G35 with ticking/tapping, give me your quick opinion

[jaygilbert]

No powerloss
Has been happening for about 20k miles
Always use mobil 1 synthetic extended, mobil 1 or fram tg filter
OCIs 3k-5k.
Mileage 174k, 140 miles a day, 40k a year.
Gas: 91 octane only, every month twice a month- lucas fuel system cleaner (green top)

I've looked around soooo much. Either bucket shim lifter or timing chain tensioner. People have told me, since it is on the Driver's side, it is a bucket shim lifter. Others have said, since no loss of power, it is timing chain tensioner. I asked the dealership and they do not know what it is.

So what could it be?
Also is there a write up for a timing chain tensioner DIY?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdFvYgQru5I[/youtube]

[tollboothwilley]

At first i thought this was going to be the ticking that most people have and is inexplicably never diagnosed. instead, you have something else going on that I'm not familiar with. Great post and great video for sound but there is no way of being 100% certain of what it is (at least not for me).

It seems to me that its coming from the rear of the engine more so than the timing chain area but you could always check the tensioners. Instead of looking for the writeup just use the factory service manual located http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM

[Amays U G37S]

Have the dealer change the oil and inspect the motor. They give you a free multipoint inspection if you do a service.

That is a lot of mile if someone beat that car up you will def have some tapping. Could very well be the timing chains if the car is a stick shift.

VQ should make 1 noise its called 'running smooth', of course with a slight hum

[jaygilbert]

The car is 5AT.

Well, I've owned the car since 30k miles. It seems like wear and tear being that I commute it each day. I don't beat this car up or race it or anything. Everything is stock except my Samco radiator hoses =-p. I do WOT once in awhile to pass people, but not so much since I've heard the noise at about 156k. I tested a few times WOT two days ago to see if power is still there, and it still hauls a$$ like before.

I spoke to a dealership in the Bay Area (Cali) today and spoke to the service dept, being that they are not techs, they can only give suggestions of bringing it in for a diagnostic. I expected that answer, but he quoted me as follows:

-$300 parts/labor for the main timing chain tensioner (located in front of engine- which i can replace myself).
-----If second tensioner is needed replacing, it is $1275 parts/labor for both.

-$600-$1200 parts/labor for replacing of bucket shim(s), he was a bit unsure about that, so he recommended go into the dealership for diagnostics, which I don't blame him.

Thanks for the previous replies....Any other thoughts, suggestions for this BUMP?

[SVTCOBRA]

My 05 tensioner went at around 20 or 30K....was a very loud ticking!!
My wife even came out of the house and said 'what the hell did you do to my car!'
By the time I got her to the dealership it had gone away. Left it there so they could hear it on a cold start up which they did.

Does yours quiet down or go away after warmed??

[joe603]

welcome to NICO! Sorry to hear about your trouble...but it sounds like the tensioner to me...

[jaygilbert]

My 05 tensioner went at around 20 or 30K....was a very loud ticking!!
My wife even came out of the house and said 'what the hell did you do to my car!'
By the time I got her to the dealership it had gone away. Left it there so they could hear it on a cold start up which they did.

Does yours quiet down or go away after warmed??

My ticking is very loud. No it does not go away when warmed up, it is the same loudness if cold or warm. I let the car sit a few days, started it up and it sounded very rough, and then it evened out after a few seconds and still ticked. It kinda scared me, i've never had the car idle so rough as that. I noticed when im in Southern California and I if i let it sit two days it sounds like if it has trouble starting (not starter, rough idle). If I'm in the Valley where I'm from, let it sit a couple days, and then start, it sounds normal. Maybe it's the weather? Not sure, the weather is beautiful in SoCal, so I duno. This may be a separate entity entirely.

What made matters worse, I went to meet my fiancee for lunch and a 2009 bmw 330i AND a 2011 V6 Mustang tried to race me at two different times, all the while my car sounds like sh1t. I didn't race, no point. Win or Lose, my car is not well. Stupid jerks, I swear. I wasn't even speeding!!!!

So yes, I will try to drop my car off this week to the dealership and eat the $1000 repair this may possibly cost. I just want my baby to sound normal again, I miss eating those wanna be racers.


JOE603, thanks for the welcome.

All, thank you for your incite, it is all appreciated and VERY helpful to an Infiniti owner such as myself.

[audtatious]

Post back up what the dealership found the issue to be.

[jaygilbert]

Post back up what the dealership found the issue to be.

Finally I went to the dealership. Took forever, I know, I'm sorry, but lagged because I moved and a new job etc etc. SO this is what it really was.

Turns out it WAS a bucket shim. This issue effects so many VQ35DE engines it's ridiculous. So want to know what the price is for a replacement of a bucket shim? The price for one shim is about $30 bucks. The labor and replacement parts comes total to...drum roll please... $3000 bucks.

First dealerships listens for the noise, locates the noise in the upper portion of the engine. Then takes off the valve cover to inspect if the repair for the problem can be done by doing that. So just to replace the valve gasket/parts labor at the dealership is $500-$900.

Since they next have to take off the front timing chain cover, take out the cams, remove the shim, replace it, put it back together, it's roughly $3000. Please get yours fixed before a valve gets warped/mushroomed and punches a whole in your block or what not. that will roughly cost $5500 for that repair, since they have to do head work.

SO finally my car sounds great, nice and quiet, it costs me $3000. Sorry people, but that's the verdict. I hope this finally puts to rest the light "tick tick tick" you may have at around 80-100k miles. I know a few G35 owners and 350z owners who have this faint light tick in the upper engine area. Please by all means, change your oil on time, please make sure you have plenty of oil in between, because that is the most common culprit for worn shims. Ask more questions, as I will break down the parts, hours of labor put into this repair when I get time to list it!

[tollboothwilley]

Wow. That is crazy. I haven't heard of this being that common. People get ticking noises but most are very faint and considered normal.

@ $3000 for the replacement, I would have been more likely to do a motor swap. All the same, glad you got it figured out and that its back to normal. Hopefully you run into nothing further to do in the future. Thanks for posting up the findings!