Engine Ticking After Oil Change? (All You Need to Know)

Since the car engine is a complicated component of a car, simple complications might cause huge hassle to the functionality of the car. This will also cause discomfort to your driving experience. In this article, we will discuss the engine behavior after an oil change.

Can the engine tick after an oil change? Will an oil change stop engine knocking? 

Generally, the engine tick is caused due to a lack of lubrication inside the engine components that prevents them to move smoothly to keep the engine running.

In case your car is having a low level of engine oils or pressure, or if the engine valves are out of adjustments and you are facing mechanical problems, this can be some noticeable signs of engine ticking.

Changing the engine oil will fix the engine ticking or tapping temporarily. 

The engine ticking is caused by an imbalanced air-fuel mixture and improper lubrication. Adding boosters can fix the mixture for a certain period. Changing the engine oil will temporarily reduce the noise as well but won’t solve the issue if there is any oil leakage. 

The causes of some engine problems are mentioned below:

Diesel Engine:

One of the main reasons why the diesel engine might be ticking is because of the low level of oils in it. This will prevent the valvetrain components from running smoothly due to a lack of proper lubrication.

Another reason could be a bad lifter or faulty connecting rod in the engine that causes the engine to tick.

Mustang Engine:

The mustang engines use a direct fuel injection pump, which might cause ticking noise when properly functioning. This is very common in every mustang engine, although maintaining the engines properly will lower the noise frequently.

Coyote Engine:

Coyote engines are from ford, their 5.0L coyote engine causing ticking is known as a normal characteristic for the engine type. It is also known as typewriter tick and no repair attempts can solve this issue. 

Why is my engine ticking after an oil change? 

Generally, changing the engine oil might help solve the ticking noise issue temporarily. If your engine oil has a leaking issue, this will cause the engine to produce low oil pressure. So, you need to check all the engine components carefully if you’re facing the ticking issue after an oil change. 

The engine valves produce noise when the oil level or the pressure is low. Sometimes, thicker oil cannot produce friction among the engine components, as a result, it fails to keep the engine running smoothly.

Moreover, cleaning the combustion chamber, increasing octane level as well as changing the engine oil will stop engine knocking. So, it is important to keep the engine components lubricated which can be done using the right type of engine oil.

Some of the reasons why your car engine still ticking after an oil change is discussed below:

Wrong engine oil:

Every car needs a specific type of engine oil to make sure it enables the engine to function properly. If you notice your engine ticking and causing disturbing noise, you might consider changing the engine oil.

But even after changing oil, your engine noise issue might not get solved. This is because you are using the wrong type of engine oil on your car. Every car manufacture company suggests a specific type of engine oil for the car.

Using the wrong one might cause friction, low oil pressure and prevent the components from moving freely in the engine. 

Dry oil filter:

Since the noise issue is mostly related to the oil, the engine can also be affected by having dry oil filters. Most of the time people do not oil the filter well when changing the oil filter.

As a result, the dry oil filter prevents the oil from reaching the engine since the oil has to go through the oil filter to reach the engine. So, the dry oil filter will cause ticking noise.

Although a dry oil filter will not cause the engine any serious problem and it does not remain dry for a long time, the noise will eventually lower if you keep driving your car. But it is important to follow the steps to oil up the filter before using it. 

Loose oil plug:

Most of the time when the engine starts ticking, the oil plug is never inspected carefully. But a loose oil plug can cause engine ticking noise.

A loose oil plug will not expose the symptoms of engine noise immediately, but it will cause the oil to leak. As a result, the engine will not be able to get lubricated properly and make a ticking noise.

So, if you have changed the oil and still facing the ticking issue, make sure to check the major engine components related to oil and fix it immediately.

What does engine ticking mean after oil change? 

The main reason why your car engine might be still ticking after you’ve changed the oil is some components are not functioning properly inside the engine.

Although, it is not confirmed whether changing the engine oil can solve this type of ticking noise coming from the engine or not. But the sound cannot be traced again after changing the engine oil.

You need to change your engine oil after a certain period. It takes to change the engine oil after around 5000 miles of driving. If you are still facing ticking issues from the engine, it means any engine component is not functioning properly.

Inspect the oil pump, oil filter, oil plug. Make sure the oil pressure is stable, the oil level Is not low, and make sure the oil is not leaking. If you can maintain your car engine properly, you won’t face any issues. 

Can the wrong oil cause ticking noise? Can synthetic oil cause engine ticking noise? 

Pouring the wrong oil into the engine sometimes causes it ticking noise. Every car manufacturer company suggests engine oils that should be used in the car. These oils contain balanced thickness and lubrication for the engine to operate smoothly.

Using different oils instead of the recommended one might decrease the oil pressure and end up leaking oil as well. Also, the wrong oil causes poor circulation, it can even clog the oil filter that might cause the car engine ticking and oil pump failure. 

Using the synthetic will make the ticking noise louder. Since the synthetic oil has a better flow characteristic, it will make the engine noise louder when running. Generally, car owners prefer to use conventional engine oil in their cars.

It contains particles that stick to your pistons more evenly. As a result, during the gas combustion, the old materials will mix with the waste and cause oil sludge which ends up decreasing the performance of your engine and clogging it. 

How do I stop my engine from ticking? 

The engine of your car can cause ticking if the internal components are not functioning properly. Also, using the wrong type of fuel for your car engine can cause your engine to tick. Poor maintenance of your car engine can cause it to make noise when running.

Since the engine oil accumulates dirt, sludge, and smaller particles in the engine. Running the engine with this type of oil will damage the engine component such as the oil filter, oil pump and cause ticking noise.

The engine oil is needed to change after a certain time to ensure proper lubrication in the engine. There are some steps to follow to stop your engine from ticking. They are described below:

Change the engine oil:

You need to change the engine oil regularly as a part of maintenance. A car generally needs its oil to be changed after 5000 miles of driving.

Driving your car with the existing old fuel in it causes the engine to accumulate dirt and toxic particles that can cause serious damage to the pistons.

It will also roughen the pistons due to the lack of lubrication in the oil. As a result, your car won’t run smoothly.

Clean the combustion chamber:

The oil causes carbon to build up in the combustion chamber and increases compression issues by reducing volume.

This interferes with the combustion process by decreasing the power stroke and lowering the firing efficiency. So, you need to clean the combustion chamber as a part of maintenance.

Check the knock sensor:

In case you’re still hearing ticking or tapping noises from the engine after you’ve changed the oil, it’s time to check the sensors for malfunction.

A bad knock sensor might be causing such an issue. Taking your car to a repair shop for checking is recommended

Final thoughts 

There could be many reasons why your engine might be causing a ticking noise. Most of the issues are related to engine oil. So, make sure to change it regularly and use the recommended one. Besides, inspect every engine component to detect any abnormalities and take it to the repair shop.