New Ticking Noise From Engine Compartment

[Nederlander75]

Just noticed this AM and I’m pretty aware of how the car is doing so I doubt it’s been happening much before now. Until the engine is warm (it seems) there is a ticking coming from the engine near the middle right of the engine bay looking into the compartment from the nose. This is a 06 Altima with a 3.5L transversely mounted V6 if that helps anyone navigate. Nothing has changed in the maintenance, fuel, etc. It’s actually a little warmer lately these last couple of days, about 38F at startup. Noise isn’t present when the car is warm, however, after driving about 15 miles home and sitting at the gym for about an hour and 20 minutes it came up again. Amb temp at that time was 32F. 1 mile home and it had stopped. It’s not the timing chain as it’s located in completely separate part of the bay and I know its noise.

Thanks for any help

 

[StevieC]

What oil and weight are you using?

 

[Nederlander75]

M1 0w40.

 

[oilboy123]

How many miles? Sticking lifter maybe???

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: oilboy123
How many miles? Sticking lifter maybe???


The engine is DOHC. It doesn't have lifters.

It may however have hydraulic lash adjusters.

 

[ZZman]

See if you can pinpoint the location. You can take a long tube like the cardboard sleeve from wrapping paper and hold it to your ear and then move the other end along the engine listening for the noise and where it is the loudest.

 

[Nederlander75]

Originally Posted By: ZZman
See if you can pinpoint the location. You can take a long tube like the cardboard sleeve from wrapping paper and hold it to your ear and then move the other end along the engine listening for the noise and where it is the loudest.


I will try that.

Car has 42.8K on it.

 

[mechtech2]

Maybe an injector, also.
BTW, lifter, bucket, and tappet are interchangeable terms and are OK to use.

 

[Intrinsic]

Be sure to listen around the injectors as well. I have never had one completely fail, but have had a couple that started to tick loudly in two different Nissan vehicles. A shock dosage of upper cylinder lube along with a bottle of Gumout Regane stopped it on my Sentra. On the 240sx it didn't help, so I isolated the ticking one and replaced it.

 

[Donald]

Try some Chevron Techron in the fuel tank. It cannot hurt and is a good thing to do every once and awhile, even if it does not fix this problem.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Maybe an injector, also.
BTW, lifter, bucket, and tappet are interchangeable terms and are OK to use.


Not if the engine doesn't have them