Does anybody experience the phenomenon of an engine becoming more noisy as it's motor oil gets age on it?
Oil Life vs. Engine Noise
- Thread starter CapitalTruck
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Sure....as oil shears it has a tendency to transmit noise more. Doesn't mean it is not lubricating though.
It's important to listen to your motor. I always start the engine with the radio / car stereo off, the heater or A/C off, any other noise making appliance off (windshield wipers, for example), and listen as it starts up and goes into idle. If it's a completely normal startup and run, then after about 20 seconds or so we can start making noise with other parts of the car. On a cold start, I usually run it in quiet mode for a few minutes ... ideally until the fast idle throttles down to warm idle.
Any abrupt change is cause for investigation. It's much harder to deal with subtle changes over time; we often don't even notice the transformation. Maybe it's just another good use for that video recorder on your cellphone ... do a change, record the sound, there's your point of reference.
You shouldn't really have a situation where the noise increases as the motor oil age increases. Oil changes should be happening long before a noise level increases; the motor should sound the same over the entire oil change interval.
Any abrupt change is cause for investigation. It's much harder to deal with subtle changes over time; we often don't even notice the transformation. Maybe it's just another good use for that video recorder on your cellphone ... do a change, record the sound, there's your point of reference.
You shouldn't really have a situation where the noise increases as the motor oil age increases. Oil changes should be happening long before a noise level increases; the motor should sound the same over the entire oil change interval.
Yeah, I'm talking the difference between oil with 0 miles on it versus 4200 miles...no big numbers.
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Originally Posted By: CapitalTruck
Yeah, I'm talking the difference between oil with 0 miles on it versus 4200 miles...no big numbers.
Should be zero difference. Any change at that wear level is grounds for investigation.
Yeah, I'm talking the difference between oil with 0 miles on it versus 4200 miles...no big numbers.
Should be zero difference. Any change at that wear level is grounds for investigation.
Back in the day when I was changing the oil on my 1979 Monte Carlo in High School with its 305 V8 every 3K miles with Conventional Castrol GTX it was so much quieter after the oil change. However today oil technology with Synthetics has come Light Years more advanced!
^My 72 Pontiac Catalina sounded quieter right after a 3K oil change with the 10W-40 that was available in the 80's. With my 89 Accord I never noticed any difference after 10K OCI's with 10W-30 synthetic. My current 2012 Mazda3 Skyactiv sounds the same all the time, before and after OC's. The last OC I did was after running the oil 30K miles with three microGreen filters.
It could be that your ears don't really tell you anything useful anymore.
It could be that your ears don't really tell you anything useful anymore.
If you don't do the oil change under identical conditions, you are comparing an warm engine with a cold one and a (usually) different oil levels since some oil was probably consumed and/or replaced by unburned fuel. Your (presumably new) filter will let the maximum amount of oil pass through and the load on your oil pump may be a bit less.
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oil shears down as it ages , so engine nise might increase a little with mileage and so could oil consumption , it doesn't mean it's not lubricating though
If it doesn't sound right, it's time for a change. Motors talk to you. Folks ought to listen ...
Noise means contact. May be lubricated contact, so not a lot of wear, but why have contact at all... Put fresh oil in it and drive on
Noise means contact. May be lubricated contact, so not a lot of wear, but why have contact at all... Put fresh oil in it and drive on
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Loud Announcer: "In the 'M1 Makes my Car Tick' Corner...."
Changed out whatever my vehicle came with at about 3-4K. Put in M1 0w40.
Car ticking louder than usual, VANOS noise and all that.
Ran the oil for 7,500, changed out and put in Rotella. Much quieter during the 3K it lived in there.
Some oils just exasperate engine noises, although if they are shearing out of grade, you can probably hear the effect it has on the engine.
Changed out whatever my vehicle came with at about 3-4K. Put in M1 0w40.
Car ticking louder than usual, VANOS noise and all that.
Ran the oil for 7,500, changed out and put in Rotella. Much quieter during the 3K it lived in there.
Some oils just exasperate engine noises, although if they are shearing out of grade, you can probably hear the effect it has on the engine.
I always notice that the engine in my cars are quieter after an oil change, especially the Colt and the Marea...interestingly these two have a turbo, so I always suspected it was related to oil shearing, or fuel contamination (in the case of the Marea).
And I don't talk about more noise than usual after startup, but noise during a sustained highway run, for example.
And I don't talk about more noise than usual after startup, but noise during a sustained highway run, for example.
Originally Posted By: BrocLuno
If it doesn't sound right, it's time for a change. Motors talk to you. Folks ought to listen ...
+1!
I believe in eyes and ears, and that an engine will tell you what it wants if you just pay attention. Too many people are too quick to rely on scanners these days. Not that I'm against them, I have some of my own, but it's not too often I actually need i use them.
If it doesn't sound right, it's time for a change. Motors talk to you. Folks ought to listen ...
+1!
I believe in eyes and ears, and that an engine will tell you what it wants if you just pay attention. Too many people are too quick to rely on scanners these days. Not that I'm against them, I have some of my own, but it's not too often I actually need i use them.
If you're running the Mobil 1 5W-30 that's in your signature, that's the source of your noise right there.
I notice changes in sound with aging oil and quieter just after a change. I also notice differences between different oil types. When you drive something daily, you can detect all sorts of noises the car makes. Lifter noise especially; years ago I had a '73 Satellite with the 318 that always had a little lifter tick. Then drove it to California and back and all the long hours on the freeway must have gotten the oil into the lifters because after that, lifter tick was gone!
On my bike, the shifting becomes notchy as the oil ages. Gearbox shears it down plus my bike puts a bit of fuel in the oil and when it gets thin, the gearbox isn't as smooth.
On my bike, the shifting becomes notchy as the oil ages. Gearbox shears it down plus my bike puts a bit of fuel in the oil and when it gets thin, the gearbox isn't as smooth.
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