ChicagoSpeed996

I have heard other you tube videos that sound like this, talked to fellow Cayman owners and they say it is normal, dealer says it's normal engine sound, but I just need more confirmation. Take a listen, seems like a tapping or clacking sound at a different slower frequency than the injectors (sounds like other than the injector fast ticking). only can be heard on the drivers side of the engine. Does anybody have an idea of what it could be even if it is normal sounds? What would cause the sound?

Macster

An internal combustion reciprocating engine is a noisy beast even in good health. Lots of hardware going around, up and down, back and forth, valves opening/closing, injectors opening and closing, spark plugs sparking. There is about a mile of cam chain in the engine and half a mile of this at any one time runs against chain guide/tensioner rails. The rest loops around sprockets.

There is a lot of action going on under those camshaft covers and these are where a lot of noise comes from and it doesn't help these are aimed towards the side at the open wheel wells.

It is not surprising the engines are noisy. It is surprising they are not noisier.

I'm no expert but the engine sounds normal to me. What you don't want to hear is some distinct noise that really stands out from the normal noise.

Couple of things to mention. Fresh oil, of course up to operating temperature, quiets these engines right down. I was always rather amazed the difference in noise level from my Boxster and Turbo engine after a 5K mile oil change. I noticed no difference between fresh 0w-40 oil compared to 5w-50 oil. (Not a typo for 15w-50!).

My Porsche engines never really made a lot of noise that is noise above normal. Porsche techs told me that they recommend for owners who don't use their Porsche that often that regularly to run Swepco 502 Oil Improver additive.

Here's a link:

http://www.swepcolube.com/products/s...e-oil-improver

I had some of this analyzed and it basically consists of 200PPM of moly.

I tried a bottle per engine and noticed no improvement. Forgot about it a while and didn't repeat the "treatment".

Then some several oil change intervals later I had a desire to try Swepco again and this time noted I was not using the recommended amount given the amount of oil my Porsche engines used. At some point after an engine oil change I added two bottles and the engines got a touch quieter. Not lots but some.

I'm always reluctant to recommend oil (or fuel) additives but consider an oil/filter service unless the oil is not that old, doesn't have that many miles on it. As I touched upon above I found 5K miles about the "limit" of the engine oil given where I live and drive and the usage I give my cars. (I have to mention I lost track of miles/time with my Turbo when dealing with family issues -- elderly parents -- and drove the Turbo 10K miles. The engine was just fine.)

If you want get two bottles of Swepco 502 and give these to the tech when you take the car in for an oil/filter service and ask he add the contents of the bottles -- the bottles should be shaken first -- to the engine oil. You want to be sure the engine is not overfilled with oil (and additive).

If the tech objects to adding the additive my advice is to follow what he says. Really fresh oil should be all that is needed. As i started with these engines are just noisy and there's not much you can do to change that.

gla

I believe the ticking type sound (if that is your concern) is the normal operation of the direct injectors. They are under high pressure and make a sound similar to diesel injectors. Sounds just like mine and perfectly normal.

Scooby921

^^This. The ticking is resonance in the fuel rail from the injectors firing. Could be different from side to side due to differences in fuel rail geometry and how / when the hardware resonates. You don't hear it as much in other direct injection vehicles as they usually have some sort of plastic cover over the top of the engine. That cover usually has a form-fit urethane foam on the underside which helps kill off all these noises. Porsche chose to save weight, so you get to hear more noises. My wife's Mini is the same way. There is no beauty cover on the engine in the JCW model. It clicks and clacks more than most diesels.

ChicagoSpeed996

Thanks for the responses, yes the oil is new and Mobil 5w-50

CaymanSinAR

Do you have any sort of shifty homemade side intake mesh grills installed? Could be them rattling.

ChicagoSpeed996

HA!!! Must be it LOL!! Definitely not the OEM style fitment of those fantastic grills! LOL!

okie981

Sounds like a happy 981 motor to me.

ChicagoSpeed996

Nice, thank you for the responses. Puts my mind at ease. Now just to work on the voices in my head.

SpyderSenseOC

You can say that again. My wife has a 2015 Countryman S and I am shocked at how noisy that thing is. Sounds like crap, to be honest.

OP, I hear what you hear. But agree that it sounds more like injector noise than an internally lubricated engine part or valvetrain tolerance issue to me. If you're under warranty, at least get the complaint registered with a dealer and save the document. Which it sounds like you have already done.

ChicagoSpeed996

I am not concerned so much with the ticking, but the clack clack clack which seems to be at a slower frequency than the injectors.

ChicagoSpeed996

Rich_Jenkins

FWIW here is my '14 CS from startup. Currently about 45K miles, recent 40K service at the dealer here in Tampa. It was a hot day so the cooler fan comes on fairly quickly.

Rich_Jenkins

Yes, I listened to it and it sounds pretty much like my engine every day. So I vote "normal".

PorscheAddict

I still vote normal. Rich's video sounds super similar. My own is not terribly dissimilar, although the race headers distort things a bit and make mine louder. Also found a small vac leak from my self-installed PSE, which made the sound a bit off and affected idle.