Chris (or is it Ronald?) wrote:

>Hi. I've been trying to tell everybody that the lifter tap (piston slap) is a
>charachteristic of the inline 5 after initial cold startup. I drive a '84 Audi
>5000 turbo daily. (where's the Vanagon? - shaddup... :<)    It has 135k mi on it
>currently. (This is the EXACT same engine as in the EV, minus the turbo, of
>course)   I bought it when it was 4 years old and had approx. 50k mi on it.
>When I bought it , the lifters tapped when cold, for a few minutes until it
>warmed up.  Now, at 135k mi, it does the same thing - no more - no less.  Have I
>ever had any problems because of the lifter tap?  No. 
<snip>

I, too, have experience with the Audi I-5 engine, this one installed in an 87 VW
Quantum.  I have 150K miles on it and it is indeed a wonderful, durable engine.
Some do, as explained above, have lifter noise upon cold start.  Another very
typical problem is an exhaust manifold crack that causes a lifter-like tapping 
or clicking sound for a minute or so until the manifold expands as it heats up.

That said, the noise we EVers are talking about is different than lifter or
manifold noise.  What I hear can be described as diesel-like noise, but it
is a deeper rattling or knocking sound that eminates further down in the block 
area.  In contract, the lifter and manifold noise is a sharper clicking or tapping 
sound.  My 150K Quantum engine is comparitively very quiet upon initial cold start.
They sound very different!

rob