It's a 92 Loyale 4WD 3AT 1.8L [H4 MFI/FI <--- what's all this mean?]

At 35mph it starts a horrible ticking, at 45mph it starts going faster and 50mph

and above it get so fast it becomes a hum. Any idea what it is and how I can fix it?

 

I found this on another Forum, but I can't find the forum again

Engine Ticking:

hydraulic valve lash adjusters (aka HVLA or HLA) get dirty.

You might try sea foam or MMO in the oil for a couple hundred miles then change the oil.

 

Also, it idles terribly rough. It looks like a wet dog trying to dry off. Any hints there?

Is it the timing that needs adjustment? [i'm handy enough with tools, just never worked

on cars before]

 

Thanks for the help!

It's a 92 Royale 4WD 3AT 1.8L [H4 MFI/FI <--- what's all this mean?]

At 35mph it starts a horrible ticking, at 45mph it starts going faster and 50mph

and above it get so fast it becomes a hum. Any idea what it is and how I can fix it?

 

I found this on another Forum, but I can't find the forum again

 

 

Also, it idles terribly rough. It looks like a wet dog trying to dry off. Any hints there?

Is it the timing that needs adjustment?

 

 

Whew! First off, you have a Loyale, not a "Royale". This is the name for the later GL/DL models - basically the same car with some upgrades to the engine fuel management and such.

 

As for "4WD 3AT 1.8L [H4 MFI/FI": Four wheel drive, three speed automatic, 1800cc displacement, Boxer-four cylinder arrangement (just like an old VW), MPFI is multi-port fuel injection, FI would likely be single-port fuel injection (SPFI).

 

You have the classic "Tick of Death". I'm going to repeat your quoted bit:

 

"hydraulic valve lash adjusters (aka HVLA or HLA) get dirty.

You might try sea foam or MMO in the oil for a couple hundred miles then change the oil."

 

This is supposed to work pretty well. You can get Seafoam from AutoZone etc. Basically part of your valvetrain is a bit clogged. Seafoam can clear stuff out. I've never had to fix this, but others on the board can perhaps offer good advice. It's been covered about 30 times in different threads, do a search for "tick of death".

 

Questions to help narrow down your particular problem:

 

1) How many miles on the car/engine?

2) How's the oil level? Full? Dropping out the bottom of the engine? Rough idle as you describe can be due to something as simple as not enough oil in the engine. Make sure it's reading properly at the dipstick, and that your oil pressure gauge (if you have one) is reading decently.

 

Let us know more about these things and we may be able to help... good luck!

 

P.S. Add your city to your profile if you like... there are lots of us in Eugene and Portland and sometimes we can give location-specific info about shops, parts sources etc... :cool:

Engine shaking could be a timing issue. like cylinder(s) not firing.

Have you done an ignition tune up on it? Like distributor cap, rotor, plugwires, and plugs? Ever taken a timing light to it?

How about the fuel filter?

My engine shook something fierce. I found out it was a loose injector wiring.!! But it's fixed now and idles smooth.

As for the ticking...if it is a valve...it's not THAT bad, some people live with it. I can't. People have ways of fixing it. Some people will just replace the HVLA..some use seafoam or MMO(Marvel's Mystery Oil). And just a simple oil change helps. Maybe the oil in the car now has lost it's viscosity?

What I do to fix the tick of death is...and oil change with 1/2quart to 1quart of ATF. Yes. ATF...it's a detergent and will clean your engine and Valve lashers right up. It takes a couple minutes of...let's say...high RPM driving.

And where in Oregon do you live?

[HTi]Johnson

Thanks for the replies! I just bought the thing so please forgive the name transposition. [That would explain why my search wasn't yielding much ,

too much Pulp Fiction I guess.] Test drove fine at residential speeds. Never heard of a Loyale before, but a 92 Suby with 121k, perfect body and interior [albiet gutless], I figured I couldn't go wrong. When I opened it up and found the "tick of death", I was more than surprised. Glad to know it's common, and more importantly, fixable.

 

The oils at 3/4's full. Nothing on the ground. There are a few "cosmetic" electrical issues, dashboard oil pressure gauge being one of them. [permanently blinking seat belt light being another]. I wasn't going to worry about the oil gauge, but it sounds like I should go ahead and fix that somehow. Perhaps I could throw a half quart of ATF into the oil, spin it up to Mary's Peak, and then do an oil change - adding sea foam? A thorough tune-up is planned once I get some time off. Man, I was freaked out there for a minute. :cool:

 

Since I'll be doing the oil, anyone try this Purple stuff mentioned in another thread? Recomendations for an oil? [i'm assuming 10w40, correct?]

 

Thanks again! Ya'll prevented a heart attack :-p