Best regards Team:

2000 V6 X-Terra with 40,000 Miles, all maintenance done with the dealer. Since some time ago I can hear the clicking noise of the valves when I start to accelerate, is this a normal sound...?? The dealer has always use the CASTROL Oil but last time I use SHELL ROTELLA Heavy Duty Oil and the sound seems to have diminish a little but is still there. Any ideas/suggestions will be really appreciated.

RB

Exhaust manifold... Do a search in this topic for that and you'll probably have your answer.

I had the same problem and it turned out to be the #2 exhaust lifter was mushroomed, all of the others were excessively scored, and the rocker arms were scored. I guess they were loose!! I told my service manager about it and he kind of blew it off. I had my wife take it in when she got back to Wisconsin and the dealership there fixed it. I was kind of mad at my service manager because that could have caused big problems down the road. Don't let him/her blow you off!!! If you have any other questions..I have all of the paperwork and I could scan it and e-mail it to you.

I have a very slight ticking at start up usually when cold but not much after that. I dont really notice it when driving?

Zapata,
One thing you might want to try, since you noticed a difference with different oil, it to try an oil with a higher ppm of molybdenum...something like Pennzoil high mileage formula or RedLine.
But, you will notice that the owners manual states that if the valves are making noise that they should be adjusted. Our Hondas call for this service every 30k miles. The XTerra calls for it when "necessary". I think you've reached that point.
Bogatyr

You can't adjust the valves on the V6, it has hydraulic lifters...

Ah, I see...that note in the manual is only for the 4 cylinder engine...my mistake.
Bogaytr

Zapata,

Did you ever find out what was wrong? Bring it in to the dealer and have them take a look at it. Tell them not to fix anything without your permission (I think required by law anyways). Pay the 60-100 for the service call. It will be worth it. Then if it is something easy, or nothing at all...you can save yourself some cash money. Then you can use it to buy cloned cows!

bump

The V6 uses hydrolic lifters (click here)

Oil can drain out of them when the engine is stopped - until they fill back up they make noise. The better oil filters have anti-drainback valves to help prevent this, but I just noticed my X was doing this (rattle at startup) and I have the Nissan filter.

and a good writeup on lifters in general:

http://www.aera.org/Techside/TECH11-02.pdf

I was told by a Nissan guru that the Nissan oil filters have an oil resevoir in them to help eliminate this problem. Not sure if it is true or not, but I only use Nissan oil filters now.

I have similar noise on mine and the tech said I should try using higher octane gas...I only use 87 octane. Going to try this when tank is near empty. He also suggested the Nissan oil filter would help and the exhaust manifold was not cracked or the culprit. He didn't think the valves made this noise because it only makes the noise when you accelerate.

We will see what happens with better gas and oil filter, but I don't remember this being a problem when I bought the truck Oct. 1999. The engine got the Ever Wear oil treatment (similar to Slick 50) at around 30k miles and this noise started back in Feb. 2003. Currently 68k.

Could be nothing!

I also experience a "tapping", "pinging" sounds when accelerating. I've read from old threads that this is normal for a short pinging to occur during acceleration, but mine keeps pinging until I stop accelerating. I use 89 fuel and the truck was just serviced.

How do you guys know it's the valves and not the pistons slapping against the side of the cylinder from a worn out engine? I have 45k on mine. I guess I wanted to know how to distinguish the sound from a valve from a sound from some other part of the engine.

Thanks

This is funny this topic is coming up a lot these days. Because my Xterra, with 51,000 miles, is doing the same thing lately. It "pings" only on heavy acceleration until I let off the gas pedal. But, not everytime though. Possible bad fuel pump? I tried going up to 89 octane and it stopped for a while. This tank I have in now is 89 octane and it pinged yesterday. It is not a "knocking" or "clicking" noise. So I do not think it is the exhaust manifold. It is definitely a "pinging" noise. I remember when Brent said in the manual it says that the engine will ping as the computer retards the the timing for better fuel mileage, or something to that effect......

Does anyone think my timing could be off?
Plus, my idle s-u-c-k-s ever since I can remember when my truck is in Drive. It idles at a little over 500rpm, when it is supposed to be around 750rpm. I am thinking possible vacuum leak here. Thoughts?

Stone

Stone, all the problem I am having sounds exactly like yours. My idle is low when the tranny is in Drive. It idles down close to 500rpm also and so I get a lot of studder or vibration when I'm stopped at a light. I don't know what the problem is. I'm more concerned about the pinging as that sounds like it can do a lot more damage to my engine than the low idle. Any car guru know why it's doing this? I noticed it's gotten a lot worse. I'm thinking maybe I need to put in better engine oil, but from what I've read, engine oil won't fix the problem. Help!

David

Well, I have the same noise when accelerating...Nissan tech said I should try a tank of 93 octane and see if it gets better..I have been puting 87 octane in since purchased (10/99). Just filled up with high octane...so I will post again with results!

BTW: I just had my 60k service...clean throttle body, spark plugs, (recently put on new plug wires) and it still does it! Tech did say after cleaning throttle body, there was some carbon build up that could adversely affect performance.

What octane do you use?

I use 89 octane. Have been since I've had my truck. As far as I know, 89 should be fine unless the Chevron gas with techron is messing with the engine seeing it's a cleaning agent and all. I don't know, I just feel that under heavy acceleration or heavy load, the engine really shouldn't be clicking and tapping that loud and that long. I'm just afraid something is going to snap or break eventually if I don't figure out the problem soon.

Problem solved...the 92 octane fillup must have taken care of the problem of pinging/knocking (sounding like deisel) because it's very quiet now. You can just hear the engine...sounds wonderful compared the old knocking that was almost embarrassing on a quiet day driving up hill in neighborhood!

Try the highest octane for you having similar problems....worked for me!!

Rather than spend the $ on premium fuel, how about getting a tune-up? Have the plugs and timing checked, etc.

Brent

Well, I swapped out my K&N FIPK and replaced it witht he stock intake and the sound seem to have gone away. I asked a friend of mine and he said maybe with the FIPK, my air/fuel was running a little thin, causing the pinging.

Is that possible? I thought the computer relearns if you unplug the battery when u change out the stock intake. Anyone else experience a similar problem with their FIPK?

Thanks,
David

Has anyone come up with a better resolution?

Today, with the A/C on, my truck was worse. The pinging was under regular acceleration; not even a heavy foot. But, again, it did not happen every time. I do have 87 octane in this tank. I cannot see this as being the problem as I have been using 87 octane for the last three years. Why now?

I just don't get it.

Any suggestions? Other than take it to the dealer? Which I am contimplating right now......

Anyone have a service manual, not the ESM, that has a trouble-shooting section? Can someone look up up "engine knock or ping" and let me know what the suggestions are?

Thanks,

Stone

I said it earlier....

Stonecoldchavez: Have you tried a tank of premium fuel? I didn't have this problem up until Feb/03 and I have owned and operated with 87 octane since Nov/99. Just give it a try and if it doesn't work, then move on to next possible resolution. I have read so many people with similar problems, but some resolutions work and some don't. Unless you want to take it into dealer, keep trying the easiest ones first!

Good Luck!

I was having the same problem after driving to canada last weekend. All the way there under any kind of acceleration in any gear I would get a rattling/pinging noise. I had that noise before when I had a cracked manifold, but the other noise that accompanied it wasn't there this weekend. When I got home I changed the oil (it was due for it) and decided to add a bottle of valvoline Max life to the crankcase, since I have 96,600 miles now. Its supposed to help the seals expand and quiet valve noise.

All I know is that now, 1 day later, I get no pinging at all, even under hard acceleration, so it may have solved the problem. It was also idling rough, and starting in first gear was really hard. I had to let the clutch out super slow to get it to go without jerking like crazy. I still plan on taking it in and having them go over everything before I hit 100,000, but the clutch problem has disappeared since the addition of the Max Life also (I know its probably unrelated). Its only like $4.00, maybe worth a shot.

-Tim