G'day Everyone,
I've got an awesome looking '98/'99 Gunmetal GTV 3.0V6 with Tan leather interior that goes like a rocket and is a dream to drive..... except for a d_mn ticking noise that it totally driving me crazy and i need some advice (OK, a bit of a long description for your scientific investigation!) OK here goes:
The car's got 40,000k's on it. I bought it at about 33,000K's (9 months ago) and the engine was nice and quiet. I took it for a long drive down south just after i bought it (about 4hrs drive - roughly 300km's either away) and when i got back i noticed the engine making a distinctive ticking sound, which all the mechanics says it's tappet noise and a hydraulic lifter may be blocked / stuffed. People seem to think it might be a bit sludgy in the tappets? It sounds like one tappet because it's distinctive tick-tick and not like a noisy chain. The noise is quite loud when it’s cold, and goes a bit quieter when it’s hot (temp gauge half way). It’s related to the temperature of the oil I think.
Oh yeah – here’s a note – the car’s temp gauge usually stays only at quarter! And only in lots of stop-start traffic does it go to half. Then, if it’s at half, and I drive at 100kmh down the freeway, it goes back down to a quarter!?!?! It seems to run too cold?!?! Anyone else’s car behave like this?
To get rid of it, I've tried a bottle of "Lifter-Free" (drove it for maybe 1-2000km's). Then I changed the oil using the correct spec oil 10W-50 semi synthetic (i used Penrite HPR10). Didn't work. Put another bottle in, did same K's, still didn't clear the noise (in fact i dont think they made any difference at all). Then, 2 weeks ago i popped "Engine Flush" into the oil and ran the car for 15 minutes. It sounded like it was progressively getting quieter, and from minutes 12-15, the engine was completely silent no ticking! (Great! Change the oil and we’re sorted I thought).
I had done a heap of research (even rang oil companies for suggestions) and from "recomendations" it was suggested I use a thinner oil - a 5w-40 semi-synth oil. I put this in and the noise came back instantly. I drove this again down south, racked up about 500km’s and the things noisy still – maybe even a bit noiser than with the 10w oil. So on the weekend just gone I changed the oil again – this time tried a good quality 20w-60 thicker oil that a mechanic in-law of mine said might help the lifter “pump-up”. Changed it, and the noise is STILL there.
Note that every time I changed the oils and filters, the oils seem to be VERY dirty (mechanic in-law said he thought it was unusually dirty… although this last one looked better – I mean it should do, it’s only done 500k’s!).
FYI - I live in Perth, Australia (warm climate). History of the car – I’m the 3rd owner. 2nd owner apparently always had the oil changed regularly – but maybe the first owner wasn’t as kind?
So… has anyone had any similar issues? Especially with a V6?
Are they just noisy?!?!??!? I did hear some other Alfa’s and some sounded a bit noisy.
Any suggestions as to a cause and a possible solution are MUCH appreciated.
Trav
I've got an awesome looking '98/'99 Gunmetal GTV 3.0V6 with Tan leather interior that goes like a rocket and is a dream to drive..... except for a d_mn ticking noise that it totally driving me crazy and i need some advice (OK, a bit of a long description for your scientific investigation!) OK here goes:
The car's got 40,000k's on it. I bought it at about 33,000K's (9 months ago) and the engine was nice and quiet. I took it for a long drive down south just after i bought it (about 4hrs drive - roughly 300km's either away) and when i got back i noticed the engine making a distinctive ticking sound, which all the mechanics says it's tappet noise and a hydraulic lifter may be blocked / stuffed. People seem to think it might be a bit sludgy in the tappets? It sounds like one tappet because it's distinctive tick-tick and not like a noisy chain. The noise is quite loud when it’s cold, and goes a bit quieter when it’s hot (temp gauge half way). It’s related to the temperature of the oil I think.
Oh yeah – here’s a note – the car’s temp gauge usually stays only at quarter! And only in lots of stop-start traffic does it go to half. Then, if it’s at half, and I drive at 100kmh down the freeway, it goes back down to a quarter!?!?! It seems to run too cold?!?! Anyone else’s car behave like this?
To get rid of it, I've tried a bottle of "Lifter-Free" (drove it for maybe 1-2000km's). Then I changed the oil using the correct spec oil 10W-50 semi synthetic (i used Penrite HPR10). Didn't work. Put another bottle in, did same K's, still didn't clear the noise (in fact i dont think they made any difference at all). Then, 2 weeks ago i popped "Engine Flush" into the oil and ran the car for 15 minutes. It sounded like it was progressively getting quieter, and from minutes 12-15, the engine was completely silent no ticking! (Great! Change the oil and we’re sorted I thought).
I had done a heap of research (even rang oil companies for suggestions) and from "recomendations" it was suggested I use a thinner oil - a 5w-40 semi-synth oil. I put this in and the noise came back instantly. I drove this again down south, racked up about 500km’s and the things noisy still – maybe even a bit noiser than with the 10w oil. So on the weekend just gone I changed the oil again – this time tried a good quality 20w-60 thicker oil that a mechanic in-law of mine said might help the lifter “pump-up”. Changed it, and the noise is STILL there.
Note that every time I changed the oils and filters, the oils seem to be VERY dirty (mechanic in-law said he thought it was unusually dirty… although this last one looked better – I mean it should do, it’s only done 500k’s!).
FYI - I live in Perth, Australia (warm climate). History of the car – I’m the 3rd owner. 2nd owner apparently always had the oil changed regularly – but maybe the first owner wasn’t as kind?
So… has anyone had any similar issues? Especially with a V6?
Are they just noisy?!?!??!? I did hear some other Alfa’s and some sounded a bit noisy.
Any suggestions as to a cause and a possible solution are MUCH appreciated.
Trav