Long time. "New" LR4 engine noise, any experts?

[no694terry]

I had a D1 years ago, sold it. Picked up a 2012 LR4 with 75k. 5.0l and now at 78k it's started a new engine noise. It's centered around the throttle body area, goes away intermittently when you hit throttle. Thought it was power steering pump at first, but noise isn't coming from there. Now I'm suspecting the chains. Any guesses?

 

[Swedjen2]

There is a long thread posted below -"Looking for a 2013 LR4, etc" with 137 replies. One of the posts answers your question and I have posted it below. Thanks Jymmiejamz.

jymmiejamz
Well-known member
Dec 5, 20045,69415732Los Angeles, Ca

Jul 14, 2020

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• #36

fwiw, my way for checking if a truck has timing chain tensioner/guide noise is to get the engine warm, shut it off for about a minute, and restart. Once it returns to idle you will hear a rattle from the front of the engine. If you open the oil cap (engine will run poorly) the noise should be louder

 

[no694terry]

There is a long thread posted below -"Looking for a 2013 LR4, etc" with 137 replies. One of the posts answers your question and I have posted it below. Thanks Jymmiejamz.

jymmiejamz
Well-known member
Dec 5, 20045,69415732Los Angeles, Ca

Jul 14, 2020

• Add bookmark
• #36

fwiw, my way for checking if a truck has timing chain tensioner/guide noise is to get the engine warm, shut it off for about a minute, and restart. Once it returns to idle you will hear a rattle from the front of the engine. If you open the oil cap (engine will run poorly) the noise should be louder

Thanks for digging that up. I tried it, if anything it's quite when warm. Almost sounds like it's coming from inside the intake plenum and goes away with throttle input. Doesn't fade away, just instantly stops. It's a high speed click, that's why I was thinking chain, sounds like something is rubbing against it

 

[discostew]

The water pump is right down below the throttle. See if it looks like the pully is real loose.

Sounds on a video really don't help much. Is your check engine light on? I gotta believe if your timing chain is loose enough to hit the side of the housing you would have a cam timing fault stored.

Can you take the belt off to see if it stops?

 

[no694terry]

The water pump is right down below the throttle. See if it looks like the pully is real loose.

Sounds on a video really don't help much. Is your check engine light on? I gotta believe if your timing chain is loose enough to hit the side of the housing you would have a cam timing fault stored.

Can you take the belt off to see if it stops?

I'll check out the pump. Gonna change oil today. Using Amsoil Signature. I use Amsoil in my Exotruck and have become a believer. When I first got the LR4, I was like where the f**k is the dipstick, then saw there was do drain plug lol. I bought one of those oil evac things and now I love it. In the 3k miles I've owned it so far, getting it from a reputable land rover dealer with all the service records, I have fixed or added:

Two rear tires. Old owner let the wear more than fronts and was causing traction control to freak out while accelerating.

Rear upper door actuator

Hitch wiring harness

Lower front control arms. had clunks and death wobble on highway

Front left axle, ripped it doing control arm.

Tire sensor, leaked

20 lug nuts, swollen

Going on second oil change

 

[discostew]

Don't waste your money on an oil change till you know what that noise is. Do you know how to check the oil level from the instrument cluster?

 

[no694terry]

Don't waste your money on an oil change till you know what that noise is. Do you know how to check the oil level from the instrument cluster?

Think I know what it might be. Very exact sound as this

 

[no694terry]

And now the noise seems to be gone. It's stressing me out, I'm supposed to drive it towing a trailer to outer banks next weekend

 

[discostew]

I watched the second video in that link too. The guy talking about doing the job is obviously scared. All the taking apart he's crying about isn't necessary.
Not sure what document he was holding in his hands because it's changed thru the years. First document on timing chain noise wanted chains replaced if the engine had like 40K on it. By the time it was obvious they would be doing a lot of these under warranty they all of a sudden wanted you to take off only the lower cover, rotate the engine to a forgiving position, tie the timing chain together with zip ties directly under the cam sprockets. Then slip the tensioner blade out / new one in. Then replace the actual tensioner body.
All the new tensioner blades have a better surface for the tensioner plunger, they ride on a ball type contact area now, instead of a flat surface that's noisy. The tensioner itself has more ass to it too.
I like to do the job properly and replace the chains, tensioners and guides. Time the engine properly with the tools.
I know a lot of guys who do the sliding in of the tensioner and zip tie the whole shooting match. I've done it a few times. The only time it went bad was because I didn't have the engine rotated to the position they want it at. I heard the chain skip and knew I was screwed. If the shop was loud I might not have heard it.

 

[discostew]

The other problem with all this is the fact you said it started all of a sudden. That makes me think something let go inside.
You never told me if you had any cam timing faults.

 

[discostew]

And now the noise seems to be gone. It's stressing me out, I'm supposed to drive it towing a trailer to outer banks next weekend

Did you check the oil level?

 

[no694terry]

I checked oil level. It said ok. I just evacuated the oil, and looks to be about 7 quarts in the tank. 3/4 full in the white tank if anyone's familiar. There's no markings on it and I think it's a 10L tank . No codes. I think I'm just gonna ignore it til after vacation then to guides, tensioners, and water pump all at once. Maybe even the fuel pump while in in there. The way it started did seem sudden and the way it sounded I just assumed it was low on power steering fluid. It's just so odd it starts and stops, does seem to be rpm effected, more throttle effected, like a quick light throttle blip and it pauses then returns. Can't hear it over normal driving noise, a normal person probably wouldn't notice it at all.