Oil Additives

The lifters on my 2002 BUICK do a click-click-click when I first start up the car.

Years ago, this meant dirt ( or varnish ) in the lifters. The usual cure would be an oil cleaner/addative.

What's the current thinking on additives like this ?

Reply to
Anonymous
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It can still mean varnish or dirt. It can mean other things as well. Easy enough to try. Pick up your favorite additive, use it according to instructions. (Right now, I would normally lean to Mystery Marvel Oil, but am openminded about it. )

If it stops the problem, think about improving the quality of oil you are using, and perhaps change more often if you are one of those long interval maintenance types.

Reply to
<HLS

May have made sense 50 years ago, but the oil today is excellent and additives are a waste of money. I'd be afraid they would to more harm than good.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

I agree that todays oils are excellent, however, it's going to take more than that knowledge to clean the dirt or varnish out of his lifters.

I like Rislone for this particular problem. It isn't so much an 'additive' as it is a light viscosity, high detergent motor oil, that can be left in from oil change to oil change.

Dave

Reply to
Hairy

Some additives are a waste of money, but this is not his potential issue.

If he has used certain oils which tend to gum, and if he has not changed his oil regularly, he may have fouled his lifters, etc... In such a case you don't need lubrication additives, viscosity modifiers, etc. You need something to help you de varnish the engine and clean it up.

THEN AND THEREAFER, use a good oil, and change regularly.

Shaler Rislone has a long history, as does Mystery Marvel Oil.. There are others as well. They will either help disperse the gum and varnish and cure his problem or they wont...

Reply to
<HLS

I'm also not a big fan of oil additives, but in this case it's the easiest thing to try first. It seems rather unusual to be having noisy lifters in a car that new, IMO. Are you positive that's what you're hearing?

Reply to
James Goforth

Pretty sure.... a click-click-click in the morning when I first start the car. Gradually goes away as the engine warms up.

A friend suggests it's just oil draining out of the lifters overnite. His advice; "Ignore it".... ????

Reply to
Anonymous

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