Just got back from a 45 minute drive (stop start due to holiday makers) and now the car is making a strange metallic sound a bit like noisy tappets. I always keep the oil topped up so any ideas what it might be? tensioner??

 

Very difficult to diagnose a noise from a post

Can you be more specifis, when it is making the noise, revs, other symptoms, hot, cold, both? etc.

 

its doing it from hot but I havent tried starting it up when its cooled down yet. I could hear it at idle but it gets louder with increased revs.

 

This may be a long shot but I had a similar thing on mine recently and feared the worst... turned out to be a loose cable running along the top of the bulkhead. It comes loose and rattles against bulkhead and bonnet. Mine was disturbed when a Honda dealer was adjusting the valve clearances.

Good luck, if it is this all you have to do is clip it back on and your problem should be solved. If the bonnet is open and you can't hear the rattling, but when you're in the car with the bonnet down you can, it could be a winner.

 

Cheers matey. I will try that first. Fingers crossed.

 

If you have an engine light.....check your sparkplugs

A broken one can cause a metallic clanking noise.....because bits of it are in a cylinder

 

Theres no engine light and its running Ok.

 

phew !

 

I'v been meaning to start this thread LOL
I have the same noise!

Only get it when hot (very) or after a spirited 'last' mile on the way home.
Pull up in the drive and the car sounds like a bag on spanners at idle, raise the revs just a little and it goes away. after a miniuite or so the noise fades and stops?

Is this what you have vtidan ?

I've been thinking it the timing chain tensioner needs 'doing'.

 

Mine sounds like yours, but I'm convinced it's the heatshield. Going to get it put in tomorrow to my local greasemonkey to check for me.