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Hard to start and engine knock on 2003

By bxkid, May 21, 2018



Hello,

Any opinions will be appreciated.

Started car after a few days 

Car started after 3 attempts.

Now there is a constant knock in engine at idle.

Oil level good.

No red lights on dashboard yet.

2003 with 260,000

Thanks!

  • 110 posts

My 2003 has over 299,999 miles, but no knocking. Do you think you have same issue as this person?

 

 

Could be the issue? I started Engine again but its really knocking. Guess I have to call tow truck or maybe I'll take a chance and drive it to mechanic that 3 miles down road. :o . Not use to this because this car has been so reliable all these years!!!

Maybe a stupid answer but did you try checking the timing? It's possible the chain or belt jumped a tooth. The other question, did you actually plug in an OBD tester to see the reading? The engine computer probably knows what's wrong and will tell you if you let it. If you don't have an OBD tester ask around, they are very common and pretty cheap, definitely cheaper than a tow, around twenty dollars.

Thanks, I will try and check timing with my OBD tester. Since I am away till tomorrow, I dont know if my tester is capable of checking timing, its about 4 years old and fairly basic.  Can all scanners check for timing?

Thanks  

  • 320 posts

Any OBD II tester will report if the _computer_ thinks timing is off... a timing light's the other way to check...  

I couldn't find way to check timing on my scanner, and couldn't find any specs in my manual or online. 

But here is strangest thing, at least to me and a few people that I spoke to. The car now starts fine and does not knock. I really thought that was it for this engine with 266,000 miles. It sounds at least to me, normal. It accelerates fine.

One thing I did notice is when it was knocking, the scanner did pick up a pending PO303, # 3 cylinder misfire code. I dont know how long that code was pending. I did clear it and it did not come back yet.

I changed the oil and filter, thinking that maybe somehow the existing oil which was the first synthetic change had something to do with it. it was real dirty. Maybe i should have changed it a lot sooner.

Any input on this is appreciated. 

bxkid

Ah... yup, could have been oil, or bad gas. Maybe check the spark plug. Good thing you ran codes. 



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