Hi everyone,

Not sure if anyone has experienced the OFF and ON ticking engine noise. In May 2013 I brought my 98 S70 GLT to the Volvo shop and they believed the ticking noise to be coming from a lifter sticking in the lifter bore. They added BG MOA Oil Additive and lifters seem to be quiet now. I had the oil change in December 2013 (Valvoline 5W30 Syn) and since then I observed the ticking noise off and on -- like 3 to 4 times a month and would last for a couple of minutes.

I can't have the shop observe it since the noise is random. The shop suggested to add the BG MOA Oil Additive. Any advice?

TIA!
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Brian M. - 1998 S70GLT, 1998 S70 GTA

Thanks for the replies, Klaus and Oleseahorse.

Just to be clear, the ticking noise doesn't always happen at start up. It sometimes happens when the engine is idling in a parking lot or a few minutes after start up or while driving at slow speeds. The noise would last from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes.

Maybe I should switch back to regular oil on my next LOF change? For over a decade I always used regular oil and only switched to synthetic in 2011 when we moved to Texas.
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Brian M. - 1998 S70GLT, 1998 S70 GTA

It is also quite possible that the oil pick up line O rings are needing to be replaced. This would require dropping the oil pan, a difficult task.

There is no need to switch back to conventional motor oil, the viscosity is the same as synthetic but will break down faster in the heat. Synthetic oil has more 'cleaners' than conventional oil, which is good, but it is also possible that some of the gunk buildup left over from the conventional oil has clogged the pickup port. An engine cleaner my be warranted?

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My back feels better when I sit in a Volvo seat

Thanks, Klaus. Are you suggesting AutoRX?
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Brian M. - 1998 S70GLT, 1998 S70 GTA

The synthetic oils are actually cleaning the engine every time you drive, What would be nice to have first, is an oil pressure gauge. Remember, the ticking sounds are just a minor problem if they only last for a minute or two.

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My back feels better when I sit in a Volvo seat

Have you considered doing an AutoRx cleaning treatment on your engine instead of using an additive? If you do so, you will have to run conventional oil during the treatment anyway.

Is AutoRX safe? Do I apply it at the time I change the oil and does it stay there until the next oil change?
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Brian M. - 1998 S70GLT, 1998 S70 GTA

Yes and yes...:)

I used AutoRx on my 95 850 a couple times and no problems. Still runs great at 233K! No leaks, no ticking and NO PVC problems...

Hello Brian,

You know, my 99 v70 suffered and still at times continues to suffer from some lifter noise. I contacted my Indy and he also suggested BG MOA and I used that over the last several years, maybe once each year or two. Prior to the BG, it was nastly and lasted maybe 3 seconds at startup. Really got your attention.

When I first questioned the noisy lifter(s) Klaus suggested a full clean out of the crankcase with, I believe, Auto Rx. I didn't go that route, but oddly enough, I switched back from synthetic 10/30 to conventional and that along with the BG MOA treatment made a world of difference. About 10K ago, I cleaned out my pcv system and replaced components only to find they were fine. I've been religious about oil changes as we've had the car about 10 years and the lifter noise developed around 2007.

So I figure, now I've got another 100k to go before I have to clean out the pcv system again, That should get me another 10 years at the rate I'm going. Plus, knock on wood, I have no rear seal leak.

The ticking is more prevalent in the winter, but definitely less or even non-existent now with the warmer weather. In fact, most recently, the car sat for about 1 month and never a tick at startup. I really can't tell you why the synthetic does this, but I've switched back and forth a couple of times and verified the synthetic causes increased lifter noise. So even though my three old 240 tanks are using synthetic at 5K intervals, the V70 uses conventional at 3K intervals. Go figure.

Marty Wolfson

Proud member of the 300K club

Thanks for the info, Marty. I might go this route for now.
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Brian M. - 1998 S70GLT, 1998 S70 GTA

Minor lifter noise at start up will not hurt the engine. Because you are in Texas, I suggest migrating to 10W30, as that should help the oil pressure build faster and keep the ticking to a minimum.

You should not need any oil additive, ever. Unless you buy a USA car with large displacement, low rpms, and push rods.

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My back feels better when I sit in a Volvo seat