Engine noise - sounds like low oil

[Walicek]

Hey everyone,

I've noticed a sound coming from the engine, to me it sounds like the knocking or tapping sound made when the oil level is low. The sound is only noticeable when I press the pedal down pretty good to accelerate, it's pronounced enough that my girlfriend even notices it and she doesn't notice much with cars. I've checked the oil level many times and even changed the oil and the sound persisted. I've been leaving it alone because I've read a few threads here saying the GDI is just loud, but I just feel like it could be something other than the high pressure fuel injectors ticking.

Thanks for any help!

[GreyGhost12]

Can you post a sound clip? It might help us better diagnose your issue.

[Walicek]

I've been trying to find a way to get sound, I tried making a video with my phone but the road noise drowns everything out. Best I can explain it is a tapping sound when I accelerate, like while I'm going up a hill and I have to give it a little gas to keep a steady speed it'll make a sporadic tapping sound until I let off of the gas and it'll go away.

[GreyGhost12]

Are you using Top Tier fuel? If not you may be experiencing detonation. I'm formulating this guess based upon your description of your issue. If this is the case, you need to use higher octane to ward off the detonation.

[Walicek]

I've been using the cheapest I can find, 87 octane. I'll try out the higher octane for a couple of tanks and see how it plays out and report back. Thanks for the suggestion

[GreyGhost12]

That's likely your problem then. For a few more cents per gallon it doesn't make sense to use anything but Top Tier fuel.

Anything from the likes of Mobil, Sunoco, and Shell are Top Tier. Anything from your local convenience store is not... Do your car a favor and run Top Tier in it. It IS 11:1 compression after all.

All 87 octane fuels are not created equal...

[Walicek]

From the tank and a half of Texaco and Shell 87 octane I've ran so far, it seems as though the noise is cured! Might just be me wanting to think this, but it feels like going up hills and acceleration in general is very slightly better.

Thanks for the tip!

[GreyGhost12]

That's great to hear. With a HC DI engine, it is most important to use Top Tier fuel for several reasons. To ward off detonation is just one of them...

[Maurtis]

Glad it was easy to sort out! Are you still running the ECU tune? If so, that might have exacerbated the issue as well...

[Walicek]

I had forgotten all about that even happening. Know a way I can get it back to stock without raising the suspicions of the dealer/manufacturer? I'm not even 100% sure anything was changed at all actually.

[MTD]

GDI engines are slightly noisier then a traditional gas engine to. The injectors, hpfp, oil control valve are all very audible in these cars. Ive found with Top Tier gas with no ethanol and a synth oil, the car runs much smoother and is quieter.

[Walicek]

An official update for this thread in case anyone comes across it in a search and wants to know. I took one of the Hyundai "platinum" techs for a ride to diagnos the sound, he confirmed it is a detonation issue just as Grey Ghost suggested. The tech's advice was to use a gas additive every once in a while and try out higher octane, but there isn't anything that can be done to eliminate the noise, it's just one of those things and their is nothing wrong with my car.

[The HACK]

A tune on a high compression direct injection engine TYPICALLY require high octane gas. The easiest tune is to remove or elevate the knock sensor's threshold to allow a different fuel map, or ADVANCE the timing of the spark which results in detonation and knocking.

You can't make magical power without some sacrifice. Even though from factory the engine is "tuned" to run on 87 octane, it doesn't mean once you alter the parameters to increase power output, that same "87" octane map is going to work.

[slebrechthausen]

I had a rubbing sound somewhat similar to what your describing. It could be the Turbo engine breaking in, or possibly the heat shield. But as most others have said, its likely the gas