Engine Rattle cold start after service?

Hi folks,

Got a 1998 Defender 90, 300tdi.

Unknown service history apart from the fact the fuel filter had a date from 3 years ago on it and that there was some halfords 5w40 oil behind the seat.

Swapped all the filters for genuine replacements from landrover and swapped whatever oil was in it for TRIPLE QX Mineral Diesel Engine Oil - 15W-40.

Now on a cold start i get a horiffic rattle and the engine noise is 5x louder for about 2-3 seconds, then it quitens down like normal and is beautiful. Once the noise has stopped i can restart the engine as many times as i like and its normal. Its only from a cold start so if i leave the it switched off for a few hrs.

No performance change or odd noises once running and driving after the initial hissy fit.

No other work done other than a filter and oil change, and definitely didnt do it beforehand.

Any ideas/suggestions?

Probably as your using the wrong oil, should be 10w40

15 40 in this weather should be ok

Discodevon said:

Probably as your using the wrong oil, should be 10w40

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From, the 96 300 service manual

Worn oil pump, letting the oil drain away when stood for a while

freelance said:

Worn oil pump, letting the oil drain away when stood for a while

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Wonder if this is why there was a thinner oil behind the seat and ive just unearthed the problem...

Can’t see why an oil change should bring that fault on. Has the new oil filter got a non-return valve in it?
What make of oil filter was fitted before?

Unsure, its just a genuine one straight from land rover, coated in white.

The old one was a black bosch one fron memory

lightning said:

Can’t see why an oil change should bring that fault on. Has the new oil filter got a non-return valve in it?
What make of oil filter was fitted before?

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Do you think it's worth grabbing a new Bosch filter which was there before and some more oil to give it a switch, see if it solves the issue? or am i just going to waste money unneccessarily, Surely though a genuine filter from landy shouldn't cause this?

Do you think it's doing any significant damage in the mean-time?

I’m only going by what my mates 96 300tdi did when he first serviced it using 15/40 8 years ago it rattled on cold start as you described... now using 10w40 semi and the engine has had no problems in all that time ever since

Discodevon said:

I’m only going by what my mates 96 300tdi did when he first serviced it using 15/40 8 years ago it rattled on cold start as you described... now using 10w40 semi and the engine has had no problems in all that time ever since

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I've just beenn out and taken off the new genuine filter (Which is completely hollow inside) and popped on the old filter for now as that has some spring thing when looking into the hole; Will see in the morn if it's made any difference; If not i'm going to drop the oil out of it and pickup another filter, which is annoying and then replace with 10w40 semi and see what happens.

Defender98 said:

I've just beenn out and taken off the new genuine filter (Which is completely hollow inside) and popped on the old filter for now as that has some spring thing when looking into the hole; Will see in the morn if it's made any difference; If not i'm going to drop the oil out of it and pickup another filter, which is annoying and then replace with 10w40 semi and see what happens.

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How do you mean, completely hollow inside?
This is what they look like and you can't really see inside?

Did refitting the old oil filter make any difference?

Did ya take the thin plastic film orf the filter

lightning said:

Did refitting the old oil filter make any difference?

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Nope, no difference. - Will drop the oil and give it a switch to 10w40 when i next get a chance and see if that works.

Flossie said:

Did ya take the thin plastic film orf the filter

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If that's at me, the genuine filter didnt even come with a plastic on it lol, just in a card box with a rubber bung in the top.

Still, odd though as when using a lookup it states:
Defender - 2.5 300TDI 1994-1998 RX1905 RX1989 15w40 mineral, Yet there are various posts and results over google stating they don't particularly like 15w40...

Solved, Switched to 10w40 and it starts beautifully..

15/40 is thicker than 5/40 or 10/40 so is harder to pump when cold hence rattle on start up for a few seconds until oil reaches all parts,

johnlad said:

15/40 is thicker than 5/40 or 10/40 so is harder to pump when cold hence rattle on start up for a few seconds until oil reaches all parts,

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"Not a lot of people know that" Michael Caine

Glad you sorted it mate