For various life reasons, I hadn't started my 2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited for a few weeks. I put it on a battery tender during that period, so it cranked fine that day. Since it had been sitting for so long, I gave it a few seconds of cranking in clear flood mode to help get oil back up to the top end. Instead, I was greeted by the most godawful ticking I've ever heard this specific engine produce. I was a in a bit of a panic state, so I can't say for sure how long it was making this noise, but I'd estimate 60-90 seconds, possibly 120. I tried a quick, light blip of the throttle in hopes that it would help oil get where it needed to be.
Because I was panicking and not thinking straight I didn't turn it off and try another clear flood mode crank and instead backed out into the street (didn't want to be late for work). By then, it was no longer audible. There were no other symptoms or residual issues, it ran great, got to work fine and the idle sounded great warm when I arrived. Just to check, I restarted it there briefly and it was quiet. I don't recall seeing the oil light coming on, either time.
For the sake of context, I'd changed out the rocker rollers and lifters a couple years ago with revised parts to get ahead of any Pentastar tick. At the same time, I'd put in a Baxter oil filter adapter that allows the use of spin-on filters with an anti-drainback valve. Ever since then, my start ups have been smooth, largely quiet, and free of the clatter I had with my OEM cartridge filter setup. By all measures, despite the prolonged sitting, some clear flood cranking should have done the trick and prevented at least some of this gut-wrenching racket.
Anyway, I'm absolutely kicking myself for not starting it periodically while I was amidst "life stuff." Parts to replace the rollers and lifters are double what they were when I last did it and 32 of each are required. Pricing on all four camshafts is up too. It'd probably cost me at least $1600ish to do it myself. I'd prefer not to have to re-do the job. Unfortunately, Google searches have yielded nothing similar to my situation and I can't explain the hows and whys in this case. I know sitting isn't the best thing for vehicles, but it seems a bit ridiculous. I feel like I must be misdiagnosing it as valvetrain clatter, but that's what it sounds like.
When I got home, I did change the oil and filter. I didn't see anything unusual in the oil and I cut open and inspected the filter element of the (EcoGard aka O'Reilly's MSL filter) and didn't see anything alarming either. If anything, it looked better than previous cut-open filters. So, I'm a little puzzled right now. I don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water, but it has me concerned.
Pentastar 3.6 Start Up Noise
Because I was panicking and not thinking straight I didn't turn it off and try another clear flood mode crank and instead backed out into the street (didn't want to be late for work). By then, it was no longer audible. There were no other symptoms or residual issues, it ran great, got to work fine and the idle sounded great warm when I arrived. Just to check, I restarted it there briefly and it was quiet. I don't recall seeing the oil light coming on, either time.
For the sake of context, I'd changed out the rocker rollers and lifters a couple years ago with revised parts to get ahead of any Pentastar tick. At the same time, I'd put in a Baxter oil filter adapter that allows the use of spin-on filters with an anti-drainback valve. Ever since then, my start ups have been smooth, largely quiet, and free of the clatter I had with my OEM cartridge filter setup. By all measures, despite the prolonged sitting, some clear flood cranking should have done the trick and prevented at least some of this gut-wrenching racket.
Anyway, I'm absolutely kicking myself for not starting it periodically while I was amidst "life stuff." Parts to replace the rollers and lifters are double what they were when I last did it and 32 of each are required. Pricing on all four camshafts is up too. It'd probably cost me at least $1600ish to do it myself. I'd prefer not to have to re-do the job. Unfortunately, Google searches have yielded nothing similar to my situation and I can't explain the hows and whys in this case. I know sitting isn't the best thing for vehicles, but it seems a bit ridiculous. I feel like I must be misdiagnosing it as valvetrain clatter, but that's what it sounds like.
When I got home, I did change the oil and filter. I didn't see anything unusual in the oil and I cut open and inspected the filter element of the (EcoGard aka O'Reilly's MSL filter) and didn't see anything alarming either. If anything, it looked better than previous cut-open filters. So, I'm a little puzzled right now. I don't want to throw the baby out with the bath water, but it has me concerned.
Pentastar 3.6 Start Up Noise
