Bought our 2001 xl7 in early summer. It was running 10-40 oil so when I changed it I used the same. Now it has turned cold in the mornings my wife has heard a rattle a couple of times form cold start. So when I studied up on here about it I got worried about the chain. So I quickly changed the oil to a thinner 5-20 oil with a purolator oil filter. The rattling seem to be gone for now. I plan to change the oil again after a few weeks again to make sure the thicker stuff has been flushed out. So how long do I have before I have to worry about the chain? The truck only gets ran for about 5 to 10 miles on weekday . Should I go to a 5-30 or is a 5-20 ok for the winter in Alabama.
So the Rattle seems to have been replaced by a sound more like a washer being swirled around in a glass jar. This only seems to last for a minute or two form a cold start. Is this related or maybe a whole new thing. During the summer nether sound could be heard at start up.
I wouldn't be too concerned. Ours does the same sort of thing, and it's more obvious because I've taken the engine driven cooling fan off. I still worry about it every time I hear it, but it's been doing it for a couple of years now.
I've tried all sorts of different oils, oil filters etc. Some seem to make some difference, but it's never totally quiet until the engine has been running for a couple of minutes. I'm running 0W40 Mobil 1 at the moment - even though it rarely gets to 0 Celcius here in winter (and it's now Spring.) I've tried a couple of different brand 5W40 oils and about four different brand oil filters.
(I don't use 5W30 oil because it can get to over 40 celcius here, and in theory there should be no difference when the oil is cold for starting.)
Well apparently these trucks don't enjoy the cold. The rattle does seem to be minimized and sometime it doesn't do it at all. Now there seems to be a sound when ever it is in gear when you first take off and when you slow down from speed. I cant tell if it is related or not because it only seems to happen when you are moving. Any ideas? I bought this car for my wife to take the kids to school and back now I am afraid to let her drive it.
On a side note I did order a Suzuki oil filter and plan to change the oil again after about another 100 or so miles.
We've also had a driveline "clunk" the whole time we've owned it. Usually happens as the auto trans changes gears under light throttle- don't know if that it similar? I've always assumed a tailshaft unijoint type issue (and it hasn't got worse so I've left it alone.) The unijoints can't be greased, although I have seen aftermarket versions on Ebay that can.
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How long do I have?
So I quickly changed the oil to a thinner 5-20 oil with a purolator oil filter. The rattling seem to be gone for now. I plan to change the oil again after a few weeks again to make sure the thicker stuff has been flushed out. So how long do I have before I have to worry about the chain? The truck only gets ran for about 5 to 10 miles on weekday . Should I go to a 5-30 or is a 5-20 ok for the winter in Alabama.
This only seems to last for a minute or two form a cold start. Is this related or maybe a whole new thing. During the summer nether sound could be heard at start up.
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