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Ticking Noise

18K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  Felix Dominguez 
#1 ·
I've got a pretty noisy ticking noise on my 3.7l that increases with RPM. Starting to think it might be lifters.

Suspected exhaust leak at first.


Not looking forward to either of these things.

Anyone have any suggestions of what to look for specifically?

No warning messages atm. Going to check for codes.

I need to get a stethoscope or something and try and track it down.
 
#2 ·
Is it louder when the engine is cold? If the ticking goes away or gets quieter after the engine warms up it is an exhaust leak caused by broken exhaust manifold bolts. Not all that difficult to fix on the 3.7. A real pain on the 5.7, don't ask me how I know this!!

Dan
 
#4 ·
I was overdue on a oil change. Went ahead and took care of that, and put in some trans fluid, (will do a short OCI) hoping that might clean up any issues.

It is definitely quieter, but still present.

Gotta be lifters... I'm guessing. Oil change should not have effected it at all if it were an exhaust leak. Thankfully its not a terrible fix.

Working on getting some videos up.
 
#7 ·
Some 3.7 liter Chrysler engines had an issue with oil passage plugging on the rear valve tappets and cam bearings. This can be due to sludge buildup depending on the oil type being used and how often oil changes are made and if the engine is used for short trips often and not thoroughly warmed up. A ticking sound may develop due to excessive clearance from lack of lubrication.
 
#8 ·
I've been running pennzoil platinum 5w20 for the whole time I've owned the vehicle, which has a fair amount of detergents. Im doing a very short OCI with some transmission fluid this week to see if it'll clear it up.


Still ticking though atm... I know that the lifter problem is common on the 4.7's as well, which the 3.7 is very similar to.
 
#10 · (Edited)
The 3.7 (and the 4.7 since the V-6 is the same block - the front two cylinders are just a chopped off the V-8) doesn't have lifters - there are rocker arms that ride on the cam on one end and press down on the valves on the other. The 3.7's from '02 through '04 are notorious for rockers coming off their mount and obviously causing quite a racket. The issue doesn't usually cause a problem in the cylinders with valves hitting the pistons since the valves are by default held closed by the valve springs. Since the Commander didn't start till the '06 model year that shouldn't be an issue.

However...

I replaced the 3.7 in my '03 Liberty due to a low end tick/slap that devolved into a full-blown knock. The previous owner was not good on engine maintenance (very good on keeping it washed and rust-free though) and when I tore the engine down it had burned crank bearings from long OCI's or letting it run low. I'm OCD with oil changes and that probably removed sludge before it went bad but that engine was toast when I swapped it out with one from an '06 Dakota with 9000 miles on it.

My suggestion is thicker oil; I run 5W30 in my Liberty's '06 engine and it runs great. A little thicker viscosity in your '06 Commander may help with the ticking. Also check the belt tensioner - it will make interesting sounds as it starts going bad.

My 2 cents...

Bob
 
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