oil change = slight engine knock
 

I did an oil change and put in Quaker State 5w30, now I have a slight engine knock that speeds up under acceleration.
Also I cleaned the engine off with some degreaser.

New plugs, new wires, new ignition coil, new distributor cap

I don't know what year Accord you have, but my '00 uses 10w30 oil. What oil did you have it in before? Are we talking a knock or is it more like a lifter? Normally, if the noise increases with speed, it's a rod. I don't believe that you have that problem, because if it was it wouldn't be described as slight. When I saw the 5 weight, I was thinking that possibly the oil is too thin. Does the car idle smooth?

97 accord v6 automatic.. not sure what it had in it before, just bought it a month or 2 ago.. it does sound like a ticking/tapping
yes it idles great

You probably need a valve adjustment.

you did a change and got an unwelcome side symptom. So always undo the change.

Despite 5w-30 being the standard oil recommendation in North America - Texoma, TX in summer it so continuously hot that I'd consider more viscous oil in the undo-change.

Example, yesterday I just drained and filled enough to make my oil 50% 10w-40 in my two Accords because of continuing 100+F forecast temps
with the rest of the summer still ahead. I don't want an argument, I'm just saying what I did - so I practice what I preach!

Oil brand. I had an unsettling experience with QS brand oil a long time ago and avoid it.

97 v6 -- can't adjust valves

What brand of oil do you use UhOh?

I saw that after I mentioned it. I checked for the procedure to send to you, but found out they are not adjustable.


My Accord is a '00 4 cylinder. I have been using Castrol GTX 10w30. As UhOh mentioned there were some problems with QS several years ago, but they have supposedly worked it out. I've been using Castrol for years, dino and synthetic, never any problems with noisy tappets.

I've had good enough results with Chevron, Texaco, Valvoline, Castrol, Shell.
Listed in no particular order.


I've also had bad results switching to "synthetic" and "high mileage" oil when the engine seals and gaskets are used to plain jane oil.
One thing you could consider is calling the prior owner and asking him what kind of oil he used in the car.
<Older cars with miles ... you don't want to experiment. Been there, done that.>

What kind of filter did you get. Sometimes cheap filters in my 95 will make the valves tap. I switched to the most expensive filter I could find. K&N

fram I believe

How many miles on the car? Has the timing belt been changed?

268k miles on it and no clue *IF* the timing belt has ever been changed. Just bought the car, it wasnt ticking or knocking when I bought it, but started after doing the oil change and degreasing it..

Timing belt and water pump is on the way though so I can tackle those

I would switch. I believe fram have paper filters. You want something with maximum flow and maximum protection Getting a good oil filter is just as important as what oil you use. My car used to tap all the time with fram. The oil wasn't getting through the filter fast enough and causing my valves to be under oiled. I switched to a expensive filter and it significantly quieted down my motor. Its worth a try. Either now or when you change your oil again.

I plan on doing an oil change with a thicker weight of oil in it, different brand of oil, and different brand of filter... Now that I think about it, I think I used stp (there was a filter in the trunk, brand new when I bought the car)
I'm also going to do the timing belt and water pump, along with opening the valve cover and checking the rocker (it may be the thing ticking)

Keep us posted, it will be interesting to find out the cause of the noise.

I will video the noise so everyone can hear it, and video the repairs I make to fix it..
My last video I put up, someone was shooting an automatic weapon around the neighborhood lol

OK, but ... but ... but don't do those all at the same time.

Change oil/filter. Good. Then drive it for a week, does it still tick?


Then do TB and valve cover. I'm not sure what checking the rocker will accomplish, but does this additionally help?


You are searching for information on causes, when you get it ... please share.

I remember reading somewhere that the accords are known for their rocker arm to loosen up, and they need to be completely loosened and then torqued back down, because they will start ticking

So, hope you will share how you're coming
on identifying the cause of your car's ticking noise.

A long screw driver can be used as a stethascope to pin point where a sound is coming from...

A good indicator of loose bolts inside underneith the valve cover is oil on the sparkplug wire ends....things come loose and tap alittle There's a couple bolts that come loose inside and for some reason oil tends to get to the top of the sparkplugs. For me I know right away something is loose inside or my valve cover gasket is going

Car has been on the back burner for a bit, $$$ issue. We're under a stage 3 drought and my main source of income is from working on boats, and if no water in the lake, no boats on the water, no money in the pocket... :(

I do have my gates timing belt and water pump kit in, and my valve cover gaskets, side cover gaskets. I do not have my hex crankshaft tool (looking for one, or looking to make one via hex bushing)

I plan on going with a STP filter and (Anyone got suggestions about another brand of oil vs QS?)

I think I may of had a little oil on a spark plug wire when I changed them recently. (just bought the car and still doing all the "first" tune up work)
There is a gasket leaking oil, that is why I opted to buy both gaskets and just give everything a good once over and change the gaskets

That is almost a debate starter question. Almost any name brand oil or if you trust some of the "house brands" they are fine as well.

Just my opinion and not ttrying to start or further any debate.

Might call around, some of the parts stores rent the pulley holder. A member already posted a link to "how to make your own", not sure if it like the ones I've seen before but you bascially get a nut that has the correct outside diameter to lock into the pulley and weld on some sort of handle.

Still on hold guys :( --- Head gasket on my suv has blown out

run of bad luck.
maybe just drain / fill / change the motor oil, same filter.
low cost, 4 or so quarts.

Seems odd, but after awhile and adding just a slight bit of thicker oil seems to have made the ticking go away... It will do it every no and again when I first start it up, but it goes away after a minute or so. Same thing happened to my Explorer.. Changed oil, then ticked until I let it run for awhile.

I thought all Honda V6's had solid lifters. Does the 97 V6 have hydraulic lifters? Hydraulic lifters can also make noise when the lifter loses pressure.

good luck

Not on the intake' valves. The best thing I can recommend is to manually turn the engine over and watch the rockers, if the intake arms come to full compression at slightly different times then then best way to adjust the valves is to throw out the book and do them as a performance valve adjustment, mean watch the exhaust valve go down on any given cylinder, when it bottoms out stop or turn back a bit to get it on full compression. With the exhaust at full compression the intake valves can then be adjusted for that cylinder. Roll through all the cylinders adjusting only the intakes, THEN use the TDC marks on the cam to adjust the exhaust valves. I have seen many issues with the valves on the V6 engines and determined the best way to adjust them is to use the mechanical principle, when one lobe of the cam is at the low point then the other is on the high point and adjust the corresponding valve. It sounds to me like even if the valves were adjusted they may still be off you use the cam lobes as your force.

Almost never will a heavier wait oil quite the valves if they are out of spec, but I will say if you have a low end bearing noise and add 10w oil to an engine that runs 5w and the bearing/low end noise goes any then that will almost always tell you there is play in the crank bearings.