I have a 2006 saturn vue that has a valve tap in the engine. The car has about 100k miles on it now. I'm the original owner of the car, and I've had the problem with the valve tap since about 50k miles, and even when taking it to saturn dealerships, I was told it was nothing and the car was fine. Now that I know what it is (I took it to another mechanic that was a friend who went over it with a 'fine tooth comb') I ahve done research and know what can go wrong a little too late :(So my question: My car only makes the tapping sound for about 5 or so minutes when i turn the car on, then it goes away and you can't hear it anymore, is this usual for a valve tap?
Keep eye on oil level and keep on driveing.
you sure if its valves or lifters? valves will cause a lot more problems than just a tap. lifters on the other hand will cause a noise but usually no major damage if its just a tap. lifters in a modern engine are pressurized with engine oil to fill the clearance between the lifters and the camshaft to ensure proper valve opening. if the lifter has a clogged oil port then no or little oil can enter the lifter, causing a gap between the lifter and camshaft. even a small gap will cause a noticeable noise, especially when the oil is cold and thick at start up. its a saturn so its most likely an overhead cam setup, try a high quality oil treatment and a little thicker oil. if it keeps happening then listen to the lower half of the engine. if its louder down there then you have more problems than valves.
Yes, it's quite usual. You're more likely to hear the valve tap when you start up the engine from cold. This is because as the engine warms up, expansion of the metal components slightly reduces the clearances and so the sound tap goes away. I'd also agree that you should keep an eye on the engine oil level. If the oil level is a bit low then the tap can also be accentuated.
