Hello everyone! I've not been around because the car was in storage for the summer and runs perfectly (for a 15 year old machine).

I knew the answer to this at one time, but age has robbed me of memory...

At start up this morning the VVT began clicking like mad. The car started and runs fine, no codes but I can hear the VVT clicking away stupidly while I'm driving mildly around town.

What's the cause/fix for this? Hard reset?

Thanks in advance...

 

Does the noise go away when you rev up the engine?
Is your oil level ok and clean oil and filter?
Have your timing chain tesnionsers been replaced at top?

 

The VVT clicking should go away above 1200-1500 rpm. If they don't it is an oil pressure problem. How cold is it there? What weight oil are you running? The use of RESTORE additive to the oil is the prescribed solution but I am concerned about low oil pressure due to cold or weight of the oil.

Remove the electrical connectors to try to isolate the noise to one side or the other just for grins.

You put the car up for the summer and are now getting it out?

 

Yep, check your oil, mine gets loud when the oil is low.

 

Thanks all.

It's in a heated garage and the temps were in the high 30's today. I have fresh 5W30 oil and filter and use Restore as well. Oil pressure is good according to my Realguage. I doubt it is low, I checked it a week ago but I can check again. Tensioners replaced. Yes, the XK8 is my winter car.

The situation is episodic. When it is going to do it, it will begin clicking madly when I turn the key to "On" even with the engine not running at all. This is not a click-click-click, but a very fast chatter. It lasts for a few seconds, then stops, then starts again. It may stop for a 10 or 15 minutes, then start it's cycle again. Often it will cycle on with acceleration but not always.

It did this today in the morning with a cold engine. It did it with a warm engine at noon. But after 75 miles in the afternoon it stopped.

Thoughts are welcome...

 

Fortunately, I have not had any VVT problems but what you describe just doesn't seem like a VVT problem. Pull the electrical connectors off the valves and see if it continues. If it does it is certainly not the VVT system. It will not do any harm to run it with out the cam advance.

 

You know, I'll do that. I only presumed it was a VVT issue but, really, it could be something else clicking. Like the ABS module (which I had rebuilt) arming itself or firing off. It sounds quick like an ABS unit. And it definitely seems as if it is coming from the drivers side but since I'm typically driving (or in a rush) when I hear it I've never opened the hood to see; but I should.

As I think about it for a minute here I'm embarrassed by my poor diagnostics.

Anyway it stopped this afternoon and the car ran like a champ for the last 50 stop and go miles.

Thanks for the tip...

 

I stopped the car to listen to the ticking. It isn't the VVT at all, but comes from the valley back by the firewall. I'm thinking a lifter is sticking.

Think it has something to do with the Restore I've just started using?

 

Are you sure it is not coming from the driver side (US) fender area?...that is where the purge valve is and they can sometimes tick loudly.

 

The ticking is (was) from the rear valley without a doubt. I've convinced myself that it is a lifter sticking. I just put a load of Seafoam in to try and clean things up. I wonder how that stuff reacts with the Nikisil lining...I'll probably lose all my compression

Good idea about the purge valve. Mine is the original and I'm sure I will get the chance to replace it sometime.

 

Your car does not have lifters to stick.

 

Ahem...you are of course correct. I guess I haven't fully transitioned out of my Corvette thinking yet this winter.

Regardless, it may be something in the valve train making a racket. I have newish primary and secondary chains, guides and tensioners so I'm thinking its not that. What symptoms does a weak spring present?

The noise seems to come the back end of the engine. What else is back there by the TB to clatter around...

Thanks

 

Fuel injector? Or is it too heavy a rattle for that? If you have a long handle screwdriver you can use it as a stethoscope and try and isolate the noise. Also the speed of the noise can be a clue - half engine speed suggests valve train somewhere. You could try recording the sound and posting on here.
Good luck.

 

That's a good tip.

After putting some Seafoam in I drove 100 miles today without a tap or tick. Perhaps it was a lack of oil pressure. If so, I'm not sure the Restore idea works for my car.

 

I have seen many instances where old fuel can cause a valve to stick in a guide. Sometimes the valve can be struck by a piston when that happens. Yours didnt! Did your fuel smell like varnish at all? (I am from a warm climate. Fuel here forsnt store very well.) This could cause your ticking. Seafoam was a good idea. May have freed up whatever caused the issue. Glad it's running ok now!

 

No varnish smell but the car did come out of storage recently (it is my winter car). I treated the fuel with Stabil before I put it away but it sat for 6 months.

I'm going to let the Seafoam do its stuff for a few hundred miles and than change the oil.

An old school trick was to put a quart of automatic transmission fluid in the crankcase for a hundred miles to clean things up...