2010 SHO Cold Start Tick Knock

[Raybay]

I've tried reading through forums, but nothing sounds very conclusive. It sounds like this is common, so just wondering what others have come up with or suggestions you might have.

When my has been sitting for more than 2-3 hours, there is a less than 2 second knock/ticking noise, it subsides right after and only happens on start up. Oil changes don't seem to make a huge difference that I've noticed, but I'll be posting a follow up video with a fresh oil change and trying a fram filter. Current mileage is 75k, 5k on current oil Mobil 1 Full synthetic 10w30 with Motorcraft filter. Going to try a Fram filter for the next change, read that one person had luck with that. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Bought it from a dude in his 60's who had every single record including every oil change, ridiculously maintained and cared for. I bought it with 65k miles. Thanks!

 

[mrhighcaliber]

I'm currently running 5w20 and mine does not do it. If it does its very faint and for like a less than a half second. Running 5w30 it would do it on most cold starts.

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[glockcoma]

Here's a copy/paste from a similar topic that I relied to a few days ago
"It's the timing chain tensioners "ratcheting" out on the chain guide.
It's pretty common on 2010-12 MY.

The tensioners lose oil pressure from the check valve or anti drain back valve on the oil filter.

If it gets bad enough you will throw a DTC as the tensioners can no longer extend enough to adjust the vvt.
If you completely depress the gas pedal when starting it will just crank and crank. This will build oil pressure before the engine starts and the noise will not be as noticeable.

I've had this issue on my 2010 since about 25,000 miles it has not gotten any worse.(54k now)
I just use a high-quality oil and a Motorcraft oil filter and it seems to help"

I used a fram filter to see if it would make a difference and it did not.
The factory motorcraft filter seems to work the best.

 

[SilverSH0]

Mine (2010 model) has made that noise in the past when I first bought it. I changed the oil and used a Motorcraft filter and it doesn't make that noise anymore (or I don't notice it). On my 2010 cap it recommends 5W20 but I actually run 5W30 since they changed to 5W30 in 2011. I figure they must have had a reason to up the weight after the first year when nothing on the engine changed.

I'm currently running 5w20 and mine does not do it. If it does its very faint and for like a less than a half second. Running 5w30 it would do it on most cold starts.

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The difference between 5W30 and 5W20 on cold start is nothing. On cold start they're both 5 weight oil.

 

[Raybay]

Here's a copy/paste from a similar topic that I relied to a few days ago
"It's the timing chain tensioners "ratcheting" out on the chain guide.
It's pretty common on 2010-12 MY.

The tensioners lose oil pressure from the check valve or anti drain back valve on the oil filter.

If it gets bad enough you will throw a DTC as the tensioners can no longer extend enough to adjust the vvt.
If you completely depress the gas pedal when starting it will just crank and crank. This will build oil pressure before the engine starts and the noise will not be as noticeable.

I've had this issue on my 2010 since about 25,000 miles it has not gotten any worse.(54k now)
I just use a high-quality oil and a Motorcraft oil filter and it seems to help"

I used a fram filter to see if it would make a difference and it did not.
The factory motorcraft filter seems to work the best.

Thank you, thats the information I've been looking for. Have you looked into having the tensioners replaced?
Are the tensioners only malfunctioning during the start up? I'm curious if the process is getting worse even after the noise subsides after start up.

And so your vehicle only does this on a cold start, right? If you turn yours off, you can restart it and the noise will not repeat until you've left the vehicle off for hours?

Thanks for the information, very helpful!

 

[glockcoma]

The tensioners are doing there job. I wouldn't say that they're malfunctioning. The oil filter is bleeding pressure past its internal check valve.
I don't have any indication that the tensioners need to be replaced. If the chain has to much slack it will throw a dtc.

Yes , only on a cold start.
Sometimes it doesn't do it at all after sitting the weekend.

 

[mrhighcaliber]

Mine (2010 model) has made that noise in the past when I first bought it. I changed the oil and used a Motorcraft filter and it doesn't make that noise anymore (or I don't notice it). On my 2010 cap it recommends 5W20 but I actually run 5W30 since they changed to 5W30 in 2011. I figure they must have had a reason to up the weight after the first year when nothing on the engine changed.


The difference between 5W30 and 5W20 on cold start is nothing. On cold start they're both 5 weight oil.

My cap says 5w20 as well. I run 5w20 in the winter. 5w30 during the summer when I plan on beating on it. I run the amsoil filter and did not change it when I changed over to my winter 5w20 from 5w30. The start up rattle happened on most cold starts or warm starts where its sat for 3hrs+. Changing to 5w20, I get no rattle and even when the car has sat for a day and even then the rattle is so short and faint you wouldn't notice it unless you're trying to listen for it. I'm about to change back to 5w30 after I install my meth in a few weeks with a new filter.

Also, the 5w oil category is only a "category". The oils within that group have a range of viscosity characteristics based on differing hot viscosities, base stocks, additives, etc. There is an upper and lower range limit to the cold viscosity and the hot viscosities of lubricants. The limit for a 5w is 6000 on the CCS scale at -30°c. The hot range for a 5w20 is 5.6cst to 9.3cst @100°c. A 5w30 oil's hot range is 9.3cst to 12.5cst. A 5w20 and 5w30 are going to become more similar in viscosity below zero as the temp reaches to -30. But above 0°, there is usually about the same percentage of viscosity difference as there is at 100°c. Which is about 25%~ for the amsoil line that I'm using. I usually start my vehicle above 0°, and at those temps, a 5w20 of almost any brand is going to be lower on the viscosity scale (thinner) than a 5w30.

Rheology is fun isn't it? Lol

Now on the the startup noise. That tensioner is suppose to ratchet one way as the chain stretches and the chain guides wear, saving its position. However, It does not retain its position, so its up to the residual oil pressure in the system to help keep that tensioner pushed out after engine shut down. The tension from the chain/ guide, forces the tensioner plunger in and the tensioner retracts due to the racheting mechanism not doing its job; forcing the supporting oil out from behind it. So when you start back up a few hours later, the oil pressure has to re-apply tension to the chain. And that noise you hear is either the tensioner extending past its ratchet teeth/detents or the slop from the chain flopping around until tension is fully applied.

This is just my theory.

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