I've been contemplating starting a thread myself about this. I was afraid you'd all think I was imagining things. Mine also only appears when its very cold outside. Very soon after a cold start @ 10 degrees F or below. My first thought was a valve lifter because it sounds exactly like that. It is a very pronounced slow ticking or tapping noise when at idle or driving just above idle. I looked under the hood the other day when it was occurring and I couldn't pin point it. It does sound like its coming more from the drivers side of the engine compartment. If you are sitting in the drivers seat it sounds like its directly behind the instrument cluster. I have played with it though and it doesn't seem to speed up as much as I would expect valve noise to, when the engine is revved. It is definitely intermittent. I have never heard it once the van is warmed up to running temperature. I'll add it to the punch list of things to get looked at when in for my first free oil change in the next couple weeks.Hey, finally got our Promaster after many months of waiting. Have a few hundred miles so far. We're noticing an intermittent ticking from the gas engine, both while driving and idling. Anybody else having the same problem?![]()
I just got back from picking up my daughter at high school and then to pick up a carry out pizza. I started the PM cold at home. It's 8 degrees F outside. The PM wasn't driven all day while I was at work. The ticking started a couple blocks from home. If it was valve noise, I think it would be heard immediately upon start up. I drove the 3/4 mile to the high school and parked and let it idle about 3 minutes while waiting for my daughter to come out. The ticking continued while idling. If revved, the ticking doesn't seem to climb as fast as the RPMs, if at all. Then it was off to Pizza Hut about another 3/4 mile away. By the time I pulled into the parking lot, the ticking was gone. I got out to run in and grab the pizza. Upon slamming the door the ticking resumed. My daughter stayed in the van and said it seemed to be caused by the door slam. It was still ticking when we headed for home, but after the 3/4 mile drive back home, the noise was gone again. As much as this initially sounds like a single valve lifter ticking, I really don't think that's what it is. Not sure what it is, and I know if I bring it up with the dealer, it'll be "customer concern not duplicated" because they aren't going to have it for a cold start.Sounds familiar. The oil recommended for these vans is 5/20. I can guarantee you the thinner oil causes some of this. I know it's a winter weight of 5 and so on. I have always used Royal Purple synthetic oil in all of my vehicles since 1990. No, I am not a RP dealer, but I can tell you it's the best synthetic oil available. I get/use the HPS oil only available on line and some auto parts stores. HPS is the high performance street oil not API certified because it contains high zinc/phosphorous levels the the EPA is doing away with. I used it in my Nissan Titan and my Transit Connect no more ticking. UOA,s show extremely low wear levels even at 10k miles with enough "good stuff" to go another 5K. Try it, I bet your ticking will go away.
Pizza Hut is also my favorite take home!!!!I just got back from picking up my daughter at high school and then to pick up a carry out pizza. I started the PM cold at home. It's 8 degrees F outside. The PM wasn't driven all day while I was at work. The ticking started a couple blocks from home. If it was valve noise, I think it would be heard immediately upon start up. I drove the 3/4 mile to the high school and parked and let it idle about 3 minutes while waiting for my daughter to come out. The ticking continued while idling. If revved, the ticking doesn't seem to climb as fast as the RPMs, if at all. Then it was off to Pizza Hut about another 3/4 mile away. By the time I pulled into the parking lot, the ticking was gone. I got out to run in and grab the pizza. Upon slamming the door the ticking resumed. My daughter stayed in the van and said it seemed to be caused by the door slam. It was still ticking when we headed for home, but after the 3/4 mile drive back home, the noise was gone again. As much as this initially sounds like a single valve lifter ticking, I really don't think that's what it is. Not sure what it is, and I know if I bring it up with the dealer, it'll be "customer concern not duplicated" because they aren't going to have it for a cold start.