nocking when start up

Ok, this is my first post with this group. My girlfriend drives the xterra, and I drvie a dsl truck. We are having a problem when the truck sits over night and then in the morning when she starts it makes a knocking sound or a loose metal sound until motor oil gets up into the top of the motor and then goes right away. Any ideas why this might be happening? When she stops and goes shopping and comes back in an hour or so it doesn't do it or if it does it is so quiet or faint we can't hear it. Why is it that it only does this at start up, after the engine has sat for a while. What can we do to fix it? It is a 2003 Nissan Xterra V6 3.3 non supercharged with 100k miles on it. Just clicked over. Or should we get rid of it and get a new one? We like this body style better then the new ones.

John

Non nissan filter...

the nissan filter has a check valve to keep oil up higher in the engine most frams and other filters do not.

It is a Carquest filter. I will get a Nissan Filter Monday, it is worth a shot.

I use a bosch filter with no problems,

the 3.3 is a pretty noisy motor period but it gets the job done.

Search for Lifters, Valve clatter etc in problems and annoyances and drivetrain.

It's lifter noise. This just happens with some of these motors. There is a TSB about it for my model year.

The guys at Nissan gave me the same line about the check valve in Nissan filters - but switching to them didn't make any difference. My current tactic is to ignore it.

The lifters in my truck are always clacking...which is normal. But I have noticed that when I start the truck in the morning it clacks super loud for the first 3 or 4 seconds. That was with an aftermarket oil filter. I have noticed within the last week or so (since my LOF at the dealer) it doesn't do it anymore.

I thought the same thing and after I changed it out myself I didnt really believe it. Just one solution of many. And no it may not be the cure all for the problem.