I started my car up in the weekend and there was a loud tapping noise. my heart sunk. i turned it off straight away and racked my brain as to what it could be and what could have changed since i last drove it. I got my mate and he started it while i listened and it happened again. we spent 1 1/2 hours thinking and testing. we gave up untill the next day and i was ready to give in and start saving up and then my mate said it might have something to do with the oil pressure or something so we started it again and he was fiddling THEN........
he pulled out the dip stick and the noise stopped!! I was about to take the engine out and strip it and try to find the problem when after all that the dip stick was bent and rubbing on the crank!! so the motto is check out the small things and CHECK THE DIP STICK on the a12!!
sorry for the long story but i hope it helps some one.

my car did that too if you put the dip stick in on the wrong angle it rubbs against the crank and gets very bent well mine did anyway

Congratulations on a cheap fix for a knocking engine!

When I saw the heading, I immediately thought of the "Zip Tie Rod Knock." What we would do is wrap a really long nylon wire tie, Zip Tie, whatever you call them, around someone's driveshaft, leaving the end to flap. They'd drive about thirty feet with that banging on the floor of the car and panic thinking the engine was bad.
Rotten thing to do, but it sure was funny at the time!

I love the zip tie thing, somebody half parked me in at the local public car park on the weekend, so I've already used your idea ;)

Just a note on the dip stick thing, a warning to young players - the dip sticks to early (1200) A series motor are a different length (about inch) to the later A series (120y and jap import) engines. You'll know when you get it wrong, an A series aren't ment to hold 4 litres plus of oil.

Ah, yes, I've heard that sound. If you rotate the A12 dipstick 180 degrees and put it back in, it hits the crank.

as I said before it scared the hell out of me. I like the zip idea, my brothers car here I come!!

i first thought id do it to my brother but i dont have the heart (or lack of), he drives a mitsubishi starion (dodge conquest), and its always stuffing up, hed get pretty damn cut, hmmm maybe it is worth it

my brother drives a bmw 325i M (E30) and is always going on about how great they are etc so its totally worth the look of horror when he thinks its all turned to ####.