# Grinding noise upon first start after oil change?



## yowzaa (Jul 31, 2007)

Anyone experience this? It was just a brief sound, but alarming nonetheless. Did I damage my engine? I haven't driven it yet. I will tomorrow. I'll post if anything else happens tomorrow. Your comments are appreciated. Thanks.

ps. I put four quarts in and I did fill the filter housing before reinstall.


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## VAGjunkey (Sep 13, 2009)

That sounds normal. The fsi has a lot of upper valvetrain noise. I've had that looked at many times but it is normal. Just run your car normally and if you dont hear anything abnormal then your fine.


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## yowzaa (Jul 31, 2007)

That's good to hear. It never happened before...or, if it did, it wasn't as pronounced so that I would notice it. 
I let it idle until the revs dropped to 800. It sounded pretty normal so I'm hoping its as you say. :beer:to you!


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## Krieger (May 5, 2009)

mine started doing the same thing this past February.

that noise is not really "normal"... its excessive metal on metal contact... but its nothing that we can really fix i guess.


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## A3Performance (Jul 22, 2006)

yowzaa said:


> Anyone experience this? It was just a brief sound, but alarming nonetheless. Did I damage my engine? I haven't driven it yet. I will tomorrow. I'll post if anything else happens tomorrow. Your comments are appreciated. Thanks.
> 
> ps. I put four quarts in and I did fill the filter housing before reinstall.



These engines take 4.8 quarts.. check your oil level!


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## A3Performance (Jul 22, 2006)

BTW the correct way to check your oil level just in case is to be on a flat surface at operating temperature and shut the car off for about 5 minutes and check oil levels.. but 4.0 quarts on our engine will be literally starving this engine from a quart of oil which won't damage the engine but it's not good..


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## rbradleymedmd (Feb 24, 2007)

If you start the engine with the car on an incline (ie. still on ramps/stands), this noise will occur. However, if you push the car back of the ramps or lower the car back down onto a flat surface, the sound will not occur. At least this has been my experiences with DIY oil changes.


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## yowzaa (Jul 31, 2007)

If I was low by almost a quart, then sure, some parts weren't being properly lubed at start-up. I'm guessing that oil starvation occurred. 
I wonder what parts exactly could be grinding though? Sounded like metal-metal gears slipping.


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## hayejay (Jun 16, 2008)

Mine does the same thing.. on a flat surface with some oil in the filter and about 4 1/4 of oil ing the engine. it taps louder than i remember when I change the oil, but wouldn't say it's a grinding noise.


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## BsickPassat (May 10, 2010)

rbradleymedmd said:


> If you start the engine with the car on an incline (ie. still on ramps/stands), this noise will occur. However, if you push the car back of the ramps or lower the car back down onto a flat surface, the sound will not occur. At least this has been my experiences with DIY oil changes.


My car has always done it since it was new....don't really have a choice, my driveway has a good incline


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## XM_Rocks (Jan 29, 2005)

Sounds like oil starvation to me... its normal when you do an oil change.

It always happens for a second when I start the car after an oil change.

Just check your level and if its ok don't worry about it.


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## CoNGLoMeRaTeGTi (Apr 4, 2007)

To avoid this issue you can prime the oil system by adding oil into the filter housing when replacing the filter and crank the crank pulley a few revolutions before dropping the car.


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## yowzaa (Jul 31, 2007)

I'll try that next time. Thanks, CoNGLoMeRaTeGTi. 

I am wondering now if the noise may have involved the part at the bottom of the dip stick tube. I used an oil extractor to remove the oil and, in my effort to find the bottom of the oil pan and suck up more oil, I found that if I pushed the extractor tube, it moved down another 1cm. So it had some flexibility. Even though I didn't push really hard, maybe I bent it slightly into the path of something. Is this plausible explanation for the grinding?


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## CoNGLoMeRaTeGTi (Apr 4, 2007)

That wouldn't be it. Dip stick doesn't get close to anything in the oil pan to cause a grinding noise.


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## CoNGLoMeRaTeGTi (Apr 4, 2007)

That wouldn't be it. Dip stick doesn't get close to anything in the oil pan to cause a grinding noise.


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## bificus99 (Aug 2, 2008)

Mine does it even with oil in the filter and housing after an oil change. Mine is doing it at startup no incline. Nasty clattering sound. 5 K OCI with Castrol 5w-40. :banghead:


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## yowzaa (Jul 31, 2007)

I guess this is normal and probably doesn't amount to any significant wear. Its the ugliest sound of any car I've owned. I guess there's no way around oil starvation on the 2T.


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## DeMarco (Jan 28, 2007)

Here's a recording I kept.

Is this the same sound everyone is hearing?


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## Krieger (May 5, 2009)

yep.


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## bificus99 (Aug 2, 2008)

Yep me too.


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## veedubv5 (Dec 24, 2007)

I have same issue with mine, and it sound like that, it must be something wrong, never done it before


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## bificus99 (Aug 2, 2008)

Lash adjusters leaking down probably.


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## veedubv5 (Dec 24, 2007)

bificus99 said:


> Lash adjusters leaking down probably.


More info please?
Thanks


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## bificus99 (Aug 2, 2008)

More than likely the adjusters are leaking oil pressure and hen you start it up briefly the before oil can get to it we are getting clattering noises due to the excess lash. I will talk to my VW tech in a couple of weeks.


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## veedubv5 (Dec 24, 2007)

bificus99 said:


> More than likely the adjusters are leaking oil pressure and hen you start it up briefly the before oil can get to it we are getting clattering noises due to the excess lash. I will talk to my VW tech in a couple of weeks.


 
Yeah i know what you mean, i get it now thanks


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## hayejay (Jun 16, 2008)

bificus99 said:


> More than likely the adjusters are leaking oil pressure and hen you start it up briefly the before oil can get to it we are getting clattering noises due to the excess lash. I will talk to my VW tech in a couple of weeks.


 If that was the case wouldn't it do it all the time, everytime you start up the engine? The engine doesn't hold oil pressure when it's off sooo i don't think it that..


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## Krieger (May 5, 2009)

the HPFP is on the opposite side of the engine and is the furthest thing away from the oil pump so just imagine that you drained the oil from the engine and refilled it.... the oil pump is going to take a few seconds to get enough oil over to the HPFP and valve train and your hearing metal on metal contact that is going on while there is very little oil between the parts. 

I know mine never did that till earlier this year, so maybe our oil pumps are getting tired? or our oil pick up screen are getting clogged? idk.


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## bificus99 (Aug 2, 2008)

hayejay said:


> If that was the case wouldn't it do it all the time, everytime you start up the engine? The engine doesn't hold oil pressure when it's off sooo i don't think it that..


 It does this quite frequently.


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## hayejay (Jun 16, 2008)

bificus99 said:


> It does this quite frequently.


 ugh... I am not saying this is a solution to this situation. But I started running Royal Purple 5-40 in my car.. and the car responds well to it and better than expected.. Just a though.


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## yowzaa (Jul 31, 2007)

The lash adjusters. Seems plausible to me. Especially since the noise does seem to come from the valve-train.
As someone mentioned, turning the crank a few times might remedy this by allowing oil to move upward more before the first start after changing the oil.


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## bificus99 (Aug 2, 2008)

I discovered the issue causing my loud startups. Intake flaps sticking. I seafoamed the hell outta it and it stopped.


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## CoNGLoMeRaTeGTi (Apr 4, 2007)

Krieger said:


> but its nothing that we can really fix i guess.


Prime the system by first putting new clean oil into the filter housing, the remove the coil pack connectors, and crank the engine. This will prime the lubrication system. Then connect your voila MA and turn the car on. 

You'll never hear that dreaded noise ever again. 

This should really be done to all cars, specially turbo cars and even more so the FSIs. Dry oil starts can cause premature failure of cam followers.


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## Krieger (May 5, 2009)

I have had that noise forever now, and this last time i checked my follower, it was perfect... after like 20k miles.

It really isnt that big a deal.


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## Micky32 (Sep 11, 2005)

When i do an oil change i pull the relay in the box beside the battery. It prevents the car from starting and crank the engine for about 5 seconds. There will be a less of a load on the engine until the oil circulates.


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## TCFGLI08 (Apr 6, 2011)

What Micky said
Do it
Terry


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## rickjaguar (Apr 23, 2009)

This is typical. Helping alleviate (tho not necessarily solving)- fill the oil filter housing/soak the new filter as much as possible before you re-attach. I've done about 12 oil changes on mine now and it's never been an issue.. just an uncomfortable noise on that first re-start.

Having said that, i'm out to do a change right now. Shell Rotella T6 5W-40.


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