just purchased used "05 Crossfire with 45,000 km. On the first start of the day there is a lot of clicking coming from the engine. Once it warms up for a couple of minutes, it purrs like a kitten. On subsequent srarts during the day is is also quiet. Should I be overly concerned?

 

I'd look into changing the oil to make sure it is fresh and the correct viscosity.

 

yes change the oil & make sure you use mobil 1 0/40w but before you change the oil put in a bottle of sea foam into the oil & let it run for a while even a day wont hurt ! Then change the oil & filter & you will be good to go ! I use sea foam in gas tank & oil before changing ! I use to have a tick also on cold starts but not any more ! Most auto parts & rurual king sells sea foam !! Good luck !

 

No, there is likely no reason for concern at all because a little valve lifter noise in this particular engine is normal until full oil flow is being received by the valve train. When you start the engine on a cold morning the oil is cold and is more resistant to flowing (more viscous). Also, most of the thin layer of oil that had coated the engine parts during your previous drive gradually made its way back to the oil pan. As the lifters become lubricated and the oil warms a bit, the noise predictably goes away completely. After subsequent starts during the day there is no sound because 1) the oil is still fairly warm and flows more freely, and 2) sufficient oil is still coating the parts so as to eliminate noise. I don't live in a particularly cold location, but I hear the same noise for a very brief time (a second or two) on even the warmest days in summer. But in my case it is because the car has set for several days without being started.

Use your instrumentation to check the remaining life of your oil. You can also use the dipstick to manually inspect the oil appearance and level. I would not recommend changing the oil (8 qts synthetic is quite expensive) unless you suspect it hasn't been done in at least a year or your oil monitor is showing "-XXX days. Find out from the previous owner/seller if it is know when the last oil change was done and what type of oil was used (0W-40 typically). Per Mercedes Benz, there is no need to use any additives in your engine.

 

yes there is a reason to use additives if your engine is dirty & hasnt had the right oil changes at the right time !!! So a $7 can of sea foam can always help !!! Wont hurt anything !!!

 

If the car has been maintained reasonably well I see no reason to add anything. Also if the engine is full of sediment then loosening it up and allowing it to be pumped through the engine will do more harm than good.
Many people add some cr@p to their engine and swear it runs a lot better, just like some people saying they use some super oil and can feel the difference .... BS.
If that oil additive is any good the oil companies are using it already in the oil and adding more is a waste of money but STP loves you.

 

Go to a Crossfire GTG (get together) sometime and listen to the cars as they start - I worried about mine until my first Dragon meet - they all sounded just like mine...

A symphony of noises and chatter until the oil flows.

 

Hey BigRed - Welcome to the forum and to the world of Crossfires. There are a lot of really good people on here to help with all of your questions, and a lot of really great people here in Ontario to spend the odd day with on some get togethers and cruises. You'll come in contact with many in the SOCO Group - that's Southern Ontario Crossfire Owners, found mostly in the GTA and Niagara regions, I think. We also have a less fortunate group known as ROOCO who live in other areas - that's Rest Of Ontario Crossfire Owners. We do intermingle occasionally.
Seriously, though - all are great and we do have a lot of fun. Keep watch for some of the events and I hope that we can meet up in the future.
Regarding your question, I'd change the oil and filter and make sure that you use the Mobil 1 0W40 as recommended by the mfgr, and nothing else. Depending on where you bought the car - from a dealer, etc., they may not be aware of this requirement and so won't have the correct oil if they changed it for the sale. It takes 8 liters, and you should be good to go.

 

Respectfully, Ed, all the OP was asking is whether a ticking sound upon cold start is normal, to which the answer is "yes". It has nothing to do with the engine being "dirty". There is also no evidence to suggest the oil change interval or material specs have not been adhered to. The OP may be able to satisfy that question by simply asking the seller, checking what is displayed by the FSS, or viewing any available service records and then making a reasonable determination as to whether/when an oil change is indicated.