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I'm the original owner of a 2013 Ford F-150 XLT 3.7 which now has 30,000 km.

After the last oil change, the engine is making an inconsistent tick sound when warm and also vibrates a little. The sound can be somewhat compared to parts of exhaust cooling down, because it blends in with that sound pretty well. The sound might have been present before the oil change however I did not notice any sounds until after the oil change was done.

The sound is an inconsistent but repetitive tick. It is present only when the engine is warm and it has to be in Park or Neutral and is harder to notice if engine is revved to around 2000 RPM, but when the engine speed increases, the sound is also more intense and faster.

The sound is most noticeable at zero engine load, I mean by turning on the radio or A/C it is still there but not as annoying. No mods done to the truck, and it hasn't been driven hard. I did put premium gas in a couple of times. There is no sound after starting the engine in a situation where the truck was sitting in a driveway overnight. Even driving it moderately 5km highway and 5km city, it does not always make the sound by the time I get to work.

So now I suspect three things.
1. I have been idling my car a lot and sometimes used the cheapest gas from some no-name gas stations.
2. When my 5w20 Motocraft oil gets warm it gets thick and then it is somehow causing this sound.
3. There is just something wrong with the engine.

Can anyone tell me what I should look at? I need to know the if there is a problem before I go to the dealership again. The first time they told me everything is all right.

This is a video of my F-150 making the sound https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DKFb0II7Pk

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  • Have you checked the oil level yourself since the oil change was done?
    – Nate Eldredge
    Commented Aug 19, 2015 at 2:02

1 Answer 1

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1. I have been idling my car a lot and sometimes used the cheapest gas from some no-name gas stations.

Exhaust parts can heat and cool dramatically from working to idling causing the cool-down "tick".

2. When my 5w20 Motocraft oil gets warm it gets thick and then it is somehow causing this sound.

Oil becomes "thinner" with heat. Lifter noise can happen because of this but that's typically very regular and the speed of the tick the directly related to the engine speed. Although volume is usually steady or lowers with higher engine speed.

3. There is just something wrong with the engine.

Engines make noise. It may also be normal. If you can narrow down a location I may have more suggestions.

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