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Oil Type vs Tick loudness

9K views 87 replies 29 participants last post by  heavyD 
#1 ·
Ok, just a fact gathering mission. It appears that every 5.0 has this ticking noise. Ford is telling folks it is normal, and I believe them. Some folks have it louder then others and some folks can't hardly hear it at all.

The various post about the "mystery additive" and the different posts about various oils got me to thinking. I think the loudness and frequency of the ticking is dependent on the type and brand of oil being used. Especially when you see the post of folks complaining about the tick and Ford shipping the mystery additive to the dealership. This mystery additive seem to quiet things down. Also, the tick seems to happen after oil changes.

Please post the oil brand and type that you are using and the loudness of your ticking. Please don't say you don't have the tick because that is not true. Every 5.0 has it to some degree. You probably don't hear it.

Ticking descriptions should be listed as: Very faint (can't hear it in the cabin), Slight tick (can hear it in the cabin very faint), Moderate (Hear it when driving by block walls and in drive through restaurants) and Very loud (Sounds like a drummer).

This information will can be very useful to the folks who have a very loud tick.
 
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#2 ·
I have factory fill Motorcraft 5W-20 synthetic blend with 3800 miles and an INAUDIBLE tick. That is to say, there is no single engine noise that stands out above all other normal engine noises. Unless of course you pop the hood and stick your ear up against the valve cover. For reference, here is an example of a car that I would say has the tick:

‪2011 Mustang GT 5.0 engine tick‬‏ - YouTube

My car is extremely quiet even at operating temp on 100 degree days. When the time comes for oil change I will definitely go Mobil 1 full synthetic, but may use 5W-30 for the extra long term protection.
 
#20 ·
Give it time, the tick will come on as the miles accumulate and the oil gets changed. Mine started about 3000 miles into my first oil change, approx 8000 miles on the odometer. Now at 17k miles, the ticket has not changed any for the worse or better.
 
#3 ·
Horsecrap. If the ticking is normal, why do vehicles only do it immediately following an oil change?

I drained the 5W-20 out of my motor and refilled it with 5W-30 Mobil 1. It did not affect the noise at all.

The weight of the oil is irrelevant. Several dealers have replaced the stock 5W-20 with a mixture of 5W-20 and thick gear oil, and it has not affected the ticking sound at all.
 
#5 ·
Sky,

With all due respect, I guess you did not read the OP as your question is answered there. Please do so before you comment. Thanks this thread is meant to be helpful (if possible), and you completely missed the point.
 
#4 ·
BLK 5.0,

Yes, that is what I would call the "very faint" tick. This is almost exactly what I have but mine is even quieter. I truly believe this is a normal condition for the 5.0s.

I am not sure what brand of oil the dealership put in last month but the tick has stayed about the same (second oil change, 10,000 miles). I will call on Monday and find out.
 
#9 ·
Thats great, my 4.6 was noisy as well. What oil are you using?
 
#11 ·
Can you describe the tick loudness better? Thanks.
 
#13 ·
I'm not sure this applies to the 5.0 but here goes . Over at www.Raptorforumz.com there's alot of people that have been screaming bloody murder about engine ticking in the 6.2 . Some have had their top halves replaced . But what was interesting was alot of people found out that the Cannister Purge Valve ( CPV ) was what was doing the ticking, not anything inside the engine . After the dealer replaced this part the ticking stopped . Now several people said it took up to 3 CPV replacements to stop it permanently. Aparentally some of the replacement valves were bad right out of the box .
I don't know what a CPV does but there's a pic of one in one of the threads on ticking .
 
#14 ·
I have no ticking noise on my car. I have 1200 miles on it and have not changed the oil yet. I even stick my head in the engine bay and the only thing I hear are the injectors.
 
G
#17 ·
ASE and Mercedes Benz Master Certified tech here, my car did not tick on the original oil and does not tick with the Mobil 1 5w-20 I changed at 5,000 miles.

I am well experienced in ticking engines both from valvetrain and piston slap. Ticking noises are not normal if they can be heard with the hood shut. Fuel injectors make a light ticking noise when running and that is normal. Also the EVAP purge valve makes a somewhat louder ticking noise for a minute or two when it's opened.
 
#18 ·
Great 411 Grimace, thanks for the post. Keep em coming folks.
 
#25 ·
I know keeping a thread on issue in this forum is like asking a snake not to bite you. If you are going to post something irrelevant at least include your tick noise level and oil type. Thanks. Yes both 2011s and 2012 suffer from the tick.
 
#27 ·
I've had engines that tic before, and this is different. It doesn't sound like normal cam/valve train operation. Mine is inconsistent.

It started before any oil change and hasn't changed through two of them. First change was dealer-done, Motorcraft 5w-20. Second was done myself, swap to Mobil1 full-synth. Never any difference.

My tic only seems to happen after a warm startup. After some driving it goes away. When it does tic, it's not consistent with RPMs... Seems to come and go. It's not audible in car unless everything is shut off, but when driving near something that reflects sound it is plainly obvious and out of the ordinary.

I'm not convinced it's something super bad for the engine, but it sure is annoying, especially when the car looks so good and cost so much (relatively speaking) yet rolls up on someone sounding 10+ years old.
 
#28 ·
Hmmm...I have to say I don't hear anything yet, and I have almost 19,000 miles. I will try to listen wit the hood up tomorrow to see if I can hear anything. I am on my 4th round of fresh oil in the car. I used 6 quarts of pennzoil 5w20, and 2 quarts Mobil 1 5w20 to get the synthetic blend for 2 oil changes (at a much cheaper price), and 8 quarts of ford motorcraft synthetic blend for the other 2 fills (first fill from factory). I plan on switching the Mobil 1 for 2 quarts of Royal Purple next time around.
 
#29 ·
I had a normal sounding engine prior to my first oil change. I put in Mobile One full synthetic 5W-20. Now I have a loud tick, which can be heard with the hood down. I am interested to see if there is a similarity between what is going on with the 6.2 and our engines.
 
#30 ·
Still running the factory stuff at just over 2k miles.. Tick sound? I would call it moderately crappy..

Since I have got my car back from the dealer, who took 4 days to tell me it is normal:fuming:.. I have been doing some experimenting... Mine for sure isn't consistent.. Yesterday after going for a drive...the engine was good and warm and it didn't tick at all..Thought the dealer did something sneaky.. Later on.... Started ticking again.. Sure seems abnormal to me..

This is something I picked up from the dealer... The more noise we make about the noise our engine makes( that means you must send a bitching to Ford or you have done nothing).. The better chance of a fix coming along... They won't fix nothing without a TSB on the issue... They don't know what to replace... Rather than replace a bunch of parts and get nowhere and not paid by Ford... They rather wait on Ford... So that is what we will have to do too..

Those with the tick...
Welcome to the ticked off tickers
 
#39 ·
Taskiss, that is great. What oil are you using?
 
#34 ·
The problem with these "tick" posts, is that we're not always talking about the same noises.

The naysayers on here probably have a good point FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE. By that, I mean they probably don't have an abnormal tick, but they do have normal valvetrain and injector ticking. They are assuming that others are complaining about the same thing, thus the "you all are a bunch of whiners" posts.

Even among those with abnormal ticks, we might not all be talking about the same thing. Jweems' ignitor tick post on YouTube (referenced in this thread) has helped alot. But, there are other abnormal ticks too.

For those who say "its a muscle car, it's supposed to make noise," I would ask you to compare against the competition. I have listened to Camaros and Challengers. Maybe I just happen to get the good ones, but they all sounded like a $35-45k should.

As to the OP, I have never observed any real difference in changing oil brands, whether synthetic or conventional -- but I know of some (not me) who have quieted certain noises with heavier oil (I am not recommending that in case of warranty issues). There are posts where Ford changed out oil viscosity to 5w-50, or even replaced two quarts of oil with 75w-140 gear oil, in an effort to solve a tick/knock (likely different from the ignitor tick). In each, the changes had no effect.
 
G
#35 ·
The problem with these "tick" posts, is that we're not always talking about the same noises.

The naysayers on here probably have a good point FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE. By that, I mean they probably don't have an abnormal tick, but they do have normal valvetrain and injector ticking. They are assuming that others are complaining about the same thing, thus the "you all are a bunch of whiners" posts.

Even among those with abnormal ticks, we might not all be talking about the same thing. Jweems' ignitor tick post on YouTube (referenced in this thread) has helped alot. But, there are other abnormal ticks too.

For those who say "its a muscle car, it's supposed to make noise," I would ask you to compare against the competition. I have listened to Camaros and Challengers. Maybe I just happen to get the good ones, but they all sounded like a $35-45k should.

As to the OP, I have never observed any real difference in changing oil brands, whether synthetic or conventional -- but I know of some (not me) who have quieted certain noises with heavier oil (I am not recommending that in case of warranty issues). There are posts where Ford changed out oil viscosity to 5w-50, or even replaced two quarts of oil with 75w-140 gear oil, in an effort to solve a tick/knock (likely different from the ignitor tick). In each, the changes had no effect.

You are absolutely right, some people will complain about things other people consider normal. Others yet will not understand the function and design of certain things and will assume something is not working right, even if it is(steering wheel iPod controls, you listening Mercedes owners??).

Bottom line if you think you have a problem get it diagnosed by a technician. Don't let someone tell you it will be considered normal by a dealership.
 
G
#36 ·
[FONT=&quot]This is a great thread GT STYLE and it’s great feedback for everyone! [/FONT]
I have factory fill Motorcraft 5W-20 synthetic blend with 3800 miles and an INAUDIBLE tick. That is to say, there is no single engine noise that stands out above all other normal engine noises. Unless of course you pop the hood and stick your ear up against the valve cover. For reference, here is an example of a car that I would say has the tick:

‪2011 Mustang GT 5.0 engine tick‬‏ - YouTube

My car is extremely quiet even at operating temp on 100 degree days. When the time comes for oil change I will definitely go Mobil 1 full synthetic, but may use 5W-30 for the extra long term protection.
Give it time, the tick will come on as the miles accumulate and the oil gets changed. Mine started about 3000 miles into my first oil change, approx 8000 miles on the odometer. Now at 17k miles, the ticket has not changed any for the worse or better.
BLK 5.0, kn7671, and any others who are experiencing this with your engine, please make an appointment with your dealership and get your vehicle diagnosed. Then, private message me with your mileage, dealer, VIN, and contact info so I can escalate your case if needed.

Deysha
 
#37 ·
Mine has the ignitor tick... only after the engine warms up, most noticeable around 1200 rpm's and sometimes at idle. Mine is also sporadic because there have been good and bad days with it. Oh and worse with the A/C on too....

As for the OP:

Mine is a mix of slight and moderate because I can occasionally hear it inside the car but I can with the windows down and for sure bouncing off the walls in a garage, parking deck, etc. as well as off other cars while in traffic.

I have used Royal Purple 5w-20 as well as Motorcraft Full Synthetic 5w-20, neither has had an effect my "tick" in any way.

As a side note (for what it's worth)

I had a technician at a Ford dealership tell me that he used a Purolator filter and Pennzoil Platinum 5w-20 in his personal car and his tick all but went away.???
 
#38 ·
As a side note (for what it's worth)

I had a technician at a Ford dealership tell me that he used a Purolator filter and Pennzoil Platinum 5w-20 in his personal car and his tick all but went away.???
So, do forum members a solid and change out to this. If you're not due for an oil change, the worse case is you're out $50 for the oil/filter ($26 a jug at Walmart). Let us know if it worked :winks

P.S. Deysha, if you're going to be part of this conversation, it would probably be fair to comment on whether these guys can use different oil weights without affecting their warranty. It's a much debated topic, so they would be putting their necks out here.
 
#40 ·
Just trying to keep everyone on task. Please post your ticking loudness and type of oil you are using.

So far with a few exceptions, it appears that the loudest ticking is associated with synthetic oils.

Go ahead and post whatever you want as I know it is hard to keep everyone on task in this forum. But please at least post your oil type and ticking loudness while you are posting stuff that does not apply to this thread. LOL :bigthumbsup
 
#43 ·
Wonder the same thing. I have regular oil in my vehicle and have a very faint tick. (Hard to hear). Many of the folks that posted on other threads with standard oil (non-synthetic) have reported no tick or very faint as well. What are you using Nick?
 
#48 ·
I do not have an audible tick but like a few others, I am on the original fill. There is one other thing to consider if you think the tick has anything to do with oil thickness. Measuring the sustained viscosity would tell you what range say a 5W-30 oil was in. Some are thinner towards 5W-20 spec, while others are heavier closer to 5W-40 area. That information would be available in a used oil analysis.

I would be interested in seeing some UOAs of the factory fill and if I do not see one then I will have to send it off to Blackstone. That might be some assistance in identifying the additive if one does not pop up before mine is due. Building a thread with UOAs could help plenty of people make informed decisions on which oils makes the most sense.
 
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