We just returned from Florida, and I started the car after not driving it for four months. I'm getting a little engine chatter until it runs for a few minutes. I also noticed it last fall. It quiets down to the normal sound soon after start-up. I had the secondary tensioners changed last spring. Any suggestions as to the possible cause or need for concern. Thanks,

 

Chatter is not in my dictionary of car sounds. Do you mean clatter?

Get a 3 ft length of 1/2" pipe or conduit and see if you can locate the source. Set one end up to your ear, and probe around the various parts of the engine [except the fan blade] with the other end.

 

I would revisit the tensioners just to be sure and scope out the VVT units. Most likely, a VVT unit has some shaft wear that is letting its oil drain out, and it needs pumping up after starting. This will require a new unit to fix it.

 

Thanks for the input. I think I'll buy an auto stethoscope to try and pinpoint the source, and keep monitoring the sounds to see if there's any change in the pattern or noise.

 

Time to change out the primary tensioners!

 

Does sound like a oil pressure related problem. A quick, cheap test/fix is to pour in a can of 'Restore'. If that quiets the chatter/clatter then move up to 10w40 oil at the next oil change.

 

The secondary tensioners were in good shape when I changed over to new updated version last year and I only have 58k miles. All gauges read normal, and it idles/accelerates without any blips.

 

My car did that after I changed the oil. I had used a filter without an anti-flow back valve. I put on a filter with the valve and the startup clatter went away.

 

I have a question for itspec60. How do you identify that a fliter has an anti-flow back valve. I'm not sure which type of filter I have been using. I don't see anything on the box that helps.

 

Chatter is in my dictionary and can be simple valve train clearance issues that go away when warm, or even more commonly is from the fuel injectors.

 

Sorry about the late post...I bought my oil filter from Rockauto..under the listings for the filter they specified whether I had the valve or not.

 

There are some discussions about filters on this forum, but you can go to bobistheoilguy.com for lots of info. There is also a good oil filter site, and if I can find it I'll post it. The better filters (NOT Fram) will have good anti-backflow valves. There are not many available for the XK8, so the choice is limited. The Bosch is very good.

Try this: http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfilters/index.html