FGY33 Using Auto-Rx and Anoying Rear Suspension Squeak

[tfvesquire]

1998 base model Q45, 90Kmiles

I have two questions: 1. Has anyone had good success using Auto-Rx for HLA lifter tick on the FGY33 models and 2. How to diagnose the annoying rear suspension squeak I have that just started.

I have the infamous lifter tick that has gotten worse over the last month. I use full synthetic 5w30 so I'm sure it's not my oil, most likely minor varnish in the lifter oil passages. I kept hearing about the Auto-Rx treatments for the engine and trans and decided to buy a couple of bottles -- they should be hear by Thursday. I was just wondering, is there anyone who has actually tried it for minor lifter tick and experienced a long term cure? I have tried just about every lifter varnish remover off the shelf (CD1, Valvetech, etc.) and It seems to solve the problem for awhile, but then it comes back. Please let me know your experiences with this supposedly one of a kind treatment.

Second, I just started to get a very annoying squeak in the right rear suspension that I cannot seem to diagnose. Whenever I pull to a stop and then let off the brake to move forward, I hear a dry rubber "squeak" like a tire or rubber bushing rubbing on metal. It also sounds like that when I back up and apply the brakes. I pulled the right wheel off and saturated all the bushings I could see in the suspension with PB Blaster, I pulled back the trunk panel on the right side and sprayed PB Blaster on the top of the strut mount. I can't seem to figure out where it is coming from. I definitely know it is coming from the right rear and can hear it with the windows up or down. Has anyone had this issue on their 97-01 Q and if so, what am I missing? I never had this annoying squeak in the rear and it's starting to piss me off. With the car/tires in gear on the ground I can lay on my back and pull the car slightly forward (with all my might) and replicate the sound, but I cannot discover where it is coming from.


I'd really like to fix this before it gets too cold out. Let me know what to check next!!

Thanks!!

Ted

[BadQ45t]

I am very surprised your getting a lifter tick out of a VQ engine, very surprised. My old 84'[ 300ZX has had a lifter tick since the mid 90's and I tried every brand of motor oil, finally got rid of it with Amsoil XL 10/40, at is the only oil I use on my Q, X-Terra and Z now. I would try the oil before trying additives....I tried nearly all of them in the Z and none worked, in fact I had to use a Bilstein system flush on it to get that crap out of the engine eventually.

As for the squeak, have you tried replacing the rubber tension rods? If not, that is for sure your issue. Also, if your riding around on the original shocks, they are DONE and that isn't helping anything on the car anymore. Unfortunately the options are order new stock ones or get KYB SR Specials from MemoryFab, there are ZERO other options available. I have a 97' and at 75k my tension rods were shot and the shocks were leaking big time.

If you plan to keep the car, get the suspension refreshed and then see if the noise goes away, new tension rods and shocks/struts and checking all other rubber parts while you've got a mechanic in there and I wil bet it goes away.

[tfvesquire]

Ok, I jacked upo the right rear this evening, pulled the wheel again and soaked every bushing I could see, including the rubber exhaust hangers. I let it down and WTF, I heard the squeak right in front of the rear tire, I jacked it up again and watched the area near the fuel filter to see if anything moved and sure enough, there is a metal plate with 3 nuts holding it in place with a strange nail - looking stud sticking out straight down towards the ground. Whatever part that is, is where the squeak is coming from. I assume that is somehow tied to the rear suspension because it moves when I let the car back down to the ground. I can also see my fuel filter is unbelievably corroded for some reason. I am thinking I need to change that before winter, but I changed it last year so I don't understand why it is so deteriorated looking.

Anyway, does anyone know the part I am describing? Is this a common wear item that I am not aware of? Can it be removed, lubed up and reinstalled? Is it broken and needs to be replaced? Now that I pinpointed the location of the squeak I would seriously like to fix it by the weekend.

Any info and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. FYI, my rear shocks still have plenty of tightness with no fluid leaks and no noise over train tracks, bumps, etc. At this point, I am 99.9% sure the squeak I am hearing is coming from the part I described above, And yes, it does have a solid block of rubber attached to the metal plate.

Ted

[tfvesquire]

I looked up the rear suspension diagram and from what I can tell, the part that is causing the squeaking is called a dynamic damper. Only available as a factory part for about $90 online. Has anyone ever replaced this part? Is it easy to remove? Can it be lubed up and reinstalled or did I break it free from the metal mounting plate? Thanks,

Ted

[BadQ45t]

With 90k your shocks and struts are toast, trust me, you cannot tell from going over train tracks. I haven't had to replae that part, I didn't realize it was coming out of your rear. The front tension rods should be checked, if your going to order the other parts might as well order the tension rod bushings too.

Try getting some Amsoil or Red Line oil in 10/30 or 5/30 if you live in super cold areas. That might shuts those lifters up. I am suspect that your previous owner didn't do regular oil changes, hopefully there is no big damage in there.

[tfvesquire]

With 90k your shocks and struts are toast, trust me, you cannot tell from going over train tracks. I haven't had to replae that part, I didn't realize it was coming out of your rear. The front tension rods should be checked, if your going to order the other parts might as well order the tension rod bushings too.

Try getting some Amsoil or Red Line oil in 10/30 or 5/30 if you live in super cold areas. That might shuts those lifters up. I am suspect that your previous owner didn't do regular oil changes, hopefully there is no big damage in there.

Thanks for the advice. I did replace the front suspension parts and will consider replacing the rear struts and related parts if I can solve this anoying squeaking every time I brake. Like I said, the rear struts look good and there is no fluid leaks from them and no rear end sag, so I am going to leave them alone for now. I believe after doing some more investigating, that the rear K member is moving around slightly, which is stressing the subframe bushings and possibly this dynamic damper. I pulled the right rear damper out yesterday to take a look at it and besides being quite corroded, parts of the rubber are clearly broken free from the metal housing, but the majority of the rubber is still attached. I filled the open spaces with white litium grease and reinstalled it, but I still get the same squeaking, so I don't think it is that part, unless the fact that it is broken is allowing the rear subframe to move forward and backward each time I brake, causing the squeak. For such a small part on a 4K pound car, I don't think so. The sounds have to be related to the rear subframe moving forward and backward.

Is there a way to tell if the subframe bushings are going? I read they are filled with fluid so when they actually burst, you should be able to tell immediately. the only traces of fluid I see are from the front yoke if my differential. I see some old traces, but they I also saw some newer fluid that I thought was coming from the differential, but now I am thinking this could be coming from a broken subframe mounting bushing. Does anyone know if the fluid inside the subframe bushings looks like new gear oil? It seems like a coincidence that my squeaking just started a short time ago and the fluid traces I see look new as well. I believe there are bushings above the front of the differential, but I will look at the rear suspension skematic again before I crawl under the car again. It's raining here in Chicago anyway .

On a good note, I tried the Auto-Rx in the engine and after only 200 miles, my lifter tick is definitely quieter, but I did experience the same results with the over the counter lifter varnish removers, so I will go through the entire cleaning process and report back the results. I also poured 6 oz in the transmission to maintain my smooth shifting that gets the occasional hestitation in shifting for some unknown reason. Will report on that as well.

Still love this car, especially every time I pull up next to a new Infiniti and get an approving nod. Keep them on the road and looking good!!

[BadQ45t]

I don't know about that part, the rear is a shock not a strut, while there are interior parts you need to remove to install them they are pretty easy once you get in there. My mechanic spent far more time on the front struts since you have to use the spring compressor etc.

To find out what is going on your probably going to need to take it apart. I would look through the FSM and stock up on anything that is made of rubber or can wear out. If the parts are not shot now they will be soon. I replaced the front strut mounts, tension rods, and a few other parts at around 75k when I did the shocks and struts.

As for your transmission, I would strongly suggest you flush it and switch to highest quality synth fluids. I have used Redline and Amsoil and both are excellent. Mobile One is also decent, but since you don't do it that often might as well pop for the best. Find a place that can do a complete FLUSH of the transmission, you might consider doing the power steering, brakes and rear end at the same time since most owners do not keep up with these fluids. Your at a key point with this car, it will either give you another 100k with little major repairs or you'll have some big time things to work on.

[tfvesquire]

I looked at the schematic of the rear and also read some posts on the rear subframe creaks and squeaks from other nissan and infiniti owners. From what I read, it sounds like the rear subframe mounts are starting to go and there are subframe "collars" that you can install over the exisitng subframe rubber mounts in lieu of dropping the entire subframe and pressing out the old bushings. some say it's a band aid while others swear it will tighten up the rear end and keep it from moving forward and back each time you brake and accelerate. I am thinking I will just remove the right rear subframe bracket while the subframe is held up with a floor jack and loosen the subframe bushing mount just enough to squeeze some bearing grease in there to lubricate the rubber bushing and hopefully stop the slight squeak I am hearing. I drove the car in the rain here today and when I got home and backed up, I did not hear any squeaks so I believe if I can get the rubber bushings lubed up it should do the trip for now. My car is not a race car and I don't use it to drift either so I should be able to get some additional life out of the rear suspension components if they are not shot and leaking yet.

As for the transmission, I did have it completely flushed 2 years ago at 75K miles and had them drop the pan and clean out the wire mesh filter. Then, I had them use the proper trans fluid. I am hoping there is just some slight varnish on the 1st gear clutches that once in awhile it gets a quick hesitation and that the Auto-Rx will clean that up and keep the trans in good shape for many more miles. I know for a fact that every mechanical component was oinly given the bare minimum service by the PO and it is now up to me to undue some of the damage before it gets too costly. I have done a lot to this car and luckily it has paid off with no major engine or drivetrain related repair costs besides the parts. I will keep you and the rest of the members updated as I go. On a side note, I also had to replace the water pump idler bearings because they seized up last Friday on the expressway. I replaced them not to long ago, but I'm sure they got waterlogged this past summer when I had to drive through a ridiculously deep river of water to get home.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Ted

[tfvesquire]

** Update **

Well, I solved my rear squeak issue for now. I jacked up the rear and unbolted the front rear subframe mount and let it drop down about an inch. Then, I used a flat screwdriver to apply a thick coat of bearing grease to the top bushing perch and underside rubber. Bolted the plate back in and dropped it down with not noises. Went for a ride and the squeak was gone when braking and reversing. The bushings were not leaking so hopefully the noises were the result of my car being driven though a river of water back in June.

As for the Auto-Rx treatment, I am about 530 miles into the cleaning phase and I still have the lifter tick that comes and goes. When I first started the treatement, I had an immediate lifter tick after driving the car only 50 miles and then it quieted down for awhile. The ticking started up again and wouldn't go away unless I drove the car hard on the highway for a few miles. Then, it would come back. I know for sure I have one partially clogged oil passage, maybe two. I used 5w30 synthetic before the started the treatment and without thinking, I put in 10w30 dino oil to do the cleaning. I think the thicker weight oil is having a difficult time draining though the partially clogged oil tubes and hopefully the Auto-Rx will clean those out for good. The ticking should go away when I switch back to the thinner weight 5w30.

Like I said before, I tried all the over the counter treatments with the exception of Seafoam directly into the oil filler with no lasting results. My opinion is that all those treatments merely thin your oil just enough so that it can sneak past the clogs and into the lifter assemblies. They do not clean the varnish and any sludge that accumulates inside the engine. That is why my problem would be solved for a little while and then the ticking would return. I am hopeful this highly recommended treatment will cure my problem and allow me to put many more miles on this car. I can feel the engine rev a little smoother as the miles add up during the initial cleaning phase and it is not a placeobo affect. Since the ticking is just starting to come and go once again, I can only conlcude that the oil passages are starting to get cleaned a little bit at a time. The only problem is that I need to be able to drive the car on the highway instead of short trips in town at low speeds. When I put a load on the engine for a sustained amount of time the oil and cleaner gets pressurized just enough to make it into the lifter assemblies. At lower speeds and expecially at idle, the ticking is ridiculous and makes my car sound like Christine when driven into Darnell's garage after getting set on fire. Tick, tick, tick, tick. Drives me freaking crazy and I can't wait for it to be fixed. Will keep you posted.


Happy Holidays

Ted

[tfvesquire]

I have approx 2300 miles on the initial cleaning and dropped the filter and oil at 1500. Lifter tick was so bad now it sounded like a broken valve spring until the HLA get pressurized with highway driving and the ticking goes away for about 15-20 mins if allowed to idle. I finally could not take it anymore and just before I dropped my car off to have some trans work performed 2 wks ago, I dumped 3/4 of a can of Seafoam into the crankcase where it sat until I picked up the car last Friday. The shop only put 3 miles on the car to test it. I have put about 225 miles on the car since then and the lifter tick has gotten a little better, but it still comes and goes. I think I need to put more highway miles on the engine and let the solution circulate and hopefully clean out the clogged passage.

All I can say is that I am really disappointed with the AutoRX treatment and I may seek a refund from them since it did not do what they claimed it would, but instead made matters worse. The product was supposed to slowing dissolve any build up inside the engine and allow it to flow into the filter. Instead, it must have dissolved some larger pieces that clogged up some partially clogged oil passages, starving the lifter(s) for oil. I may have to dump another can of Seafoam into the crankcase and idle to circulate and then do another oil change. If that solves the lifter tick, I will definitely contact Auto-Rx to return the unused bottles and for a refund of the ones used.

I guess I should have tried the cheaper of the two alternatives (Seafoam) at $10 per can versus $28 per can of Auto-Rx. Hope this helps other members who are contemplating using Auto-Rx on there Q. I am finding out the hard way that my car did have regular oil changes or regular maintenance that the car history seemed to indicate. Now, I am faced with the hassle of playing catch up to bring this beautiful car up to date so it can be expected to perform as it should and last as long as it should be expected to.

Hope everyone had a nice holiday season.

Ted

[Infinitiguy19]

Ted I made a topic a while back on here about AutoRX. And the consensus from everyone that posted was that its trash. I also got the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to "Restore" and I can say thats stuff is also trash. But the company "Restore" doesn't want consumers to know this.

Seafoam was also proven to be useless.

Do you use Mobil one (M1) 0W-40 oil? Or any oil of the same quality that is available off the shelf?

[tfvesquire]

Ted I made a topic a while back on here about AutoRX. And the consensus from everyone that posted was that its trash. I also got the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) to "Restore" and I can say thats stuff is also trash. But the company "Restore" doesn't want consumers to know this.

Seafoam was also proven to be useless.

Do you use Mobil one (M1) 0W-40 oil? Or any oil of the same quality that is available off the shelf?

I already sent the guy at Auto-Rx an email expressing my dissatisfaction with the results. Not sure if I agree with the Seafoam consensus, but I'm sure time will tell if I end up getting an Amsoil or Bilstein flush locally or if my Seafoam treatment ultimately does the trick. To answer your question, I was running Castrol full synthetic 5W30 before I tried the Auto-Rx. I had an occasional lifter tick that seemed like it was getting worse (more frequent) so I decided to buy the Auto-Rx based on the reviews I read online. there seemed to be more positive results than negative so I gave them a try.

Should I just get a professional engine flush and then switch to the 0W40 you suggested? I don't race my car, but I want to make sure I solve this lifter non-oiling issue before trying another oil.

Thanks,

Ted

[Infinitiguy19]

I do hope you get your money back. I actually hope the FTC gets involved and shuts them down for their false claims!

Here is what I was talking about for the Seafoam: seafoam-t210220.html

Do you know if the oil pressure is good (Sorry I don't know if its the same pressure VS RPM as the VH45DE).

Maxnix suggests the Envirolution engine oil flush. Before I looked at the oil pan on my car I called them on many occasions but they never got back to me. I wanted to see who locally had such a machine to do the flush. http://www.envirolution.com/

I have never tired Amsoil but I like products I can buy locally or off the shelf even.

Have you tried BG Quick Clean for engines (109)? Try a couple of those flushes then see what happens. Get cheap oil and a filter. Dump the old oil and filter first (NEVER RUN BG 109 IN THE OLD OIL!!!). Then throw on the new filter and dump the new oil in and add BG 109. Start the car and let it idle for 15-20 Minutes MAX!!! Then repeat if needed. Add BG MOA to the Mobil One 0W-40 if desired.

[qship96]

Miracle cures and cleaners in a bottle generally are next to useless- including the BG products- more of a pure profit center for service stations than a cure for any engine issues AKA a flushing of money from ones wallet.

[BadQ45t]

This is really odd as the VQ is such a solid performer...no question the PO did something to this engine as you just shouldn't be having these types of issues. I think at this point you can keep trying any magic potion, I doubt any can do more damage, but odds are that your going to have to pull those heads off and get the valves replaced...but you have nothing to lose I wouldn't think.

One last magic pill, see if you can find a local Amsoil dealer in your area or mail away for their highest performance 5-30w oil. I have switched all my cars over to this oil and it is the only oil that got my 1984 300ZX to quiet the lifters down...this car has 164k original miles and I have never had to rebuild the engin.....mind you they only made noise at startup and would quiet down in 5-15 seconds depending on how cold the car was in the garage, but I tried Castrol Syntec, Valvoline Synth, Mobile 1, Red Line, Royal Purple all after a long steady diet of Castrol GTX and Valvoline dyno juice before syth was really around, none could shut those up. Amsoil did, solid 100%. I am a big believer in their products now and that is all any of my 3 babies get for transmission, rear end, power steer, brakes and crank case.

[JOHNQ]

to get rid of the ticking, the thing that made it stop on my 99qt was lucas white bottle. ive used the last 2yrs with no problems but somebody on here with probably steer u away from lucas so try a heavy weight oil. the recommended 5w-30 is in my experience to thin for these cars with high mileage.

as for ur creaks its definitely the subframe bushings cause that what my 2000ae problem, all i did was separate it away from the frame and sprayed some lube and the noise went away

[tfvesquire]

to get rid of the ticking, the thing that made it stop on my 99qt was lucas white bottle. ive used the last 2yrs with no problems but somebody on here with probably steer u away from lucas so try a heavy weight oil. the recommended 5w-30 is in my experience to thin for these cars with high mileage.

as for ur creaks its definitely the subframe bushings cause that what my 2000ae problem, all i did was separate it away from the frame and sprayed some lube and the noise went away

Thanks for the suggestion John, but I am trying to make the oil passages flow freely to in turn resolve my lifter ticking. I am convinced, the ticking is caused by sludge/carbon that is now completely blocking one or more oil passages resulting in little to no oil flow into those lifters. Without oil getting to them, no matter what grade oil you put in there, you may end up masking the ticking sound, but think about the potential for catastrophic failure if you are running a dry lifter at highway speeds...It might just collapse down and stay there, but it could also get stuck in place. I plan on keeping this car as long as possible, so I have been frustrated with all the catch-up maintenance needed on my car. I refer back to a quote from one of our forum members:

"Never buy a poorly maintained Q. It's like paying for a hooker -- great in the beginning, but will leave you crying and with empty pockets in the end" (or something to that effect). I wholly agree on that sentiment.

Anyway, I have resolved my analysis on the Auto-Rx and was able to get a full refund because it did not work for me. I followed everything they stated I needed to do and in the end, I was left with more problems than solutions. I'm not here to bash the product, but to provide members my personal experience with trying it for my specific application. This would have been valuable for me prior to me purchasing it, but if I can help someone else resolve a similar issue with limited headaches, then it is all worth it to me.

Which brings me to the next "new and improved" product I am going to try: AMSOIL. I'm sure most of us are aware of how great their oil and gear lubes are, but I am going to try their engine flush and see if that does the trick to get things flowing freely again. There is a authorized AMSOIL dealer right in Downers Grove who is going to hook me up with the flush and 5W30 synthetic. If I am happy with the flush and oil, I may consider swapping out the rear differential fluid and trans fluid to Amsoil synthetic as well. As you all may know, I had some transmission problems and ended up installing a used unit with a 3 1/2 month warranty. Once the warranty period expires, I can return my core and swap out the fluid.

BTW, has anyone changed out their rear differential bushings? When I was under their with caron the lift, I could see some fluid that had dripped on the differential case. I thought it was rear end fluid, but the tech told me it was one or both of the top differential bushings. I woul like to replace them so the rear end doesn't get loose and start moving around. Do you guys recommend OE or polyurethane bushings? Is there a write up for the FGY33? I will post my Amsoil flush results as well.

Thanks,

Ted

[tfvesquire]

** Amsoil Engine Flush Update **

I picked up the Amsoil engine flush and 6 quarts of 5W30 synthetic OE oil on Friday. Yesterday, I put on a new oil filter and poured in the engine flush and let it idle for about 10 mins and then on higher idle (1500-1750) for about 3 mins and let it idle again for 10 mins, then another higher idle session for 3 mins). Total time for the engine flush inside the engine was 45 mins even though it was recommended for 15-30 mins. I still could hear the lifter tick on the right side, but it was slightly better than before. I drained everything and changed the filter, then put in the Amsoil 5W30. On idle, it still had some ticking that went away after a short drive, but came back again. Once again, not as bad or loud as it was before, but it is still there. Honestly, it f*cking pisses me off more than anything else because my car sounds like crap.

My experience tells me that I still have one HLA oil passage that is clogged and not allowing oil to prime that lifter up. At highway speeds, the oil pressure is high enough that oil gets forced into that lifter, but when the car is driven at in town speeds with low rpms, the lifter drains down and the tick comes back. I don't know if it will get any less frequent the more miles I put on the car after the Amsoil treatment and newer synthetic, but I am assuming no based on what I've researched.

At this point, I don't know what else to do, but either add a 1/2 quart of MMO and drive it hoping it will gradually clear out the clogged passage or just drive it and pray that whatever clog was present got loosened up with the engine flush and miraculously flows out into the filter and my ticking is solved forever. I don't believe there are any detergents in the Amsoil oil, so I can either try another application of MMO or wait until I need an oil change and do another Amsoil engine flush and hope two times is the charm. At $6.00 a quart I am not inclined to just dump the oil and try another flush right now. I can safely drive the car with MMO in the oil until I need an oil change. What do you all think is the best option? I was truly hoping the engine flush would cure this, but since it took many miles to accumulate the clogged oil passage it will take more than a few miles to unclog it.

Ted

[BadQ45t]

Wow, you have done what you can, I think at some point either the car will fail completely or you will have that little noise when you sell it to the next guy. In the meantime, I wouldn't take it on any long trips, get the most deluxe AAA towing package (they give you like 200 miles) and it wouldn't hurt to run another round of the cleaner. BTW, according at least to the Amsoil lit that I have read they do have detergents in their oils.

BTW, did you get it for only $6 per quart? That is really cheap, maybe I am buying a different type or something, I use their longer distance formula. Like I said it is the only thing that helps my 300ZX lifters to be quiet, they do have some magic for sure.

[qship96]

All modern quality motor oils contain plenty of detergents today, even the most basic basic Penzoil $2/quart variety.True synthetics clean even better, especially ones with an Ester basestock {group 5}.

[tfvesquire]

All modern quality motor oils contain plenty of detergents today, even the most basic basic Penzoil $2/quart variety.True synthetics clean even better, especially ones with an Ester basestock {group 5}.

Thanks for the response. Does that mean Amsoil synthetic has detergents in it? I thought pure synthetics like Mobil 1 and Amsoil were just purer forms of oil without a bunch of added materials. I have only put on 25 miles on the "new" oil and the ticking is still present. It doesn't go away with in-town driving at lower rpms, but will idle for several minutes with no ticks after being driven on the highway. then, it starts to tick again. Do you recommend I just put more miles on this oil change and do nothing else or do you suggest I add a 1/2 quart of MMO and drive it. The MMO seems to be the only leave-in additive that minimized my lifter ticking. That tells me it did some cleaning, but there is still one oil passage fully or partially clogged to the point where the oil pressure cannot push the oil into the lifter and fully pressurize it.

If there are in fact "detergents" in the Amsoil synthetic in my car, I will just drive it and hope for the best. If someone chimes in and says there aren't any, then I will have to resort to a different route. I do know Amsoil states their synthetic is less suceptible to varnish and therefore, it allows you to have longer oil change intervals with cleaner oil at the end of the schedulde oil change date. I have no idea beyond those facts, but will continue to post my results on this. Car only has about 92K on it right now. Prior owner should be shot for the hidden abuse subjected to this car.........

Ted

[Infinitiguy19]

Have you checked the oil pressure?

Any dents at all on the oil pan?

By The Way (BTW) 1997-2001 Infiniti Q45's don't have four channel ABS. I mean no disrespect but I thought everyone should know.

[tfvesquire]

Have you checked the oil pressure? Any dents at all on the oil pan? By The Way (BTW) 1997-2001 Infiniti Q45's don't have four channel ABS. I mean no disrespect but I thought everyone should know.

________________________
No, but have never had an oil light come on.

None. No leaks anywhere at the pan, plug or from the engine.

Not sure what this has to do with my post, but thanks for the info.

[Infinitiguy19]

Check the oil pressure in Drive with the vehicle fully warmed up.

I meant dents as in something that would obstruct the oil pick and would prevent it from doing its job.

I am just sad that Nissan put four wheel ABS in 2002 on their FLAG SHIP. At least in the USA, not sure about Japan or Europe.

[BadQ45t]

I was at my Amsoil local distributor today, they for sure have the powerful detergents in them. I have exactly the same amount of miles on my 97' and it doesn't have anything like this at all. One other thing you might try, Bilstein has an engine flush system, my mechanic in LA has one. I used it on my old 85' Maxima which I bought 3rd hand and the lifters ticked really bad, this got ride of almost completely....I may get some flames from the people on this thread for that system, but it really made a good difference in the way the Maxy ran after I did it.

[tfvesquire]

I was at my Amsoil local distributor today, they for sure have the powerful detergents in them. I have exactly the same amount of miles on my 97' and it doesn't have anything like this at all. One other thing you might try, Bilstein has an engine flush system, my mechanic in LA has one. I used it on my old 85' Maxima which I bought 3rd hand and the lifters ticked really bad, this got ride of almost completely....I may get some flames from the people on this thread for that system, but it really made a good difference in the way the Maxy ran after I did it.

BadQ45t - I know that the engine flush has fairly aggresive detergents that are a change from the solvent based solution they originally have, but I am not sure their synthetics actually have a detergent in them to help "clean" your engine on the inside. From what I understand, pure synthetics help keep deposits from forming by helping keep engine temps down and being the purest form of lubrication you can get.

The reason most members, including yourself, don't have this problem is because your car was properly maintained before you got it and your continued that maintenance regime to keep things flowing correctly. In my case, I had all the "proper documentation" that certain service was performed on my car, but I have found too many problems to confirm that service history. My guess, amount other things, is that the prior owner did not perform frequent oil/fluid changes but instead, threw in a quart of whatever oil was cheap if it was a little low and then drove the hell of out it. The unfortunate result is sludge and varnish tha began to build up and when I bought the car and started to update the maintenance, I started finding all sorts of hidden issues, including the intermittent lifter tick. If you are a car guy like me, you can completely understand how I cannot stand to have my car ticking at idle like a sewing machine. One of the biggest selling points on this car was how quiet it was while running. I am slowly getting it back to its former glory both appearance-wise, but most importantly mechanically. I continue to post threads because I truly appreciate have a forum to go to when I have a problem and try to reciprocate by posting my results for others who may be experiencing the same issues. One thing for sure, I will not be satisfied until the problem (not just the symptoms) are solved.

My lifter ticking is night and day better after the Amsoil flush and full synthetic. It runs smoother, accelerates better and I assume with less internal friction it should produce better miles per gallon. Before, it was ticking so loud I couldn't take it anymore. After trying several products with no results, I can say that a flush was the way to go in my case, but I did not have access to a shop that would perform a pressurized engine flush. Maybe that would have cleaned things out the rest of the way, but it is definitely cleaner than before. I am just curious if I should continue to drive it and hope the oil passage clears up the rest of the way or should I ad something to "help it along."

I will keep this post updated with my results as I put more miles on the car.

Thanks,

Ted

[tfvesquire]

** Update **

Ok, here is the latest on the partially clogged HLAs that are driving me insane. I went ahead and removed the oil filter and drained about a 1/2 quart of my precious Amsoil synthetic to allow so room for a good dose of Marvel Mystery Oil. At that point, my ticking was getting to be ridiculous again and would only go away with a heavy foot on the nearby highways, but the lifters would eventually drain down after idling and the ticking would return. After doing the above, I have driven about 250 miles with a combination of low speed intown driving and 60-70 mph heavy footed sprints for several miles. I can say that the more miles I put on, the shorter the distance needed to drive the car to prime up the partially clogged lifter(s) and keep the pressure up at idle. However, despite that success, my lifter ticking keeps coming back and it is pissing me off to no end. All I can do is keep driving it with the MMO and hope that the more I drive it at highway speeds for longer intervals, then faster it will clean out whatever is clogging the HLAs. I am at the point where I plan on purchasing a second Amsoil engine flush and instead of letting it idle in my driveway (like the instructions tell us to do) I will be going for an easy drive around town to get the cleaner where it needs to be. I thought that my engine would build up enough oil pressure at idle and with moderate revving to get the engine flush to the source of the clogged oil passage, but without driving the vehicle, you can rev all day long up to 2500-3K and the tick is still there. I believe my attempts so far have resulted in reducing the clog and slowly restoring the proper oil flow, but it is an annoying, painstaking process.

I will update with new information as I go and hopefully one day soon, I will be able to post that I resolved my lifter ticking once and for all like my brake shift-lock solenoid malfunctioning. To date, no issues with that since I cleaned out the ignition switch. Yah!!

Take car and bundle up if you are in the deep freeze ike me.

Ted

[BadQ45t]

Glad your making some progress on the lifter noise, keep us update and oh, sign up for the AAA Premium package

[tfvesquire]

** Update as of 3/8/11 **

Well, here is the latest on the never-ending saga of restoring this car to it's rightful performance level and catching up with some much needed maintenance. Those of you who have been following my latest endeavor to rid my car of the persistent lifter ticking by purging the engine of dirt, sludge etc. understand what Im going through. Since my last post, I drained 1/2 quart of oil out and put in 1/2 quart of MMO. Ran that for a few hundred miles. Still had the loud ticking on startup that would not go away unless it was driven firmly on a good stretch of road. But once I returned and let it idle, the ticking keeps coming back. I then drained 1/2 quart or so and added ATF to top off the system. Ran that so far for only about 20 miles in town driving and the lifter ticking will go away, but then come back. Sometimes, the ticking will go away altogether and it can idle nice and quiet for 20 mins or more. Other times, it will be quiet until I shut if off and start it back up. Then the ticking returns and it is LOUD. I have also changed the oil filter this last time when I added the ATF. This cat and mouse game of hearing the ticking and it going away and then coming back is really f*cking pissing me off. If the lifter(s) was actually clogged and the check ball/valve was stuck, then why does the lifter prime up? Shouldn't it not pump up at all, but keep draining out as more oil is pumped inside? And based on my current oil mixture, have I diluted the oil too much? I thought it was easier for the oil pump to pressurize thinner oil into the lifters. Are one or more of my car's lifters worn enough to the point where I should give up trying to use the factory suggested 5w30 and just go back to the 10w30 it had in it when I bought it? I only had this bad, continuous ticking after I tried the Auto Rx. Do I have to just keep cleaning things out with several more flushes and filter changes until I finally stop this embarassing ticking? If probably put over 1500 miles on the car since I changed to Amsoil synthetic and still no relief in sight from this ridiculous lifter noise.


Thanks,

Ted

Since this last post, I had a little reduction in the loud tick, tick, tick. I decided to take out my frustration on a long stretch of highway blasting WOT to about 120 mph and when I came back, it idled a lot quieter. From two days ago to this morning, when I start the car, there is no "marbles in a coffee can" sound for the first few seconds. No loud ticking at a stop light, but I can still hear a faint tick, tick when I pull into a parking garage or pull up next to a building. It doesn't have the same solid tick like before, almost sounds like a "hollow" or faint tick. Does that mean I am finally on the read to regain my sanity? Did the ATF mixture and WOT blasts finally dislodge something? I will update this post if there are any significant changes like the recent ones. I still have about 1200 miles to go until my next OCI. Not sure if I should still run another Amsoil flush and then stick with the 5w30 or if I will hav to resort to a thicker oil to completely cure the ticking if something internally is worn and causing some slack in the lifter. I will also post my updates on my transmission swap since the warranty date is fast approaching. Knock on wood, so far, no problems, just nice and crisp shifting all the way....

So glad we have this forum to vent.

[tfvesquire]

UPDATE as of 2/1/12

I try to post updates on the lifter ticking issue that is still plauging my Q since I noticed some members have quoted my posts and said it cured my problem. It has not done so completely and at this point, I am convinced the ONLY way to resolve this is to tear down the top of the engine and remove the timing chain, cam shaft, roller rockers and finally the lifters. Since my last post in March 2011, I have tried a mixture of ATF, MMO, Risoline, BG Quick Clean and two additional flushes with Lubro Moly and then using 5w30 Lubro Moly Synthetic. I am still getting a leak down tapping although it is 95% better than when I started. I am currently running 5w30 full synthetic from NAPA (Valvoline product) which is on sale for $3.50 a quart. Tapping is less frequent, but I still have one pesky HLA that I cannot get flowing with consistency. I am thinking there must still be residual varnish in the piston or check ball valve that is not allowing oil to prime the lifter unless I drive it with a heavy foot a few times. If I just drive it normally, by the time I get to my train station 2 miles from house, I get the tapping like crazy that quiets down after more driving. So I can assume I was successful in cleaning a lot of the dirt or varnish that was not allowing ANY oil to get inside the lifter and keep it primed. Varnish is definitely a b*tch to clean inside the engine....

I have researched removal of the lifters on the passenger side (the only side that is making any noise) and from what I can tell, there is no way to remove the lifters without pulling the cam shaft. The lifters are under the roller rockers which are under the cam. If my tapping was coming from the rear of the engine I might potentially be able to remove the cam shaft caps, leave the timing chain attached and carefully pull the rear of the cam up and swing it out of the way so I could access the rockers and lifters. However, my tapping is coming from one of the first 4 lifters from the front. I cannot see any way to remove the culprit without removing the passenger side timing chain and camshaft. I haven't pulled the passenger side valve cover yet (might try this weekend), but I might be able to access the dirty lifter and spray it liberally with carb cleaner as I compress the lifter with a dull screwdriver and rag to hopefully work the cleaner into the oil passage and inside the lifter. I would like finally solve this issue and move onto the other 10 maintenance issues I have to do this year.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. I will continue to post what I find out.

Ted