Q: Engine died, do I have to replace it now?
I will admit that my 2006 Hyundai Sonata is getting to be a pretty high-mileage car, so I accept that some repairs will be needed. At 125,000 miles, though, I don’t want to be replacing a whole engine. Now I am worried that I am going to have to do exactly that because there is a persistent clicking noise whenever this car idles, and it is worse right when I start it up. Is there a chance this isn’t something really bad in the engine?
The noise you are hearing could be one of several problems. The first and easiest to fix would be to use only manufacturer certified oil filters during oil and filter changes. The oil filter used may not have a built-in backflow valve built into it and causing oil pressure to take time to build up on startup. The next issue may be a low oil pressure problem a certified mechanic from YourMechanic would be able to test for this at your home or office. The loss of oil pressure may be due to camshaft bearings or oil pump failure. You should have noise looked at as soon as possible, just in case the noise you are hearing is causing internal engine damage. I would suggest the oil and filter change first before proceeding to other issues. If the oil and filter change with correct filter does not fix noise then further diagnostics for noise location will be needed by YourMechanic.
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