2000 saturn upper engine knocking

Those copper and gold flakes in the oil is actually brass most likely from the crank and or rod bearings. It's hard to say what is actually making the noise without opening the engine up. It sounds like the engine is blown & needs replaced instead of trying to chase down a knocking sound just do the job right from the beginning or you will wast a lot of time & money

What have you checked so far ? Were you able to retrieve the trouble codes for the check engine light ?

the upper strut mount you cant ck thats where your popping noise is. or the lower control arm bushings

the best way to determine the cause of the noise is to remove the drive belt and start the engine for a few minutes. if it is in the drive belt components then the noise will cease. if not then the noise will remain.

more than likley it will be that it is low on oil or coolant, but it could be that you need a new thermostat

Yes, It takes nothing to purge it so doing it is no big thing. CHHECK YOUR ENGINE OIL LEVEL ALSO. gOOD LUCK, nED-

could be wheel bearing.. could be rotor or brakes..replace them all.. do it yourself save a grand. under 3 hours work.. even if 4 hours thats a big savings.

Crank and cam make different noises when going bad, however if the crank is bad it will knock all the time even at idle. From what you told me it seems like the lifters are not making pressure, after all the car was sitting for 4 years. What you can do is to drain some of the engine oil about a quart, then fill it with some trans oil yep I said tranny fluid and let it run for about half an hour. This will wash out the lifters and hopefully take care of your problem. Oh, don't forget to drain and fill the oil again after noise goes away.

remove the belt and spin all of the pulleys by hand to make sure they all spin freely. the knocking noise is probebly a pulley locked up.

What does your dip stick show? Was the plug tight? Unless you knocked something loose and the engine doesn't turn at all, it sounds like a no oil seize.