Bad timing chain symptoms drivers#

urban drivers fall into the severe driving category but use normal driving oil change schedules, causing the oil to wear out sooner. This type of driving cause oil shear and thermal breakdown that dramatically shortens the life of motor oil-even synthetic. That rapidly depletes the anti-corrosion additives in the oil. The rich fuel mixtures cause excess gasoline and water to enter the crankcase where it dilutes the oil and forms sludge. Starting your car in cold weather and driving it for short distances dramatically reduces motor oil life. But if you read your owner’s manual, you’ll discover that “severe” use requires far more frequent oil changes. Even car dealers tell customer to use those kinds of oil change intervals. It’s not uncommon for self proclaimed experts to state that a synthetic oil can easily run for 10,000 to 15,000 miles. Most owners aren’t aware that carmakers list driving styles as the main determining factor in calculating oil change intervals. Timing chain damage due to extended oil changes In fact, using a motor oil viscosity other than the factory recommended oil can result in a check engine light, sludge buildup and catastrophic engine damage. Improper oil viscosity can also have a serious impact on timing chain tensioner operation, variable valve timing solenoids and actuators, and direct injection fuel pump wear.

How an oil filter can cause timing chain problemsĮconomy oil filters use a cheap nitrile rubber anti-drainback valve. That’s because the oil pump must completely refill the oil filter before it can provide lubrication to the rest of the engine. If the anti-drainback valve fails, it will result in a severe delay in oil flow at cold startup. Oil filters that are mounted on the side or top of the engine incorporate an anti-drainback valve that prevent oil in the filter from draining out when the engine is shut down. In addition to oil change neglect and improper oil usage, using the wrong or low quality oil filter can also cause accelerated timing chain wear. Going too long between oil changes and using the wrong type or viscosity rated motor oil causes the timing chain pins and plates to wear, resulting in timing chain stretch. In almost all cases, timing chains stretch due to improper owner maintenance. When a timing chain wears or the timing chain guides are damaged, metallic particles may be found in the drain oil. Those misfires and excessive emissions can then result in costly damage to the vehicle’s catalytic converter. In other words, valves that don’t open and close exactly when expected cause an incomplete burn, resulting in a reduced power contribution from each cylinder and excessive emissions. When the intake and exhaust valves are out of time with the crankshaft, they cause incomplete combustion that’s detected by the engine control computer and reported as a misfire. At idle speed, the result is a rough idle that causes the engine to shake when you’re at a stop. Since the timing chain controls when the intake and exhaust valves open in relation to the pistons, a worn chain can cause the valves to be out of time, opening and closing slightly early or late. However, if the timing chain wear is great enough so that the tensioner can no longer compensate for the slack, the noise may continue even after warm up. If the engine is equipped with a hydraulic timing chain tensioner, the noise may disappear or lessen as the engine oil warms up and the tensioner removes some of the slack.

The excess slack can cause a rattling sound or even a clanking sound if the slack is severe enough to cause the chain to slap against the timing chain cover. Timing chain noise is most noticeable on cold startup when oil pressure and flow is at its lowest. Stretching, in turn, causes other problems. When an owner neglects oil changes or uses the wrong oil, the timing chain pins wear, causing the chain to stretch. New and stretched timing chain Timing chain problems

Bad timing chain symptoms