Our TJ sports AWD makes what could best be described as a continuous growl from the engine when idling in gear (auto) when engine is dead cold. Seems to go away after about 2 mins of running as things heat up.

I searched the forum and found some info about dirty PCV valve. I cleaned ours with carb cleaner and it seemed to reduce the noise for about 3 days, but it's back again and nasty as ever...

Any ideas how to kill the noise for good?

I'm tempted to remove the PCV and try one off a different car with some temporary pipes to see if that helps.

I love our Magna, but it just sounds old and worn out when it's cold!

All our cars do it, 2 L series and an E series. I think it's just a quirk these motors have...

Did you change the pipes going from rocker to PCV? could be blocked aswell.

']Did you change the pipes going from rocker to PCV? could be blocked aswell. The PCV is fitted to the rocker. There maybe gunk in the line from the PCV to the egr canister but I would doubt it on this age vehicle. Pre 2000 more likely.

My TJ2 AWD has a similar thing going on, I was nervously waiting for it to drop it's bundle to be honest. Thought it might have been leaking headers or egr pipe on the rear header bank but it's all tight as prom night. Probably just the rich running on startup.

My motor has 116km, how many has yours?

my motor has 75k roughly and does this too. I just figured it was normal? Doesn't seem to be have any negative affects.

Had the same noise in the mrs car sounds horrible only did it in gear when cold, checked exhaust for leaks, engine mounts, bearing on pulley's all ok, all i did was tighten the aircond, alternator belt and the noise is gone.

I suggest you do the same

cheers

Our car has 90K on it.

It runs like a dream cold or hot, but just make this darn growl/grind noise when cold. If you raise the revs just above idle it goes away, if you put it in P or N it is less obvious.

Once everything is at operating temp it is beautiful.

Will try the A/C tighten trick and see how it goes, but will try the outboard PCV too - cos I'm certain that cleaning it did help for a couple of days. Seems wierd tho cos this car has had 5K oil changes for life and the PCV valve/pipes had nearly no carbon/oil gunge in them at all.... I sprayed the carb cleaner thru the valve (both directions) into a white towel and hardly anything came out.

Hey guys,

yep, both my tj and kl make that noise, exactly as you have described, i'm pretty sure it started on the tj when i got my headers replaced (no egr) and kl had rpw headers when i got it (no egr too)....

do you have stock headers?

Hey guys,

yep, both my tj and kl make that noise, exactly as you have described, i'm pretty sure it started on the tj when i got my headers replaced (no egr) and kl had rpw headers when i got it (no egr too)....

do you have stock headers?
My car has stock headers, but i believe my cat is on it's way if that has any bearing on the noise.

Its just the lifters. If not lifters then something in the heads. And you might think its growling but its just because of the higher idle when the motor is cold.

Its just the lifters. If not lifters then something in the heads. And you might think its growling but its just because of the higher idle when the motor is cold.

Lifters would actually make more clacketyclack (old English technical language...:doubt: ) than growl.
How old and what type of engiine oil? Does it make a diff with fresh oil? Synthetic?

yeah don't think it's the lifters, had a lot more experience with lifter noise than i would like (why my tj has a whole new engine.....:confused: )

oil changes don't seem to make much difference either (running on fully synthetic in both cars)

it's definitely something the goes away within a minute or two of driving (not just higher revs from the cold start tho as holding the engine at any given revs when warm doesn't produce the noise)

it sounds as though it's coming from lower down in the engine bay, also as mentioned it's more noticeable when in gear and just sounds like something is vibrating, might try the belt fix, if not, maybe just get it up on some ramps, do a cold start and listen around underneath

my te does it and so does the TJ sports i just picked up this arvy. I think it might be a magna thing.

Yeah, definitely not lifters. Oil makes no change either - tried several.

My car is dead stock, orig exh manifolds.

As described, the noise when cold sounds somewhere between, LS1 piston slap, leaky exhaust and a loose A/C compressor mounting bolt all combined - if that makes sense :redface:

Sounds like caplan is onto the same noise I am.

I used to have a 98 model 3.0 magna which did it. So did the other 2 at work (a magna wagon and verada sedan). You could hear them doing it on cold start at 530pm as they left the work carpark.

I'll try a few things and report back whatever I find.

Must admit I was suspecting the EGR valve, but if caplan is not running an egr then it's (currently) got me beat :rant:

exactly the same problem, changed the alternator belt and adjusted the alternator pully really tight.

My daughters 2000TH, which we have owned since it was 12 months old, has had that very same noise for the last couple of years. Tried everything to workout what it might be. On a cold start as soon as you put it into R or D you get the "growl" noise. If you you let it warm up for a few minutes before puttng it into gear its gone. The TH has 125,000k on it and the oil is changed every 5,000 or 6 months. When I first noticed it I changed the transmission oil thinking that might have been the problem, but no effect.
Whatever it is it has had no effect, as the car goes just the same as when it was new.
Some smart member will eventually have an answer.

Ahh, starting to sound familiar. Mine had such gear noise coming from the autobox for a while, some time ago. The 'box died 3 weeks agao at 204'000 km under the belt(ing).

I had the same....but it's apparently the heat shields on the exhaust, which vibrate when they are cold...hence why the noise goes away when warm.

I had the same....but it's apparently the heat shields on the exhaust, which vibrate when they are cold...hence why the noise goes away when warm.


yep its the heat shield that's a bit loose and needs to be welded/replaced/tightened. Or it might be your timing belt tensioner.

http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18676

This problem has already been discussed and solved, by familywagon and knox mitsubishi.

In case my link above does not work, basically the answer is to replace both drive belts, or if the belts are in good condition, re-tension them.

Remember, the search button is your friend!

THE COLD GROWL IS A COMMON 3RD GEN PROBLEM IS SIMPLY THE AC/ALTERNATOR MAIN DRIVE BELT REQUIRING RE-TENSIONING!!!

JUST RE-TENSIONED MINE TODAY - THESE BELTS HAVE A HABIT OF STRETCHING FOR SOME REASON.

YOU WILL NEED TO JACK THE CAR OR GET ON SOME RAMPS (MAKE SURE IT IS SECURE BEFORE YOU GET UNDER). YOU NEED A 14mm SOCKET (FIRST LOOSEN THE LOCK NUT ON THE TENSIONER BY TURNING ANTICLOCKWISE -THATS THE NUT THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TENSIONER THAT SECURES IT ON THE PULLEY). THEN THE ADJUSTER NUT SHOULD BE ON THE SIDE OF THE PULLEY (SOMETIMES HARD TO SEE AS THE A/C COMPRESSOR IS KINDA IN THE WAY SO YOU NEED A SOCKET EXTENDER TO CLEAR THE COMPRESSOR). GIVE THE ADJUSTER A FEW TURNS CLOCKWISE TO TENSION (BUT DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN!!). THEN REDO LOCKNUT AND TEST. IF STILL NOISEY, MAY NEED TO REPEAT THE PROCESS TO GIVE IT MORE TENSION.

I GENERALLY DO IT WHEN IT IS STONE COLD AND KEEP TIGHTENING AND TESTING TILL THE NOISE GOES AWAY.

Thanks LouisK - great answer! I'm gonna have a go at that tomorrow.

And to think I was sure that cleaning the PCV helped reduce the noise :nuts:

VRWagon thanks for the link. I did use the search friend, but didn't find what you did. Maybe I should have tried the word 'grumble' too.... ta mate

Had the same thing in my KH and KJ AWD.

Had it back at mitsubishi so many times and they replaced nearly everything even through to the exhaust from the block back to the cat and still no fix.

They said they cant fix it.

Spoke to Anthony on here who works at Mitsub and he just laughed saying that it was just the belts being the two belts under the hood which stretch and loosen.

He replaced them both and tightened them up and guess what, noise has completely gone.

I cant believe that some dealers know this stuff and some dont. Makes me wonder sometimes.

Hey all. Have this growl on my 2000 TJ, with 65k on the clock. Just wondering, would this affect the operation of the ac too? My ac makes loud clunking noises periodically. Ive read about the initial clunking noise when its first turned on but my ac makes them like its starting itself up for the first time every 3-4 minutes. Seems to be linked in with the fan coming on, which is why i thought maybe its "belt related"... its bad enough for me to avoid using the ac. Any help appreciated :) thanks

The fan is electric so it has no belt to make any noises.

The A/C may need a service it might have a loose nut or bolt but it does make a slight clink when it comes on in my KL, if you have it set on the lowest temp it'll be on constantly if not it will come on and off as the temp is regulated inside the cabin.

The growl is usually caused by either hardened acc belts or loose belts. Either way the belts most likely need replacing

The AC clunk is very common on initial start up for the day, many of these do this.

Thanks for the replies :) ill look into it. I quite like the growl though tbh, sounds a lot tougher than my ts, even if only i can hear it!

Drive belt noise, as Mad says. My TJ Solara with 122K on the clock does this. Cold starts always have the "growl" which goes away with about five minutes of driving. The other car which only has 37K on the clock doesn't do it...but then it's still almost "new".

I had this too and for interest's sake I noticed it happened when at around 1100 RPM specifically. AC belt indeed.