Tapping at idle (5.4) is this normal?!
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 16
Likes: 1
If the phasers are locked out you probably have nothing to worry about as far as that noise is concerned. That sounds like the hot idle phaser knock, but locked or unlocked it's more of a nuisance than anything
as long as you don't have chain rattle or cam followers tapping you should be good.
As suggested run a thicker oil 5w30 minimum. Xw20 is too thin for this motor for the vast majority of us with normal or especially worn clearances.
as long as you don't have chain rattle or cam followers tapping you should be good.
As suggested run a thicker oil 5w30 minimum. Xw20 is too thin for this motor for the vast majority of us with normal or especially worn clearances.
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 480
Likes: 56
I have the CTS3 Evolution and it doesn't change the idle when I program it in
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 16
Likes: 1
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 480
Likes: 56
So all winter I've had a cold start taping/knocking/ticking sound and pretty much didn't go away till engine warmed up so in -40c that was around 15 minutes at idle, but the past few days it's been around +1c and cold start noise goes away in like 2 minutes and I just checked my exhaust manifolds today and they are a cheap NAPA brand so that and the fact my VCT system is working perfectly I'm now 100% sure my noise is just an exhaust manifold leak and nothing worse.
5 Year Member
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 7,721
Likes: 2,201
do you have any negative effects shifting into gear when idling that high?