Piston slap after 1,000 miles of brake in oil change

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pickler

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Jun 10, 2011
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I have a 2024 ES350, I did an oil change with Mobil 1 ESP 5w-30 at 1,500 miles. I babied that car up to the oil change. After the oil change i started doing some full throttle runs. Shortly after at 2,500 miles the car has developed a piston slap sound (not to be confused with the injector ticking sound). It’s deep tok tok sound coming from deep inside the engine. I can hear it inside the cabin with windows closed through the vents. it sounds like something heavy in the engine is loose.

Now i’m not blaming the oil but just the disappointment of how quickly this piston slap developed. I don’t think this has anything to do with choice of oil, it’s even slightly thicker than the factory fill. i have talked to other toyota v6 owners and apparently piston slap has been a common issue with those engines but usually not until around 60-90k miles apparently. it’s rather unusual to develop this kind of noise this early on. The car will likely be fine and easily do 350k miles or more with no issues, but I just wanted to vent.
 
My 18 4Runner has piston slap as do many of my other cars. As the engine warms up it goes away. I think it is just part of the short skirt pistons that modern cars have to reduce reciprocating mass and have less cylinder wall drag.

My piston slap seemed to be less in my cars after the 1st early oil change ~1000 miles.
 
kschachn said:
And you’re willing to bet that for the life of your vehicle?
Click to expand...
I hope! I have a few engines with cold piston slap, but all are quiet when hot. So fingers crossed!
They are not getting noisier.

LS6
1GR-FE
K24A8

On the pickler's ES350, depends how bad it sounds. Listen to others. May be normal.
 
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I’m no break in expert and I know others here go full throttle right off the showroom floor, but I usually wait a little longer to give my new cars a hot supper. Only way to find out is to take it into the dealer.
 
If the dealer gives you any crap about the oil just point them to an owners manual from Botswana and this forum

All seriousness never expected a new Lexus owner to change their own oil, curious why did you choose that specific oil for that car?
 
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I had a (then new) 2001 4.7L Tundra that had piston slap. I took it to the dealer and was told "it's normal". So don't expect a dealer to automatically fix this under warranty.

True "piston slap" is due to dissimilar metals warning up at different rates; having forged pistons relative to the clearances being set for full-warm condition. This condition is not unheard of in many brands of engines. While annoying, it's generally harmless.
 
picklyrickly1073 said:
If the dealer gives you any crap about the oil just point them to an owners manual from Botswana and this forum
Click to expand...
Oil Karens will go ham on a service associate for suggesting 15W40 shouldn’t be used.

“Um, let me speak to your manager, the manual from Uzbekistan clearly says this is fine.”
 
zfasts03 said:
My 18 4Runner has piston slap as do many of my other cars. As the engine warms up it goes away. I think it is just part of the short skirt pistons that modern cars have to reduce reciprocating mass and have less cylinder wall drag.

My piston slap seemed to be less in my cars after the 1st early oil change ~1000 miles.
Click to expand...
interesting
zfasts03 said:
If it gets quiet when hot = piston slap

If it gets loud when hot = rod knock
Click to expand...
Boomer said:
Are you sure you are not hearing a rod knock?
Click to expand...
no because it’s silent when revving the engine. for example if i raise the idle to 1000 rpm you only hear the injectors ticking and no more knocking sound. it seems to happen at very low load situations and RPM around 600-700 when AC is off.
 
wpod said:
Bring it to the dealer are start a paper trail.
Click to expand...
it’s a lease, so i’m just thinking of returning it next year and getting a hybrid ES instead. I heard the same thing in another toyota V6. apparently toyota V6 2gr-fks motors have NVH issues but are still pretty reliable.
 
zfasts03 said:
I hope! I have a few engines with cold piston slap, but all are quiet when hot. So fingers crossed!
They are not getting noisier.

LS6
1GR-FE
K24A8

On the pickler's ES350, depends how bad it sounds. Listen to others. May be normal.
Click to expand...

interesting i never have had any vehicle with piston slap. for my car it is worse when hot. but only below 70 RPM, AC off at warm idle. above 800rpm the knocking sound disappears.
 
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dnewton3 said:
I had a (then new) 2001 4.7L Tundra that had piston slap. I took it to the dealer and was told "it's normal". So don't expect a dealer to automatically fix this under warranty.

True "piston slap" is due to dissimilar metals warning up at different rates; having forged pistons relative to the clearances being set for full-warm condition. This condition is not unheard of in many brands of engines. While annoying, it's generally harmless.
Click to expand...

Piston slap has always been a big issue with the LT1 engines that came in the 92-96 Corvettes and the 93-97 Camaros and Firebirds. I had a 95 Trans Am and a 95 Firebird Formula and the TA did have piston slap but the Formula didn't. Many people that I knew from my car clubs had piston slap on their LT1s too. But history has proven that engine to be extremely durable.
 
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