cold start

[trevor4425]

hey, i dont know alot about cars so maybe some of you could help me. well when i start my car in the morning when its cold the engine makes a pinging noise until the car get warm probably at about 190-200 degres. i asked my step dad and he said it prob has something to do with the oil not getting heated quick enough. i used 10w40 instead of 10w30 last time i changed my oil because thats all that we had and i didnt feel like going to get some. do you think that is the reason that im using the wrong oil or something else? please help

[Ian]

The sound goes away the more the car heats up?

Is it a *tick tick* noise?

[trevor4425]

yes at about 190-200 degress and yes it is a tick, tick, tick noise

[Turbo V6 Camaro]

thiner oil might help, thats your lifters ticking

i use 5w-30

[trevor4425]

anything else i can do about the lifters besides switching to 5w30?

[Turbo V6 Camaro]

Originally posted by trevor4425:
anything else i can do about the lifters besides switching to 5w30?

replace them..... its the only way to make it stop.... lol

[Die Ford V8]

your car tells you a certain oil to use for a reason. your oil passages vary from engine to engine and the needs of your oil varies also. if you use to thick of oil not only will it take longer for your oil pump to pump the oil to the top of your engine, but it will also drain back to your pan slower. if it drains too slow to the pan you might ruin your engine.

just use 10W30 and use the best oil(good ol castrol has never let me down and oil pressure stays the highest throughout 3000 miles better than every other oil i have tried.)

the guy i know has a killer mustang and built a 500hp NA 351 for it. this guy knows about engines more than i do, or so it seems, and he uses 20W50 for his engine "because i take it to higher rpms and want better lubricatoin"

i told him that think of oil could get pumped to the top and not drain fast enough to keep up with the pump. i told him to consider a different weight. not sure if he ever changed it, but im sure he thought about it.

[CamaroKRAZED]

Die Ford V8 has a good point, the manufacturers recommend a specific grade oil for a reason. I know they recommend 10W-30 for the 3.8L, but i like to use a thinner oil(5W-30) during the colder months... which actually is not a bad idea to do.
So switch to a good 5W-30 motor oil.

Just a little side note:
I use Valvoline DuraBlend motor oil. Actually i use Valvoline's whole line of DuraBlend products... good stuff!