lifter noise
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,050
Likes: 147
From: Phoenix AZ
2021 C4 of the Year - Modified Finalist
lifter noise
'01 coupe MN6...
I live in Phoenix, and it gets to 30 degrees for 2 days and winter is over. Engine operation is always the same, just a little lifter tick till it is run about a minute.
Last weekend, I went to visit a friend up near Reno, and it was 22 degrees at night.
Every time I started it in the morning dead cold, the lifters were clacking till it got up to about 70 degrees on the temp gauge.
Normal or not normal?
Oil pressure at the time of incidence: 50 PSI
Car ran good except at Tonopah, OAT= 29 degrees. I got a traction control fail light, sped up to 85, put it in neutral, turned off the key, pulled it till the door locks unlocked, slid the key back in, and started the engine. After the self test, lights out, and all normal, back in 6th, and on we went. ........back at home, pulled codes, and it was a history code.......code U 1064 H ....Loss of communication with BCM
starting to wonder if the ignition switch is bad
I live in Phoenix, and it gets to 30 degrees for 2 days and winter is over. Engine operation is always the same, just a little lifter tick till it is run about a minute.
Last weekend, I went to visit a friend up near Reno, and it was 22 degrees at night.
Every time I started it in the morning dead cold, the lifters were clacking till it got up to about 70 degrees on the temp gauge.
Normal or not normal?
Oil pressure at the time of incidence: 50 PSI
Car ran good except at Tonopah, OAT= 29 degrees. I got a traction control fail light, sped up to 85, put it in neutral, turned off the key, pulled it till the door locks unlocked, slid the key back in, and started the engine. After the self test, lights out, and all normal, back in 6th, and on we went. ........back at home, pulled codes, and it was a history code.......code U 1064 H ....Loss of communication with BCM
starting to wonder if the ignition switch is bad
Last edited by coupeguy2001; Jan 4, 2009 at 12:51 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3,394
Likes: 12
From: Leon Iowa
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09
There is a good chance that's it's not the lifters but piston slap. ALOT of LS1s do that till they warm up some. I have also noticed that alot of the 5.3s in the trucks do it also.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
Likes: 29
From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
You need to listen and determine if its lower end knocking or a tapping sound from the top end. If its the top end tapping/clicking type sounds and it doesn't go away for anywhere from seconds to minutes and eventually when the engine starts to warm up, then its probably the lifters bleeding down when cold. I've had this problem on my '99. Started out a little tapping for a few seconds then gone. It slowly became worse over a couple of months till it wouldn't go away till the engine temp started showing on the analog gauge. Then about two weeks later, it got real bad. Since I already was sure about the lifters dying, I had already been acquiring all the parts such as gaskets, lifters and so on before pulling it apart. Took the top end down, replaced the lifters, pushrods, rockers, springs, seals and so on. Worked perfectly and no more tapping sounds.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,050
Likes: 147
From: Phoenix AZ
2021 C4 of the Year - Modified Finalist
Greaaaaat........... the car has always had the ticking till warm thing.
I have an 01 tahoe as well, and the ticking is about the same except it doesn't have the clacking when cold. i figure the iron block holds it's shape in the cold better than aluminum.
I have an 01 tahoe as well, and the ticking is about the same except it doesn't have the clacking when cold. i figure the iron block holds it's shape in the cold better than aluminum.
Last edited by coupeguy2001; Jan 6, 2009 at 11:46 PM. Reason: add info
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 6,050
Likes: 147
From: Phoenix AZ
2021 C4 of the Year - Modified Finalist
It used a quart every 1200 miles when I got it. It had 22,000 on it. I drove it like granny's buick for 3000 miles to help seat the rings. Now it has 42,000 .
Now it doesn't use a full quart in 5000 miles if I don't shift above 4500-4800 RPM, which is what I limit it to since I can't afford to blow it up and replace the engine.
Great car though. rides like a cadillac where my 86 rides like a wooden buckboard.
The buckboard is more fun tho, pieces are cheap to buy and easy to install.
Chris
Now it doesn't use a full quart in 5000 miles if I don't shift above 4500-4800 RPM, which is what I limit it to since I can't afford to blow it up and replace the engine.
Great car though. rides like a cadillac where my 86 rides like a wooden buckboard.
The buckboard is more fun tho, pieces are cheap to buy and easy to install.
Chris
