4.2L (Cold) Rough Start/Cam Shaft Variators

[ChrisQP09]

Red top 4.7 is wet sump and you need to keep an eye on it.

Well car booked with MD in few weeks, doubt anything significant will occur between now and then but what sort of things am I on look out for? Prolonged rattle?

 

[philw696]

Well car booked with MD in few weeks, doubt anything significant will occur between now and then but what sort of things am I on look out for? Prolonged rattle?

Is yours within the affected engine no range ?
If it's just rattle on initial start up it could be the solenoids or the end caps.
Needs looking at properly.

 

[ChrisQP09]

Is yours within the affected engine no range ?
If it's just rattle on initial start up it could be the solenoids or the end caps.
Needs looking at properly.

Yes it is. Are they the cheaper fixes? I suspect they will require Technicians to dismantle and look for wear? Or is there another way to diagnose? Im going to start keeping a log of environmental temps and seeing if there is a pattern

 

[conaero]

Very confused here! My 4.7s has red cam covers? I get the rattle in colder weather.

Is the red covers the dry or wet sump?

QP GTS is wet sump it’s just they fitted red covers just to confuse matters.

 

[ChrisQP09]

Interesting! Is there any other easy way to determine the sump of the engine?

 

[MaseratiGent]

Yes, red covers, and as promised, here's a quick vid just now - no start today actually and no variator noise at all, engine cold, temp gauge on bottom. Previous start up was yesterday 9:00am.

Wanderer... revving an engine cold and turning off before running it for 10-15 minutes !

 

[conaero]

Interesting! Is there any other easy way to determine the sump of the engine?

Yes, look down the front of the engine at the auxiliary drive belt. If there is a second smaller belt that goes off to the left/water pump it’s a wet sump.

also if you have a standard dipstick that is attached to the engine, rather than a tank on the inner wing, it’s wet sump.

4200/GS/Spyder: Dry sump
QP5 Duo select: Dry sump
QP5 Auto and all GT: Wet sump

 

[MaseratiGent]

Hi,
Please see youtube link below for start noise.

Regards

Scott

This is exactly my situation i.e. when cold, ambient outside temperature on a start. If already run and started again it's fine. 4.2L 2009.

 

[Wattie]

This is exactly my situation i.e. when cold, ambient outside temperature on a start. If already run and started again it's fine. 4.2L 2009.

Christ is that a diesel

 

[hashluck]

You will also have dry sump, combined oil water pump and no 2nd stretch belt on the front of the engine and it’s not affected.

Dry sump 4.2’s that do show signs of variator noise is usually attributed to failed solinoid valves on the variator caps.

We have one in at the moment with this issue.

So what is the fix in this case? I remember hearing something about a non-return valve at the rear of the engine that can fail or stick (and are no longer available)

 

[Wanderer]

So what is the fix in these case? I remember hearing something about a non-return valve at the rear of the engine that can fail or stick (and are no longer available)

I had that done - made no difference

 

[Gp79]

I had that done - made no difference

There is also a non return valve on each cam cap that could be worth changing and a filter under each cam cap, not a quick fix as the rocker covers needs to come off for those.

 

[ScottGT]

Does anybody know how you can test if the solenoid are faulty because the more I read the more I think the solenoid are my issue but do not know how to prove? Any idea?

Cheers
Scott

 

[Wanderer]

Warmer today in Dubs, start this morning - no noise, on way back was colder, slight rattle. Second start is warm and cold is always no noise. Has to be oil drain related from top of engine, colder oil hard to pump back to top, warm oil easier hence external temp related.

 

[ChrisQP09]

Warmer today in Dubs, start this morning - no noise, on way back was colder, slight rattle. Second start is warm and cold is always no noise. Has to be oil drain related from top of engine, colder oil hard to pump back to top, warm oil easier hence external temp related.

Makes sense im going to try a start up tomorrow but snowed here over night and forecast for more!

 

[Moneyj51]

Hi everyone, I've done lot of research on the potential variator issues, phoned several specialists and am constantly back and forth between proceeding to buy this car and not depending on various advice I have received. Currently have a deposit down and was due to collect this Monday but that won't happen now.

I've heard everything from walk away immediately, to the rattle on start up is normal on these cars and doesn't cause a big issue if it only lasts for 1 second or so on cold start, more an irritation. Also heard changing to 10w60 oil and driving the car more frequently may be a fix!

This is part of the cold start video the dealer finally sent me, could someone let me know if this might be a variator, or even something else entirely? I know it can't be diagnosed online but a hint in the right direction would be great!

Thank you all in advance,


Jason

 

[Gazcw]

That's not variators. That is either water in the exhaust or a heat shield rattle.

Does the dealer know what a variator is? He needs to be recording at the engine not the exhaust!!! That suggests to me he knows exactly what you are looking for and he is trying to hide it. Or he is as thick as pig sssht

 

[Wanderer]

Hi everyone, I've done lot of research on the potential variator issues, phoned several specialists and am constantly back and forth between proceeding to buy this car and not depending on various advice I have received. Currently have a deposit down and was due to collect this Monday but that won't happen now.

I've heard everything from walk away immediately, to the rattle on start up is normal on these cars and doesn't cause a big issue if it only lasts for 1 second or so on cold start, more an irritation. Also heard changing to 10w60 oil and driving the car more frequently may be a fix!

This is part of the cold start video the dealer finally sent me, could someone let me know if this might be a variator, or even something else entirely? I know it can't be diagnosed online but a hint in the right direction would be great!

Thank you all in advance,


Jason

Presumably is a 4.7 in which case variator noise is a define issue, could;n't hear it but it's probably been warmed up first. I'd get the engine serial and check if it's numbered before the fix was introduced. Go see car and insist it's not started before you get there and preferably left overnight.

Every QP I went to see was pre-warmed up - I seen realised why.

 

[Moneyj51]

Sorry, should have said too it's a 2009 s, 4.7 with 44,000 miles on the clock.
The noise is there for around a second, about a second after start, then it goes away... its faint on the video unless you have headphones on, but it detectable even over the exhaust burble

Was warmed when I went to see it yes which is why I insisted on a cold start video! The first video they sent was taken from the engine bay, but was clearly a warm start...

 

[Moneyj51]

Noise I'm talking about is heard at 12 seconds on the video, it struck me as a heat shield kind of rattle too but the exhaust drowns it out a tad and I think it's too loud for just heat shield!