Please help engine noise

[Danv508]

This is my first post on this forum I just picked up a beautiful 2006 Liberty limited 124k. I have the Carfax report and it shows all oil changes done in a timely manner and other routine maintenance. My question is when it first starts it has a ticking noise I am very familiar with a jeep liberty popping sound to the intake or what I would think would be a rod knock this is a pretty decent tech sounds like it’s from the top and after about a minute to a minute and a half The Tick definitely quiets down and with the hood closed I cannot hear it at all but if I go on the side of the jeep either side passenger or driver‘s and listen inside the fender well I can still hear the tick . The noise does not get louder when it warms up it quiets down the noise cannot be heard when revving the engine just wanted to know if it something I should be worried about. I have read many posts on this topic I have watched many YouTube videos and all of them sound 10 times worse than what mine is doing just thought I’d ask and see what everyone thinks thanks again.

 

[Danv508]

Anyone ?

 

[ltd02]

Noises are really hard to diagnose without actually hearing them in person. Since it is up top and a tapping, If I had to guess I'd say MAYBE a weak hydraulic lash adjuster. If it were more top but to the front perhaps the timing chain tensioners are getting tired.

 

[Danv508]

I’m a little ocd and I hear most 3.7 make noise I just can’t see how something that seems to be taken care of can make this noise my sister has a 03 with 180k and it quiet as a mouse just a little tap at startup. My motors click is loud for the first 3 min of start up then quiets down but is still there if your listening but not bad if I’m 5 feet from it. I’m running 5w30 and the days are around 35 or so.

 

[ltd02]

Engine noises are funny things. My 05 makes different noises than my departed 02. Even at only 71k and well maintained, my 05 has a few noises for a couple minutes after startup. I'd probably just leave it for now unless it gets worse. You are sure it is engine noise? What's the age of the serpentine belt and tensioner?

 

[Danv508]

Definitely not in the pulleys. And definitely not an exhaust leak. It just ***** the truck is in mint condition no oil leaks whatsoever and was just looking at the Carfax report and from what I can see starting at about 80,000 miles oil changes were literally a few hundred miles over each time they went for an oil change. So it was definitely taken care of . I’m trying to tell myself it’s just a normal engine tech and like I said it is pretty quiet once the engine warms up but for some reason I keep trying to find it and if you look hard enough it’s there.

 

[JasonJ]

Definitely not in the pulleys. And definitely not an exhaust leak. It just ***** the truck is in mint condition no oil leaks whatsoever and was just looking at the Carfax report and from what I can see starting at about 80,000 miles oil changes were literally a few hundred miles over each time they went for an oil change. So it was definitely taken care of . I’m trying to tell myself it’s just a normal engine tech and like I said it is pretty quiet once the engine warms up but for some reason I keep trying to find it and if you look hard enough it’s there.

You're assuming that there is no design fault or manufacturing issues in anything mechanical ever made by man. It is still a machine, made by humans.. even with perfect maintenance (what that is and how it may differ from the owners manual is up for debate)- things can still fail. And they often do.

You say ticking, and not audible with hood closed after a few minutes... a rod knock is a knock, not a tick, usually.. and often is heard regardless if the hood is closed, since the sound travels downward and bounces off of the ground.

It sounds like a weak lifter, failing to pump up as quickly as the others. Also, you live in MA and it's still around freezing temps. You should hear my KJ's engine on startup!

That's about as far as I can diagnose without hearing it, or using an automotive stethoscope to pinpoint it. You may need to take it in to be evaluated.

 

[Danv508]

So is it true that some of them tick and will never have a problem in these motors I just inherently loud motors?

 

[JasonJ]

So is it true that some of them tick and will never have a problem in these motors I just inherently loud motors?

Some do.. some are... regardless of how they were taken care of. If it mostly goes away after a few minutes- presumably after oil pressure is up to spec and temperature increases, internally, then I would not bother to worry about it.

If I was getting a persistent misfire on that side of the engine, or specifically on the cylinder for which I had a noisy lifter, or a lifter tick that never went away... then I would investigate that, and likely just replace the lifter before it failed completely.

 

[J33Pfan]

This is my first post on this forum I just picked up a beautiful 2006 Liberty limited 124k. I have the Carfax report and it shows all oil changes done in a timely manner and other routine maintenance. My question is when it first starts it has a ticking noise I am very familiar with a jeep liberty popping sound to the intake or what I would think would be a rod knock this is a pretty decent tech sounds like it’s from the top and after about a minute to a minute and a half The Tick definitely quiets down and with the hood closed I cannot hear it at all but if I go on the side of the jeep either side passenger or driver‘s and listen inside the fender well I can still hear the tick . The noise does not get louder when it warms up it quiets down the noise cannot be heard when revving the engine just wanted to know if it something I should be worried about. I have read many posts on this topic I have watched many YouTube videos and all of them sound 10 times worse than what mine is doing just thought I’d ask and see what everyone thinks thanks again.

What year? What Millage? What oil do you use?

Fuel Injectors can tick real loud.

 

[Danv508]

2006 125k and 5w30 The noise that it’s making I would describe as a clicking sound it is very pronounced when I first start it for a good minute to two minutes then it becomes pretty muffled with the hood closed but the noise always seems to be there but much quieter

 

[Danv508]

So my ocd got the best of me I decided tonight to do a motor flush and run full synthetic oil 5w30 in the Jeep. The oil that came out that was only 50miles old was a little black. After oil change I ran it for 40min or so and the click is still there maybe a bit quieter. I used a scan tool and checked the oil psi at that time and it was 57 pi’s full hot ! I’m thinking it’s in my head

 

[tommudd]

My 05 has a small sort of tick when first started, can barely hear it,
matter of fact no one else but me does, just for 3-4 minutes maybe
I have all service records from new, I know it was treated well and oil changes etc done when they should of been.
But bugs me at times shyco:
Have driven it over 35,000 miles, not any louder, nothing changes , so I just grit my teeth and floor it.

 

[tommudd]

My 05 has a small sort of tick when first started, can barely hear it,
matter of fact no one else but me does, just for 3-4 minutes maybe
I have all service records from new, I know it was treated well and oil changes etc done when they should of been.
But bugs me at times shyco:
Have driven it over 35,000 miles, not any louder, nothing changes , so I just grit my teeth and floor it.

been blocked

 

[JasonJ]

been blocked

Huh?

I often can't hear any lifter tick on cold startup in mine... the serp belt system whines too much!

I need to check my PS fluid, turkey baster it out and refill. Also need to replace the seized bearing and clutch/pulley on the AC compressor this spring (which is technically today).

 

[Danv508]

So I’ve been driving it for two days now with the full synthetic oil and it still clicks very faint but it’s there click click click damn

 

[JasonJ]

So I’ve been driving it for two days now with the full synthetic oil and it still clicks very faint but it’s there click click click damn

Just resign yourself to the knowledge that like many of us, you have a noisy lifter. It is what it is. If it's not a loud clacking, and is not causing a misfire or rough running condition, then piss on it. Leave it alone.

Or you can go chase after it and replace it (or all of them). However, some say that a flat tappet lifter (any non-roller) often wears in a pattern on the cam lobe and shoudn't be replaced without replacing the camshaft as well.

But I would if I had one that failed, better than then a whole top end tear down in my opinion.

Here's a decent vid of how to do it, the lifters are between $8 and $12 each. If you buy a complete set, price per unit goes down as low as about $4 each.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSxhnpl-0kE

 

[Danv508]

Ya I’m just going to run it I tryed taking vid of the noise but I made it sound like a freight train through the audio.

 

[Eric Suderman]

Any updates? I have a ticking noise on either side of the engine and my crazy self is torn between renting shop space to pull the heads, have them machined, change timing chain and oil pump while I'm there, or just hoping it gets me to and from the slopes all winter before something catastrophic happens. No current codes but it did have a bad cat when I bought it.

2006 kj 3.7 161k miles