nodestination1

oh boy.... Im starting to think I have my hands a little fuller than i wanted to.

So i just changed the oil for the first time since buying the car. the old oil was of unknown type and viscosity, but it ran fine.

I used mobil one synthetic 15w50. I know people have success with 20w50, but its going to be getting colder here, so i figured i'd go with a slightly lighter cold weight. Anyways, the problem is... when the car is very warm, after a longgg drive, i hear a faint but difinitive tick. It sounds a little like lifters, and changes slightly according to rpm.
It could be a rod bearing, but i seriously hope not. my part experience has been that rod bearings are very loud, and change with rmp.
The damned of it is, it goes away at idle. Even at startup, the car purrs like a kitten. maybe the 50w is too thick for the lifters?

just hoping to hear some opinions on this one, im wondering if the oil change had any efect. I rarely drive the car as long as i did tonight. about two hours straight, to boston and back.

944CS

what is your oil pressure when it starts to tick? the noise wouldn't be too heavy of an oil, it would be too thin of an oil (or no oil) that would cause that

333pg333

20w/50 is fine for all but virtually Arctic conditions. Check the manual that comes with the car.

LFA951

Sounds like a lifter if the noise goes away, if it doesn't, rod bearing...

nodestination1

my oil pressure kind if dances between 2 and 3 bar... actually a little closer to 2 bar. when i give it throttle it jumps back up to 4. there is a small oil leak from the front seal.

dime1622

Ticking can often come from the lifters when you're short on oil.

Mike Murphy

Contact the previous owner/seller and try like hell to find out what oil was previously in the car. Either the condition existed before you bought the car (and you just noticed it now), or the oil change is what did it. Changing brands and viscosities can have this effect.

xsboost90

mine is always 5 bar when cold- closer to 3 when hot, goes back to 5 when you rev it- even after a full track day. I run 20w50 castrol gtx.

Mike Murphy

Oh, and to make you feel better - rod knock usually doesn't go away at idle and generally gets louder as you place a load on the engine (increase throttle) at varying RPMs.

RKD in OKC

I would not describe rod knock as a ticking sound, it is more of a knocking sound, hence the term. Rod knock does get louder as the engine oil heats up though.

LFA951

Same here... but I run Valvoline VR1 cause it's more refined than Castrol....

Acetylene

I agree with the above. A rod knocks and lifters tick. Also, rod bearing knock gets louder as the RPM's go up - generally. I have seen one instance when this was not the case, however. Lifters generally go down with RPM's as the oil pressure increases. I also run VR1 20w50 with no probs.

toddk911

Yes, VERY noticeable. And usually oil pressure will drop.

toddk911

I have also heard that more noticeable ticking is a sign of exhaust leaks in the headers/crossover???

PorscheDoc

This is a case where a mechanics stethoscope is your friend (they are very cheap as well).