Friday, May 9, 2014
How to Quiet the Lifters on Startup
Vehicle lifter noise on start-up may be caused by several factors, depending on the type of oil filter, oil, lubrication system, mileage, mechanical condition and even required adjustments of your vehicle. Whatever the cause, there are some adjustments you can perform to quiet the lifters on start-up. Always start your diagnosis with the most common cause. In most cases, you will be able to fix your noisy lifters replacing a minimum of components or performing a few maintenance tasks.
Instructions
- 1
Take your car for a 20 minute drive on the highway to bring the engine up to operating temperature. Return to your driveway, open the hood and pull out the engine oil dipstick. Check the oil level and condition. If the oil is a quart lower from the required level or your engine is running on dirty, old oil, this may cause your lifters to tick. Add new enough oil to bring the amount to the correct level or replace the oil as necessary.
2Make sure you are using an oil filter equipped with an anti-drainback valve (ADBV). This valve prevents the oil moving around the top of the engine from flowing back into the oil pan after shutting off the engine. This ensures that the engine, including your lifters, have oil during start up. A lifter that has provided your engine with miles of service will definitely benefit from a check-valve oil filter.
3Take your vehicle to an auto shop and have them check engine oil pressure. If oil pressure is starting to drop, a worn out oil pump, clogged oil pickup screen, restricted oil pickup tube or oil galleries may be behind this problem.
4Ask your mechanic to inspect the condition of the oil passages inside the engine. If you have failed to replace the engine oil at the recommended manufacturer intervals for some time, the inside of the engine might be covered with oil residue and gum, preventing proper oil flow. Take your vehicle to an auto shop and have them check oil pressure and engine mechanical condition.
5Check the valve clearance in your engine. On some vehicle models, manufacturers advice adjusting valve clearance at recommended maintenance intervals. This will prevent excessive part wear and valve train noise. Consult your car service manual or call your local dealer, if necessary.
