2.5L engine noise

[wally]

I have a 98 ranger with the 2.5L and 145,000 miles on it. When I start it there is a loud ticking sound. It almost sounds like an old diesel. It seems to go away after it gets warmed up though, and I don't hear it driving. I'm not sure though if it is the lifters or something else. The motor runs great and doesn't use any oil. I was told its common for these motors to have a tick but I would like to know what it is and if its worth fixing

 

[sts95ranger]

This is the exact problem I came on here to post about.

Mine does this too. My truck only has 84k on it. I use to drive it 30 miles each way to work when I lived in Northern VA and never heard this sound. Now I drive it about 2 miles each way to work. The car doesn't get fully warmed up to and from work. The mechanic I took it too ( of course it doesn't make the sound when you take it to them) said since the car wasn't doing it when it was good and warmed up that he thought it was the lifters. His suggestion was to change the spark plugs (I changed the easy side to get to but didn't change the other yet), wires, use a good oil system flush (amsoil) and use a synthetic oil. He said he thinks that by not gettting it warmed up everyday that the hydraulic lifters are getting gummed up and thats what is causing the sound.

It really does sound like a diesel when you start it and it does diesel sound if you blip the gas real quick too. Almost like a predetonation sound.

The oil guage takes a few seconds to come up to full pressure as well. I am also getting a whislting sound that I haven't looked into now.

The longer the car sits the worse the dieseling sound is. It doesn't seem to affect the way the truck runs but it sounds like something is wrong.

 

[wally]

I drive about 20 miles or so to work everyday and mostly expressway too. It just had a tune-up over the summer so plugs are good. Thought I'd try some marvel mystery oil first then maybe run some flush through it if that doesn't work. I'm hesitant to use synthetic oil after 145k on the motor, is it really worth the extra expense.

 

[Hardwareman]

Just run a bottle of Lucas and 4 quarts of regular oil.





Allen

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

This is the exact problem I came on here to post about.

Mine does this too. My truck only has 84k on it. I use to drive it 30 miles each way to work when I lived in Northern VA and never heard this sound. Now I drive it about 2 miles each way to work. The car doesn't get fully warmed up to and from work. The mechanic I took it too ( of course it doesn't make the sound when you take it to them) said since the car wasn't doing it when it was good and warmed up that he thought it was the lifters. His suggestion was to change the spark plugs (I changed the easy side to get to but didn't change the other yet), wires, use a good oil system flush (amsoil) and use a synthetic oil. He said he thinks that by not gettting it warmed up everyday that the hydraulic lifters are getting gummed up and thats what is causing the sound.

It really does sound like a diesel when you start it and it does diesel sound if you blip the gas real quick too. Almost like a predetonation sound.

The oil guage takes a few seconds to come up to full pressure as well. I am also getting a whislting sound that I haven't looked into now.

The longer the car sits the worse the dieseling sound is. It doesn't seem to affect the way the truck runs but it sounds like something is wrong.

i drive a 99 with 110000 miles and does exactly tha same thing exept for the whistle sound u say. mine has the cooling fan clutch almost free (spins free) and my mech thinks thats the reason of the sound, but im not completly sure about that, any advice would be great to fix this, when it warms up the sound goes, and it doesnt consume any oil so the engine is still good

 

[sts95ranger]

The problem is my truck never really gets warm. Last night I went to the WVU vs UCONN game and sat in traffic for 20 minutes on the way home. The truck didn't warm until about 15 minutes of idling. The sound was pretty bad. Its almost more of a rough grinding/dieseling sound. Even at idle it sounds rough. It almost seems to be worse when its cold and rainy. The whistling has actually become a little more obvious and I think its a bet squealing.

 

[wally]

I just replaced my idler pulley, tensioner, and belt to take care of a squeeky noise( almost a whistle sound). I do use lucas oil now and still get the ticking when its cold. I think my lifters are gummed up and need a good flush.

sts95ranger. as far as your truck not warming up, its probably your thermostat.

 

[Joseph61189]

Mine does this ticking noise as well, more so when I have the heat on. Ill be sitting at a stop light or it will be idling in the drive way to warm up and it makes that noise. Not constant or anything, just once in awhile..

 

[toyotakiller10]

the first thing i would try is to use a lighter weight oil because the cold will stiffen the oil a little make it heavy if you use a lighter oil the problem might just be that the oil isnt getting where it needs to right away until it warms up and thins out. i wirk at napa we had a ranger with a 2.5 that did this and one day it was ran too hard while still cold and blew a rod through the block.

 

[Ranger Sport Honduras]

but the lighter oil will work fine in hot weather?

 

[wally]

you should run your regular oil in warmer weather.

 

[Bryan22]

that 'ticking' might not be what you think it is at all. a couple times when i'd start my truck there would be a horrible ticking sound. after turning the truck off and restarting it, the ticking would go away. sounded more to me like the injectors than anything else. for me a new(junkyard) computer totally alleviated the problem. Fuel injectors not functioning properly will make a 'ticking' sound. I don't know what cause my prolem, but i do know what fixed it. This is not meant to be an end-all - be all solution, just my observation.

 

[4BangRanger]

I also hear the same noise on my 99 XL. My brother is a mechanic and he told me that its the oil that hasnt reached its way to the top of the crankcase or something when the engine is cold of course. My truck has got 107k and needs a tune pretty bad. Got the parts just dont know if the intake manifold has to come off or not?? Anyone know?

 

[wally]

finally decided to run half a bottle of sea foam through the bake booster vacuum hose and it pretty much stopped the ticking noise. guessing the egr system is dirty and was causing the problem.

 

[Earl43P]

Took you long enough to get around to it!

Mine ticks at idle rpms when the oil level is low. Less so when right at full on the dipstick, but still present. It's got 142k and is my first 2.5 (6th Ranger), had it about 2 months now. Tick goes away above idle speeds.

I'll try the SeaFoam when I drain the coolant Flush out this weekend.

Mine also has an EGR problem that a new DPFE didn't quite fix. It got rid of the code and light, but it still surges at steady speeds (so i have the EGR valve vacuum line removed). We'll see!