Tapping noise. Drivers side possibly

[Mason]

I have a tapping noise coming from the drivers side I believe. It is only when I am accelerating. I also put it on neutral and reved the engine and I could not hear the tapping sound. Today my Car broke down and right before it broke down the tapping noise was replaced with a vibration and after a few seconds it turned off. I am able to turn the car on after it turns over 5-6 times then it dies soon after.

2001 pt cruiser non turbo 80k miles

Anybody have any ideas? Thank you , mason.

[chuzz]

Do you have any oil in the crankcase? Pull the spark plugs and do a compression test, if the engine isn't locked up. You may have a broken valve.

[Fk5]

Ouch. I was hoping that the "tapping" was clicking like a CV joint. Especially if it only happened in gear. That wouldn't keep the car from running though. Do some quick diagnostics: Check all the fluids, do the "key dance" Here is how:

How to retrieve fault codes.

Then report back. I don't think we have enough to go on to make a very educated guess.

[Mason]

The oil is in the recommended zone on the dip stick near maximum. I won't be able to do a compression test and other diagnostics until I get it towed later this week. Thank you for the help so far.

[ptcruisersteve]

Does the PT Cruiser have an automatic or stick shift transmission?

[Mason]

Automatic

[chuzz]

I don't suppose there's any way you can post an audio of it, is there? I don't think it's valve related after rereading your first post. Fk5 might be more onto what's going on with an axle. Seeing as you have an 01, look under it and check on BOTH sides to see if some wires have come loose and may have shorted out on the axle. That would account for the engine dying too.

[Mason]

The oil pressure light would flicker every now and then but I don't know if that is the same issue. That would happen every few days for just a few seconds. Just a little bit more information. Still haven't had time to look under the hood

[Mason]

So my car will start for about 5 seconds and dies. I can't start it again for another 20 mins. No codes were thrown. Axles look fine. All fluids are good.

[ptcruisersteve]

Originally Posted by Mason

So my car will start for about 5 seconds and dies. I can't start it again for another 20 mins. No codes were thrown. Axles look fine. All fluids are good.

Check your battery with a battery load test with the battery in the PT Cruiser.

Check your battery cables making sure you are making good contacts on both ends and that they are tight.

Check your fuel pressure. You should be getting 57 +/- 5 PSI.

IF the above checks out okay it might be caused by the SKIM (Sentry Key Immobilizer module) failing due to low voltage caused by bad grounds. Check the cluster of ground wires going to the drivers side inner fender. Sometimes they get corroded and lose contact with ground.

If the ground wires are okay I would suggest checking the camshaft sensor. If the problem happens again try disconnecting the ground battery cable and reinstall it. See if starts and keeps running. If it does check the wiring and wiring contact going to the camshaft sensor. Check the camshaft sensor.