light metallic noise on startup F328GTS

I put my money on that fact that the oil is so thick it is not lubricating.

aehaas

 

my 308 makes a rattly/metallic noise when startup on cold mornings. i was told it was static electricity comming from the timing belts. it too goes away when warm - about 5 inutes.

 

I got $20 on the a/c or waterpump belt slipping.

 

It is the a/c or alternator belt. Very common on 308/328's in cold weather. I have observed it on 2 cars I have owned.

DAve

 

Totally common and no problem.The Gates nylon belts have strands inside and tend to be a bit rigid when old/cold. They then stick in the V groove and pop out making the noise.

It's not static electricity!

It's not the cambelts!

It's not the oil!

Just squirt a bit of silicone spray, pentrant, window cleaner, hair spray, anything really at the w/pump and A/C belt and hear it go instantly!

It'll come back when whatever you squirted on there evaporates, but just do it again or fit new belts. The new belt will do the same in a few years though....

 

Agree. I am also told it is a sign of the belts being properly adjusted. If they were not, the noise would not occur when cold (too tight) or would not go away.

No problem if it does not go away after a few minutes. If it stays, then start looking for a problem, like Hardtop says. The key is that it goes away when warm. But take a look at the belts to make sure they are in good working order, anyway.

Mine does the same thing every Autumn, and it worried me the first few times, until I researched it and the dealer (and others) confirmed what "Ferrari Fixer" said.

 

so...where are my $20 ?

 

i guess you have not started to play "guess the fluid" under your car yet...

 

I also get this on my 328 when she has been standing for a month or so. Its sounds like a lifter , or tappet tapping. Only one and quite loudly and fairly slowly in frequency.

My assumption is that the oil has really drained away over the long period of standing and until the oil finds its way to the one errant lifter and drenches everything in golden lube it taps.

My alternator light also remains on always after startup and does not go out until i give it a little rev. I think this is to 'excite' the alternator and once i give the rev blip the tapping goes away almost as if i have thereby hastened the delivery of oil to the tapping lifter and the idle immediately smooths out and settles down nicely.

I have a fleet of 2.2 L Mazda pickups and for the last 10 years when they are started, daily they clatter like hell untill silenced by a blip on the fast pedal. I know they have hydraulic lifters. Fresh oil also silences them for a month or so and then it all starts again.
Now and again whan we remove the head for gasket or valve replacement, they clatter like crazy on first startup again ( completely sans residual oil in the top) for up to a minute untill the oil reaches the lifters and shuts them up abruptly. This seems to happen in multivalve engines or hydraulic lifter engines more.

Skin.

 

It's not a lifter. 328 are solid.

......And you should crank engine until oil pressure is up (and then some more to be sure), with spark and fuel disabled, before starting a hydraulic lifter engine. You'll save 1000's of km of wear.

 

Spot on Matteo, happened to mine this week and as you have said, it was the a/c belt.

Ten years ago you posted this imfomation, gee thanks man...

 

He's been gone almost 6 years.

 

But yet, ten years ago, he correctly diagnosed what would happen to a member's car just this past week.

Spooky!

 

and you think time travel has not been invented

 

It is the AC belt. Climing up and falling down in the groove. Had the same issue.
Spray WD-40 ontop of the belt and the noise will disappear.
This "problem" is caused by misalignement of the pulleys.

 

I owe that man a beer or two...

Also thanks to Ferrari Chat...