A ticking engine noise is a common warning sign that your engine oil is running low. Oil lubricates your car’s engine and dissipates heat from the engine. If you hear this ticking noise when the oil level is low, it’s a sign of a leak. This leak may occur at a seal, gasket, or even the oil pan. If it gets too low, the engine can become damaged.
Low oil pressure
Most of the time, low oil pressure will cause engine noise, but there are other causes. While internal wear is the most common cause, low oil pressure can also be a lesser-known culprit. One owner of a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with 200,000 miles and regular oil changes reported that his truck suddenly developed a rattling noise upon starting it after an overnight soak. A quick check of the dash gauge showed low oil pressure.
Low oil pressure can also be caused by other systemic issues, such as a faulty dipstick. Checking the engine oil pressure with a dipstick can help you determine what is wrong with your engine. While adding oil to your vehicle may solve the problem temporarily, you can end up damaging the engine by trying to maintain the correct level. This can lead to further damage, so make sure you have a mechanic check your vehicle to ensure it is running at optimum performance.
Cold engine knocking
If your engine is making knocking noises, it’s likely that your oil level is low. In addition to being an obvious symptom of low oil, knocking noises are also caused by under-lubricated engine components, such as crankshaft bearings. When crankshaft bearings are not lubricated properly, they experience excessive friction and may fail, resulting in a deep knocking sound. If you continue to hear knocking noises, you may need to seek out engine repair.
Cold weather can delay the warm-up time of your engine, and low oil can slow it down. This knocking noise may be an early sign of a problem, and the sound will only grow louder as it continues. Check your oil level and add fuel. It’s also possible that your spark plugs have become dirty, and that’s another potential cause of knocking. Checking for dirty spark plugs can also prevent your engine from fully burning the air and fuel mixture, resulting in misfires.
Wear in the piston wrist pin or piston rod bearing
Several reasons can lead to wear in the piston wrist pin or piston rod bearing. A piston contains a connecting rod, piston wrist pin, and end journals. The end journals and wrist pin are both bigger than the internal diameter of the wrist pin bearing. The wrist pin is operatively trapped on the piston member between the pin bosses. This design eliminates frictional wear on the wrist pin, and increases service life.
The wrist pin on a piston moves over 11,000 pounds up and down the bore. It must withstand such high pressures. This is because the compression forces push the piston straight through the wrist pin, while the high rpm produces destructive forces in the opposite direction. As a result, the wrist pin and piston rod bearing must be in the correct position to provide proper function. But these pins and piston rod bearings will not work efficiently if they are worn or damaged.
Smoke as an indicator of faulty parts
When your car is making noises, it’s not necessarily due to low oil or faulty parts. It could be condensation. If it’s thicker, though, then something more serious is likely to be going on. If the smoke is white or gray, it may be caused by burning coolant, the cylinder head or the engine block, or it could be an issue with the engine’s head gasket. In this case, you should take your vehicle to a mechanic as soon as possible.
If you notice smoke coming from your vehicle, the first thing to check is your oil level. Your engine may need to be topped up more often than usual. This is because oil, especially in older engines, loses its lubricating properties over time, and it has to work harder to keep all its moving parts working smoothly. Similarly, if your oil level is constantly low and you notice the smoke rising from the engine, it’s time for a recheck.
