engine. The ticking sound seems to come on when the engine is revving at around 2000rpm.

Below is a video
https://youtu.be/Evd-ggicwWw

Apologies about the poor quality but with headphones on you might be able to hear what I mean, from about 20 seconds onwards its more obvious.

Recently had it serviced by a Porsche indie in Bristol (major service including spark plugs and also had brake fluid changed), maybe 3 months ago. The car has done 50k miles and has a full service history. The engine oil that was used by the indie was Petronas syntium (in case this may be of any relevance).

I've taken it back to the Porsche indie earlier this week for a diagnosis who has advised it may be a hydraulic lifter. His opinion was to keep driving the car around for a little while longer as it may quieten down on its own (something about dirty oil being flushed out of certain areas of the engine) but it doesn't seem to be doing so. He advised that the next step would be to delve further in and remove the engine and start taking it apart for a proper diagnosis. This is obviously not great news and will likely cost a small fortune.

I've had the car since November 2018 and have an RAC platinum 2 year warranty but from what I've been told the warranty does not cover the diagnostic examinations etc

What do you more knowledgeable folks think I should do next? Would it be worth me trying another oil and filter change if it is some particles of dirt causing the hydraulic lifters not to work? Start shelling out on the next stage of diagnosis? Or may be even just wait it out for now?

Thanks for reading.

[frayz]

Sticky lifters will be audible at idle too, so if it’s not there at idle it’s unlikely to be that. If it genuinely is that then driving it around won’t hurt it.
Has the car been laid up for some time?
If so the sticky lifter is quite common.

[turbomoggie]

frayz said:

Sticky lifters will be audible at idle too, so if it’s not there at idle it’s unlikely to be that. If it genuinely is that then driving it around won’t hurt it.
Has the car been laid up for some time?
If so the sticky lifter is quite common.

Thanks for the reply frayz,
It doesn't seem to be there at idle just at around 2k revs. Since I purchased the car in November 2018 its been in regular use, its my daily so does several short journeys throughout the week and normally a longer majority motorway based journey on a monthly basis.

Happen to have any other ideas? When the indie had a look he said he looked for any loose heat shields and checked where the spark plugs go.

Engine doesn't seem to be using any oil. Coolant level is normal.
The exhaust is always quite steamy on start up but I've put this down to my regular short journeys.
There is a small amount of yellow "mayo" on the oil cap but from searching online this is apparently normal on these cars when doing lots of short journeys?

Cheers.

Edited by turbomoggie on Sunday 19th May 21:49

[frayz]

Hmm, perhaps take it on a longer run to get nice and warm. Failing that you’ll have to get it checked out further. It’s hard to say when you don’t have the vehicle in front of you.
I’m clutching at straws without seeing it.

[turbomoggie]

frayz said:

Hmm, perhaps take it on a longer run to get nice and warm. Failing that you’ll have to get it checked out further. It’s hard to say when you don’t have the vehicle in front of you.
I’m clutching at straws without seeing it.

It's strange it seems to happen once the engine has warmed up and not when cold. I've found another video on youtube of someone having a similar issue (albeit in a 981 rather than a 987.2) and you can hear it a bit better on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=22&amp...

Thanks for your help anyway and yes I will take it for a long and hard drive and get the engine nice and hot and see whether this makes any difference.

[frayz]

Just had another listen, was late last night when i first played the video.

Im almost 100% certain thats not a tappet as its comes and goes. It doesnt sound like it either. Sounds more like something rattling, vibrating under there.
Does the frequency of the noise increase with engine speed? If its the same frequency no matter the revs then its unlikely to be anything internal and rotational which again throws out the tappet/lifter theory.

Do you have an opportunity to get under the car with it running for a better inspection?

[Rockster]

turbomoggie said:

Hi guys,

Over the past couple of weeks I've noticed a ticking sound coming from my 2010 Boxster 987.2 with the 2.9 engine. The ticking sound seems to come on when the engine is revving at around 2000rpm.

Below is a video
https://youtu.be/Evd-ggicwWw

Apologies about the poor quality but with headphones on you might be able to hear what I mean, from about 20 seconds onwards its more obvious.

Recently had it serviced by a Porsche indie in Bristol (major service including spark plugs and also had brake fluid changed), maybe 3 months ago. The car has done 50k miles and has a full service history. The engine oil that was used by the indie was Petronas syntium (in case this may be of any relevance).

I've taken it back to the Porsche indie earlier this week for a diagnosis who has advised it may be a hydraulic lifter. His opinion was to keep driving the car around for a little while longer as it may quieten down on its own (something about dirty oil being flushed out of certain areas of the engine) but it doesn't seem to be doing so. He advised that the next step would be to delve further in and remove the engine and start taking it apart for a proper diagnosis. This is obviously not great news and will likely cost a small fortune.

I've had the car since November 2018 and have an RAC platinum 2 year warranty but from what I've been told the warranty does not cover the diagnostic examinations etc

What do you more knowledgeable folks think I should do next? Would it be worth me trying another oil and filter change if it is some particles of dirt causing the hydraulic lifters not to work? Start shelling out on the next stage of diagnosis? Or may be even just wait it out for now?

Thanks for reading.

Petronas Syntium what? What viscosity? Full synthetic? I don't recall this oil being a Porsche approved oil. Approved oils have an "A40" on the label which indicates the oil is approved by Porsche for use in its sport car engines.

So be sure the oil is an approved oil, the oil level is good, and of the proper viscosity grade. 0w-40 is preferred and especially if the car is driven in cold (-25C) temperatures. This is according to Porsche.

But there are a number of 5w-40 oils and even one 5w-50 oil (not a typo for 15w-50!) approved for use. Given where I live and drive it doesn't get very cold at all (hardly ever to 32F) but plenty hot (100F+) and for my Boxster and 996 Turbo engines I used Mobil 1 5w-50 oil, but both engines covered hundred thousand or more miles with 0w-40 oil changed every 5K miles.

A mechanic's stethoscope can be used to better pinpoint the source of the noise. If it was a lifter I think it would be an easier call with a stethoscope.

Just so you know, if dirt is suspected Porsche guidelines call for all lifters of a cylinder bank be replaced.

Be sure a loose spark plug is not the problem. Like "oil" plugs were the last thing touched...

[Boxstercol]

Which Indy in Bristol? if it’s the one in Filton then I wouldn’t believe a thing they say or trust their opinion on what could be wrong. I wouldn’t get them to service my pushbike!

Not sure if it could be oil related, my old man uses this oil in his MX5.

Could it be that the oil they’ve used is too thin / has too low viscosity?

I know that when my oil was changed from Mobil 1 0W 40 to Mobil 1 Peak Life 5W 50 at annual service by the OPC, the engine did seem a little quieter.

[jakesmith]

I can strongly recommend Northway to the West of Reading. I am not aware of any renowned Porsche indi's in Bristol. The only place I know of at all in the area is Cameron (Sales) in Bath and I know they send cars to Northway for work. Could I suggest you take it there, it's probably under an hour away. They have looked after 4 of my cars and are highly knowledgeable and very honest & trustworthy, with a low labour rate too. They are the sort of place where they will take it out, put it on a ramp, have a look at it and give you advice before you book it in based on my experiences with them can't recommend them highly enough. Obviously they won't tear it down for free but I doubt you're looking at that

For what it's worth I would be less concerned about a ticking noise that isn't there all the time and isn't related to revs. You also have one of the safest engines. I wouldn't be surprised if it is a basic metal part that is expanding when the car is warm, and is a bit damaged / loose so rattling in or by your exhaust. This is common on 9X6 and 9X7 cars as Porsche made the entire exhaust systems and all the brackets, mounts, clamps out of steel which rots if the car is used in the winter. My 987 was 4 years old when this happened to me. All the others I had needed exhaust pieces replaced due to rust.

Good luck and let us know how it goes

ETA check the spec of the oil they put in and the plugs / coil packs. Obvious low hanging fruit thing to do first

[turbomoggie]

frayz said:

Just had another listen, was late last night when i first played the video.

Im almost 100% certain thats not a tappet as its comes and goes. It doesnt sound like it either. Sounds more like something rattling, vibrating under there.
Does the frequency of the noise increase with engine speed? If its the same frequency no matter the revs then its unlikely to be anything internal and rotational which again throws out the tappet/lifter theory.

Do you have an opportunity to get under the car with it running for a better inspection?

I had a good rev of the engine yesterday evening on a quiet road, sounds strange but it's quite tricky to tell if the frequency increases as engine speed increases, after a certain point I can't hear it at all but that may be because the engine sound is drowning it out. First week of June I'll be heading home to visit my parents who have a nice large driveway and access to tools so I'll jack the car up and have a nosy myself.

Thanks again!

Rockster said:

Petronas Syntium what? What viscosity? Full synthetic? I don't recall this oil being a Porsche approved oil. Approved oils have an "A40" on the label which indicates the oil is approved by Porsche for use in its sport car engines.

So be sure the oil is an approved oil, the oil level is good, and of the proper viscosity grade. 0w-40 is preferred and especially if the car is driven in cold (-25C) temperatures. This is according to Porsche.

But there are a number of 5w-40 oils and even one 5w-50 oil (not a typo for 15w-50!) approved for use. Given where I live and drive it doesn't get very cold at all (hardly ever to 32F) but plenty hot (100F+) and for my Boxster and 996 Turbo engines I used Mobil 1 5w-50 oil, but both engines covered hundred thousand or more miles with 0w-40 oil changed every 5K miles.

A mechanic's stethoscope can be used to better pinpoint the source of the noise. If it was a lifter I think it would be an easier call with a stethoscope.

Just so you know, if dirt is suspected Porsche guidelines call for all lifters of a cylinder bank be replaced.

Be sure a loose spark plug is not the problem. Like "oil" plugs were the last thing touched...

Hi Rockster I was assured by the indie that the oil was fully approved by porsche and the right stuff for the engine, from doing a google search I'm assuming it will be Petronas Syntium 3000 5w40 as this has the A40 approval.
I'll have a look in to the spark plugs myself, look like a bit of a pain to get to though compared to my usual front engined inline 4 cars I've had in the past!

Boxstercol said:

Which Indy in Bristol? if it’s the one in Filton then I wouldn’t believe a thing they say or trust their opinion on what could be wrong. I wouldn’t get them to service my pushbike!

Not sure if it could be oil related, my old man uses this oil in his MX5.

Could it be that the oil they’ve used is too thin / has too low viscosity?

I know that when my oil was changed from Mobil 1 0W 40 to Mobil 1 Peak Life 5W 50 at annual service by the OPC, the engine did seem a little quieter.

Not in Filton but thanks for the heads up!
Took my car to Porschemode; I've had good service from them so far and pleasant to deal with.

jakesmith said:

I can strongly recommend Northway to the West of Reading. I am not aware of any renowned Porsche indi's in Bristol. The only place I know of at all in the area is Cameron (Sales) in Bath and I know they send cars to Northway for work. Could I suggest you take it there, it's probably under an hour away. They have looked after 4 of my cars and are highly knowledgeable and very honest & trustworthy, with a low labour rate too. They are the sort of place where they will take it out, put it on a ramp, have a look at it and give you advice before you book it in based on my experiences with them can't recommend them highly enough. Obviously they won't tear it down for free but I doubt you're looking at that

For what it's worth I would be less concerned about a ticking noise that isn't there all the time and isn't related to revs. You also have one of the safest engines. I wouldn't be surprised if it is a basic metal part that is expanding when the car is warm, and is a bit damaged / loose so rattling in or by your exhaust. This is common on 9X6 and 9X7 cars as Porsche made the entire exhaust systems and all the brackets, mounts, clamps out of steel which rots if the car is used in the winter. My 987 was 4 years old when this happened to me. All the others I had needed exhaust pieces replaced due to rust.

Good luck and let us know how it goes

ETA check the spec of the oil they put in and the plugs / coil packs. Obvious low hanging fruit thing to do first

Thanks for the recommendation, just had a quick google, unfortunately they are about 1.5 hours away but good to know they're there in case I don't manage to get answers from others.
Thanks for the heads up about the exhaust, fingers crossed its something like this, I'll look in to this further!
Ok I'll send a message and get confirmation of which oil and plugs were used and post them up once I know.

[jakesmith]

turbomoggie said:

Thanks for the recommendation, just had a quick google, unfortunately they are about 1.5 hours away but good to know they're there in case I don't manage to get answers from others.
Thanks for the heads up about the exhaust, fingers crossed its something like this, I'll look in to this further!
Ok I'll send a message and get confirmation of which oil and plugs were used and post them up once I know.

No worries... a few other things you can do to alleviate some concerns or do some basic trouble shooting... if you have 15 mins... I've had a variety of Boxsters and they aren't all the same so some of this may be more relevant that others but worth a quick look I'd say.

Jack the rear of the car up (must be when it's cold + use axle stands) and get under it with an inspection lamp, tap around the exhaust system with a rubber mallet, mainly the silencer, see if you can detect anything loose or rattling, a broken bit inside the silencer perhaps, assuming the 2.9 is the same as the gen 1 987 / 986, common weak points are the steel bands / straps around the silencer that suspend it / hold it in place, they are a weak point and can rot through, if they crack or are about to crack they can allow a little movement and rattle like hell, also with gloves on to save you getting filthy, look for the exhaust heatshields, they are approximately A5 sized and various Boxster models have up to 4. Maybe less on 987.2 as from memory the secondary cats moved into the silencer but can't remember 100%. Typically above the exhaust, these are a common culprit for working loose & rattling as they are thin material like a beans can. See if there is any movement in them / the silencer give them a little wriggle.

Also I would inspect the triangular flanges that hold a gasket between the manifold and the silencer, the studs can corrode & allow them to move apart a little, this was an issue on my 986.

Finally if you want some reassurance that it isn't the dreaded bore scoring (which I didn't think affected your engine), check the tail pipe for fouling. This isn't conclusive but if the tip is clean I would worry less. If it is dirty, and you're still using the car, then give the tip a very thorough clean, and keep an eye on it. If it fouls again within a few hundred miles then your engine likely using excessive oil and that's a bit more sinister but I'd say unlikely as the I would expect the ticking noise would rise with revs and be present especially at cold engine

Good luck