My '03 996 has been sitting for two months.
It has 56K on the clock. A1 service since new.
IMS/RMS update coming over winter.
I cannot drive the car due to knee replacement surgery 7 weeks ago.
I did start car today, and placed in garage until IMS update is done and for remainder of year.
Oil pressure went to max, as it should, but there was a ticking noise coming from engine. Let it run till high idle kicked off, ticking noise still there.
I have never heard this before today.
I have to take the car about a hundred miles to do IMS/RMS & clutch.
The BIG QUESTION, should I trailer the car there or am I paranoid?

 

Without a video/audio clip of the noise impossible to say. Could be just a lifter bleed down that with a bit of running would have quieted down.

I assume you are running an approved oil of the proper (multi-) viscosity grade for your area and the oil is reasonably fresh?

I would be inclined to get the car to the shop -- via a trailer just to be safe -- for a check up and at least an oil/filter change before you put the car away for the winter. Not wise to put a car away for the winter with contaminated oil.

If the check up finds the noise indeed scary then probably best to have the engine dealt with then and there. Otherwise you have the bother of trailering the car home and putting it away without running the engine any then of course repeating this trailering business again come spring.

 

I had the same noise after a flat battery, I read somewhere that it was possibly the lifters re-calibrating themselves? I could be way off though.

Anyway after a day or so the sound went away and never came back

It wasnt a very mechanical sounding tick it sounded fast and "tinny"

Hope that helps!

 

Both my cars have always done this when left on driveway for several days.
If you can't drive it, I would get someone else to take it for a short run and
get everything up to running temp, i.e. not idling. Ticking noise will probably disappear, but if not then maybe talk to a Porsche mechanic about it.

 

Going to try to hobble out and make a video.
It is a very tinny ticking sound, it did sound like the old fashion hydraulic lifters in a Chevy V8 trying to fill.
But I thought the flat size had solid or roller lifter, I was not sure.
The place doing the IMS, flywheel & clutch is Cantech in Syracuse NY. They are Porsche, Lambo, etc. performance and service center. They offer enclosed car pick up and drop off.
I really appreciate the feedback. I have read so many horror stories on "why did you not hear anything", before the IMS launches.
The car has always had Mobil 1, since new, there is only 600 miles on this complete oil service. Oil filter was cut apart and no debris found.

 

My car did the same thing when it sat at the body shop for a month, when I start it and let it run for a bit it never went away but when I drove it home(10 min drive from body shop) it was gone!! Just take it for a short drive and all will be good!!

 

This is the ticking sound video.
Excuse the lack of detailing, the car has been sitting for most of summer & Fall

 

I dont hear it? I remember freaking out when I heard the ticking for the first time as well but it went away. The conditions were similar though flat battery and hadn't been driven in awhile.

It certainly didnt sound like your engine was going to explode or any chain slap etc. Im no mechanic though...

I like your under sump protection, is that after market?

 

When I went out to do the video, it did not sound as obvious as it did starting up after it had not been run in almost two months. I probably did not let it run long enough, I can't drive it, LOL, I have to start it using my right leg to push in clutch pedal

Skid Plate, Factory Porsche parts from Suncoast. I painted it color to match, but after a few months the scratches have indicated it really works!!!

 

Well, I am not a professional mechanic but that engine doesn't sound bad to my ears.

I can imagine the engine sounding a bit rough/ragged and probably ticking some if you let it sit 2 months unused. That's a long time to sit unused and oil will drain from lots of places it wouldn't otherwise drain from in say just a 2 day span between use.

If you can't drive the car you can't drive the car. Until you can maybe consider starting the engine and letting it idle for 10 minutes with some revving of the engine towards the end of 10 minutes? Nothing F1-ish, just bring the RPMs up to say 2K or so and hold for a bit, then let the engine speed return to idle.

Once you are able to drive the car then take it out on an extended drive and get the engine up to full operating temperature and for a while to boil any moisture the oil might have accumulated from the idling. It won't be much and the oil is reasonably fresh to begin with so the moisture won't really do any harm.

'course, I have to add that while you are letting the engine idle or revving it a bit of you hear anything out of the ordinary shut off the engine first and ask questions later.

Might add that while I'm not a fan of oil additives my Porsche tech sources tell me they recommend for engines that see infrequent use Swepco 502 oil improver with "Micronized Molybdenum Disulfide (Micronized Moly)". I had some of this stuff analyzed and it has IIRC 200ppm moly in it. The rest appears to be just hydrocarbons ("oil").

The techs claim the stuff helps quiet engines that are used infrequently.

I tried some in both of my cars and I didn't really notice any difference, good or bad. But neither of my cars sits unused for more than a couple of days except in the rarest of cases. For instance, last Dec/Jan my Boxster sat from Dec 16 to Jan. 11 while I was away in the Turbo on family business. Back home I started the Boxster and the engine was a bit noisier than usual on startup but not much and after just a moment or two quieted down. All I had in the engine was reasonably fresh Mobil 1 5w-50 oil (not a typo for 15w-50!).

Anyhow, I only used the Swepco one time and then gave it up.

But your car might be a candidate for this stuff. IIRC I think you need nearly two bottles to have the proper ratio of Swepco to oil given these engines have several more quarts of oil in them than other engines.

 

Ty
I hope to get a buddy over and let idle and then go for a short ride.
I never realized how many of my friends cannot drive a standard



QUOTE=Macster;4412266]Well, I am not a professional mechanic but that engine doesn't sound bad to my ears.

I can imagine the engine sounding a bit rough/ragged and probably ticking some if you let it sit 2 months unused. That's a long time to sit unused and oil will drain from lots of places it wouldn't otherwise drain from in say just a 2 day span between use.

If you can't drive the car you can't drive the car. Until you can maybe consider starting the engine and letting it idle for 10 minutes with some revving of the engine towards the end of 10 minutes? Nothing F1-ish, just bring the RPMs up to say 2K or so and hold for a bit, then let the engine speed return to idle.

Once you are able to drive the car then take it out on an extended drive and get the engine up to full operating temperature and for a while to boil any moisture the oil might have accumulated from the idling. It won't be much and the oil is reasonably fresh to begin with so the moisture won't really do any harm.

'course, I have to add that while you are letting the engine idle or revving it a bit of you hear anything out of the ordinary shut off the engine first and ask questions later.[/QUOTE]

 

Finally got to go for a drive, after just 5-6 miles, noise was gone.
I guess I was over reacting, it's just when you have to wait until your kids are all done with college to buy a Porsche, you tend to be very cautiously on the lookout for issues.
Thanks for the instructions, feel relieved





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