is it normal to get rattles when the engine is cold ?

i have a rattle/knock on mine that goes with the rumble from the exhaust and its quite loud but it goes away when the engine is warmed up.

my car has 103k on it but full service history.

i would be greatful for any help as im pretty scared the the engines on its way out and ive only just bought the car.

 

Cold engines are noiser than warm ones, so a bit of a rattle here and there whilst things get up to temperature is not to be worried about. Depending on the model year a knocking sound can mean piston slap. MY98s in particular tend to suffer from this, particularly when cold, it should disappear when the car is warm. Theres not really much you can do about for a reasonable outlay, but it doesn't mean that your car is about to go bang! Quite a few on here report living very happily with cars that have a bit of slap when cold.

What oil are you using?

NS04

 

well mine is a my98 so maybe thats what it is.

as for the oil ive just bought the car and it was service for me when i bought it but looking at the oil it looks like water.

would you recommend a thicker oil for high milers ?

 

anyone ?