Lookin' for a little sympathy...

[Silver Ex]

I've been getting some engine noise over the last couple of weeks, so Silver Ex headed into the shop (covered under extended warranty) tonight for an early morning cold-start diagnostic session tomorrow A.M.

I bought my '98 XLT used on August 3rd with 79K on the ticker and there was no noise. If there had been, I would have passed. I had the oil changed on August 13th before we had to take our daughter to college, just to be safe. Ford dealer oil change with 10W-30 blend. Like I said, noise started about 2 weeks ago. Sounds like a muted diesel, not as loud cold as warm. I thought it sounded like lifter noise, but the mechanic said it might be "deeper" into the motor after he listened to it run when I dropped it off. Hope its not a rod or something.

Should hear later tomorrow. Hoping to have it back quick, fixed and costing no more than my deductable. Keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[phjohnso]

Let us know what the problem and fix ended up being for your expy please.

sincerely

pj

 

[Silver Ex]

A clean engine...that was the culprit.

The first thing the mechanic did was check the oil level. He noticed that the oil on the dip was clean, too clean he said. In his experience, he said that it could mean only two things...there was a new motor in the engine bay or someone recently used a solvent-based engine flush. The engine flush had most likely been the cause. He said that even a teaspoon of dirty oil added to 6 quarts of clean oil will discolor the new oil. And since there are hundreds of nooks and crannies that old oil can sit in, not to mention the lines to and from the oil filter (its remote on mine, not on the block), even a fresh oil change will discolor after only a few miles. The actual cause of the noise...clogged oil holes on the lifters. I know, they're not really lifters, but that's what we ended up calling them.

Anyway, he put in a bottle of Hy-Per-Lube. Engine additive...oh, NO!!! He told me that if it were his vehicle, he would put in the additive and drive it, not tear apart the top left bank and install new "lifters". He swears by this additive. And he only charged me the cost of said additive. The optimist in me says that he could have socked me for the time that he spent diagnosing, but he didn't. This was a potential warranty claim, so I could have been liable for my $100 deductable, taxes and fluids. Now I could be skeptical and say that he was avoiding a repair bill FOR the warranty company, but he still could have done the work, billed the warranty company for their share of the bill and nicked me for my share, too. Or he could have simply billed me for an amount up to my deductable for the labor.

It did quiet it down a lot, so I'll drive it a while and decide if I'm going to do anything else after a few weeks before the warranty expires.