2001 9-5 Tapping Noise Video

[stratman3]

I cleaned the oil pan and pickup screen, it was clugged. There is lots of oil getting to the top, I removed the valve cover and started the car it's hard to tell where the noise is coming from. Also to my surprise the cylinder head looks like brand new, the previous owner must've replaced it, but never cleaned the pan and screen. I wonder if not enough oil from being clugged might have caused damage. Here is the link to youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qwk8iMF3VY

[Apocaliptic]

Water pump I think. Had the same noise when mine went http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckfaM3jkEP8

[Turboy]

x2 on water pump. 9-5 was making some really nasty noises, thought the engine was toast, like a piston dying or something... Turned out it was the water pump bearing on ours :P Phew!

[SaabNineThree]

is the oil full?

[stratman3]

Yes its got fresh synthetic oil, I'm going with the water pump, if I took the serpentine belt off, the noise should go away or not?

[SaabNineThree]

Originally Posted by stratman3

Its got fresh synthetic oil. By taking the belt off I can test if its tha pump or not?

im assuming you can turn it on for like a min or so but keep in mind your getting no coolant passing through the engine block.

[Apocaliptic]

Originally Posted by stratman3

Yes its got fresh synthetic oil, I'm going with the water pump, if I took the serpentine belt off, the noise should go away or not?

You can check by doing this. Take of the belt and see, if you don't have the noise anymore is the water pump. If still the noise is there you have another problem.

[zrad]

Originally Posted by stratman3

I cleaned the oil pan and pickup screen, it was clugged. There is lots of oil getting to the top, I removed the valve cover and started the car it's hard to tell where the noise is coming from. Also to my surprise the cylinder head looks like brand new, the previous owner must've replaced it, but never cleaned the pan and screen. I wonder if not enough oil from being clugged might have caused damage. Here is the link to youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qwk8iMF3VY

Tough to tell by the video.....it almost sounds like a head pipe leak, but that could just be the poor quality sound. Go buy a $10 stethoscope from your local autoparts store. That will help pinpoint where the noise is coming from. did you rule out your belt tensioner pulleys?

[chk]

I vote for the water pump. Had that same hard tapping sound and that is what it turned out to be. Note - the water pump that went in less than a year was an aftermarket so I replaced with a OEM. It could have been just that water pump.

[Alchemy2003]

This is exactly what mine sounds like and I just put in a new engine and water pump (other parts too). I had this noise on start up and it hasn't gone away. It reminds me of a loose belt sound. Like the time my timing belt tensioner broke on my Del Sol. Sounded just like that. I'm hedging my bets on a belt tensioner. I'm also guessing you have the short belt. It seems likely that a loose short belt could slap the underside of your passenger motor mount.

I'll keep you posted on mine and how I fix it. Maybe it will help.

[stratman3]

Took the serpentine belt off, the noise is still there. I'll just take it to the local saab tech.

[stratman3]

Here is a Pic of the head, I removed the valve cover

[imdunne8]

Everything there looks really clean. Under my valve cover looks like crap after my sludge problem... Anyways, here are your possible tapping noise sources since it was still present with the belt off:

1) Rod Knock - Depending on severity, just changing the bearings could clear it up.
2) Bad Main Bearings - Again, replacing is an option but may just be a temporary fix.
3) Timing Chain Noise - Check your tensioner length (located on the back of the engine about 6in down through a hole) and see if your timing chain is stretched out too far.
4) Valve/Piston Problems - Another user around here looked through his spark plug holes and saw that a piston was missing a chunk. He had a bent valve as well. May be worth the 5min look.
5) Sticky Lifters (Cam Followers) - Replacement would require removing the cams and having new lifters that have been sitting in oil, diagnosis of bad lifters can sometimes be done using a "push test" by pushing down on each lifter and seeing if it resists force.
6) Exhaust Manifold Gasket Leak - Check all manifold studs to make sure they aren't broken off. Apparently you can hold a carbon monoxide detector near the manifold and if you have a leak it will go off like crazy. I believe this is what my sound is coming from and the manifold gasket just came in today!

Obviously there are other possibilities but these are the ones that you should initially start thinking about. As I said, I have a similar sound and a neighbor who I very much trust believed it was rod knock. I replaced rod bearings and the engine seemed to quiet down, but it may have basically been a placebo effect. In any case, the old bearings were a bit worn so I'm glad I did it. I have also replaced my timing chain which I know helped to quiet the engine down. Hopefully I will be able to report back soon and let everybody know that my sound was indeed a manifold gasket leak.

You may want to post more detail about the sound - how does it sound on cold startup vs. warm startup, does it ever go away or quiet down, does it only occur at certain RPM's, etc.

[stratman3]

The sound stays the same hot or cold and actually seems to quiet down when I rev past 2500rpm. I took the video with my phone so it makes it sound worst than it really is.