Replace timing chain tensioner without ripping apart timing cover?

[foama]

You could remove the phaser solenoid and plug it with a bolt of correct size and then start the engine to check.

[Fummins]

You could remove the phaser solenoid and plug it with a bolt of correct size and then start the engine to check.

I’ll have to take a closer look one day. I was thinking maybe if the cam
Was facing a certain direction with the engine off it might just leak out the oil from it, then on restart sounds clacky. If cam stops in a different position it sounds fine. That’d explain why they don’t always make noise on cold or first start after oil change

[andriu33m]

Hi, I have my second mirage (first one 2014 and current one 2016) which I purchased about one year and 2 months ago. First one was super, no problems at all but somebody crashed in to it . The story starts with the second one:

When I purchased it the dealer did the service and I checked the oil regularly. That wasn´t case during the last two months before the service as it was due and I never had any oil or engine issues before. Two days before the service I started to hear a loud chain like noise when starting the engine and when I lift the gas when driving. As I was away from home I just kept driving but no engine or oil light on the dash lighted up. When the service day arrived I was shocked to see how little oil came out from the engine. The mechanic said how lucky I was for been only two days with the engine like that. He added a thick additive in addition with the new oil to add extra lubrication to the thirsty engine.

He didn´t spot any leak and I didn´t spot any either when I parked (I have driveway, it is clean) so he thought it would be oil consumption due to I started to use Costco petrol since September last year. I´m using petrol from Shell or Esso now.

I have done about 2000 miles since then and since a couple of weeks I´m starting to hear a "chain like" noise again (no so loud as before and no when lifting the gas) when starting the engine and sometimes while I´m driving depending on the gear, revs or the inclination of the road. It´s a bit random. I checked the oil level and it´s fine (in the middle of the max and min holes in the stick).
I found hard to find a mechanic who wants to do a diagnose where I leave but finally I found one. He said that as the sound is only sometimes and it´s not too loud he thinks the chain tensioner may be a bit dry when I power up the car and that may be causing the noise but to not to worry much for now unless it gets worse. However I hear it almost every day and it really worries me. I have recorded the noise when I start the engine from cold and I´ll try to record how it sound when it happens while driving (carefully of course ).

https://audio.com/andriu/audio/mitsh...starting-noise

Engine starts at 0:24 and the noise happens at 0:25.

Is it similar to what you have heard on yours guys or definitely it´s something worse?

I´m thinking to get the chain tensioner replaced if the price is not too much.

[Fummins]

That’s pretty normal-ish. It’s common to have that rattle on startup when they sit overnight or right after an oil change. I wouldn’t worry about that.
It sounds like your battery might be weak(slow crank like a diesel)and your belt is squeeking,. I’d probably replace it. Make sure you use a decent oil filter with an anti drain back valve(most do anyways). Might have a rattl/loose air cleaner or snorkel as well.

I’d leave it. These can and have run over 600,000km On the original chain, tensioner and guides. But if it’s been neglected that might not be the case.

[foama]

That is the usual "no-oil-startup-rattle". It happens when the engine starts with the most of the oil drained back into the pan. Doesn't sound like the chain at all. The chain in these cars are much problem-free.

But be careful. These cars, just as the 3 and 4 cyl Toyota, will develop problems if the oil is not changed in time. I make sure to use a Filtron OP575 oil filter and only fully synthetic PAO-based, carbon-ester added oil. This is not expensive at all and readily available in the UK, you could have a look in YeePay for example.

[Wallythacker]

Hi, I have my second mirage (first one 2014 and current one 2016) which I purchased about one year and 2 months ago. First one was super, no problems at all but somebody crashed in to it . The story starts with the second one:

He added a thick additive in addition with the new oil to add extra lubrication to the thirsty engine.

That part bothers me. Just how thick did this "additive" make your oil? Thick enough the pump CANNOT pump the oil up to the factory pressure? The Mirage was made first and foremost to give great mileage by reducing all the parasitic drags on the driveline to achieve this. One big factor is the use of very thin oil, oil so thin people would be reluctant using it to lubricate a sewing machine.

Now some goon, not an engineer by any means, suddenly decides that molasses thick oil is the best thing for your engine?

Go back to that shop, demand they change the oil for free and use spec oil. Drive away from there and NEVER go back.

[foama]

They sell that additive mentioned in the previous post as "viscosity improver". It comes in many brands and is intended for engines in their last phase of life. (Dunno if it applies to andriu33m's car at such a low mileage.)

How it works is by adding a thickening polymer to the oil that drastically increases high-temp viscosity. Instead of adding that stuff, simply useing a 20W50 or 10W60 oil would have a very similar effect.
In any case, if a car burns oil, you need to watch the level and act accordingly when needed.

[Fummins]

There's one Mirage here that I filled with 15w40 for it's latest oil change. It was pretty clacky(piston slap). I planned to replace the engine but after seeing how the 524k engine looked inside I'm in zero rush to replace anymore unless they have something else going on.

[Wallythacker]

My first Mirage was a piston slapper that used oil with a bent rear axle, lol
Fully loaded, alloys, climate control and SE titled, go figure

Anyhow, it came with dino, I used dino for the first change at 2000km and it was down almost a whole liter.
When I checked it at about 5000 in prep for another change (to synth) it was down a liter. I was NOT going to commit to synth until I discovered why it was using oil.

That's when I got an account here, I think, and learned there was a batch of 2014 Mirages with bad engines and axles. Great.
I planed to get Mits to replace my engine in the spring or summer (this was 2017, I bought the car BRAND NEW in Oct 2016 with 56 miles) The car got crashed and written off in Feb of 2017. Weird, I moved into my house here within a week of the crash yet my memory of the event spacing is shot. The crash was in Barrie with 2 feet of snow and 7 days later I am in my house in a snow free Niagara.

Ya anyhow, with the tiny tolerances of our engines and without an oil pressure gauge I would be cautious dumping in high viscosity oil or heavy single weight oil. It would NOT take much, IMO, to starve the valvetrain of oil and that is the worst thing you could do because that's where most of the startup clatter is coming from.

[Fummins]

Ya anyhow, with the tiny tolerances of our engines and without an oil pressure gauge I would be cautious dumping in high viscosity oil or heavy single weight oil. It would NOT take much, IMO, to starve the valvetrain of oil and that is the worst thing you could do because that's where most of the startup clatter is coming from.

I wouldn't recommend anyone else do it. I got instructed to pour a bunch of snake oil into it then once that didn't magically rebuild the engine it was suggested to try thicker oil. So I filled it with 15w40. That was 6000kms ago. Car should be coming in this afternoon for another oil change.