3.6 Engine Tick

[Chris Blake]

I just got a tick in the last month and its getting worse. I hear it at slower speeds and the sound goes away sometimes. Yesterday I hit a bump in the road and it went away for a couple seconds then came back. Any thoughts? 2020 LE with 52k on motor

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[DailyMoparGuy]

I can’t help or give any advice but you prompted me to go check my engine too. Sounds like mine is ticking as well. I don’t think I can hear it while on the road though.

21k miles

 

[LiftedrubiconJT]

I just got a tick in the last month and its getting worse. I hear it at slower speeds and the sound goes away sometimes. Yesterday I hit a bump in the road and it went away for a couple seconds then came back. Any thoughts? 2020 LE with 52k on motor

Can you hear like a fluttering tapping noise driving? When I accelerate I’m hearing this weird noise

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I can’t help or give any advice but you prompted me to go check my engine too. Sounds like mine is ticking as well. I don’t think I can hear it while on the road though.

21k miles

That's nothing to me....... honestly, of course phone videos using a phone mic then saved to the web then downloaded and played in another device are never accurate compared to being there (you literally lose a lot of the frequencies that help, IMO) - but judging by the limits of the audio - it sounds pretty normal to me.

There is going to be some tick just be the design and function of the dual-mode rockers or followers.
Unless I'm mistaken, the high lift portion of the follower will still contact the center cam lobe, it just isn't locked in position to force the valve open. There's likely to be some sound as it hits the high part of the high lift cam lobe, the drops back down to the base circle.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I just got a tick in the last month and its getting worse. I hear it at slower speeds and the sound goes away sometimes. Yesterday I hit a bump in the road and it went away for a couple seconds then came back. Any thoughts? 2020 LE with 52k on motor

Now THAT ONE to me sounds abnormal - a single louder "tick". That one, IMO, does beg for more info.

If that one was mine, I'd be looking at some diagnostics, even getting an oil sample sent out. If the cam and followers are scored, there should be abnormal traces of the metals in the oil.
That's one of the more easily heard ones I'd listened to.

 

[DailyMoparGuy]

That's nothing to me....... honestly, of course phone videos using a phone mic then saved to the web then downloaded and played in another device are never accurate compared to being there (you literally lose a lot of the frequencies that help, IMO) - but judging by the limits of the audio - it sounds pretty normal to me.

There is going to be some tick just be the design and function of the dual-mode rockers or followers.
Unless I'm mistaken, the high lift portion of the follower will still contact the center cam lobe, it just isn't locked in position to force the valve open. There's likely to be some sound as it hits the high part of the high lift cam lobe, the drops back down to the base circle.

I’m hoping that’s the case. Plus I can only hear it with the hood up. I’ll just have to wait and see if it ever gets worse.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I’m hoping that’s the case. Plus I can only hear it with the hood up. I’ll just have to wait and see if it ever gets worse.

The VVL system isn't as quiet as the prior versions, but to me, having owned the 3.6 since they got rid of the 4.0 (every Grand Cherokee and Cherokee we've ever owned has had the 4.0 or the 3.6)
Still, from inside the truck, hood closed, I don't hear the valve train.
If I get out with it running - and I have gotten out having forgotten to push the button to kill it - can hear the valve train. More with hood open.

The other audio clip - that one jumped out at me. No, that just is different, it's a single one for sure that is not blending in like a good marching band drummer not trying to stand out in the crowd. That one is hitting the drum head harder to get attention.

They should be like the drummers in this clip - not a one of them standing out, none of them having an accent for a note the others don't have.

 

[Chris Blake]

Now THAT ONE to me sounds abnormal - a single louder "tick". That one, IMO, does beg for more info.

If that one was mine, I'd be looking at some diagnostics, even getting an oil sample sent out. If the cam and followers are scored, there should be abnormal traces of the metals in the oil.
That's one of the more easily heard ones I'd listened to.

Yes, internet research is leaning toward rockers and lifters. The noise is louder in lower gears then goes away. I can make it tick in park, just by giving it some gas

 

[Benbean66]

How does yours sound right upon start up? Mine sounds like an old Detroit for a second then quiets down as oil pressure climbs. Mine definitely has a single audible tick while I drive, too.

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

Rocker bearing failed. Better to have it replaced sooner than later, sometimes you can get lucky and it wont damage the cam or other components.
The last generation of 3.6l’s had this issue as well.
if you live in a warm climate I had better luck running 0w40 oil…. 0w20 ate two within the first 30k miles. Switched to a 0w40 and didn’t have another issue until around 130k miles in the JK…

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Rocker bearing failed. Better to have it replaced sooner than later, sometimes you can get lucky and it wont damage the cam or other components.
The last generation of 3.6l’s had this issue as well.
if you live in a warm climate I had better luck running 0w40 oil…. 0w20 ate two within the first 30k miles. Switched to a 0w40 and didn’t have another issue until around 130k miles in the JK…

The current generation with VVL doesn't have that same roller and bearing setup.
What is failing on these is the high lift portion of the rocker or follower. There's no bearings involved.
And the cam is damaged right away. When these fail, the current generation with VVL - it's the rocker and cam that are both damaged at the same time. There's no fixing a bearing and saving the cam.

Oil viscosity has nothing to do with this. Likely you ended up with oil that has a better film protection - can handle higher pressure.
Just because you had no other problems doesn't prove the oil fixed it because many thousands don't ever have the problem.

This is not a viscosity issue - check back at all of the posts and pictures of this and the diagrams I've supplied.
The damage is on the portion that operates more like a flat tappet cam setup.

This is the cam damage-

This is the follower damage - not related to any bearing at all - when it's damaged it's trash -

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

The current generation with VVL doesn't have that same roller and bearing setup.
What is failing on these is the high lift portion of the rocker or follower. There's no bearings involved.
And the cam is damaged right away. When these fail, the current generation with VVL - it's the rocker and cam that are both damaged at the same time. There's no fixing a bearing and saving the cam.

Oil viscosity has nothing to do with this. Likely you ended up with oil that has a better film protection - can handle higher pressure.
Just because you had no other problems doesn't prove the oil fixed it because many thousands don't ever have the problem.

This is not a viscosity issue - check back at all of the posts and pictures of this and the diagrams I've supplied.
The damage is on the portion that operates more like a flat tappet cam setup.

This is the cam damage-

This is the follower damage - not related to any bearing at all - when it's damaged it's trash -

Thanks- my response was coming from knowledge of the previous gen 3.6.
I appreciate your informed response.
Kind of a shame that the manufacturer jumped through the hoops to revise previous issues, only to make more/worse issues.

really happy with our 3.0.

 

[Chris Blake]

manufacturer jumped through the hoops to revise previous issues, only to make more/worse issues.

Yeah, but what caused the updated cam and follower to get trashed? Poor quality metal or construction to begin with?

 

[Hootbro]

I just got a tick in the last month and its getting worse. I hear it at slower speeds and the sound goes away sometimes. Yesterday I hit a bump in the road and it went away for a couple seconds then came back. Any thoughts? 2020 LE with 52k on motor

Yeah, that is nasty sounding. Warranty time.

 

[Hootbro]

I can’t help or give any advice but you prompted me to go check my engine too. Sounds like mine is ticking as well. I don’t think I can hear it while on the road though.

21k miles

Sound like normal injector tick.

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