2010 Silverado 5.3l Lifter Ticking

[mokeman3]

My 2010 5.3L Silverado w/ 5.3L Vortec has what sounds like a lifter ticking on the left bank, and it's been doing it for a while now, but it's really starting to bother me. It does it at idle up to about 1,500 RPM whether the engine is hot or cold.

 

I've read countless articles found on Google, and even found a youtube video with the exact noise, but it was for a 2009 Silverado (with the 5.3L Vortec). But I haven't seen anything mentioned for this issue on anything newer than 2009.

 

Does anyone have any experience with this issue on the 2010? If so is there any definitive cause, and anything that can, and should be done about it ?

 

Thanks!

[worktruck2011]

Does anyone have any experience with this issue on the 2010? If so is there any definitive cause, and anything that can, and should be done about it ? Thanks!

 

Don't have any experience with this...but a 2010 should still be under a 5 year / 100,000 mile power train warranty unless you drive an insane amount per year.

[6Sixathome]

FWIW, my '08 Sierra 1500 crew 5.3L AFM had the lifters changed under the PT warranty at 47K, it's the AFM (active fuel management) lifters that go bad, there are 8 AFM lifters and 8 regular lifters. It's open heart surgury for sure, the whole top of the engine has to come off, even the heads so they can get to the lifters. My dealer has a GM Master tech who in my book is the best there is, if you were'nt looking for it you could'nt tell that anything had been done. I'll post a link thanks to Z15 http://www.silveradosierra.com/vortec-5-3l...855.html#p48033

 

I'll try another link of a cam install which will show you what has to come off your engine, except yours will not have the cam or timing chain taken out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PkJne4OIb8

[mokeman3]

Thanks, - that's helpful. I'm besides myself over the whole thing, - especially since this seems to be so common, (except for seeing any reports for the 2010 5.3L), and the fact that so many dealers are telling owners that "it's normal". I'll make an appointment, and let you know what they say.

 

Did your problem just start near 45K miles?

[demech23]

 

• TSB10-06-01-007B: Engine valve lifter tick noise at start up when engine has been off for 2 hours or more... The first step is to change the engine oil. I always use the remote start while walking up to the truck (2010 5.3 cc) and I could hear a tick for 1-2 sec coming from the driver's side of the motor. I have been using mobil 1 ext life oil and mobil 1 ext life filter since 2,000 miles and now have under 20k and was only 3,400mi since my last oil change. I put on a AC Delco filter with mobil 1 oil ext life and the noise went away all together....change your oil.
  

 

[mokeman3]

The truck is at the dealer as I type. They gave me a rental car, and said they will call with their findings.

 

Q: What exact weight oil, and what exact filter (P/N) did you use to make this noise go away ?

 

Also, not sure I stated this, but my ticking doesn't happen at cold (I only get minor piston slap noise when cold), but happens after the motor is warmed up, and keeps making the noise all the time (so long as the motor is warm).

[mokeman3]

I have been using mobil 1 ext life oil and mobil 1 ext life filter since 2,000 miles and now have under 20k and was only 3,400mi since my last oil change. I put on a AC Delco filter with mobil 1 oil ext life and the noise went away all together....change your oil.

 

Ok, wait a second here. I just re-read your post (after I just made my reply), and I'm confused..

 

First you said you used a Mobile 1 filter, then a AC Delco filter. Are you suggesting that it was the AC Delco filter that fixed it ?

[6Sixathome]

Let us know what the dealer finds. FWIW, I tried different brand oils (all 5w-30) with AC filters and that did'nt fix the issue which is mechanical.

[demech23]

I went from using the Mobil1 m1-113 oil filter(for almost 20k since new) back to the AC Delco PF48. However I am still using the Mobil1 5w30 ext life synthic oil (which happens to be dexos1). The valvetrain noise would only happen for 1-2 seconds max right after start up. I have also notice that before with the Mobil1 filter my oil pressure guage would stay mostly around dead center on the guage at all times, now with the AC Delco filter the guage drops a little from center at idle or really low rpm but dramatically raises past center under acceleration or at higher rpm's. In addition. when I had the filters side by side, the AC Delco's six holes are larger than the Mobil1's six holes, improved flow mabey??? Good luck...

[mokeman3]

Update: I did the dealer thing, and that was a dead end. After dealing with the hassle, and the dealer paid Enterprise rental car (that was helpful), I came up empty handed:

 

 

The only thing I got out of it, was to get the irritating Defroster programing problem corrected:

 

 

And oh yeah, I got a WHOLE lot more too! (bastards). I got the truck washed, got some sort of oil sprayed ALL over the tires (gonna take some doing to wipe/wash that crap off of the tires, and now wheel wells and fenders/quarter panels), got the seat adjustments ALL flubbed up, BOTH exterior mirrors are mal adjusted, and get this! - reprogrammed some of my radio PRESETS to some sort of Mexican station. The gull !

[mokeman3]

I went from using the Mobil1 m1-113 oil filter(for almost 20k since new) back to the AC Delco PF48. However I am still using the Mobil1 5w30 ext life synthic oil (which happens to be dexos1). The valvetrain noise would only happen for 1-2 seconds max right after start up. I have also notice that before with the Mobil1 filter my oil pressure guage would stay mostly around dead center on the guage at all times, now with the AC Delco filter the guage drops a little from center at idle or really low rpm but dramatically raises past center under acceleration or at higher rpm's. In addition. when I had the filters side by side, the AC Delco's six holes are larger than the Mobil1's six holes, improved flow mabey??? Good luck...

 

Ok, I sorta see where yer going here, but I think that your thinking might be backwards:

 

For starters, I'm concerned that my oil pressure drops so low at warm idle while in gear. It's between 1/4 scale and dead center which is I think is about 30 PSI:

 

However when racing it up a bit (1,500-2,000 RPM), it just crests 1/2 way, or dead center as you say which is probably a tad over 40 PSI:

 

In years of rebuilding motors, "higher" oil pressure was always seen as the better thing, not "lower". So if you had a filter that was yielding a "higher" oil pressure at idle, then to me, this was the better filter, no ?

 

As far as hydraulic lifters, and oil film barrier bearings (rod & crank bearings), you typically want "pressure", not "flow". In fact, as engines wear, higher "flow" (associated with increasing bearing clearances as engines wear) is seen as a "bad" thing since higher "flow" usually results in lower overall "pressures".

[demech23]

Here at work we had a truck come into the dealership during the summer time, when the engine waswarm there was a noticable valvetrain noise at idle with the window's down and radio off. GM had service put the windows up, set the blower to the first setting from off and listen for the noise...if nothing heard GM stated that was normal. A GM rep even came to the dealership to inspect the truck, but needless to say nothing was found and or done and the customer was not satisfied...

On the other note, I just found it interesting that I went back to using the AC Delco instead of using the Mobil1 and that 1 second noise at start up end all together. In addition, when my truck is idle the guage doesn't drop nearly as far as yours does.

[mokeman3]

I just found it interesting that I went back to using the AC Delco instead of using the Mobil1 and that 1 second noise at start up end all together. In addition, when my truck is idle the guage doesn't drop nearly as far as yours does.

 

Ok, so that I'm clear, am I understanding that by you going to the AC Delco PF47 (blue?) that:

 

A) Your start-up noise went away

B) Your warm-engine ticking noise (like what I have) went away

 

If so, I'll hunt down a AC Delco PF47 and do a oil change tomorrow morning.

[6Sixathome]

I just found it interesting that I went back to using the AC Delco instead of using the Mobil1 and that 1 second noise at start up end all together. In addition, when my truck is idle the guage doesn't drop nearly as far as yours does.

 

Ok, so that I'm clear, am I understanding that by you going to the AC Delco PF47 (blue?) that:

 

A) Your start-up noise went away

B) Your warm-engine ticking noise (like what I have) went away

 

If so, I'll hunt down a AC Delco PF47 and do a oil change tomorrow morning.

 

I believe the 2010's still take a PF-48 filter. New oil may make the noise go away for a little while but if it's a mechanical issue it'll be back.

[Ryan00TJ]

I went from using the Mobil1 m1-113 oil filter(for almost 20k since new) back to the AC Delco PF48. However I am still using the Mobil1 5w30 ext life synthic oil (which happens to be dexos1). The valvetrain noise would only happen for 1-2 seconds max right after start up. I have also notice that before with the Mobil1 filter my oil pressure guage would stay mostly around dead center on the guage at all times, now with the AC Delco filter the guage drops a little from center at idle or really low rpm but dramatically raises past center under acceleration or at higher rpm's. In addition. when I had the filters side by side, the AC Delco's six holes are larger than the Mobil1's six holes, improved flow mabey??? Good luck...

 

Ok, I sorta see where yer going here, but I think that your thinking might be backwards:

 

For starters, I'm concerned that my oil pressure drops so low at warm idle while in gear. It's between 1/4 scale and dead center which is I think is about 30 PSI:

 

However when racing it up a bit (1,500-2,000 RPM), it just crests 1/2 way, or dead center as you say which is probably a tad over 40 PSI:

 

In years of rebuilding motors, "higher" oil pressure was always seen as the better thing, not "lower". So if you had a filter that was yielding a "higher" oil pressure at idle, then to me, this was the better filter, no ?

 

As far as hydraulic lifters, and oil film barrier bearings (rod & crank bearings), you typically want "pressure", not "flow". In fact, as engines wear, higher "flow" (associated with increasing bearing clearances as engines wear) is seen as a "bad" thing since higher "flow" usually results in lower overall "pressures".

 

 

The 28-30 psi at hot idle your showing is just fine. Good rule of thumb is 10-12psi for every 1000 rpms. Mine reads exactly the same as yours.