What IS that tractor sound on cold AMs

[riplash]

Ive read/searched a fair bit about F7P/R engined cars sounding like a tractor for the first few minutes on a cold morning, but never a definitive cause or solution for it.

Read it may be being due to different grades of oil? Well I know of a bunch of us using oils ranging from 10W40 fully synthetic to 15W50 semi, and we all share this diesel-like trait..

So what is it? And how do we stop it?

There are drivers who say they never experience this sound..

 

[Dean]

mines like that 2 mate

it does my bloody head in, sounds like a pig early on (i start work at 6 so car gets started at 5.30 when its freezing)

iv just got some new oil, for older engines that is thin

10w 40 synthetic but is developed to stop leaks and run well even tho its for higher milled engines

came recomnded from the local garage to stop this he said it will help

valvoline its called

 

[peter182]

15w 40 and i know wot you mean about the noise it sounds like you have a smelly fiesta or sumfink

 

[riplash]

Anyone?

 

[Tom_16v]

Could just be its natural sound when cold......

Doesnt necesserily mean a problem!

 

[007]

All the cars ive owned have done this. Seems more noisey on the 16v cars tho - maybe thats just me.

Just assumed it was lack of oil around the engine - once is warms a bit it starts lubricating again properly? Just a guess.

 

[billratchet]

what you are hearing is mostly piston slap , the light alloy pistons are not round when cold more an oval shape and as they travel up and down the cylinder they oscillate causing the thrust skirt of the piston to contact the cylinder wall causing the tractorish soundtrack. The colder the ambient temperature the worse it is, also power steering pumps make a mechanical drone when cold adding to the noise.

 

[Lunner]

I have a 95 clio wiht only 15k miles on clock and i dont get this noise, maybe its the higher milage cars?