02 sc1 noise
 

My sc1 makes a noise when first started, it then disappears when warmed up; any suggestions?

Where where is the noise coming from? Under the hood? Passenger or driver side? Down by the transmission? Need a little more information please

from the engine sounds like a shorter and quieter version of valves tapping

How cold is the outside temperature when you cold start your car? Mine does some light ticking if it's under 32°F for maybe 5 seconds. Think mine is just lifter noise. Doesn't ever do it in the summer to me. I run 5w30 because it flows easier throughout the engine. Running anything heavier doesn't flow as well enough in cool temperature to get to the upper cylander in enough volume to quiet the friction of the moving parts in the top end as gravity takes place when the car sits overnight and most of the oil returns to the bottom end of the engine (don't worry a thicker oil will still get to the top end, just not as quickly) food for thought.

Also, Saturn engines tend to vibrate and be slightly noisy on cold startups.

It will do it no matter the temp outside, but only on first start of the day

Sounds pretty normal to me in this case, unless it's more of a knocking noise, like a bearing. A light tapping noise... I think you don't have anything to worry about.

thanks for help guys, a load of worry of my mind. I thought I was going to have to put new lifters in or something.

Welcome to the forum. derf is a Saturn guru in my opinion and if I get stumped, I hope it's derf that chimes in. I was a ASE Certefied mechanic for 6 years, before changing career paths and have been working on anything that has an engine since I was about 14... I'm 35 now... Enough about me, just wanted you to know that I wasn't just some shmuck pretending to know about cars. Welcome to the forum and browse around the site. You'll gain a ton of useful information and I have yet to run into an unfriendly member. Safe travels!

My first startup of the day in my 95 and 97SC2s is always the loudest of the day.
I have always chalked it up to oil having pretty much fully out of the head, leaving only a very thin film of oil on the parts to provide lubrication for the first startup (=next one)
5W30 will drain more completely in a set amount of time than 10W30; running 5W30 will, per Merica, get oil to the head and on the moving parts faster than 10W30, theoretically. The question is whether there is really any significant wear going on in the short time you hear the noise. Since that super thin film of oil is all over the parts, you're not running metal on metal, though the lubrication is less than ideal for those few seconds regardless of which oil you run.
A few members in the SW run 20W50 in the name of an inferred superior lubrication, with empirical data to back it up.

I used to run 5W30 year round on the east coast with the colder winters but I am now running 10W30 except in the dead of winter, then 5W30.
the 10W30 has been empirically determined to greatly slow down or eliminate the oil burning issues the S cars are known for.

This is my personal opinion--nothing more.