Yes there is sludge and a clicking sound... but occasionally I must add that a visual puff of smoke that lasts a few seconds to sometimes 20-30 seconds are a part of the problem. It is very annoying because it only happens sporadically, and never in front of a mechanic who is testing the symptoms I have described.
The clicking noise makes the car sound like a diesel and usually shows up as audible from idle to just above idle, and seems to quiet as the engine rpm increases. The smoke appears occasionally when starting the engine, and once in a while while making a turn while accelorating, or starting up after idling for a long period of time like on a slow jammed freeway, or an enterance ramp that takes 10 minutes to get up to the merge and entry position. The smoke dissipates and goes away when the car has been run for 10-20 seconds in normal driving.
My instincts say I most likely have a blockage in the head drain area, and a valve guide seal going out. I visualize the oil pools in the head when the car is turning and centrifugal force keeps the oil away from the drain but it drains through the valve guide into the cylinder to burn off... or possibly while idling it is channeling down through the valve guide... though that doesn't make a lot of sense. The piston rings must not be bad enough for the oil to be entering the cylinder from the crank case or it would be blowing smoke continuously. I keep the oil to the full mark all of the time, and I know it is going through about a quart every month.
The Ticking noise sounds like it is coming from outside the engine... It is more like the sound of a diesel engine than that of a rod knock, or rocker arm problems... I try to immagine other problems like the oil pump or a gasket that lets go occasionally, but have no real idea.
If someone has had experience with this problem and knows anything about it I would appreciate the information.
Yes there is sludge and a clicking sound... but occasionally I must add that a visual puff of smoke that lasts a few seconds to sometimes 20-30 seconds are a part of the problem. It is very annoying because it only happens sporadically, and never in front of a mechanic who is testing the symptoms I have described.
The clicking noise makes the car sound like a diesel and usually shows up as audible from idle to just above idle, and seems to quiet as the engine rpm increases. The smoke appears occasionally when starting the engine, and once in a while while making a turn while accelorating, or starting up after idling for a long period of time like on a slow jammed freeway, or an enterance ramp that takes 10 minutes to get up to the merge and entry position. The smoke dissipates and goes away when the car has been run for 10-20 seconds in normal driving.
My instincts say I most likely have a blockage in the head drain area, and a valve guide seal going out. I visualize the oil pools in the head when the car is turning and centrifugal force keeps the oil away from the drain but it drains through the valve guide into the cylinder to burn off... or possibly while idling it is channeling down through the valve guide... though that doesn't make a lot of sense. The piston rings must not be bad enough for the oil to be entering the cylinder from the crank case or it would be blowing smoke continuously. I keep the oil to the full mark all of the time, and I know it is going through about a quart every month.
The Ticking noise sounds like it is coming from outside the engine... It is more like the sound of a diesel engine than that of a rod knock, or rocker arm problems... I try to immagine other problems like the oil pump or a gasket that lets go occasionally, but have no real idea.
If someone has had experience with this problem and knows anything about it I would appreciate the information.
- njackman, Salt Lake City, UT, US