Ticking on startup, then goes away

[Eclipse98_RS]

I start my car and hear a ticking coming from the engine. Once the engine is warmed up I dont hear it anymore. Any ideas on what this is?

 

[kenamond]

Most likely, this is the lifters/lash adjusters in the valvetrane ticking. Known as "lifter tick" to DSMers. The lifters are the pivot point for the rocker-rollers in the valvetrain and they get longer/shorter to take up any slop space in the mechanism. Over time, they get clogged with sludge and don't take up the slack as well, so the rocker has a small gap which taps. When the oil warms up, the oil thins, and it flows better through the lifter, and the lifter again is able to take up the slack, so the tick goes away.

You can add SeaFoam to the oil or other engine cleaners to help remove some of the sludge, or you can fix the problem for good by upgrading your lifters to 3g "revised" lifters (like $120 shipped for all 16). These have larger oil passages that don't clog like the stockers. This is a common problem for lots of mitsu motors. Note that 3g doesn't mean post-99 eclipse; it's just the 3rd generation design of the DSM lifters. Searching on either 3g or "revised" lifters will give you plenty more info on this option. Also, www.vfaq.com has a description of how to change the lifters without pulling the cams/timing belt as the manuals will tell you to do (simplifies the task considerably).

Bad lifter tick may actually read on your knock sensor, and this may cause your ECU to retard timing mistaking this for true knocking, and this can decrease power. That's the boat I think I'm currently in. I have lifter tick that won't go away until higher rpm, and I have the box of revised lifters and a new VC gasket kit sitting in my garage for a rainy day .

Bottom line is that unless it's being read as knock and leading to performance issues or unless it's BAD ticking, it's probably not a real problem...yet. But keep in mind that other clicking or ticking sounds from your engine could indicate other problems like spun bearings, crankwalk, etc. But the fact that it goes away when the engine warms makes me think it's just the infamous DSM lifter tick.

 

[AndrewD5418]

Liftar ticks

 

[luv2rallye]

Sometimes changing oil to Mobile 1 full synthetic with Lucas Oil Stabilizer cures the ticking. But a very inexpensive, easy, and effective way to eliminate lifter tick is add a can of “Restorer” to oil (Walmart has it). It works every time on 4g63 engines and is the great "Wiseman Defiant blessed”! A more permanent solution would, of course, be to replace or clean them (see: http://www.vfaq.com/mods/lifters.html). But if you don’t want to deal with the time, effort, and expense of replacing or cleaning, just put a can of Restorer in. It’s so cheap you can afford to put one in after each oil change should the tick return. On my GST it lasts for 2-3 oil changes before the ticking returns. Other reported cures are adding Rislone or Sea Foam.

 

[gsxeclipse97]

k thats next on my list of things to do I'll try it and see what happens I have lifter tick also and it goes away after some time but its a concern

 

[Ho0ked]

Just use the appropriete amount of Lucas oil stabilizer each time you have your oil changed and you will never hear lifter tick again and your oil/motor will be cleaner happier for it.

1 bottle does a couple oil changes, uses like a quart instead of 1 quart of oil, read the bottle, little bit expencive, but hella worth it.

Changing out lifters is an option but, its time consuming and probly more costly then additive #1.

Either way if it truely is lifter tick, its nothing to worry about

 

[c4uldr0n]

When two people, you can replace all of the lifters in about an hour... why bandaid a problem when you can fix it

 

[Ho0ked]

When two people, you can replace all of the lifters in about an hour... why bandaid a problem when you can fix it

Because i've yet to meet or see a dsm that didn't tick regardless of what lifters they had, but with Lucas it stops, plain and simple it works.

Maybe these "other" lifters will do the trick but as I said i've never seen any such thing personaly.

 

[eclipseitall]

Did you know the "owners manual" for our cars states that "upon startup there will be a ticking noise coming from the engine that should subside after a few minutes / warmup" !?!?! I found that to be quite amusing, and kind of strange since the car comes NEW with a TICK.

 

[PSITSI]

I put the Mitsu revised lifters (the ones with the 3mm oil hole) in my DSM, and no more lifter tick. AMS has 1999 style lifters for cheaper, and they run 8's on them, so I would imagine they will work for you.
LINK:
http://www.amsperformance.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=21_29_254&products_id=218

 

[AndrewD5418]

Sometimes changing oil to Mobile 1 full synthetic with Lucas Oil Stabilizer cures the ticking. But a very inexpensive, easy, and effective way to eliminate lifter tick is add a can of “Restorer” to oil (Walmart has it). It works every time on 4g63 engines and is the great "Wiseman Defiant blessed”! A more permanent solution would, of course, be to replace or clean them (see: http://www.vfaq.com/mods/lifters.html). But if you don’t want to deal with the time, effort, and expense of replacing or cleaning, just put a can of Restorer in. It’s so cheap you can afford to put one in after each oil change should the tick return. On my GST it lasts for 2-3 oil changes before the ticking returns. Other reported cures are adding Rislone or Sea Foam.

Restore specifically says not to use their product in turbocharged vehicles.

 

[un4givin68]

Restore specifically says not to use their product in turbocharged vehicles.

Actually if you look at there website it says you can use it for Turbo charged engines.

http://www.restoreusa.com/faq.html
scroll down and you will see where it says you can.

 

[Talesin]

Personally, I would NEVER use Lucas in my car after seeing Bob is the Oil Guy's test on Lucas, and how badly it allows the oil to aerate... especially synthetic.

Swapped my lifters out for the revised units, and the lifter tick vanished. Still running Castrol GTX 20W50.

 

[kenamond]

My lifter tick didn't get to be an annoyance until about 70k miles. I agree that revised lifters is the "fix" while oil additives are the "band aid". I've heard also that additives usually degrade some performance characteristic of the oil, but that's hear-say. I added SeaFoam last oil change, and it helped, but it still ticks, and I don't want to compromise lubrication when the "fix" isn't all that bad to do (or that expensive).

 

[Talesin]

ken, check out the link in my post. It's more than hearsay if it allows the oil to aerate.

Similarly, that site is why I'm considering swapping over to Amsoil. Only company that'll actually endorse their product being tested with a timken machine.

 

[kenamond]

ken, check out the link in my post. It's more than hearsay if it allows the oil to aerate.

Similarly, that site is why I'm considering swapping over to Amsoil. Only company that'll actually endorse their product being tested with a timken machine.

Sorry, the way I said it wasn't too clear. I was just saying that I'd heard that it degrades oil performance as opposed to personal experience. I always try to make it clear whether it's something I've done vs. something I've read elsewhere. So I was just backing up what you were saying. I prefer the fix to the bandaid.

 

[Eclipse98_RS]

You guys rock. I knew it was lifter ticking, but just wanted to be sure. I have synthetic oil in it right now. Im kind of stupid working on cars myself, and usually have someone else do it. Once I get a job (just graduated college) I can do everything I want to my car, but for right now money is limited so I would just prefer to band-aid this problem. Im just glad that this is even stated in the owners manual that this happens .
Thanks for all the info, I would be lost without you guys and this website!