clack clack noise

[poncho 1]

hi guys , this noise has been going on for a while but i dident think anything of it till i was parked beside a honda and we started our cars at the same time and my car sounded like shit (clack clack ) but it wen't away like it aways does ,i'm thinking that it takes alittle time for the oil to get up to the lifters ??
is this bad ?? and if so how can i fix this problem?:???:

[Silver 4 door]

thats the 3.4L piston slap your hearing. Nothing wrong with the car. my 05 Gt has it and I only have 35000 km's on mine.

[poncho 1]

what are the pistons slaping on ?? the heads ? that can't be good !!

[gt00]

what are the pistons slaping on ?? the heads ? that can't be good !!The cylinder walls ;) This engine has very short piston skirts along with sloppy clearances from the factory , which results in cold start piston slap . The sounds goes away when the pistons expand a bit during warmup . GM claims this is normal ... :roll2: In most engines , it seems to not be a big deal except for the embarrassing knock :P

[poncho 1]

"it seems to not be a big deal except for the embarrassing knock "
yeah you're not kidding it's hard to bragg about ur car when it's clacking away in the back round, and you have to raise your voice so he can hear you bragg !!!
should i wait for the noise to stop befor driving ? i always try to but some times i really have to go !!

[fragile]

2 questions,

1.Does it click all the time? = lifter
2.Does it go away after 5 mins. or so? = piston slap (normal)

[poncho 1]

it goes away in like 2 mins so i guess it is piston slap but i wan't to know if i should definitly wait for it to stop? i try to wait for it to stop but there is the odd time when that i don't is that bad?

[jackpot]

yea I generally let it sit until I dont hear that noise anymore before I drive, just seems....right, I think

usually I let it warm up (if its cold) until the rpm's drop to 1000 and or if I see any register of heat on the temp gauge.

tranny seems to shift really hard the first time if its not warmed up enough

generally if its cold the "piston slap" will stop well before the rpm's drop to 1000

peace
JP

[poncho 1]

Yeah Same Here

[GrandAmGTTT]

may be your lifters being lose, i know mine makes a ticking/knocking sorta noise and me and a couple other guys decided it was the lifters were loose.

[GrandAmGTTT]

idk bc i'd have to hear it

[gt00]

may be your lifters being lose, i know mine makes a ticking/knocking sorta noise and me and a couple other guys decided it was the lifters were loose.Loose lifters won't go away after a minute on a cold start . The injectors can kinda make a clicking sound , but not really that loud ..... ;)

[SappySE107]

How would you have a loose lifter? Bad oiling or its collapsing. If the lifter bore is messed up, thats a first for me:P

Piston slap isn't going to destroy anything if you drive while its making that noise. You should get on the gas too hard till the engine is warmed up anyway. Doing so will make matters worse for the long run.

Injectors can also be heard ticking sometimes. If you take a screwdriver, and put the handle to your ear, you can pinpoint the location of sounds. Stick it on the power steering to hear the pump running, or the fuel rail to hear the injectors open and close.

[mike_van_raay]

i have the same sound with mine... i bought it used and had my buddy who is a mechanic check it out first he has a 03 GA GT aswell and its a very common problem other then the annoying noise its nothing to worry about :)

[tireman424]

I have been around several G/As with the 3.4 and they all have done it, including my 2005 purchased new from day 1.......I am thinking it may be timing chain slop from what I've heard there is an updated tensioner. I will check into it a little further as I have a couple of buddy's who are Pontiac dealership mechanics. I did call the parts department while typing this post and they say it has not been changed!
I will continue my search of the source......

[gt00]

I am thinking it may be timing chain slop from what I've heard there is an updated tensioner. Nope....

[jacktheredd]

2001 GAGT with 78,000 miles. Same here guys. Piston slap for a minute or less, then it goes away.
I also had a question about the tranny clunking into reverse and park when cold. This just started. My mechanic says it's ok. He couldn't repeat that problem. It did it a couple times and now it doesn't do it.

Another problem that the mechanic pointed out is the Oxy sensor. He says that the connector goes bad on those and causes rough idle and a possible rough shift.

Good to see all the excellent information on this site. Very informative. Thanks.