engine sounds like sewing machine...

[gothguydante]

engine sounds like sewing machine.. not all the time but some of the time.. I'm taking a trip to Chicago the 14th and well i did a oil change, plugs, and oil filter. i have a hole in my tail pipe somewhere so it's really loud but i don't think that would make the engine change into a sewing machine. just lose some pressure.. someone please help i need it fixed I'm afraid it might be something really bad..

[jglutz]

It's really imprortant that you locate the vicinity of the sound.
Also, how is the performance while the Singer is stiching away.
mean while....keep an eye on the oil level and pressure.

[GenevaDirt]

Does the 89 engine have solid lifters/adjusters. I know Brians car does and his sounds like it has a tick....but runs like a top.

[IL4Festiva]

By sewing machine do u mean clicking, or it just doesn't sound like motor should? My festy sounds a fair bit like sewing machine including the clicking like noises, but usually only when the hood is raised and the motor is revved (I am currently a straight pipe so the clicking noise is not from my exhaust) My festiva has ALOT of Km's though so its expected to be noisy. But my friend has a 323 with a hole in the tailpipe that gives it a sound like a sewing machine minus the clicking noise, and has a high zing note to the ehxaust at higher rpms.
Hope this has helped if at all in anyway, if not, your best bet is to find that hole and seal it and find out.

[gothguydante]

Does the 89 engine have solid lifters/adjusters. I know Brians car does and his sounds like it has a tick....but runs like a top.

i have no idea.. i don't know anything about engines.. i think it sounds kinda like a lifter is sticking but i have never heard that sound so i can't be sure.. cause it's not all the time just sometimes... and well I'm afraid to crack open my engine and it turn out to be something else and i mess it up or something in the process..

[Axlander9289]

Does the 89 engine have solid lifters/adjusters. I know Brians car does and his sounds like it has a tick....but runs like a top.

His car is an automatic so it should be fuel injected, and should therefore have hydraulic lifters, if I remember right.

Are you sure you have enough oil in it? Valve noise becomes more apparent when the oil is low, especially in Festivas.

[gothguydante]

it should just did a oil change and checked it this morning looked fine..

[Omgloltokyodrift]

Are you sure you have enough oil in it? Valve noise becomes more apparent when the oil is low, especially in Festivas.

ANY B-Series Mazda...

[gothguydante]

well it should.. the only thing oil related that is left to change that i can think of is oil pan gasket... never changed it so don't know if it's in good shape or not.. but i mean it seem to be holding oil i was thinking about getting some Lucas oil treatment but don't want to if i have to drain my oil again.. so yeah I'm going on that road trip the 14 and I'm worried that something is going to happen wile I'm on the road... if needed i can take a video of the engine that way you can diagnose the sound your self... like i said i know some about cars but nothing about engines i change the first set of spark plugs in my life a week ago.. my moms b/f was the previous owner and well he did most of the maintenance.. so i thought.. once i learned about cars i got wise enough to know to not let him touch my car ever again... he is a idiot he poured 1/8 a quart of oil in the radiator.. i asked him why and he said it was for the valves in the radiator.. long story short the radiator blew...

[WmWatt]

You can use a stethescope(?) to listen to the engine, or a lenth of garden hose or similar. Stick one end in your ear and and put the other end on the engine in different places, listen for where the sound is louder. I assume this is a new sound, not the usual sound. As had been noted, the Festiva engine is noisly, little bigger than a lawn mower, but you already know that. Another suggestion is use a hose clamp and a piece of sheet metal to plug the hole in the exhaust pipe. Maybe that will make the new noise will go away.

[notahybrid]

I might not be as experienced as some of the others on here, but the first thing that came to mind was a bad bearing. I have a '92 Dodge Spirit R/T that sounded like that. Turned out to be a rod bearing. I still have the engine apart because of it. Just haven't had time to get her cleaned out and put back together. I'm not saying anything for certain, but that's what I'm thinking of. It wouldn't hurt to start by checking the dipstick for metal flakes.

[gothguydante]

well see the noise is not all the time it's there sometime and sometimes it's not.. but when it's there it doesn't sound good at all

[Seth]

mine makes that noise. 91 5spd FI.

and my 90 L Plus ATX FI makes the noise too. jsut not as loud. i figured the festiva engine is just odd sounding cause of the small size.

i dont know.

i like to cover my exhaust holes with tin cans and C clamps. hahah!

i have a bad oil leak on my 91. so i havnt been driving it. but it made the noise before the leak started.

[worfdog]

sounds like you may be having lifter problems. seems like i remember reading here a few years ago about some others changing the oil and their lifters started making noise. i can't remember what they did to repair it.
if it were a rod or bearing noise it would not come and go, it would do it all the time.
by the way, the ones who had the problems had hydralic lifters. i may be wrong but all fuel injected motors from the factory had hydralic lifters.

[gothguydante]

i think they do