My XJ8 has suddenly developed an incredibly bad rattle. However this seems to be intermittent, going off and on as I drive. There about 50% of the time. See the below video (not mine but same sound):


I've had the tensioners done so suspect it isn't those. Other thing is the oil light stays on for maybe 2 seconds when the engine starts. The other day I came to pull up to stop at my house and it just cut out. It's done this a couple of time recently. Rattle seems to be from the centre of the engine.

Oil pump or lines maybe? Anyway to check this?

Any help appreciated

 

I actually think that the provisional diagnosis of the original poster of the video you've embedded is most likely the correct one.

This is a very distinct, sharp, "bright" knock and it's clearly related to engine RPMs. No fluid pulsing of any kind would produce a sound at this pitch. Also, it's too consistent and rhythmic to be considered a rattle. This might seem like splitting hairs but if you hadn't posted the video I would never have considered what is in that video to be a rattle, but rather a knock.

I once, a very long time ago, had a 1980 Buick Skylark that threw a rod that miraculously didn't destroy everything in its path, as it happened at low RPMs and when leaving the driveway. The sound afterward was very similar to this but much louder and "brighter" as it metal struck metal.

 

The thing that made me thing it wasn't this was because its intermittent, so was hoping it could be an oil blockage or something like that. Sounds like it may be the end of the car