Getting increased engine noise at cold start

14471 Views 8 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Silver2010, Jan 26, 2010

Silver2010

Discussion Starter · Jan 24, 2010

I'm getting a lot more engine noise at cold start than when new. Car is a Forte EX with the 2.0 engine and currently at 2000 miles. I live in an area where it's no lower than 40 degrees in the morning right now.

The engine sounds fine on initial cold start, but as the idle begins to decrease (before driving), there is a lot of valvetrain noise, including a tapping or light knocking noise. This usually disappears within the first 100 hundred feet after driving off. But it's quite noisy at idle before hand. This can't be good for the engine, as it has to be wearing on internal engine parts, which the engine sound(s) clearly indicate.

I have tried 10w-30, 5w-30, and just went back to 5w-20(per factory fill and Kia recommendation). None of them improved this condition. The reason I have a couple extra oil changes in so little mileage is because of an oil leak at the oil pan that was repaired and the dealer had added dye to the oil. Then the switch back to a 5w-20 oil. Been using only Kia oil filters.

I could just blow this off and accept it as characteristic of these engines, but it really doesn't sound good, has me concerned.

Anybody else hearing unusual engine noise after a cold start?

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ForteGT2

· #2 · Jan 24, 2010

Not being able to hear your engine it is hard to help over the internet...if it were me I'd take the car in to have the service department listen to it. If they tell you it's ok than learn to live with it. By doing this you also establish a history...If it breaks they will fix it under warranty.

Also, does your hood have a heat shield (underhood sound deadener) like the SX's do? If not you might want to get one installed on your EX -- might help to quiet things down.

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Silver2010

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 24, 2010

The dealer is out, they screwed up the first oil pan re-seal. I'm not taking it back to them.

The engine actually sounds worse with the hood down from outside AND inside the car. The few times I've had the hood up on a cold start and listened, it doesn't sound as bad. Weird, I know, but so are these engine noises.

The sound insulation piece sounds like a good idea though. I'll look into it. Thx.

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ForteGT2

· #4 · Jan 24, 2010

I can't post any more pictures without something like photobucket...check out redline tunings website -- does your EX have the black blanket under the hood like the hood pictured?

Redline Tuning Kia Forte Koup QuickLIFT system - Lifts and holds your hood without prop rod.

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Red Rocket

· #5 · Jan 25, 2010

going back to your dealer starts or continues a "paper trail".

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Silver2010

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 25, 2010

ForteSX2.4 said:
I can't post any more pictures without something like photobucket...check out redline tunings website -- does your EX have the black blanket under the hood like the hood pictured?

Redline Tuning Kia Forte Koup QuickLIFT system - Lifts and holds your hood without prop rod.

Mine doesn't have the hood liner...I guess the EX models don't. Regardless, the engine is noisy while warming up.

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Silver2010

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jan 25, 2010

Red Rocket said:
going back to your dealer starts or continues a "paper trail".

The dealer was made aware of an intermittent light knocking(clacking) noise during warm idle only about a month after I bought it. They heard it but consider it normal because there's no TSB or recall on it. Since then, at least a dozen other Forte owners on this forum and another one have said they have the same noise with their engine. We ruled out injector noise and normal valve noise. Since it's not isolated to my car only, I'm no longer concerned with that.

The cold start/warmup noises are different and multiple(valves, maybe emissions, maybe pulleys...who knows?). These Hyundai Theta engines sound like diesels at times.

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MFury

· #8 · Jan 26, 2010 (Edited)

I recorded this tonight after driving back home (20 minute drive). I didn't notice this before and I was just under the hood to take a picture of the hood engine mat cover that is installed in my EX.

Youtube didn't work so I'll try it this way.

http://www.audiofarm.org/Ramable/audiofile/8150.mp3

And BTW my EX does have the hood liner as seen below.

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Silver2010

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 26, 2010

Hey, thanks MFury!

My Ex didn't come with the hood liner...must have been an earlier build...or maybe later. It's $88 at the Kia dealer. I'm still thinking about it.

Thanks for the audio of you engine at idle. It sounds like mine most of the time when warmed up. I still get an ocasional irregular clacking noise though, which then starts to dissipate and eventually go away. It happens now less thn 50% of the time, where as when new, it was there constantly at warm idle only.

The cold start noises I'm hearing are different, and it's normal right at cold start, but then becomes noisy after a few seconds when it starts to come down from high idle.

Also, I didn't hear anything unusual in from your engine at idle, just the injector ticking noise and the normal solid lifter valve noise, which is normal.

Thanks again.

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