JiggyFilipino

My Car:
1993 Nissan Maxima SE

The Problem:
I have been reading on the post about the VTC failure and I think its even mentioned on the MSN carpoint page as a potential failure. In any case my Max seems to have an engine noise at low RPM's. I mean I have to really STRAIN to hear it from inside the car (Windows open, no cars passing by and me at a complete stop) but my car makes a ticking noise that seems to be coming from where the pistons and the valves are located. If you place your finger on the Oil Cap, you can feel the same vibration that you hear...so I know its around there.

The Questions:
My two questions are this:
1) If it is the VTC Solenoid (and I CAN live with the sound), is it okay to just keep driving it like it is WITHOUT getting it fixed? I mean I can live with the sound, that's not the problem, I can only hear it when EVERYTHING around me is quiet

2) Will an authorized NISSAN dealer diagnostic actually help me in pin pointing the problem if I need to know SPECIFICALLY if the VTC's are the problem?

Thanks everyone!

Jiggy

MaDMaX024

kind of wondering the same thing..i have a definate tick, but it doesnt sound like its coming from the VTC area..i'm blaming valves/lifters/injectors..i know my injectors are clicking....
bah, who knows, it runs fine and whips everything i encounter.

poorcollegeboy

you can try grounding them. search google for "craig brace's maxima page". that dude's got almost every DIYs. if they stop ticking when you ground them then it's the VTC. it is bad to run on bad VTCs. there are stories of them self destructing and ruining the engine. good luck.

MaDMaX024

that didnt do anything for me..tried it last summer..

poorcollegeboy

then it's probably not your vtcs. might be your lifters since it's so high and is the last thing that gets oil at start up. i had a small tick too. i switched to mobile 1 tri-synthetic (5-30) and it has helped with the ticking tremendously. also, try using nissan oil filters or a purlator one filter - they have anti drain back valves which is what our cars need for the high positioned lifters.

switch oils at your own risk though. switching oil in a high mileage car is BAD if you have leaks... i had mine tested b4 i switched to synthetic.

MaDMaX024

its definatly my injectors, and probably is my lifters, but that doesnt explain my low end loss (as compared to other VE maxs[patrick94se]). also, i've only used a non nissan oil filter once, and that was the first time i changed the oil in the max. since then i've used the nissan recommended, and just recently switched to mobil 1(more convienent, buy from autozone instead of driving 25 miles each way to the nissan dealer). i'd like to switch to synthetic, is there any way to slowly introduce the synthetic to the engine? i have 163K, and i know if i go straight synthetic, its kind of a shock and could start some leaks (smaller oil particles..worn seals...). could i go like 1quart synthetic on my next change then 2, 3, etc...until i'm filling with just synthetic?