96 chevy cavalier 2.2 weird timing chain noise
 

hello my name dakota im new to the forum. my issue is timing chain rattle. when it warm outside above 55 degrees you can start it for the first time that day and it is perfectly quiet but when it warms up you hear it. or when its cold outside does all the time. im sure its the timing area. ive tried running engine without serpentine belt to see if the noise changed but nothing. car runs great . just bought it the previous owner said that he replaced it once at 99k and again at 199k has 206k now. what do you guys think? anyhelp or advice is greatly appreciated. thanks

It sounds like a worn or defective timing chain tensioner. Maybe the previous owner saved a few dollars by either not replacing it or replacing it with a cheapest junk.

hey thanks for the reply. i would hope he wouldnt go cheap but its possible alot of people do. that would also makes sense. he usually shopped at oriellys for everything automotive im not sure how good their chain sets are. any idea on why warm weather keeps it quiet until the engine warms up? but when its cold out it always does it? thats what i really dont understand. do you think i should replace it or just ignore it since the car runs good? thanks

Yours has a tensioner with a bi-metal spring that self-adjusts the first time it gets hot. It's supposed to hold the set tension from that point on, cold or hot. In your case it may be loosening up depending on the temperature. If you were planning on putting some serious miles on this vehicle, you probably shouldn't ignore it.

No, it's not hydraulic. A vehicle-specific repair manual by Haynes or Chilton should cover the timing chain and tensioner. Also, try a web search for "LN2 timing chain tensioner."

i did a google search and came up with some info. i still dont understand why the weather makes a diference though.i did put some marvel mystery oil in my oil and it seems like its gotten quieter. but it still there. my mechanic friend said that the tensioner is affected by the oil pressure and said a little thicker oil may help. what do you think about that? im not sure what to think about it lol

What I have found is there is a very small hole that oils the timing chain on these engines and if the oil is not changed often enough the hole plugs or sudges up. If it were me I would add a liter/quart of trans fluid to the engine oil (a lot of cleaning in trans fluid) and run it for a few 100 miles and change out the oil.

i did use some marvel mystery oil. but was considering trying that but wasnt sure if that was ok on these newer engines lol. my only question that i still dont understand is would it being sludged up make a difference when temp outside is warm it doesnt do it on a cold start but does do it once warm. where as in chillier weather it does it all the time but is louder when warm. its quite confussing to me.