Q: Clicking noise when I crank my car after a cold start. It goes away after the car idles down and warms up
Basically every time after a cold start when I crank the car it makes a clicking noise but it goes away after it idles down and warm up... I was thinking that maybe I need a valve adjustment but I'm not sure... It all started about a month or so as soon as this weather change came about... I don't hear this noise while driving sitting in one spot or anything just when I crank it after it has sat for awhile...
My car has 200000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
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Hello. There are 2 possibilities for this clicking sound. First, you may need to have the valves adjusted. They may be a tad loose with your mileage. The recommended interval for a valve adjustment for this engine is every 105K miles. The second possible source of a clicking sound on startup is the variable timing cam actuator.
This component is driven by oil pressure and varies the cam position relative to the crank for improved torque and fuel efficiency. Worn seals in the actuator allow oil to drain down overnight, and it takes a second or two on startup for pressurized oil to refill the actuator and eliminate the noise.
If you would like to have this all scoped out, a qualified pro from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to diagnose the noise and pinpoint proper repairs.
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