Loud clacking/slapping noise on start-up

2006 Hyundai Sonata 3.3L V6 82,000 miles.

About 2,000 miles ago I noticed a clackling/slapping noise right after I turn the car on. It only lasts for about 3 seconds and then ceases. The engine oil light also stays on while I hear the noise and then turns off after those 3 seconds are up. The noise is not as bad/loud when I turn the engine on after letting it sit for a few hours or more but when the engine is still warm and I turn it on, the noise is much louder. I read other forums that it might be the timing chain tensioner going bad but it just sounds like oil isn’t getting to where it needs to be fast enough, hence the clacking noise coincided with the oil light. I hope this doesn’t mean the engine is going to die soon.

Could be a drainback valve on the oil filter has failed, I had a sound like that once, my regular guys saw the oil filter had been superseded by a new model, tried the old model still same issue. After diagnosis was a failing tensioner.

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The timing chains use hydraulic tensioners to keep timing chains tight.

They’re the two components on the right of the middle image.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=8305008&cc=1432010&jsn=370

What I would first try first is change the oil and filter if you can’t remember when the last time this was done.

Tester

Some Hyundai’s are very sensitive to the oil filter installed. My sons 2015 sounded like a thrashing machine when he installed a popular aftermarket filter. Used a factory filter and the noise went away. The factory filter was less than $6

I’ve changed the oil and oil filter to a genuine Hyundai oil filter since I started hearing the noise and nothing has changed with the sounds. Should I just have it checked out by a Hyundai dealer?

Not the Hyundai dealer.

The vehicle is out of the 10 year/100,000 drive train warranty. So it’ll cost an arm and a leg.

Take the vehicle to an independent shop, and see if they can figure it out.

Tester

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