Hi everyone,
I went to visit a friend tonight and along the way there, my engine developed a weird condition. I've had misfires happen in the past under high load, which then clear after a while or after the car has been shut off. This is different. I was climbing a hill and it began to studder. After a few seconds the ECU recognized this and threw a check engine light. After coasting for a while the light went out. Upon applying more load, the issue returned, along with the light. I got off the highway and began driving in town. While trying to accelerate, I can hear a clicking noise coming from the engine bay. I am very limited on power as it continues to studder. While at rest, if I give it a quick light rev, I can hear the same clicking noise. This is NOT the wastegates. I can hear those too, separately. This is louder and a bit more solid.
Unfortunately this is the one time I don't have my laptop with me, and everyone here only has MACs. I doubt I'll be able to find the drivers for my USB cable to pull the codes.
So...here are my thoughts. While in a cruising state, no load, the engine sounds normal without this clicking/knocking noise. I've had engines with spun bearings in the past so I know this is NOT the case, thank goodness.
A bad coil/plug won't make noise if it has failed, so not that either. An injector probably wouldn't make noise, and if it did, not this loud.
My guess is either a faulty HPFP, VANOs solenoid, or VANOs itself. However, the symptoms don't seem like a HPFP because from what I've read, it also throws a half engine light too. Within the last 5k miles, I replaced a faulty VANOs solenoid. The other seemed fine and the codes related to the bad solenoid went away after it was replaced. Could a faulty solenoid make noise? Or the VANOs system make noise because the bad solenoid isn't supplying enough oil?
Any ideas?? I really hope I can get home in the morning.
Alex