Ticking noise coming out of engine NEED help!!!

[EL PERRON]

So yesterday i turn the M on and i noticed that there was a ticking noise coming out of the engine and so i gave it some gas and it would tick even faster not louder just faster..

The car has 60k miles and all schedule maintenance are up to date.

My question is has any one had this issue with there M?

If so what was the problem?

thanks guys

[dvan]

Oh man, the infamous ticking sound from the M45....

Did it sound like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDQeCOJZcDM?

or this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Guc8EpVRgg

The first link is a SERIOUS problem. Second link is a common tick sound associated with cold engine startups and it slowly fades away as the engine gets warmer.


There have been a few threads on this issue, and most of it is attributed to possible low oil levels. Some people like fiveliterbeater had their engines replaced due to this problem. In my case i had to get my engine replaced. Check too see if your still under warranty and document this problem ASAP!!!

[EL PERRON]

its more like the second video its really low...could it be that it needs valve adjustment?

i ask this cause this was the case when i owned hondas.

how do i find out if its under warranty and were do i document the problem?

thanks a lot for the info

Oh man, the infamous ticking sound from the M45....

Did it sound like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDQeCOJZcDM?

or this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Guc8EpVRgg

The first link is a SERIOUS problem. Second link is a common tick sound associated with cold engine startups and it slowly fades away as the engine gets warmer.


There have been a few threads on this issue, and most of it is attributed to possible low oil levels. Some people like fiveliterbeater had their engines replaced due to this problem. In my case i had to get my engine replaced. Check too see if your still under warranty and document this problem ASAP!!!

[dvan]

I dont know what causes the softer ticking sounds. Check with a dealership too see when your out of warranty. Keep a camera handy is possible to document.

[EL PERRON]

i will take video of it and post it up hopefully one of the longer owning m45 owners could help out

thanks again for the info

I dont know what causes the softer ticking sounds. Check with a dealership too see when your out of warranty. Keep a camera handy is possible to document.

[tigerclaws1318]

First things first, check your oil level. By the way what kind of oil filter are you using?

[EL PERRON]

well i checked this morning and it is kind of low. and the filter i got no idea i would need to check and see

First things first, check your oil level. By the way what kind of oil filter are you using?

[EL PERRON]

ok so i called the dealer no warranty 5 years or 60k miles and i got 63k on it so that's that...now what??

I dont know what causes the softer ticking sounds. Check with a dealership too see when your out of warranty. Keep a camera handy is possible to document.

[qship96]

ok so i called the dealer no warranty 5 years or 60k miles and i got 63k on it so that's that...now what??

I dont know what causes the softer ticking sounds. Check with a dealership too see when your out of warranty. Keep a camera handy is possible to document.

You as owner should know warranty.....powertrain is 70,000 miles/ 72 months-whichever comes first. .....dont let dealer mislead you

[dvan]

ok so i called the dealer no warranty 5 years or 60k miles and i got 63k on it so that's that...now what??

I dont know what causes the softer ticking sounds. Check with a dealership too see when your out of warranty. Keep a camera handy is possible to document.

The warranty is 4 years/60K for the basic bumper to bumper. Obviously you are out of that. However, the power train warranty is 4 years/ 70K so you may be under that warranty still. Not sure why the dealership said 5 years

[fiveliterbeater]

well i checked this morning and it is kind of low. and the filter i got no idea i would need to check and see

First things first, check your oil level. By the way what kind of oil filter are you using?

aww man! you don't know what kind of oil you're running or what type of filter it has?? that's your baby! always keep up with her as she needs attention. from now on keep your maintnence records handy and track everything you do.

[EL PERRON]

ok one more question does power train warranty also covers the oil consumption problem?

[EL PERRON]

sorry for the disappointment fiveliterbeater but it is true i have been neglecting my baby

[dvan]

ok one more question does power train warranty also covers the oil consumption problem?

Yes it does. You may want to have the dealer do an oil consumption test

[tigerclaws1318]

Why not just change the oil with a high quality dino or synthetic oil and a name brand oil filter. Put in 5.7 quarts and see if the noise disappears.

[Titan7170]

Doesnt cheap gasoline sometimes cause this?? I had 2 cars that made the softer ticking if I used low grade fuel.

[speed_addict]

I have the same problem on my 07 Infiniti M45 . The dealer said something about camshaft chain need to be tensioned or something like that.

[M4T5]

sorry for the disappointment fiveliterbeater but it is true i have been neglecting my baby

Man....you kind of said it for yourself... :"it is true i have been neglecting my baby"

You have to keep the oil change intervals within 3,750 mi or less. These engines just do not have tollerances to handle oil that has broken down or if is ran too low.
It just takes one time for the oil pump to suck air and not oil to wreck havoc on the internal "wet" lubricating parts.
Hopefully you can call your local dealer back and ask what the factory powertrain warranty consists of.
If in doubt of that particular dealer's knowledge of warranty, then reference another dealer or two.
Pick the dealer that gives you the correct helpful answers and go to them. Tell them what your engine is doing and ask them how this needs to be handled.
DO NOT leave out any details on how, when, and conditions that make the noise more apparent then others.
Also tell them when it started.
Also, DO NOT bring them the car with the oil low OR too high!
Bring oil change receipts with you or have them readily available if neccesary!
Do not come up to the plate without your defense.
Also, this isnt neccesarily required, but having the car detailed or in great looking shape really gives you a slight advantage to the dealership. It will show them that you DO NOT Neglect the car, and that you take somewhat pride in it.
You would be surprised what an initial opinion on you and your car that it will make to the dealer's service personnel.
Good luck....and start taking car of your vehicles a little better.
This may or may not have been able to be avoided. I dont know. Too many variables to consider.
Take my above advice BEFORE you take your M in.

J

[EL PERRON]

thanks for the most appreciated advice..i would definitely take this in consideration

sorry for the disappointment fiveliterbeater but it is true i have been neglecting my baby

Man....you kind of said it for yourself... :"it is true i have been neglecting my baby"

You have to keep the oil change intervals within 3,750 mi or less. These engines just do not have tollerances to handle oil that has broken down or if is ran too low.
It just takes one time for the oil pump to suck air and not oil to wreck havoc on the internal "wet" lubricating parts.
Hopefully you can call your local dealer back and ask what the factory powertrain warranty consists of.
If in doubt of that particular dealer's knowledge of warranty, then reference another dealer or two.
Pick the dealer that gives you the correct helpful answers and go to them. Tell them what your engine is doing and ask them how this needs to be handled.
DO NOT leave out any details on how, when, and conditions that make the noise more apparent then others.
Also tell them when it started.
Also, DO NOT bring them the car with the oil low OR too high!
Bring oil change receipts with you or have them readily available if neccesary!
Do not come up to the plate without your defense.
Also, this isnt neccesarily required, but having the car detailed or in great looking shape really gives you a slight advantage to the dealership. It will show them that you DO NOT Neglect the car, and that you take somewhat pride in it.
You would be surprised what an initial opinion on you and your car that it will make to the dealer's service personnel.
Good luck....and start taking car of your vehicles a little better.
This may or may not have been able to be avoided. I dont know. Too many variables to consider.
Take my above advice BEFORE you take your M in.

J

[EL PERRON]

i don't think that's the case on my situation i always put 91 on it

Doesnt cheap gasoline sometimes cause this?? I had 2 cars that made the softer ticking if I used low grade fuel.

[myother45isalesbaer]

My 2004 has done the ticking thing twice in 6 years. In my case it was the valves rapping due to low oil level. Added oil as it was running and ticking went away. For some reason these cars like to eat some oil at times. I have found it to be after hard driving at high speeds or several pedal to the metal take-offs. I now check the oil level more often. I always check it if I know I am getting on a highway and will be doing some serious driving at high speeds for several hours.

[M4T5]

i don't think that's the case on my situation i always put 91 on it

Doesnt cheap gasoline sometimes cause this?? I had 2 cars that made the softer ticking if I used low grade fuel.

The chatter noise from cheap or low grade fuels is when you are under a certain type of acceleration and load. Basically you are getting detonation or pre-ignition of the fuel.
That type of noise is only heard under a load when driving.
That is not his case.

J

[M4T5]

My 2004 has done the ticking thing twice in 6 years. In my case it was the valves rapping due to low oil level. Added oil as it was running and ticking went away. For some reason these cars like to eat some oil at times. I have found it to be after hard driving at high speeds or several pedal to the metal take-offs. I now check the oil level more often. I always check it if I know I am getting on a highway and will be doing some serious driving at high speeds for several hours.

Im really surprised there isnt a sticky for the oil consumption issue with the M45's.
I'm not going into complete detail, but the problem lies in the valve cover design and PCV system design.
The oil is being drawn out of the valve covers, into PVC system, into the intake manifold, and then into the combustion chamber to be burned with your fuel.

All equals: Oil consumption issues, Puffs of blue smoke upon start-up, and a constantly low oil level of course.

The harder you drive, the more oil is used. Why?
Because the vacuum gets increased with rpm increases within the engine. Higher rev's = higher draw of oil from valve covers and into combustion chamber.

How do I know this??
I have a good dealer (sometimes) and their master tech told me that the 08' models (late) received redesigned valve covers and improved PCV system to fix the issue.
My dealer replaced my vlave covers for the redesigned units and the different PCV system. The PCV system is really just a different hose type and PCV from what I could tell.
Not much difference you can observe from just looking under the hood.

Hope this helps!
Moderators should pay attention to this issue and post it as a sticky.
Should have been done a long time ago.
I doubt they will post it being its a cronic issue that plagues Infiniti. Plus they probably sponsor this site in some way.
What does that give us here?? A political debate!! What's new!

J

[myother45isalesbaer]

Every thing you said makes complete logical sense to me. Back when dirt was invented cars had open crank ventilation systems. Now since they are closed and sucking supposed just fumes we have this issue.

My question to you is what is the fix to stop this on a 2004. Thanks.

My 2004 has done the ticking thing twice in 6 years. In my case it was the valves rapping due to low oil level. Added oil as it was running and ticking went away. For some reason these cars like to eat some oil at times. I have found it to be after hard driving at high speeds or several pedal to the metal take-offs. I now check the oil level more often. I always check it if I know I am getting on a highway and will be doing some serious driving at high speeds for several hours.

Im really surprised there isnt a sticky for the oil consumption issue with the M45's.
I'm not going into complete detail, but the problem lies in the valve cover design and PCV system design.
The oil is being drawn out of the valve covers, into PVC system, into the intake manifold, and then into the combustion chamber to be burned with your fuel.

All equals: Oil consumption issues, Puffs of blue smoke upon start-up, and a constantly low oil level of course.

The harder you drive, the more oil is used. Why?
Because the vacuum gets increased with rpm increases within the engine. Higher rev's = higher draw of oil from valve covers and into combustion chamber.

How do I know this??
I have a good dealer (sometimes) and their master tech told me that the 08' models (late) received redesigned valve covers and improved PCV system to fix the issue.
My dealer replaced my vlave covers for the redesigned units and the different PCV system. The PCV system is really just a different hose type and PCV from what I could tell.
Not much difference you can observe from just looking under the hood.

Hope this helps!
Moderators should pay attention to this issue and post it as a sticky.
Should have been done a long time ago.
I doubt they will post it being its a cronic issue that plagues Infiniti. Plus they probably sponsor this site in some way.
What does that give us here?? A political debate!! What's new!

J

[fugatem]

Good post from M4T5, although my dealer tells me the problem was resolved with the 07's. Not sure if I believe that since I've had the blue smoke at start up (but oil level has been fine). Most of my driving though is city and very rarely run at high revs.

[M4T5]

Every thing you said makes complete logical sense to me. Back when dirt was invented cars had open crank ventilation systems. Now since they are closed and sucking supposed just fumes we have this issue.

My question to you is what is the fix to stop this on a 2004. Thanks.

Well, there is no actual part on your year model M to be replaced as an OEM replacement to stop your issue.
However,
If you do a search on here there are quite a few M45 owners here that have installed an oil seperator.
It basically will install in between your PCV hose. It will catch excess oil before it enters the actual PCV (Polution Control Valve). This will catch the oil in a canister type trap, and keep it from entering your intake manifold.
Keeping it out of your intake manifold has some benefits. It keeps your intake manifold from gumming up with sludge, keeps unwanted excess carbon build up on the intake valves, help eliminate oil deposits from building up on your tops of your pistons and the spark plugs.
This in turn will allow a longer engine life, better performance/ fuel economy, clean combustion chamber, and stop that annoying expelling of blue smoke upon start-up.
The only thing it really cannot stop is the actual oil loss. It should slow down the rate of oil loss, but it still accumulates in the oil separator.
Now, there may be an oil separator on the market that actually dumps the trapped oil back into the crank case through the valve cover, but I'm not certain.
There are several different styles, colors, materials, and quality oil separators from different aftermarket manufactures.
Most are less than $100.
Some are plastic, metal, aluminum, and aluminum/ glass. The glass combo one allows you to see how full the oil seperator is so you know if you need to empty it.
Ask around or do some research on it.
It's definitely worth installing it if your tired of the oil consumption related effects on your engine.

J

[M4T5]

Good post from M4T5, although my dealer tells me the problem was resolved with the 07's. Not sure if I believe that since I've had the blue smoke at start up (but oil level has been fine). Most of my driving though is city and very rarely run at high revs.

My 07' M45 is a late model year make. Therefore, since I have experienced the oil consumption issues and blue smoke puffing out the exhaust pipes upon start-up, I would have to disagree with that dealer.
The issue was addressed on the late model 08' M45's with the redesigned valve covers.
My M45 now has the redesigned valve covers installed and I no longer have the oil consumption problems.
Take it from my actual personal experience my friend.
You'd be surprised of the amount of under qualified, inexperienced, or ignorant service techs, writers, and managers are working in Infiniti dealerships. Trust me, I've seen them come and go.
Then again, there are more very knowledgeable quality techs that work in the Infiniti service departments than there are of the not so knowledgeable ones.
Some Infiniti dealers are just flat out better than others.
If you request or demand that a Master Tech be the only technician you want working on your car, you might actually get a better overall service experience.
That's what I ask for. I even speak to the Master tech in person before I release my car to them to be worked on.
I didnt always do that in the past and always seemed to have to bring it back for the repairs to be corrected again.
Oh yeah, inexperienced techs have been known to be somewhat sloppy with their work. They tend to leave your car dirty under the hood, leave out or forget to put back bolts and engine cover push pins, and leave grease or oil prints on your cars paint or steering wheel.
Yep, I've experienced all the above situations with Infiniti dealers.
Since I've complained to Infiniti Consumer Affairs, I no longer get low quality repair work.
Master techs only now!! Well...not if it's just getting an oil change. Master techs are not typically used to change your oil and filter.
Anyways, Just keep this all in mind. Dont always take it for granite that your Infiniti dealer is providing you with excellent service repairs.
Why do you think they embellish you with free cookies, pastries, and your coffee of choice??!! Did you know that there are some that even serve free omelets!!!!! I know none of the four Infiniti dealers around me do.
If they did, I might get more frequent oil changes or just stop by to say hi, bye, and thanks for the breakfast!

J

[greggebhardt]

All of these problems about engine noises and oil consumption make me wonder about my purchase. While other engines from other mfgs are suggesting 7500 miles between oil changes, I have always changed at no more than 5000.

Now I am back at 3500!

[M4T5]

All of these problems about engine noises and oil consumption make me wonder about my purchase. While other engines from other mfgs are suggesting 7500 miles between oil changes, I have always changed at no more than 5000.

Now I am back at 3500!

I doubt you will be experiencing these issues we are having with the 1st & 2nd Gen M's.
Most of the oil consumption issues are focused around the Infiniti 4.5L engine.
I would hope the new 5.6L in the M56 has been redefined and redesigned.

J

[greggebhardt]

I would hope so, too. I am breaking in my 56 with great care and have had no smoke but a good bit of black soot in the ends of the tailpipes. WOuld uess this is normal. I only have a little over 1.3k miles and the oil level has not budged from the full mark on the dip stick!.

Fingers crossed