Hi Scotty,
I bought a used RX in May and noticed a bit of a metallic tapping sound while the engine idles. I'm not sure what the cause is. It seems to get a little quieter with an oil change and then a few hundred miles later it's just as loud as before. The car has 106500 miles.
Most likely valvetrain noise. Its becoming more and more common on cars to see valvetrain noise at or around 100,000 miles. Does it have any codes? Make absolutely sure you're using the right oil and changing it after no more than 4000-5000 miles. Newer cars are especially sensitive to oil changes.
Does it matter if the engine is warm or cold?
Hey guys thanks for responding. There are no codes and it doesn't matter whether the engine is cold or warmed up. I've been using 0w20 full synthetic. Did an oil change when I brought it home and a second one after 3k miles after I spent more time listening to the engine run and noticed the tapping. I was hoping new oil would clean out some of the tight oil passages and maybe free up a hydraulic lifter or something. I've been wondering if 5w30 oil might quiet her down since previous models with the same engine spec 5w30. I don't really have any idea how well the previous owners cared for this car. It does have a salvage title, but the only significant damage I've found is an indentation on the rear bumper bar under the plastic bumper. Probably a slow speed rear end impact. Drives straight and smooth.