Rep Power: 0

Hi,

I have a 02 Civic which has approx 150k miles and has been meticulously cared for. During my last drive, I noticed a new noise coming from under the hood and, as a precaution, have not driven the car since. The noise is best described as a ticking/flapping albeit not very loud but noticeable and appears to lessen once the engine has warmed up.

The car is a bit overdue for an oil change and does have a consistent leak due to an oil pan that is somewhat due to be replaced. A friend mentioned that the noise may be due to a low oil level.

In any event, I plan to take the car into the local service shop middle of this week. Unfortunately, I need to do a bit of driving before I can take it in.

Would appreciate any input/suggestions with regard to fixing the issue and/or determining whether the vehicle is safe to drive for a few more days.

Thanks in advance,
gixxer

 
Rep Power: 518

Check the oil level first, make sure it isn't empty.




Hopefully you can do this in a garage, not out in the wind:

Fire it up with the hood open, then run out and sniff the engine compartment----if you can smell raw exhaust (like a lawnmower), the manifold cracked. Shut the hood and drive it.