kenshin1204

Hey. So I'm in a dilemma. I have an 03 350z with only 22,000 miles. I've been hearing ticking noise coming from the engine, but haven't really found any solutions online. My mechanic states that it is a valve issue, which I'm hoping it isn't since I'm out of warranty. Some told me it's because I'm using thin oil and some say it's normal (which I doubt).

I've recently changed the oil (used Mobil 1 synthetic 5w-30) and the ticking hasn't disappeared.

Can someone please help! This car has such low mileage and has been maintained properly! Don't know why it would start having issues already!

cdoxp800

iTrader: (12)

Run, it's a Bomb.



No really my 06 Revup does same the thing when it's cold. Once the the oil gets circulating it goes away. I have 25k miles currently.

03BrickZ

iTrader: (2)

My 03 with 60k does the same thing and i run the same oil. It only happens when the car is cold, once it warms up it goes away.

kenshin1204

The problem is, mine doesn't go away..

kenshin1204

The problem is, mine doesn't go away..Keeps on ticking, but not as loud

Zazz93

iTrader: (2)

Can be many things, but it sounds like a loose lash. What's wierd though is the lash doesn't loosen up on its own. Our car have a shim-style adjustment so it will not fall out of adjustment. However, it could have been shimmed incorrectly by another mechanic when repairing/upgrading something or incorrectly from the factory. Bad news is, if it is the lash it will require a lot of cash to have someone repair. I got mine wrong before and its a good 6-10 hour job depending how comfortable you are with the engine. Unfortunately, I can't think of a different type of "tick". If its more of a rattle it could be the timing components, still an expensive job at shop labor rates.

Have you had any work in the motor done?

kenshin1204

No. Nothing done at all.

Zazz93

iTrader: (2)

Try a 5w-40 or 10w-40and see if it helps. The heavier viscosities will sometimes mask a light problem.

Dr. Venture

iTrader: (19)

you never drive the thing if its an 03 with 22 k...that might be your issue. ***** probably sitting and seizing up then you beat the crap out of it.

JDMStanced

iTrader: (16)

i changed to castrol 0w30 and i started to get ticking sound..

Dr. Venture

iTrader: (19)

you all just listen to w/e someone else says. 0w oils are too thin. hence why Benz has stopped using it due to morons blowing up engine because the dealer used to tell them 15-20k mile oil changes...lol

5w-30 up to least 100 k is perfect. after that you can go a tad heavier. Thats it. anything lower is crap

JDMStanced

iTrader: (16)

I don't know if you know what you talking about. castrol 0w30 is known to be thick oil in 30. My engine clicks during operating temperature which means that 0w or 5w doesn't matter.

Brett@AwesomeZ

I would get a mechanic's stethoscope on it and verify where the tick is coming from. Sometimes small exhaust leaks from the manifolds will sound like lifter ticks. If the noise is loudest from the valve cover then you may have a lifter tick, although it would seem really unlikely at such low mileage.

Dr. Venture

iTrader: (19)

0w oils loose there viscosity at a quicker rate then 5w oils. hence why tis bad.

0w was just designed as a fuel efficient oil. Mercedes-Benz started using it and telling there customers to do oil changes at every 15-20 k. That caused motors to become damaged and blow. Even Honda used to use 0w and switched back to 5w-20,30.

was the Z's motor designed to run efficiently on 0w oils? if not then don't use it.

ssgohan434

iTrader: (13)

You really have no idea what you're talking about, do you?

"0W" only indicates cold start performance of an oil.

Dr. Venture

iTrader: (19)

i only neglected to specify in cold or hot weather......and what i am talking about is how the oil has lower or higher viscosity depending on the engine temp in diff weather.

Dr. Venture

iTrader: (19)

what kind of gas are you using?

ssgohan434

iTrader: (13)

You said that 0w was designed as being more fuel efficient in a post. 0W was instead designed for lower viscosity during cold starts to improve flow/reduce wear when an engine is started. It's been postulated that around 90% of an engine's wear is induced by cold starts of a car.

A 0w30 oil would not provide better gas mileage than a 10w30 oil, because once operating temperature is achieved, the 2 oils would have a similar viscosity of the '30' rating. Thus, a 0w30 oil, once warmed up and having reached operational temp, has the same viscosity as a 10w30.

If you're more interested in the topic, look up the website bobistheoilguy.com
Lots of interesting/useful information.

Dr. Venture

iTrader: (19)

The temperature range the oil is exposed to in most vehicles can be wide, ranging from cold temperatures in the winter before the vehicle is started up to hot operating temperatures when the vehicle is fully warmed up in hot summer weather. A specific oil will have high viscosity when cold and a lower viscosity at the engine's operating temperature. The difference in viscosities for most single-grade oil is too large between the extremes of temperature. To bring the difference in viscosities closer together, special polymer additives called viscosity index improvers, or VIIs are added to the oil. These additives are used to make the oil a multi-grade motor oil, though it is possible to have a multi-grade oil without the use of VIIs. The idea is to cause the multi-grade oil to have the viscosity of the base grade when cold and the viscosity of the second grade when hot. This enables one type of oil to be generally used all year. In fact, when multi-grades were initially developed, they were frequently described as all-season oil. The viscosity of a multi-grade oil still varies logarithmically with temperature, but the slope representing the change is lessened. This slope representing the change with temperature depends on the nature and amount of the additives to the base oil.

The real-world ability of an oil to crank or pump when cold is potentially diminished soon after it is put into service. The motor oil grade and viscosity to be used in a given vehicle is specified by the manufacturer of the vehicle (although some modern European cars now have no viscosity requirement), but can vary from country to country when climatic or fuel efficiency constraints come into play.


interesting info indeed.

but i highly doubt oils causing your knock or tick issue. usually would be during a cold start until the hydrolic lifters fill up you would hear a slight ticking or knocking and then it goes away. if your engine is non stop ticking then my friend you have other issues and possibly your mechanic is right.

Do you let the Z sit a lot as well?

ssgohan434

iTrader: (13)

Am I interpreting what you're trying to say correctly; that since the 0w30 in theory has more viscosity index improvers that the oil is breaking down prematurely and becoming to thin at operating temperature?

edit: this is not the case with a lot of quality 0wXX synthetics; many of them remain sheer stable and in their viscosity grade through their service use.

edit: I like to drive my Z whenever I get a chance. Even then it only has 30k mile in the last 4.5 years.