Cayman Knocking Noise
Cayman Knocking Noise
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caymanGR

Original Poster:

16 posts

155 months

Wednesday 4th December 2013
quotequote all
Hi,
I'm new to the world of Porsches having bought my Cayman in August this year but unfortunately I'm looking for a little help to try and gather opinions on what might be causing the knocking noise on cold start up of my 2010 Cayman. Its under warranty and so far my local OPC has replaced the hydraulic tensioners and then subsequently all the hydraulic lifters on one bank after they identified two that were faulty. I must be clear, I'm in no way dissatisfied with their service but this noise seems to have got everyone stumped so I thought I'd try you knowledgable lot smile

Here is a clip showing the sound.

Cheers,
Mike.

Rockster

1,515 posts

189 months

Wednesday 4th December 2013
quotequote all
Sounds to me like a lifter is noisy. I note the sound went away towards the end of the clip. If the noise is present again after the engine has sat awhile (say overnight) unused then a lifter is bleeding down and taking a while to pump up.

This suggests a lifter is bad. This could be one of the new lifters, or one of the lifters on the other bank. The lifters on the other bank might be noisy too just their noise was masked or drowned out by the noise of the lifters of the bank that were replaced.

A tech with a stethoscope should be able to pinpoint the source of the noise well enough to arrive at some reasonable guess as to what's wrong. While I have made a guess at lifter, at the car one might find an exhaust leak, or something else the source of the noise.

caymanGR

Original Poster:

16 posts

155 months

Thursday 5th December 2013
quotequote all
Thanks Rockster. It does this every morning I start the car so it must be draining overnight. I guess I'm going to have to leave my OPC to remove the engine for a third time and inspect the lifters. Like you said it could be one on the other bank this time.

Are these kind of lifter problems common?

Mike.

rigster2

126 posts

175 months

Thursday 5th December 2013
quotequote all
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOCZsBIIXNA

Mine was doing that most cold starts. My local indy suggested a sticky lifter.

Changed the oil a year ago and its been fine since.

It was a year old at the time with 5000 miles on the clock.

caymanGR

Original Poster:

16 posts

155 months

Thursday 5th December 2013
quotequote all
Thanks, wish an oil change would fix mine. With my OPC having removed the engine a couple of times already I'm assuming it'll have had new oil each time. I wonder if it's common on red cars! hehe

caymanGR

Original Poster:

16 posts

155 months

Thursday 16th January 2014
quotequote all
Hi,
Thought I'd provide a little update on my car since my last post in early Dec last year. Unfortunately my OPC have yet to trace down the root cause of this tapping (see video link in post #1). The car has been with them on this occasion since the last week in November, so its coming up for 8 weeks now + the 3 other prior occasions its been in for this issue during Sept/Oct. The engine has been out for a 5th time and this time its been striped right down! The bonus is its bores look great apparently.

Having mentioned a slight vibration when manuvering they have managed to find a faulty dual mass fly wheel, but as yet no cause for the tapping. Their current working assumption (I/they won't know until the engine is rebuilt and tested) is that its the cam actuator, which they are replacing but I am slowly loosing confidence that they will be able to resolve it.

What should I do next? I'm happy with their level of service but I'm am beginning to wonder what other people would do in my position. Could I reject the car or demand a new engine?


Cheers,
Mike.

caymanGR

Original Poster:

16 posts

155 months

Friday 17th January 2014
quotequote all
Hi,
Does no one have any suggestions or thoughts? I'd really appreciate some advice.

Thanks,
Mike.

jcelee

1,082 posts

273 months

Friday 17th January 2014
quotequote all
How he OPC left you while its being fixed? If they left me a GT3 to play with in its absence I'd leave them be!

If the car has almost never been right since you bought it and has been being repaired for a three month period then I think I would push for a new engine or even an alternative replacement vehicle. You don't pay a significant OPC premium for nothing...

caymanGR

Original Poster:

16 posts

155 months

Thursday 30th January 2014
quotequote all
Hi,
Another quick update. The garage have treated me well, I've had multiple 981 caymans, a panamera, and recently a 981 boxster s to play with.
I've got the car back now. The engine was built back up with replacement cam actuators which appears to have made the noise almost inaudible (I don't know if I'm just hearing noises now! smile ) I appreciate that the new tappets will also take a few miles to quieten down.

Quick question to those in the know, does this solution sound plausible? could the cam actuator actually be making a knocking noise in time with the rev's?

I cheekily asked how much a bill my car managed to rack up while its been with them and they said that it was about £7,000 - so I'm glad I bought through an OPC to get my warranty.

Cheers,
Mike.

badger51

26 posts

157 months

Thursday 30th January 2014
quotequote all
Hi

Doesn't ring true to me but if the noise has gone then all is good, mind you I do think these engines sound like a bag of spanners in a tumble dryer at tick over IMHO

PS so glad I just purchased my cayman with OPC 2 yr warranty.

Badger 51

caymanGR

Original Poster:

16 posts

155 months

Thursday 30th January 2014
quotequote all
Yes, I'll still be listening out for the noise on startup for many weeks to come. Its a shame I've lost confidence in the car, as a result I find myself worrying about the slightest of noises now. I'm thinking of taking it for a bit of tuition at a track day (I've heard Blyton Park is good) to really get to know how it can perform. Hopefully this will give me confidence its going to last, either that or break it for good smile!

Mike.

uknick

1,065 posts

213 months

Friday 31st January 2014
quotequote all
caymanGR said:
Yes, I'll still be listening out for the noise on startup for many weeks to come. Its a shame I've lost confidence in the car, as a result I find myself worrying about the slightest of noises now. I'm thinking of taking it for a bit of tuition at a track day (I've heard Blyton Park is good) to really get to know how it can perform. Hopefully this will give me confidence its going to last, either that or break it for good smile!

Mike.
If it's under Porsche warranty why worry about the engine going bang? As long as you don't cause it by stupid driving that is.

Rockster

1,515 posts

189 months

Monday 3rd February 2014
quotequote all
caymanGR said:
Hi,
Another quick update. The garage have treated me well, I've had multiple 981 caymans, a panamera, and recently a 981 boxster s to play with.
I've got the car back now. The engine was built back up with replacement cam actuators which appears to have made the noise almost inaudible (I don't know if I'm just hearing noises now! smile ) I appreciate that the new tappets will also take a few miles to quieten down.

Quick question to those in the know, does this solution sound plausible? could the cam actuator actually be making a knocking noise in time with the rev's?

I cheekily asked how much a bill my car managed to rack up while its been with them and they said that it was about £7,000 - so I'm glad I bought through an OPC to get my warranty.

Cheers,
Mike.
Sounds plausible if after replacing the cam actuators and the engine got quiet. I had an actuator (and solenoid) go bad on my Boxster. I really don't recall any noise but the engine was running poorly which had all of my attention.

These engines will never be electric motor quiet. There's too much going on for that.

My advice is to try to listen to the engine a bit less, at least don't focus on it, and enjoy the car.

Keep the oil level up but not overfull and don't run the oil too much past its change by date. More on this: I like to change the oil/filter every 5K miles as my experience is these engines really accumulate combustion byproducts (mainly the unburned gasoline and water) which thin the oil. Even at 5K miles when I get the car back -- or even when I did the oil servicing myself -- the engine would be noticeably quieter with the fresh oil even once the fresh oil was up to full operating temperature.