Hey guys my car just started making this rapid ticking noise from the top back of the engine after some aggressive driving. There is a small metal tube that rapidly spits out air in sequence with the knocks and thats where its coming from.

I have read the other posts. Seems this is very common and no one has a for sure answer to it except use ester oil.

The interesting part is that i just got the car back from the dealership after they changed a valve cover gasket under power train.

My car is a 2012 g37s with 61k.

Do you think the dealership changed the oil? Is that common to change oil during a value gasket? And maybe that caused it. I have never had the oil changed because I bought it with 60k on it this pasted NOV so not sure what was in it before.

Thoughts?

 

Bring it back to the dealer first and point out the noise. If they say that's normal, at least you've documented it.

Second, buy a good-quality ester-based oil and do a full oil change with filter. I will recommend Royal Purple as it's stopped the VVEL tick issue on both of my Infiniti vehicles.

It took a few days to quiet down the tick in my QX70S but was almost immediate in my G37 Coupe. It's all I use now and if you do the work yourself, it's still $30 cheaper than the dealer's synthetic oil change.

 

I thought royal purple wasn't ester based, or they changed it at some point so its not. I switched from it to Redline BC the last year or so I noticed more top end noise ...redline quieted it down ...is there a specific version you use?
, maybe the RP up here in Canada is different

 

Royal Purple is a full synthetic, ester based, across their product line. The additives package changes depending on which one you purchase. Redline is a good product as well.

There are three RP lines available. One is the API-approved oil and two high performance versions that don't have an API certification. I used the XPR version in the past in my rotary vehicle but use the API version currently in the G. I'd see EGT's in the 1800 degree range on my turbocharged rotary so I needed something extreme as well as something that left minimal deposits when "consumed" in a combustion event.

The API version is available at Walmart now as well as several auto parts store chains here in the U.S. I'm not seeing a different product line for Canada but I could have missed it.

Edit: I'm guessing the HPR line is not as emissions-friendly as the API line, specifically in regards to the life of your catalytic converter. Just a guess but it may have an even more effective additives package that can affect cat life.

 

Sorry for the late response but I do have an update.

So before I was able to take the car back to the dealership... it was the weekend. I ran the codes from the car and I got P0441 and P0456 if I remember correctly. They were saying it was a leak in the evap system. I did a little research and after that I went back and took a look at the engine and where the sound was coming from with light. Before i didnt have any light to get a good look. Well the hose that goes on the evap purge valve was just sitting next to the valve not connected. Apparently when the dealership replaced the valve cover gasket they removed the hose but never put it back. Crazy huh?

So I put the hose back on. Reset the codes. Drove the car and everything is back to normal.

Thank you for the replies. I do want to ask another question about the oil though. I'll post again abiut that questiin.

 

I have done a good bit of research on this forum about oil. I read the while oil sticky. I know that it can be more of a matter of opinion but I am leaning towards going with royal purple for my first oil change coming up. I drive the car fairly conservative and I think I read that redline was better for very aggressive drivers. Plus i havnt really anything bad about RP.

Information in my car: 2012 auto with 62k on it. I bought it 4 months ago when it had 60k. So thats why im coming up on my first oil change. I have no idea what they previous ower used.

Here is my issue... I put very few miles on my car. As you can tell from my information above. It is my daily driver but I work 3 miles from home. Also when we go on trips we always take my wifes FX35. I do plan on doing some day mountain runs but its always going to be about 5 months before I hit 3K on my oil.

Is that an issue?

 

I'd take a look to see if there's any benefit of using one brand vs. another when it comes to fuel dilution then. If anything, it's a bit more critical to change it out every three months due to the oil not fully heating up to operating temp for long enough to burn off contaminants including fuel and moisture.

I was logging my oil temps from startup to see how long it took to get up to temperature and what my peak temps were. I have a route I use daily to get to work and at one point, I usually have to accelerate rapidly to merge in with traffic before getting on the highway. Prior to that, it's a bit of stop and go and a long stretch or two.

I figured this was more than enough time to bring the oil temp up before I got on the gas hard. Nope. After almost 10 minutes, it still hadn't reached 180 degrees. I was really surprised by this as the temp gauge shows the car is warmed up long before I reach the hard acceleration "zone" so to speak. Takes me 9 minutes and change to get to the acceleration zone but my car doesn't fully warm up until I'm on the highway. Then it's a 15 minute cruise which is more than enough to bring the oil up to temp and burn off the bad stuff.

 

So I looked it up I am 3.6 miles away from work. It takes me 10 mins to get to work. I also go home on my break.
Here is what each day looks for me.

Leave for work at 8:50am. Get to work at 9. Leave for home at 11:50 arrive home at noon. Leave back for work at 12:50 pm get back at work at 1. Most of the time Ill take another break at 4:30 get home at 4:40 go back to work at 5:15ish and get to work 5:25pm. Ill work until 7:30 or 8 and stop by a store or whatever. Im home by 8pm. Do it over again lol.

I know that sounds like a crazy schedule but I work at a college and teach there as well. So its long days but also flexible. I also know that looks like a good bit of driving but im literally in my car for for just over an hour and only less than 25 miles a day. Prob only 10 miles on a weekend because we take my wifes car most of the time.

I feel like my car is heating up a good bit because I am in and out of it so often just not for a very long time.

If I am getting getting to the right temperature is it OK to change the oil every 4 months? I could prob have it changed at 3k three times a year. Also at that intervals would using RP be pointless.

 

Oh also I live in Atlanta so its hot and traffic sucks lol.