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Toyota Avensis - tapping noise after oil changed - Brek

I have owned my Toyota Avensis 1.8 petrol auto from when I bought it new from Toyota Bristol south in 2008.

It has always been regularly serviced. First by Toyota and then after a few years by a local garage just across the road from me. Never had any problems with the car until this month, only new battery and brake parts such as pads, discs and pipes to the back..

Had the car serviced and I can hear a tapping rattle from the engine when it is cold. I think the garage used the wrong oil because this was not there before the service. The mechanic says he used the correct oil and he changed the oil and filter again for me but the noise is still there. Once properly hot it goes away. I suspect he used the wrong oil before and the engine has been damaged. What recourse do I have? The filter is branded 'MANN'. Is this reputable and suitable.

The car is '1.8 vvti' with 287000 miles.

Toyota Avensis - tapping noise after oil changed - Falkirk Bairn

Google

If it is in the top left of the engine, it is the vacuum pump, similar to a diesel engine vacuum pump. Due to the nature of the Valvematic engine with the throttle wide open, there is no vacuum created for the brake servo, hence the vacuum pump. Being a petrol engine which is more quiet than a diesel, it is more noticeable. It you take it back to Toyota, they may say the same thing. Notice the rattle does not get louder as the engine revs, as a cam/tappet does.

Toyota Avensis - tapping noise after oil changed - edlithgow

MANN is a well known brand. Damage due to the "wrong" oil is highly unlikely, especially in the short term.

Its JUST possible that a thicker oil is causing a delay in hydraulic tappet or variable valve timing actuation, leading to a temporary increase in valve train noise. Its also possible that a thinner oil is providing less cushioning and sound deadening, or that newer oil has cleaned some sound-deadening deposits, though this last would take a while and is probably unlikely.

Or its coincidence (which would be my best guess)

You have no possible recourse. The first oil change is gone. It would require sophisticated oil analysis to identify the second oil change, and it would be impossible to prove that any (itself unproven) damage was due to the "wrong" oil.

If this is a 287000 mile car you should congratulate yourself, it, and anyone involved in its maintenance. Buy them a beer, and going forward put the thickest oil in it that the maker allows.

Toyota Avensis - tapping noise after oil changed - madf

Sometimes oil changes in old cars dislodge a bit of sludge which can partially block an oilway. When the engine is cold, the oil is viscous and less flows.

When the engine warms up, the oil thins..

Congratulations on getting to 12 times round the world.

Toyota Avensis - tapping noise after oil changed - Big John

I used to have something similar with a very high mileage old Passat diesel that had noisy tappets when cold. An engine flush (Wynn's I seem to remember) used before changing the oil helped a bit but could never make up for the well north of 200k miles.

The other noise it could be is a bit of piston slap whilst cold - again can be common in some designs of engine as the miles advance. Usually not a major issue.

At 287k miles - keep calm and carry on!

Using the wrong oil woun't show issues up straight away and MANN are very reputable filters.

Toyota Avensis - tapping noise after oil changed - Brek1

I am the original poster. Had to register with a slightly different name because I forgot my password.

Anyway, the car is better. Turned out that the garage thought it needed 0W20 oil whereas it should have 10W30. On Thursday they re-filled it with the correct oil and the cold tapping is gone. Strange, because they serviced it the last couple of years and used the correct oil those times.

It runs remarkably smoothly and is a trouble free car (had a rear tweeter speaker fail, but got a used one for £10 and swapped it over in a minute). I have noticed that it takes a little longer to start from cold than before (maybe 4-5 seconds cranking, rather than starting almost on twisting the key, as it used to). But its ok for 287k miles. I read the same engine was used in Bangkok Toyota Corolla taxis and they regularly cover 500k before they are worn out.

Toyota Avensis - tapping noise after oil changed - paul 1963

Superb! thanks for coming back, so many don't. Very good ( and honest) of the garage to hold there hands up.

Toyota Avensis - tapping noise after oil changed - Big John

Nice to have some good news in these strange times!

Toyota Avensis - tapping noise after oil changed - edlithgow

I am the original poster. Had to register with a slightly different name because I forgot my password.

Anyway, the car is better. Turned out that the garage thought it needed 0W20 oil whereas it should have 10W30. On Thursday they re-filled it with the correct oil and the cold tapping is gone. Strange, because they serviced it the last couple of years and used the correct oil those times.

Good. I rather doubt anything "needs" 0W20, though of course quite a lot of new cars specify it.

Could have been worse, could have been 0W16.

Either way it wont have done much harm in the short term. Think of it as an engine flush.

Edited by edlithgow on 30/11/2020 at 00:30