Noisy Ecotec. Oil?

[RoGuE]

I've always noticed that my engine is kind of loud on my car. Like just standing next to it while it's idling, you hear a lot of ticking and other various noise, and it seems really loud compared to other cars. I realize a lot of the noise may be injectors and the timing chain.

Maybe someone else with an Ecotec has experienced and has good experience with another oil? Even though I do have 2 jugs of Pennzoil Platinum in my garage.

I was wondering if using a different oil qould quiet it down a little. So far I have only used Pennzoil since I bought it on 10/07. I used Pennzoil Platinum for a full year and then I changed it to Pennzoil yellow bottle back in February and I'm getting ready to change it again now.

It is a 2.2L Ecotec with almost 17,000 in my 2007 Malibu. I only drive about 4000 miles (usually 4-7 miles each trip) a year in all suburban stop and go traffic.

 

[Petrou]

put some fuel cleaner in there, take it on a an hour long highway drive first off. what weight are you using, if its 5-30 and calling for it and its not under warrenty try like a 10-30 rotella. if that dont help, nature of the beast

 

[RoGuE]

Yeah, it calls 5w-30. It is still under warranty until 2012 (5year/100k mile powertrain warranty)

 

[Audi Junkie]

Try some 2-cycle oil in the gas and 10w-30 dino oil.

 

[chet2]

i have a 2.2 and it runs great...i was cruising on I-state tonite at 80 and i wasnt even pushing engine...i am running QS full syn torque 5-30...buy shell or mobil gas and take it out on hiway and open it up a little...this is my 2nd ecotec, my first has 93k on it and doesnt burn a drop, i just sold it to my mom

 

[KW]

I have a 2006 Cobalt with a 2.2 Ecotec with about 52,000 miles on it. The engine does have a bit of mechanical noise when running but nothing beyond what would be called normal. Annual OCI's or the OLM which ever comes up first should work well. I agree with others that a nice drive in the country every now and then sure would not hurt it. You might want to check and make sure the noise isn't coming from the A/C compressor or something.

 

[RoGuE]

I changed my oil on Saturday with PP I had, and the engine seemed A LOT quieter. The oil before only had 2331 miles on it and the OLM showed 56% oil life remaining. And a VERY faint squeaking noise I had heard is also gone. What could this mean?

 

[JustinH]

My girlfriend has a 03 pontiac that has the ecotec and the belt driven power steering.

Mine has the electric power steering, and no power steering pulley obviously.

I have noticed that hers makes more noise, it is from the accessories driven off the crank, also her fan is a little more noisy.

Just keep the oil clean, no need to put high dollar oils in it. I'm a 10 dollar for 5 quart jug quaker state man myself, every 4k miles.

I have noticed that if you don't use the OEM filter, it makes a little more racket.

This motor is a tank, its pretty hard to hurt it.

 

[fdcg27]

This is not an especially smooth or quiet engine.
You would never confuse it with a Honda.
However, I put M1 0W-30 in a friend's 2.2, and it sounds pretty happy with it.
The oil I drained out seemed a little thick.
The car had had its only prior change at a quick lube place, and the owner had no idea what was used.
Maybe a 10W-30?
Could this be an engine that runs more smoothly and more quietly on a thinner oil?
M1 AFE 0W-30 is certainly thinner than PP 5W-30 at any temperature.

 

[ThirdeYe]

It seems like I remember my dad's Ion being pretty noisy/buzzy as well. He had it since new and drove it very gently. He always insisted on having the oil changed at 3k and disregarded the OLM. I think it's just the nature of the Ecotec to be kind of noisy.. when I get a chance I'll listen to the one in my girlfriend's parents new 2009 Vue and see if it's noisy. I'm not sure if it's the 2.2 or not though.

 

[Zaedock]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
This is not an especially smooth or quiet engine.
You would never confuse it with a Honda.


Honda's are just as loud as the next guy.

The 2.2L in my mother's '08 Cobalt is actually more quiet than the 2.4L in my Sis-in-law's '08 CRV.

 

[RoGuE]

The engine is smooth, just noisy.

I use the OEM ACDelco filter. I also only used the PP because it was only $5.

 

[ThirdeYe]

Originally Posted By: Zaedock
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
This is not an especially smooth or quiet engine.
You would never confuse it with a Honda.


Honda's are just as loud as the next guy.

The 2.2L in my mother's '08 Cobalt is actually more quiet than the 2.4L in my Sis-in-law's '08 CRV.




That's true, some Hondas are pretty noisy. Ticky valves, minor piston slap and loud fuel injectors are the norm in mine. Valves are adjusted to spec, but still slightly noisy. The fuel injectors work fine, just ticky. Piston slap goes away when it warms up. Still a solid motor.

 

[JohnBrowning]

The ecotec is a solid engine especialy the version Saab was building. It is not a Toyota or Honda I4 though and it cannot be expected to be as quite! GM has never gotten the quite,refined engine's that Toyota and Honda have......It has to be cost savings or poor designs or something because Harry Potter does not work for Toyota or Honda designing engines no magic just design!

I doubt the squek was from the engine it self. More then likely a tensioner or pulley of some kind has a bearing that is getting tired and will in the future need to be replaced on the accesory drive.

 

[sparkplug]

My g/f's Cobalt is smooth and quiet. Right now we have Valvoline Durablend 10w30.

 

[Durango]

Originally Posted By: RoGuE
I've always noticed that my engine is kind of loud on my car. Like just standing next to it while it's idling, you hear a lot of ticking and other various noise, and it seems really loud compared to other cars. I realize a lot of the noise may be injectors and the timing chain.

Maybe someone else with an Ecotec has experienced and has good experience with another oil? Even though I do have 2 jugs of Pennzoil Platinum in my garage.

I was wondering if using a different oil qould quiet it down a little. So far I have only used Pennzoil since I bought it on 10/07. I used Pennzoil Platinum for a full year and then I changed it to Pennzoil yellow bottle back in February and I'm getting ready to change it again now.

It is a 2.2L Ecotec with almost 17,000 in my 2007 Malibu. I only drive about 4000 miles (usually 4-7 miles each trip) a year in all suburban stop and go traffic.



RoGuE,

Pennzoil Platinum is considered to be an ezcellent synthetic oil. If I were you consider trying some Mobil 1 in the 5W-30 weight and see what happens. In addition Quaker State markets the "Q" synthetic in Torque or Horse Power formulas that appear to be a few bucks cheaper than PP. I've in the past have had good results using the "Q" as a trial once and found it to quiet my 01' Durango V-8 with no issues what so ever!!!! In the future I MAY decide to make this my standard oil as M1's prices are getting up their.

Good luck in your trials,

Durango

 

[jeepman]

We have a 2.2 in our 2006 Vue, and I've had M1 0w30 and PP 5w30 and got the same ticky noise regardless of oil. Great engine, but as others have said, just has it's own sound regardless of quality oil choice.

 

[Audi Junkie]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
M1 AFE 0W-30 is certainly thinner than PP 5W-30 at any temperature.



BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!


It's not thinner, not in cold, not in hot, NOT IN ANY TEMPERATURE! (that can be demonstrated)


Mobil 1 0w-30 AFE

40c 63.1
100c 11

Pennzoil Platinum 5w-30

40c 57.5
100c 10.3

http://www.widman.biz/Seleccion/Viscosidad/Conversiones/Graph/graph.html


What happened to the days when people on BitOG would do their homework before posting something as easily verified as this?

 

[artificialist]

My dad's 2007 Pontiac G6 2.4 made the least amount of noise on Valvoline synthetic 5w30.

He has used M1 5w30 and 0w30, Q-Torque, ST synthetic, and I think even some PP.

I don't know why it does that.