A B767 CREW; #2 FOR DEP AT LAX COULD NOT EXTINGUISH A STATUS MESSAGE; RETURNED TO GATE.

Narrative

ON TAXI OUT FROM THE GATE TO RWY 24L AT LAX WE HAD A STATUS MESSAGE THAT SAID 'PRIMARY ENG CONTINUE.' WHEN WE CONTACTED MAINT WE WERE ASKED TO RETURN TO THE GATE. WE ASKED WHY AND WERE TOLD SO THAT THEY COULD CHK IT OUT. HOWEVER; WE HAD THE SAME MESSAGE EARLIER IN THE MONTH AND WERE ABLE TO DEFER IT AS LONG AS THERE WERE NO OTHER PROBS. WE PRESSED MAINT; BUT WERE THEN ASKED TO SHUT DOWN AND RESTART THE ENG TO SEE IF IT WOULD CLR. WE DID SO; AND IT DID NOT CLR. ALSO UPON RESTARTING; WE HAD NO EPR INDICATION OF THE PRIMARY ENG INSTS. WHEN WE ARRIVED BACK AT THE GATE WE FOUND THAT THE REASON MAINT WANTED US TO RETURN TO THE GATE WAS THAT SOMEONE HAD HEARD A NOISE EMANATE FROM OUR ACFT UPON TAXI OUT. AT THE GATE THE MECH SAID THAT SOME RAMP PEOPLE HEARD SOME NOISES FROM US WHILE PARKED AT THE GATE. WE NEVER WERE ABLE TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHEN THE NOISES WERE HEARD. HOWEVER; I CANNOT HELP BUT WONDER WHEN SOMEONE; ANYONE; WAS GOING TO CALL US ABOUT THE NOISES HEARD. THE ONLY REASON WE HAD ANY CONTACT WITH THE COMPANY WAS BECAUSE WE HAD THE STATUS MESSAGE. WE WERE #2 FOR DEP WHEN WE GOT OUT OF LINE TO RESOLVE THE PROB. SO WHEN WERE WE GOING TO BE TOLD ABOUT THE NOISE? WAS IT TO BE AFTER TKOF; AT CRUISE; AFTER LNDG; OR WHAT?