In the morning when I start my car I can hear a little knock for like 1 sec and then it goes away. Its been doing that for a while now, but not always. Its been happening more often lately since its getting colder out. Any ideas about what it could be, before I take it to the dealer.

 

Sure it's a knock or grinding noises? If it's the grinding then it's most probably your timing chain.

 

Is it a knock or is it more of a grinding sound. I was experiencing this until I found out that the 2k2 has a timing chain as opposed to a belt and I guess makes that sound when it catches the gears or something especially when the car has been sitting for a while.

 

If it's a little knock, but a very fast one, it's more than likely is because the internals hasn't been lubricated yet with oil. When most cars sits for so many hours, usually overnight, and worst in colder weather, the internals get dry, and all the oil goes down in the oil pan. Usually all the oil does that. Usually it's your cylinder making that noise. When you start your car, the cylinders fire up immediately; they don't wait for the oil pump to come on and fully lubricate them. Now as soon as you start the car, the oil pump also starts, so that one second that you hear is the time it takes for the cylinders to get lubricated enough to the point where you don't hear the noise anymore.
Have you ever heard an engine without enough oil, or almost none? I think it's the same sound. Not all cars make that sound loud enough. But i believe all cars do this to some extent. Now, i don't know if it's bad or not, but i believe it does put a little more strain on your cylinders. I'm not sure though.
Correct me if i'm wrong guys, but that's my theory. I first noticed that sound in my dad's old Nissan Stanza.

 

I guess it is a more of a grind but its really short and then its fine. Should I get that checked.

 

That is what I thought at first, but when I changed my oil couple of days ago i did hear that sound that u mentioned cylinder makes and it was a little different than the one I have now in the mornings. I think it will be the timing chain like one othere memeber said. Well I guess its time to take it back tot he dealer

 

Living in Utah during the winter we usually have to start our cars and run them without a load for about 1-2 min before the engine gets all of its oil. The nice thing on our max's is that they have a high compression ratio so they get to a good operating temp quick. It sometimes gets into subzero temps here and I hate getting into leather that cold. Thank god for the meridian package.

 

Its the timing chaing catching.

When I start up the car in the morning i can hear the timing chains, its like *crank car*.... vroom ... *chain sound dagggggggah* then its normal.

its fine its just the chain reseating, it does loosen when you dont drive a while, then tightens itself up.