Car ticks loudly when first started....help!

[PiLOTLiTE]

Lately my car has had a loud tick when it is started. Sounds like a valve ticking to me because it is very rapid. The tick seems to go away once the oil pressure goes up after 2-3 seconds or so. If it doesn't go away, it is just very very quiet. Also, it doesn't tick much at all if I start the car shortly after it was shut off the last time. It ticks the loudest like when it has sat overnight and starts in the morning.

Any suggestions on getting rid of it?

[phoenix64]

I have something like that. My car has 2 problems, one is a bad lifter that makes noise all the time, and I have piston slap, which is only at start up. The solution, is to live with it until you rebuild the thing, or junk it.

[helios]

Yeah I think I am having the same thing. Honestly I think it is the cold weather. Mine only does it when the engine is cold on start up but never did it over the summer.

Then again I am wrong a lot.

[Chrisz24]

Mine does that pretty often, it usualy stops after a minute.

[99Camaro99]

dealership said it's normal by me. It goes click click click click click and keeps with the same speed as the RPMs for about 10sec. My friend's brand new LS1 (2002 - 5K on it) and it's starting to do it as well. Just be easy on the car until it warms up (5min or so).

[Cruzin]

I agree with everyone. It is a lifter that will bleed down over night and takes a minute to pump back up. There are some things that you can add to your oil that are supposed to get rid of it. You just replace a quart of oil for a quart of this stuff. I can't for the life of me remember the name. I wouldn't worry about it. It will not hurt anything as long as it dissapears shortly after startup. My car does the same thing.

[bu-bye]

yeah my 2002 Xterra does that for a few seconds too from day one. No biggy. You can put in additives or even remove the covers and tighten the bolts on the rockers and see if that help. I would just leave it if it goes away after a few seconds.

[pvtschultz]

Don't just tell people to "tighten" their valvetrain. My god, what are you thinking?!?!?!?! While it is probably true that a lifter is settling down over night, mine does it too, and with the cold weather, been in the 20's and 30's here, it takes a little bit longer for the oil to get back in and pump it up. While our cars do have adjustible valvetrain, it is never a good idea to "tighten" the roacker arms. "Tightening" the arms will result in a preloaded lifter, causing the valve to remain open all the time. Just live with the little bit of lifter noise, it has been happening to people ever since the first hydraulic lifter was used in an engine over 30 years ago.

[PiLOTLiTE]

I guess it seems I will just live with it. I was only concerned because the car ticks very loudly. I mean people in cars next to me with windows up can hear it just fine loudly. Only at startup though, so I guess its just part of the car now.

[Liquid Silver]

Sometimes changing your brand of oil will do it (as in switching to Amsoil, Oil Extreme, or some "race" type synthetic). But that's only sometimes- not a guarentee.

[99Camaro99]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Liquid Silver:
Sometimes changing your brand of oil will do it (as in switching to Amsoil, Oil Extreme, or some "race" type synthetic). But that's only sometimes- not a guarentee.<hr></blockquote>

I have synthetic in my car now and it still goes ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping on cold starts for about 5-10sec. Oh well...

[img]redface.gif[/img]

[Only4U]

you guys could be correct, but i doubt it. heh, not trying to sound rude, but, i have this all the time, and it's an injector tick.

take a long screwdriver, or metal shaft of some sort, and stick one end on your injector. put the other end on your ear. if the tick grows much louder, the tick is in the injector, and this is quite normal.

secondly, if you try all the injectors and the sound doesn't go away, start putting the shaft on different areas of the engine, and your ear up to the other end until you find the noise and where it is coming from.

then come tell us--but injector tick is common, so i'm sure that's what's goin on.

[99Camaro99]

yep I think it is. I put some injector cleaning/lubricating crap in my gas tank and the tick was gone for a few weeks and then it came back again (guess the stuff was used up). I'm sure that's what it is, but I'm not wasting my money on another one of those bottles. It's not big deal to me.

[Only4U]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by 99Camaro99:
yep I think it is. I put some injector cleaning/lubricating crap in my gas tank and the tick was gone for a few weeks and then it came back again (guess the stuff was used up). I'm sure that's what it is, but I'm not wasting my money on another one of those bottles. It's not big deal to me.<hr></blockquote>

ya, like i said though, injector tick is normal. it comes and goes during different cycles of the engine, depending on the temperature of the engine and such...but i can promise you it's no big deal.

[arnaldo]

haha i have the same problem.. its always 3 consecutive clicks.. and it sounds like its coming from my exhaust.. ive only noticed this since i put the flowmaster on... and also only when its cold or when starting the car after sitting overnight.. i guess its normal.