My motor seems to have a fairly loud ticking sound it sounds like a noisy lifter? Does anybody else hear this? it gets faster with the rpms. (no its not ping) :?

 

No lifter ticks in my car yet. 14 weeks/1800 miles.

Overly obvious, but have you checked your oil level?

 

I thought the crossfire had an overhead cam 3 valve engine. If this is the case there should not be any lifters in the engine. There are more likely cam followers. Sometimes the fuel injectors will cause a noise similar to that of lifters in a pushrod engine.

 

Overhead cams use a hydraulic tappet or adjuster sometimes still called a lifter.Haven't heard any problems with the crossfire engine.Anything is possible..just had a brand new 10 mile sebring conv. in the shop with a engine tap.It had one collapsed hydraulic tappet or lifter.

 

Topic #536 on this forum has a number of posts on this issue. I have the same sound in mine, first noticed after about 3 days of driving. Everyone describes it the same way, as a ticking that sounds the way a loose lifter used to. One tech on this board says it is just a function of the valve noises not cancelling each other out, but I don't buy that. I believe this engine was meant to purr when new and for as long as possible after.

I alerted my dealer/tech and they said to drive it some more, that it may take some miles for all the seals to saturate/seal.

My Voyager had a very similar sound for years, and what it meant over time was that it burned more and more oil. Ticking tends to become tapping. Some may say MB designed this engine to alert Captain Hook, but I think that's a croc.

 

I had the lifter tick noise at startup. Once I passed 4,000 miles, it went away. My motor no longer makes any strange noises.

You might want to break the motor in before having the dealer take things apart.

 

Wow!!! Tire expert turned engine pro!!! Just kidding... couldn't pass that up. :wink: :wink: :wink:

 

My dealer's Crossfire tech told me emphatically that the Crossfire's engine "doesn't need to be broken in." Although he did say that sometimes out of the factory a car may have little "burrs" or metal shavings etc. on pieces of parts that need to get worn down etc.

About 10 minutes later, speaking separately to the manager of the service dept., he said that I should wait on any condition on the car until it is "broken in, put a few thousand miles on it." :?

No doubt in auto assembly lines in the iron Age ca. 1940 there were good days and bad days but I have a hard time believing there are a whole lot of burrs or rough spots on an MB aluminum engine in a 30K-35K car in this day and age of automation. Aren't engine parts milled if not polished, and inspected before assembly? Aren't pistons, camshafts, rings and valves near-surgical-equipment-looking shiny and smooth before assembly? Aren't the tolerances extremely high so that a rocker/lifter shouldn't be hitting anything, or that all valves should be operating the same?

 

OK... MAybe I am out of line in saying this without being able to hear your vehicle...


The Crossfires I have PDI'ed (14 so far) have been among the quietest running vehicles I have had the pleasure of working on. So......

Unless your are some freaky noise consumed customer... (DOUBT IT!!!) I'd say something is not right and get a second opinion! You could contact DC directly and ask for a DC tech inspector to look at your CF if your dealer is blowing you off! If you have another 5 star dealer in your area, consider having them inspect your car. Beyond that, have you asked for your service maager in your dealer? You may be surprised at the help you receive if you get the manager involved.


Best of luck to you, and enjoy your CF!

 

Jamikest Wrote:"...You could contact DC directly and ask for a DC tech inspector to look at your CF if your dealer is blowing you off!"

What number do you suggest we call at DC to get help?

When I was having transmission problems all I could get was a basic cust svc rep. When I asked for a supervisor I was told there was no one else to talk to.

In another post some months back I asked the same question of an individual who supposedly went to the top and got things done. He never did give out any info in the thread or by PM on how to go higher up the DC food chain when asked.

 

When you contact the 800 number in you owners manual, a case is started on your CF. The info is passed onto your local dealer, and also to the district rep. Before the case is closed the vehicle is brought in to fix the problem if one exists. The dealer then must contact the district rep, and also DC and update on any fix. You can ask for your district rep to look at your vehicle, or even a tech inspector.. A little persistance and polite resolve should get things accomplished.

 

After the last disaster at the dealer, I think the car would have to not run before I bring it in again.

I started two other crossfires at the dealer (one of the many times I was there to re-show them the strong vibrations) and every one had the same noisy engine.

 

Maybe its injector click or a solenoid click.Engines will make some noise.

 

I here a little "valve clatter" at idle to 2,000rpms....sounds like my old Acura after some oil sludge build up. It does bother me a bit but then again the CF is way more mechanical feeling than my previous cars. The japanese cars I've owned were all sewing machine smooth and slick and even the Volvo C70 was more refined if alittle lumpy with the 5cyl engine.

I just chalked it up to the car being abit old tech.

Still I love it.



Dallas

 

Mine "clicks" when first started from cold, but only for 5-10 seconds then it's gone. I figure it's like any other car I've ever owned, takes a bit o' oil pressure to get the lube up top of the engine. I just smile when I see idiots that just jump in a car, hit the ignition, and mash the gas. I can only imagine the damage they're doing inside, damage that likely will prematurely 'age' their engine. Oh well, their money down the toilet, not mine.

 

I baby this car on ignition, giving it a good 1-2 min. cold weather before putting in gear, and I don't push any engine during its first 500 miles. But the "ticking" has now become a much more audible tapping/chatter that's even more pronounced on acceleration, when you can hear it even over the well-tuned exhaust pipes and road noise and it is just short of a knock.

Plus, after I start the engine cold, as the engine warms, and drops to about 850 RPM there starts to be a slight but perceptible shaking to the car, gets more pronounced as revs drop to the lowest point for idle, about 600 RPM.

Engine, warm and idling, with hood open, sounds like there is a typewriter in it; most of engine is smooth but 1, maybe 2 cylinders have a loud, thin metallic tap on every cycle.

I haven't done anything driving-wise to damage this engine. I don't buy that it's "injector noise." Ticking becomes tapping becomes clacking/chattering, sounds just like the perennial lifter noise I had for the last 10 yr on my Voyager.

I don't think I'm a "noise freak" but I expect a Mercedes engine on a $30K+ car with <500 mi. on it to purr, not chatter like a tin toy or clack like a tired old 140HP, 4-cyl. minivan. Taking beloved Xfire in today.

 

nor would I!

I've got my fingers crossed for you. Hope nothing seriously wrong.

 

My dealer's Xfire tech "listened" to it (in the noisy shop where you couldn't hear jack) and sorta shrugged his shoulders. Our dialogue:

Tech: "Is it what you call a severe shuddering or shaking?"
Me: "It's not 'severe' but it's noticeable. It's a new car, I don't expect it to shake at all."
Tech: "No engine is perfect. Every one has its idiosyncracies."
Me: "If this was a 7-year-old $20,000 car, I might expect it to sound like this. But this is a Benz engine with 500 miles on it."
Tech: "Just because a car is $10,000 cheaper doesn't mean it's not going to run 200,000 miles.
Me: "[thinking: huh?!] What I'm saying is this sounds like what I used to call lifter noise on an older car. I know that technically some folks say this doesn't really have lifters, just adjusters and tensioners..."
Tech: (interrupting, suspiciously) "Who told you that??!!"
Me: "I've been doing a little research, just trying to figure out how this engine works. Last newest car I had was a '92 truck, this is a little different, figure I want to know what's under the hood."
(Tech disappears for about 5 minutes)
Tech: "It's a Mercedes engine but that doesn't mean it's perfect. I could take half a dozen cars off our lot, start them up, and half a dozen might have a little tach jump here or there while they idle, or what you might call some shaking. If you're looking for your car to run perfect, it's not going to happen."
Me: "I'm not looking for perfect. But I've driven a lot of new cars in the past couple years, as rentals, and they usually sound pretty smooth. This didn't sound like this when I first tested it. It developed a ticking by 150 miles, and now at only 400 miles it's a tapping. I just want to nip it in the bud."
Tech: "Well I could completely disassemble this engine and put it back together and it might not sound any different to you. And I'm not saying I'd do a bad job, but your engine gets completely ripped apart...."
Me: "I'm not asking you to do that. I'm just saying that the engine is running uneven, and I'm trying to find out why."

At that point I brought up the oil level. When I had checked the oil level this morning with engine cold, it seemed like it was significantly above MAX (which the filler cap warns "MAY CAUSE ENGINE DAMAGE"). I haven't put a drop in this car. Tech checked it -- immediately after turning off engine -- level was right in midrange (altho manual says wait 5 min. before checking oil). Looked at me like I was crazy. SO either I misread the dipstick this morning or...

Anyway we left it that I will continue to drive it and see if it changes. Taking a road trip this weekend. Should be good test. I am scheduled to bring it in next week. Will bring it in either the night before or early AM so they can check oil cold and start it cold like I do/did.

Service dept. seems nice enough but kinda weird/defensive; I'm not accusing anyone of anything! Tech is highly regarded at dealer because he has raced. I just want my new engine to sound like a new engine not a chain-rattling Ghost of Vehicles Past. Car should sound as great as it looks and feels. Experience a little unsatisfactory. If DCX wants to use the Xfire to play on the same field as Porsche, Audi, and BMW, they need to start getting used to customers demanding their cars run and sound pretty darn good.

The attitude seemed to be that I was some sort of hypochondriac and/or that they really don't want to touch the car. Whereas, when I bought a new bicycle -- a much simpler machine -- the shop specifically WANTED me to come back because they don't assume that everything comes from the factory just perfect, and that there should be a checkup early in the lifecycle of a new machine even as complex as a Trek.

 

Not to sound snotty, but when I want serious questions about the Crossfire answered, I'm gonna stop by my local Mercedes dealer and be real real nice. The know the SLK and this engine back and forth and I'll bet they'll know way more than the typical Chrysler tech. Our tech members here are NOT typical and I wish they'd clone themselves and spread out.

Also, I may see if the SLK's white and crome HVAC controls could replace the X-fire's.



Dallas

 

deco.... It sure sounds to me like you need to find a new dealer. This tech you have sounds more like a "Tap Dancer" than a knowledgeable tech. I would also get in touch with DC and complain about the service (or lack there of) that you've gotten from your dealer.

Please keep us posted.