This is ancient history, and perhaps not relevant, but here it is for what it is worth.

In 1995, I test drove a new 968 that had been sitting undriven on a dealer's lot for sometime. At start-up, there was an ungodly mechanical racket that sounded to me like engine failure was about to happen. After a few seconds, although it seemed longer, the noise disappeared and everything was fine.

I did not buy the car, primarily because the dealer and I could not agree on price, but I also wondered about the noise and and possible damage that might have been taking place. Sounds like the same lifter bleed down situation.

My base 991 has sat for several weeks at least once and three days a number of times without encountering it on subsequent start-ups. Three days seems an unusually short period of time to have it happen.

 

I don't think sitting for three days can be the cause of the noise. My car has sat for as long as 4 weeks this winter without being started. When started, there was more top end noise but that was to be expected, but nothing like you described.

 

I've had the car sit for weeks before without an issue. This was the first time I heard this noise.

It will be sitting for a week starting tomorrow, so I'll have a chance to check this again to see if it happens with a longer time to sit.

 

if it happens again maybe switch oil brands, I use Motul 8100 excess 5w40 and my car is quieter upon startup after sitting for a few days,,might be a cheap fix
then again u may never hear that lifter again with Mobil 1.

 

The car sat for 9 days and this morning was doing it again. I managed to get a recording. If this is indeed lifter bleed down, how serious an issue is this? As far as I can tell it shouldn't bleed down no matter the oil weight. I'm worried about the integrity of the hydraulic lifters at this point.

 

Update - Video!
Sorry for the portrait video, but the sound is the important thing. This is in the morning after sitting for 9 days. Clicking went away after a few minutes of driving.

 

I believe my car has done similar.
Sound comes from right side of car?

 

Mine sits quite a bit. I will see if mine does this. I know I have not noticed it THAT bad on mine in the past. I do get some 'valve noise' or something, but nothing like that. I will see if mine varies with RPM as well and let ya know.

 

It sounds like valve ticking to me, almost undeniably. Maybe a silly question but does your car have the right oil or enough oil?

 

Yes, and Yes. 5W-40 filled up by the dealer on last annual service four weeks ago. Not a silly question - my first thought was oil level.

I may drain it all out and put in 0W-40 instead since that's what it came with from the factory.

 

I have had my car make some clattering, most likely similar to yours, on a random basis when sitting as little as three days. Others times, even with longer durations of sitting, no issues. Totally unpredictable. It goes away within minutes and no others problems have been noted.

 

My daily driver also makes a clack-clack-clack-clack sound all the time and I worry it's going to explode, maybe one of you guys can help me out?


It's a 2015 Golf SportWagen TDI


jk ha

 

^^^^ Good one, Vicelord!

Before reading, my first thought was baseball cards in the spokes....

Hearing the audio, I vote for valve clatter, but my car has never made anything like that noise.

Please post your results after the dealer hears the audio recording. And good luck.

 

Yes, I will definitely keep everyone updated. I was away for another few days on travel so this time the car sat for 5 days, but this morning on start up it did not make the same clatter.

I'm just glad I made that recording. I will be stopping by my dealer in the next few days to show them. I hope for their sakes I don't get another "oh, that's normal" response.

 

Wow. Sounds bad. Like a tractor.
It painful to hear you baby cry this way...
Hope you get it sorted out.