Stuck Lifter?
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Pro
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 527
Likes: 5
From: Fort Collins, CO
Stuck Lifter?
Started the car this morning and heard a loud knocking noise in rhythm with the engine. Turned it off. Started it again, still there, it increased with throttle.
Checked codes, nothing.
Opened hood, looked underneath, visually all seemed fine. After reading here and other places decided to give it a go, pulled out of garage into street, still knocking/ticking but seemed slightly better except it sounded like it was trying to misfire slightly with throttle. Down the street still making noise but pulling fine at part throttle, then as I stopped I could not hear it at idle but then it came back as I accelerated out of the side street. Within 100 yards gone completely. Drove a few miles, stopping at side of road several times to listen and came home, now everything seems fine and sounds normal.
Checked codes again, nothing again.
Car is a '02 with 68k miles, reman factory engine has 10k miles on it. Oil is about 2000 miles old (3 months). Ambient temp in garage about 42F (totally normal, maybe a bit warmer than average over the last few months).
Do you think this was a stuck lifter? Have not had this happen before on any car. Noise definitely started as a knock as compared to a ping or a tick if that makes sense, then as it got better was more of a loud tick. Car is driven almost every day but sat over the weekend.
Checked codes, nothing.
Opened hood, looked underneath, visually all seemed fine. After reading here and other places decided to give it a go, pulled out of garage into street, still knocking/ticking but seemed slightly better except it sounded like it was trying to misfire slightly with throttle. Down the street still making noise but pulling fine at part throttle, then as I stopped I could not hear it at idle but then it came back as I accelerated out of the side street. Within 100 yards gone completely. Drove a few miles, stopping at side of road several times to listen and came home, now everything seems fine and sounds normal.
Checked codes again, nothing again.
Car is a '02 with 68k miles, reman factory engine has 10k miles on it. Oil is about 2000 miles old (3 months). Ambient temp in garage about 42F (totally normal, maybe a bit warmer than average over the last few months).
Do you think this was a stuck lifter? Have not had this happen before on any car. Noise definitely started as a knock as compared to a ping or a tick if that makes sense, then as it got better was more of a loud tick. Car is driven almost every day but sat over the weekend.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 527
Likes: 5
From: Fort Collins, CO
I'm already ducking, Krazy :-) Mobil 1 0W-40...
I've thought about this though, I think the 0 weight is totally appropriate for my Colorado winter climate. I do and have taken it out when it is between 0 (the low this year) and 32 degrees out. My garage stays at about 40 at the lowest. Sometime I will be starting the car at very low temps though when I am out and about. I just got back from a trip to the grocery store, 32 degrees out and snowing. Car loved it.
I am planning a trip out west this summer and am considering a weight change to 5W-40 for the summer but don't really think it will make much difference. The point of the lower range is for the lower temps, right?. If you are in a hot climate, is there really a practical difference between 0 and 5 on the low end of the scale? Wouldn't the oil just behave as whatever weight is appropriate for the ambient temp at start-up? Plenty of people on here run 0W-40 year round in HOT climates without issue.
Mobil1 vs others is debatable still, having read up on the Zinc issues, maybe M1 is not the ideal oil going forward if its formulation really has changed over the last couple of years.
I was hoping not to devolve this into an oil thread through....Sorry for my long response.
I've thought about this though, I think the 0 weight is totally appropriate for my Colorado winter climate. I do and have taken it out when it is between 0 (the low this year) and 32 degrees out. My garage stays at about 40 at the lowest. Sometime I will be starting the car at very low temps though when I am out and about. I just got back from a trip to the grocery store, 32 degrees out and snowing. Car loved it.
I am planning a trip out west this summer and am considering a weight change to 5W-40 for the summer but don't really think it will make much difference. The point of the lower range is for the lower temps, right?. If you are in a hot climate, is there really a practical difference between 0 and 5 on the low end of the scale? Wouldn't the oil just behave as whatever weight is appropriate for the ambient temp at start-up? Plenty of people on here run 0W-40 year round in HOT climates without issue.
Mobil1 vs others is debatable still, having read up on the Zinc issues, maybe M1 is not the ideal oil going forward if its formulation really has changed over the last couple of years.
I was hoping not to devolve this into an oil thread through....Sorry for my long response.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,217
Likes: 14
From: Texas
LOL, Im not going to bash your oil but I think JR said the 5W-40 is fine year round. Hate to hear your still having cold weather. Swam all day Sunday down here. Some have reported that changing oils cured many strange valvetrain noises. Just observations so who knows?
If the "knocking/ticking" cleared up, I would think alls well. Maybe its almost time for your summer oil anyway and you can inspect the oil and filter.
If the "knocking/ticking" cleared up, I would think alls well. Maybe its almost time for your summer oil anyway and you can inspect the oil and filter.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 352
Likes: 13
For 02+ w/ variocam plus regarding intake lifters:
A frozen "low" wouldn't be noticeable on idle, since they should all be in that state. It would give issues to the car when revved up.
A frozen "high" lifter would create rough idle and CEL, but drive fine since lifters are locked "high" at some limit RPM (i think 3.5k)
Not sure how a completely collapsed intake lifter or exhaust lifter misbehaving would present itself.
A frozen "low" wouldn't be noticeable on idle, since they should all be in that state. It would give issues to the car when revved up.
A frozen "high" lifter would create rough idle and CEL, but drive fine since lifters are locked "high" at some limit RPM (i think 3.5k)
Not sure how a completely collapsed intake lifter or exhaust lifter misbehaving would present itself.
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Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 527
Likes: 5
From: Fort Collins, CO
See, that I would understand. In my case I've left it for periods from 1 up to 10 days all without issues since this most recent oil change. Now it did this after just two days of sitting. I dunno, hopefully it does not come back. At least I now know what it sounds like...
Advanced
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 55
Likes: 1
From: San Diego
I just had a stuck lifter on my 02. Actually went in and replaced the whole cylinders worth. (the 2 intake and 2 exhaust) Fixed the problem. It was an incredibly loud tick/knock. So bad I didn't want to start it until resolved.
