99' Lumina w/ 3100 ... TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP TAP!

[Stevo]

My bro is buying his GF's car since she can't sell it.

 

It's a nice and in B+ to A condition except for some very minor things. Inside is very clean too.

 

The motor when started has a really loud tapping sound that persists for a while till it warms up. Apparently he says it's piston slap which as I am reading just may be it but... I wonder if his oil pump/circulation just isnt cutting it since the car's engine HAD been majorly serviced before.

 

Anyone have an idea wtf this is? I was gonna shoot a video but the douche took his camera back.

 

Also his rear driverside door latch isnt catching. I say just have it inside till it thaws and hit it with some wd40 or lubricant.

[1990lumina]

Does it sound like this --> http://media.putfile.com/Lifter-Tick-71

 

I asked a mechanic at GM a while back..he told me that's piston slap.. my motor still has a slight tap or something goes on even when warm..but I'm not going to worry about it.

 

As for the door latch not catching...does the door close at all? Make sure the latch isn't already in the latched position and just bouncing off the striker..this happened to my buddies Cavalier a few winters ago..once you get it working again.yes lube the fuck out of it!

[Stevo]

The door closes but doesnt catch... I can rotate the mechanism with a screwdriver but to get it to rotate and stay is another thing.

 

As for the slap ... it does look like thats the case.

[runt]

The door closes but doesnt catch... I can rotate the mechanism with a screwdriver but to get it to rotate and stay is another thing.

 

As for the slap ... it does look like thats the case.

 

Sounds like the grease someone used in the door gets thick when it's cold. Put something on there not so thick and you should be good to go. My G/F's old '94 Ciera did this and thats what I ended up doing to it.

[5speedz34]

Yeah, probably piston slap.

 

 

Loudcut's car is pretty loud when its cold. It always sounds like a knock.

[GP1138]

Sounds normal to me!

 

http://www.pistonslap.com/

[GOT2B GM]

welcome to piston slap.....it's just your 3100's special way of greeting you every morning.

[5speedz34]

Sounds normal to me!

 

http://www.pistonslap.com/

 

It's shit like that that causes GM not to sell cars.

[Stevo]

I just found out that this is engine #2. =X

 

The first was replaced under warranty.

 

GG GM!

[IRONDOG442]

You all might have noticed on that link that was posted that the LX-5 is NOT on the list..DAYYYYYUUUUUMMMM!!!!

[Andrew]

You all might have noticed on that link that was posted that the LX-5 is NOT on the list..DAYYYYYUUUUUMMMM!!!!

neither is the 3800.

 

but thats makes me reconsider wanting a chevy truck with the 5.3 though. damzit.

[Stevo]

UPDATE...

 

My brother is flip flopping on buying it to selling it to now keeping it.

 

Is there any fix for the 3100's issue other than dropping the motor for another?

 

I'm going to think no ... I said his best bet was to cruise the yards looking for low km cars that got t-boned or rear ended.

 

The only thing I can think of is boring the cylinders for custom pistons as long as the stroke can be maintained. My 94' has a 3100 with serious gasket issues... but it needs a tear-down badly and has 250000km on the OD. My idea is to drop the whole damn engine for another 'good' 3100 and swap-the-top to a 3400.

[mgenin]

I would put my money on the lifters, not piston slap. This has been an issue with GM cars for a very long time. If its a faint clatter which sounds like many pistons then your fine, just make sure you warm the engine up before anyone comes to look at buying the car! If its one distinct tapping noise which is loud enough to be heard inside the car, then you should worry. This happened to my Lumina 3100, a bottle of EOS from the dealer fixed the clogged lifter.

[R Dubya]

yeah I was going to add that especially upon startup the lifters tend to make noise in these engines. Are you 100% sure that the intakes are not leaking internally and settling coolant onto the lifters? A friends 99 GAGT with the 3400 had slow leaking intakes and eventually got to the point where the lifters were making a lot of noise, but after about 3 mins of warmup it went away. Eventually just did the head gaskets as a preventative thing.

[Stevo]

Even when warmed up it makes noise ... he made the mistake of swapping out Dexcool for regular Green and after that the gasket to the *cant think of the part name* where the water pump attaches started leaking.

 

I would say lifters too but... *shrugs*

[Dark Ride]

FWIW, my GFs car, 00 Lumina 3100 has a very loud tapping sound, probably because her dad is a complete idiot and ran 15W40 oil during a below 0 minnesota winter. She has been driving the car for 20K miles now and it hasn't gotten any worse.

 

IMO, I'd just drive it, its not a show car.

[rockfangd]

welcome to piston slap.....it's just your 3100's special way of greeting you every morning.

LOL agreed mine has done it since i bought it 3 years ago

[rockfangd]

i say it is just an easy way to get a few hundred dullars knocked off of a sale lol

[Crazy K]

I would do an oil change, but before an oil change run about 100 miles with stp (or 1/2 quart transmission fluid) or seafoam in the oil to loosen sludge and then change it.

[Addicted2bass]

I would guess lifter knock. My 96 GP started doin it last summer. Since then ive been listening for it on other cars with the 3100, almost all 3100s ive heard make a taping type noise untill the motor warms up.

[mgenin]

Due, seriously, like i said before, go to the dealer and buy EOS (Engine Oil Supplement)

Best 8 bucks I ever spent, worked after a few hundred kms of driving, and even after I changed the oil, the noise never came back.

If that doe not do it for you, then you might have to replace the lifters.