Engine Tick and AFM Disabler

[tbgrey2007]

Two questions here. Driving home yesterday and the Tahoe had been running for about 30 minutes. Heard a tick under the hood at a stoplight. Tick increased with throttle. Drove another 7 miles or so to home and no tick. Let it sit for an hour or so and cranked it up, no tick. No tick this morning driving to work. I initially thought it was a lifter, but I don't hear the tick when the motor is cold. Oil pressure, according to the gauge seems normal. Can a lifter come and go like that? Most of the post I have seen indicate the lifter tick is present when the engine is cold. Maybe I'm just paranoid given my recent luck with the truck (ECM, tranny, throttle body).

Second question. I ended up getting a new tranny in the last few weeks and an ECM. Should I consider getting one of the Range Technologies AFM disablers at this point? That roaring/rumbling sound the truck makes when in V4 mode, but otherwise no issues with the motor or the system. Vehicle is 232K on it. Most of the seals have been replaced and it has new plugs and wires. Maybe it's too late to worry about it and I should just address it once I have to do some major engine work?

 

[89Suburban]

Maybe a exhaust manifold leak fading in and out? Can you track down the location of the ticking noise? Check all the exhaust manifold bolts are there.

 

[jdwood1111]

I am wondering something similar. Check out my other thread with my video and see if it sounds like yours! After some research and recommendations from my other thread I just added a quart or ATF to the oil and we’ll see how it goes. May take a bit to work since it’s a second vehicle. My exhaust bolts were also solid but check them out as I regard a lot here they tend to break!

From reading in here the lifters can become stuck and then un-stuck but it usually takes a little effort. I have a range device after researching as well and I do not think it would hurt you. It seems like a proper tune or full delete is the better way to go but probably it at your mileage. I am planning a tune delete soon though!

 

[ivin74]

Two questions here. Driving home yesterday and the Tahoe had been running for about 30 minutes. Heard a tick under the hood at a stoplight. Tick increased with throttle. Drove another 7 miles or so to home and no tick. Let it sit for an hour or so and cranked it up, no tick. No tick this morning driving to work. I initially thought it was a lifter, but I don't hear the tick when the motor is cold. Oil pressure, according to the gauge seems normal. Can a lifter come and go like that? Most of the post I have seen indicate the lifter tick is present when the engine is cold. Maybe I'm just paranoid given my recent luck with the truck (ECM, tranny, throttle body).

Second question. I ended up getting a new tranny in the last few weeks and an ECM. Should I consider getting one of the Range Technologies AFM disablers at this point? That roaring/rumbling sound the truck makes when in V4 mode, but otherwise no issues with the motor or the system. Vehicle is 232K on it. Most of the seals have been replaced and it has new plugs and wires. Maybe it's too late to worry about it and I should just address it once I have to do some major engine work?

I have heard that those are symptoms of a lifter failure. I recommend you remove the valve covers and inspect the heads for sludge. If sludge is present lifter failure is inevitable. Please report after your findings.
How often do you change the oil and do you use synthetic oils?

 

[BG1988]

I have heard that those are symptoms of a lifter failure. I recommend you remove the valve covers and inspect the heads for sludge. If sludge is present lifter failure is inevitable. Please report after your findings.
How often do you change the oil and do you use synthetic oils?

the tick is normal on GM v8 engine just change the oil often...

my engine is ULTRA clean (brand new clean inside the engine )and still makes the "noise" i'm going to get it changed at 110k i'm doing shorter OCI before i was doing 4k it still comes out clean just like it went in..

 

[tbgrey2007]

Maybe a exhaust manifold leak fading in and out? Can you track down the location of the ticking noise? Check all the exhaust manifold bolts are there.

Will do. Out of a 50 mile drive today it ticked for 1/4 mile. I stopped and popped the hood trying to pinpoint it. Got back in and went to pull back out on the road and it was gone. Might swing by the shop and just have them check those.

I have heard that those are symptoms of a lifter failure. I recommend you remove the valve covers and inspect the heads for sludge. If sludge is present lifter failure is inevitable. Please report after your findings.
How often do you change the oil and do you use synthetic oils?

I bought this vehicle a few months ago so I have little history with it. I did change it to synthetic oil and substituted a bottle of Lucas heavy duty oil treatment. It was recommended by a dealership to a buddy of mine who has a 2001 suburban to help with engine noise and leaks. I also ran a bottle of Seafoam through it at the last fill up.

 

[tbgrey2007]

I am wondering something similar. Check out my other thread with my video and see if it sounds like yours! After some research and recommendations from my other thread I just added a quart or ATF to the oil and we’ll see how it goes. May take a bit to work since it’s a second vehicle. My exhaust bolts were also solid but check them out as I regard a lot here they tend to break!

From reading in here the lifters can become stuck and then un-stuck but it usually takes a little effort. I have a range device after researching as well and I do not think it would hurt you. It seems like a proper tune or full delete is the better way to go but probably it at your mileage. I am planning a tune delete soon though!

Yes, that sounds the same, like a sewing machine almost. It’s just weird that it comes and goes. I’m going to look into the range device. That jumping in and out of V8 grinds on my nerves in stop and go traffic. Yesterday I dropped into third so it stayed in V8 mode until traffic was moving better.

 

[89Suburban]

Yes, that sounds the same, like a sewing machine almost. It’s just weird that it comes and goes. I’m going to look into the range device. That jumping in and out of V8 grinds on my nerves in stop and go traffic. Yesterday I dropped into third so it stayed in V8 mode until traffic was moving better.

I hate it too. I run the range device in mine. Only quirks with it are it seems to rev high at times on cold start and it needs to be unplugged about a week before going in for emissions testing. Which I have to do by the end of the month. So I'll be driving around with my asZ puckered up for a bit.

 

[Dustin Jackson]

@tbgrey2007 Lifter noise can certainly come and go. My lifters have proof of that by the multiple flat spots on it. I had strange mild lifter sounds for about a year before I had a serious problem. I had AFM tuned off the entire time so that won't help you if it has already started.

 

[ivin74]

@tbgrey2007
Start buying the parts to replace the lifters. I would do the replacement asap before they completely fail and leave you stranded.

 

[BG1988]

Will do. Out of a 50 mile drive today it ticked for 1/4 mile. I stopped and popped the hood trying to pinpoint it. Got back in and went to pull back out on the road and it was gone. Might swing by the shop and just have them check those.

I bought this vehicle a few months ago so I have little history with it. I did change it to synthetic oil and substituted a bottle of Lucas heavy duty oil treatment. It was recommended by a dealership to a buddy of mine who has a 2001 suburban to help with engine noise and leaks. I also ran a bottle of Seafoam through it at the last fill up.

check the belt the belt can make noises as well

my belt is shredded you can see the line groves on the smooth side

 

[BG1988]

I hate it too. I run the range device in mine. Only quirks with it are it seems to rev high at times on cold start and it needs to be unplugged about a week before going in for emissions testing. Which I have to do by the end of the month. So I'll be driving around with my asZ puckered up for a bit.

i found a loophole with the range device
you can get the suv ready with the green check mark , then plug it back in and it will KEEP the green checkmark and block out any check engine lights as well

and drive it in m3 (m4 for hybrid model)or m5 (depending on the transmission installed it will do v8 only mode)

 

[89Suburban]

i found a loophole with the range device
you can get the suv ready with the green check mark , then plug it back in and it will KEEP the green checkmark and block out any check engine lights as well

and drive it in m3 (m4 for hybrid model)or m5 (depending on the transmission installed it will do v8 only mode)

I don't follow, please elaborate sir.

 

[B-train]

Lots of good info on here. It sounds like a sticky lifter to me. Especially with 232k on it. I'd run a quart of ATF before your next oil change like mentioned above. It has high detergents and will dissolve varnish from years and miles of hot oil.

Also, depending on what year you have, just drive in manual mode and keep it in 5 or 3. This will prevent v4 mode and sometimes, depending on what type of driving you do, can result in the same or better mileage.

I use a range in my 2017 yukon and it has been great so far

 

[BG1988]

I don't follow, please elaborate sir.

I/M readiness

(i/m readiness status) : Signal or code for emission testing which states that all the vehicle's on-board emissions diagnostics have been run.

after everything is good the person can plug in the range device and the SUV will stay ready for a smog check with the range device in the OBD port... Green check mark

 

[tbgrey2007]

@tbgrey2007 Lifter noise can certainly come and go. My lifters have proof of that by the multiple flat spots on it. I had strange mild lifter sounds for about a year before I had a serious problem. I had AFM tuned off the entire time so that won't help you if it has already started.

Maybe a exhaust manifold leak fading in and out? Can you track down the location of the ticking noise? Check all the exhaust manifold bolts are there.

I can see bolts are missing on the top side of the manifolds, one on each side. I used a screwdriver to check the one I could reach and it appears the bolt is broken off in the hole. I have not check from underneath yet.

 

[89Suburban]

I can see bolts are missing on the top side of the manifolds, one on each side. I used a screwdriver to check the one I could reach and it appears the bolt is broken off in the hole. I have not check from underneath yet.

Dorman makes clamps to bolt on to fix that without having to extract the old bolts.

 

[B-train]

Say what? Never heard of that. How do they work because exhaust gasses seem to squirt out of anywhere they can fit.........there is a joke here waiting

 

[89Suburban]

Look it up

 

[donjetman]

Say what? Never heard of that. How do they work because exhaust gasses seem to squirt out of anywhere they can fit.........there is a joke here waiting

Three of the 4 corners on our engine have a broken exhaust manifold bolt. I installed:

Exhaust Manifold bridge clamp, back driver side – APDTY brand # 028218 - amazon
and
Exhaust manifold bridge clamps, frt driver side & back pass – APDTY brand # 028253 - amazon