PSA: Those with Ecotecs
 

Hello all, this is my first post to this section. I daily drive my Saturn Ion2 everywhere. It's been a great car but recently, it started making this horrible noise every time I would start it when it was cold (first thing in the morning or leaving work for example). It would go away after a few seconds but it was loud, annoying, and had me wondering what the problem was. It really started after it got cold here in Georgia (early December).

After I had my wife start the car in the morning with me standing on the passenger side of the car, the sound came from the top passenger side of the motor. I did some research and found out that there has been a few revisions to the timing chain tensioners for the Ecotec motors. That last version was made around 2009/2010. It can be found . The updated part number is 12608580. Most dealers will have it in stock, I just ordered it Amazon Prime.

There have been a few people that claim that it's an oil filter element that does not let enough oil thru the bottom of the filter. I honestly think that that is not the issue.

I installed a new tensioner in less than 20 minutes, torqued it to 55 ft-lbs and was off and running. I did this on a cold engine so I could make sure that the noise was gone. When I started it, it was pretty much gone and 100 times better than before. You will need a torque wrench, thin-wall 32mm (or 1 1/4") socket, a rag (some oil will come out of the hole), and a few minutes of your time. When you are pulling the old tensioner out, pull it out slowly so no parts go back in the engine.

If the problem persists, more work to the timing chain and guides will have to be addressed. From what I have read, timing an Ecotec is not difficult unlike the KA motors (Nissan) that I have timed in the past.

New tensioner on the left, old one on the right. The new design has a hump on the top. If yours does not have this hump, it's the old version. I borrowed this image from the HHR guys.

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Links with more info

Link 1
Link 2

that horrible noise on mine turned out to be the piston rings and pistons needing replacement and the noise would be there at cold startup for a few seconds and I thought it sounded like a belt which would then warm up and grip better then noise go away