I get a tappet-like noise when the car is cold, especially under hard acceleration. I can avoid hearing the noise if I accelerate vert gently. I only barely hear the noise when the engine is fully warmed up, but today I heard it clearly under hard acceleration at 170o (I have a scan gaugecar is fully warmed up ~185-190). It sounds very much like tappets, but someone told me they thought it was piston slap. Any thoughts? If piston slap, what's hte prognosis for the engine?

David314

 

almost forgotthe car's a '99 LX, clutch, 148k miles.

 

run Marvel Mystery Oil for 1000 miles, flush and change with Amsoil Series 2000 0W30. Noise is gone. Lifter/rocker noise is common in Honda's

 

Excuse my ignorance but does "flush and change" mean to do an oil change, putting in Amsoil?? I've run 300 miles with Marvel Mystery Oil and still ticks.

 

Give the MMO 1000 miles, then run a "once-a-year" engine flush before you change out the MMO and old oil. Gunk makes one that's in a silver can, but they are all the same. It's alcohol that breaks down the oil to loosen up and get all the cr@p out of the engine. You run it at high idle (~1500 rpm) for 10-15 minutes, then change the oil.

NOTE: The second # in the oil designation has to match what your car wants. 0W30 will work fine for 5 or 10 w30. 5w20 needs different oil, with 20 in the second place.