Cold start up popping noise
 

Hey guys,

So a fair bit of owners on an Australian forum seem to be disheartened due to a "champagne cork" like popping in the engine bay during first start up and only during cold starts.

One claims the engine rev's drop before popping also noise seems to be apparent on both transmission types.

This to me, sounds like the initial stages of the infamous DI seal problem folks seem to be having. I don't know if I am being paranoid but better safe than sorry.

So my question is, would this be something they (and I, who do not have such issues) should be worrying about?

Thanks!

I had it once in the winter when I first got the car ( too early for DI failure) and once this summer, but never when driving. My understanding is if its DI seal failure it should happen during driving when the engine is under load. Can anyone confirm this??

I, too, have experienced the popping sounds at startup during the cold winter months.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky_vDK4ePHI"]FR-S cold start - YouTube[/ame]

Several people have experienced this on a brand new car so unless they did a faulty install from factory I assume it can't be a DI seal problem?

I've this quit consistently in the winter during start-up as well.
is it normal?

It's normal. It's nothing to do with seal failures.

I would have to agree, DI failure problems from popping to misfires/etc escalates relatively fast and some people have experienced this start up pop for a long, long time.

I've been getting these pop/knocks on start up as well. Not sure if you can call it a "cold" start up, as the morning temperature here in socal is currently around 65 F. I'm currrently at the dealership and I reported this pop/knock start up issue just so they can have it on file, and the "Master Technician" insisted he wanted to try and duplicate to inspect it. So we'll see what happens, will keep posted.

**Update
Tech couldn't reproduce it, should be no biggie.

I think it should be normal, I get it sometimes during a cold start esp in colder weather, but I mostly hear it through my exhaust (Perrin nonres)

Cold as in a cold engine, not that it's freezing out ;)

The popping happens during the cat light-up portion of warm-up, not normal cold idle.

Got it
 

I've wondered about this because I have it too. I noticed it first during this last cold, winter Dec-Jan, etc. but it still does it occasionally during the summer when I'm starting it for the first time that day, etc.

Bump. So what exactly causes this? I'm noticing it more frequently on my car - maybe due to the cooler weather.