I've seen one or two other people with this problem but no answers. Sometimes my engine makes a really annoying whining noise, as far as I can tell it's coming from the passenger side bottom end of the engine. It seems it only happens while idling, as soon as the revs go up a little it disappears, and it comes right back when it drops back to idle. It usually goes away with an oil change and comes back after around 3000 miles. This time when i changed my oil it didn't go away, but i also didn't change my oil filter because it's rated for up to 25k miles and its cold out and i was lazy. By any chance does anyone have any clue what this could be?

 

Oil filter, every other. Filters are cheap, engines are expensive .

 

What exactly is it though? Is it the filter itself, why would every filter start doing that after 3k? And why would the noise go away at higher rpms?

 

Record a video and post it to youtube then put the link here.

Also, ignore all the "recommended interval" garbage they post on the bottle of oil. That is in closed lab tests of an EXACT motor and those super high mileage intervals are not actual road work, they literally pick an rpm, run the motor for an "estimated mileage" and run an oil analysis test to confirm results.

An engine under load exhibits much more wear than one strapped to a test bench. Always stick to 3k (or less) for conventional, hybrid or full synthetic is a hot topic but I typically go hybrid 5k, full synthetic 7k. If the vehicle (not a G because it wasn't an option) has an oil life algorithm and a reminder button on the dash you're usually safe to just follow the prompt on oil changes because it's accounting for ACTUAL DRIVEN CONDITIONS instead of just miles traveled.

 

If I had to guess without a video to hear the sound I'd say possibly a failing timing tensioner or cam actuator (less likely) since those both rely on oil pressure to operate. It's also possible the sound is 100% unrelated to oil condition and it's just a failing bearing on a pulley.

 

Change your oil filter every oil change. It's cheap and by not doing so you are contaminating your new oil with about 1\3 of a quart of old crappy oil that has been sitting in a contaminant filled oil filter for a while. Your oil pressure could be fluctuating slightly from resistance of the used oil filter... especially if it's one of those high filtration filters.

 

Only reason id be skeptical about a failing pulley or bearing is that I've had the car for a good four years, its been doing this consistently without fail almost since I got it. It goes a good 2 or 3 months without making the noise every time, happens about when its time to change oil, and then it goes away for another 2-3 months. But I'll try to post a video later

 

Not sure if this is It, but my last G, an 03 coupe did something similar. It burned oil but not too much, and before I had gotten to know my car,every 3500 miles or so it would start making this noise, checked and low and behold every time I would drip to a quart ish low, it would start making the weird rattling noise

 

I don't think so, mine doesnt rattle really, it's more a whine. And yeah i burn oil too, but I topped it off after the oil change and its still making the noise