I have a 04 5.4 3v Scab with 60,000 miles. I've had it a couple of months now and just started noticing that it kinda sounds like a diesel at idle. Well i've been reading these forums for some time now and kinda had a suspicion that my cam phase lifters might be bad. I took it by my local Ford dealership today and they confirmed it. They quoted me $218 on the lifters and they said that I would need ....lashers?... Well all this together with labor added up to $1366. Well the service manager is a friend of mine, he asked if I had a motorcraft oil filter on the truck. He recommended changing the oil and installing a new motorcraft filter to see if this would help.

My question is if the oil change doesn't help will it damage the engine to keep running it like this?

 

I have the same problem but mine has 45000 miles. What I did do and got scolded by the dealership was put thicker oil. and it was like a quick fix no longer making that annoying diesel noise until an hour or so when the oil was really hot. But they asked and I told at the dealership and then I was showed all the little passages that the thinner oil has to creep through.. very intricate. It wont hurt the motor but it is extremely annoying to a gearhead, my fiance doesn't notice it

 

Thanks for the reply All4FORD. I just wanted to make sure that it wouldn't damage the motor to keep running it. I really didn't want to drop $1400 on it this close to Christmas. I just haven't read where anyone had kept on driving them without getting it fixed.

 

I am... mine been ticking for a while now..

I'd like for them to quiet down.. but I aint willing to pay anything to have it fixed....yet

 

Mine does it too. 17K miles. Dealer says it's normal. I'm still in warranty so I'll just try another dealer. The TSB says if it's the phaser you'll hear it near a wheel well, it's quiet when cold, noticeable at hot idle and drops out when the revs. are >1000. Mine is all of that so ..... are those the symptoms you have? Probably can drive it forever this way since the noise drops out over
1K rpm, just annoying. $1400 seems really steep, BTW.

 

Mine does everything you all have described and the dealership gives the same exact story, but the ford ase mechanic is a friend of mine so it's no phony story. It sounds the worst when the engine is at temp and you're sitting at a drive thru. I also notice it after say exiting the freeway and immediately stopping at a stop light, knock, knock, knock. Kind of annoying but it's a normal knock.

 

Just as you described TNC. Doesn't knock at cold idle, mine drops off at about 1000-1200 rpm. I can't hear it with the windows up. Like Stealth said, drive-thru's is where it's noticable.

Thanks for all the replys

 

Well, I wouldn't mind if I got diesel mileage! My plan is to try different dealers until it's fixed. I like a quiet engine, unless it's a two stroke : )

 

Have you guys tried to use Lucas oil additive? I use it religiously, at 53k mi I've never heard a knock knock joke coming from my hood.

 

Ain't that the truth!

 

There's a TSB out on these. It's a known problem. Additives are probably not going to fix it. Supposedly the replacements won't do this.

 

What a joke, if you take it in during the warranty they wont cover it, but if you take it in after the warranty they will tell you they need to be replaced and charge you $1400. Im in the process of coming up with a long laundry list of items that need to be replaced while Im still under warranty, its sad that such new vehicles have so many problems.

Ive actually had ppl ask me if mine is a diesel before due to the noise, its hard to explain to them that its "normal" for a gas engine to make that type of noise. They usually dont buy it and niether do I, Ford must think we are all idiots to believe them.

 

i'd like to hear your engines .. mine clicks but it isnt as noticable as some of yours must be..

and i read on hear somewhere thats its the injectors but IDK

 

Yeah, the injectors click, but the knock some have is the cam phaser. It's a completely different sound.

 

You pretty much won't hear the injectors with the hood closed. When it's open you can hear them and they're not even as loud as if you had valve train issues. The cam phaser is more of a soft knock , not really a tick and depending which bank has the issue will be readily heard at temp., from one of the wheel well areas. If it's the phaser, per the TSB, the noise should drop out above 1KRPM or so. These trucks are pretty complicated, so there's going to be problems. I work in a production environment and trust me, sometimes a new machine won't work hardly at all for nearly a year. I wouldn't be afraid to 'dealer shop'. Some of them are just terrible and you definitely want to get everything settled before the warranty runs out.