# Car knocking **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [June 14, 2014, 11:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450 "2014-06-14T23:41:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![greenfields](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@greenfields](https://community.cartalk.com/u/greenfields)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 11:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450/1 "2014-06-14T23:41:24Z")
My car just started knocking terribly–making a really loud noise at all speed and all gears. (Not when idling, though.) It is a 2000 Honda Accord. Both the oil and the oil filter were changed about 2000 miles ago, so the oil should be good. What might be causing this? ---
**Author:** ![greenfields](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@greenfields](https://community.cartalk.com/u/greenfields)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2014, 11:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450/2 "2014-06-14T23:50:25Z")
I’m going to add more information to my post about the engine knocking in my 2000 Honda Accord, since I see from looking at the discussion boards that more information is better. I just bought this car two weeks ago. I have to say, though, that I bought it from a mechanic who is in the mechanics files on this Web site AND had it checked out by another trustworthy person. I also have Carfax showing steady service records throughout the life of the car, with only one owner. It has 195,000 miles on it. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 12:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450/3 "2014-06-15T00:18:55Z")
Is the oil at the right level now? Is the check-engine light on? Was the timing belt replaced on schedule? I’m wondering if it slipped a few teeth. If you can’t figure out what’s wrong, you certainly don’t want to run it any more, so you should plan on having it towed. ---
**Author:** ![JayWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@JayWB](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JayWB)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 12:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450/4 "2014-06-15T00:19:14Z")
**“Both the oil and the oil filter were changed about 2000 miles ago, so the oil should be good.”** Have you given any thought to actually **CHECKING** the oil to see if it has any? ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 12:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450/5 "2014-06-15T00:25:17Z")
4 cyl or 6 cyl engine? Do you know when the timing belt was last changed? ---
**Author:** ![greenfields](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@greenfields](https://community.cartalk.com/u/greenfields)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 1:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450/6 "2014-06-15T01:38:07Z")
Neither the oil or the check engine light is on. Timing belt was replaced at 104,566 miles according to Carfax. Owner’s manual says it is not due until 210,000 miles. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 1:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450/7 "2014-06-15T01:44:17Z")
But…did YOU personally check the oil level since the most recent oil change? Thinking that the oil “should be good” can be a fatal assumption–especially in an engine that has logged close to 200k miles. Consider the following: > Mistakes are sometimes made when changing oil, and it is possible that the oil was not filled to the proper level, and/or the oil filter may have been double-gasketed–which can lead to an oil leak. > Additionally, even a relatively new engine can consume 1 qt of oil in 1,000 miles, so you have to consider the possibility that an aged engine like this one could burn or leak enough oil in 2 weeks to be dangerously low at this point. Until you personally check the oil level and report back to us, I suggest that other forum members wait to provide additional advice. And, I strongly suggest that you should not even start the engine until you have verified the oil level. ---
**Author:** ![Yosemite](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/yosemite/32/643_2.png) [@Yosemite](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Yosemite)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 3:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450/8 "2014-06-15T03:37:04Z")
My dad used to nag at us kids that “oil is the lifes blood of the engine, you can overheat an engine once and maybe do no serious damage, but let it run out of oil and you’ve guaranteed that you will be replacing the engine.” I have a nephew that fried two motors in a year because he let them run out of oil. Both on the same car too. He said that the oil light came on but he never checked it. When I was that age, if my buddies had seen my oil light on for two days they would have insisted on me pulling over and checking it. What were his buddies doing??? Oh Texting…on the phone…just dumb!!! But we didn’t have those nice warning lights back then. We just always checked our oil… not at every fill up of gas…but once every few weeks. Of course that was back when oil came in cans and a case of 24 costed about $10…and gas was 50 cents a gallon. Did you all notice that there is no “Cents” key on our keyboards. I only ran one dry and threw a rod. That was a 1951 chevy with a 235ci that you’d tell the attendant to check the gas and fill the oil. If I buy a used car I check it daily until I’m sure that it doesn’t use a lot of oil. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 4:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450/9 "2014-06-15T04:07:11Z")
Tow the car to a shop and ask the mechanics there to check it out. I’d advise against running it prior to a pro taking a look. Best to anticipate some significant expense. But cross your fingers, it is possible the problem is minor. ---
**Author:** ![EK\_Hammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/77aa72/32.png) [@EK\_Hammer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/EK_Hammer)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 7:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450/10 "2014-06-15T07:06:23Z")
@Yosemite‌ my iPhone had a cent key. 50¢ ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2014, 7:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450/11 "2014-06-15T07:35:25Z")
It’s good that the oil pressure light isn’t on, but we really do need to know if the oil is at the right level. ---
**Author:** ![greenfields](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@greenfields](https://community.cartalk.com/u/greenfields)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 9:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450/12 "2014-06-16T21:35:36Z")
Had it towed to a mechanic this morning. He says it’s the lug nut on the tire. Great relief if this is the case, since problems talked about here would have been major expenses and I just bought the car two weeks ago. Just $100 bucks or so to fix. Thanks, everybody. All’s well that end’s well. ---
**Author:** ![knfenimore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@knfenimore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knfenimore)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 10:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450/13 "2014-06-16T22:14:20Z")
Thanks for posting back and letting us know the fix. I’m glad it was a cheap fix. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 3:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450/14 "2014-06-17T03:48:00Z")
Man, now I’d REALLY like to know the details. Your car has five lug nuts. If one were loose it would not cause knocking. If all five were loose and the wheel were flopping around enough to cause knocking, I hope your guy checked the studs for damage. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 3:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450/15 "2014-06-17T03:53:41Z")
Can you determine an approximate location of the knocking? ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 4:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450/16 "2014-06-17T04:04:29Z")
I think the OP has left the building, but something doesn’t sound right here. I sure hope he/she checks back. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 4:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450/17 "2014-06-17T04:22:43Z")
MOUNTAINBIKE- I also would like to know the real story. You are correct this sounds weird. ---
**Author:** ![greenfields](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ea666f/32.png) [@greenfields](https://community.cartalk.com/u/greenfields)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-knocking/85450/18 "2014-06-25T23:34:25Z")
I’ve now driven it more than 100 miles since fix. No more knocking, and oil is good.